Did you know that the average person uses 10 personal care products per day containing roughly 120+ chemical ingredients? So every day we are putting 120+ chemicals on our body. And unfortunately, most companies aren’t even required to test their products, and are allowed to leave hazardous chemicals off their labels.
Why should you care?
Because many of the chemicals found in personal care products have been linked to increased risks of cancer, infertility, birth defects, hormonal issues (aka endocrine disruptors), and more. The same holds true for household cleaning products.
And then we have all the toxins from daily life, including: pollution; pesticides in food; harsh chemicals in our water; Teflon on cooking pans; VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in paint; phthalates in plastic, nail polish, cosmetics, paint and more; electromagnetic waves (example, standing in front of a microwave); and even our excess constant stress.
And we are only beginning to understand the extent to which these toxins are influencing human health.
So what can we do?
HERE ARE 8 STEPS TO GET STARTED NOW ON YOUR “CLEANER” LIFESTYLE.
1. DETOX YOUR BEAUTY CABINET
Switch some of your cleansers/creams and makeup to less toxic versions. You can look at the Detox Market (my favorite place for nontoxic personal care products), Credo Beauty and in Sephora look for the products marked “clean by sephora”.
Every time you need to replace an existing product, replace it with a “cleaner” version made by a “clean” brand. Thankfully there are tons of great options nowadays.
Use LESS products. Less is more. Skipping unnecessary products like hair spray & detangler will help you lessen your toxic load.
Watch out for fragrances. Fragrances are linked to a staggering number of health risks. Chemicals used to make fragrances have been classified as allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins & carcinogens. So, choose fragrance-free personal care products (always check ingredient lists to be sure) and switch to essential oils! Essential oils are a great alternative to toxic chemical air fresheners, scented candles, perfumes, and to the chemicals used to make our cleaning products smell nice,… plus they have amazing healing benefits!
Check your toothpaste. Choose a paste without fluoride and triclosan which can cause health issues. Learn more about fluoride and triclosan. You can even try making your own with my super simple recipe (i show you a mini video).
2. DETOX YOUR CLEANING CABINET
Use “greener” cleaners. Many products on the market don’t even have a full ingredient list, making it tough to identify toxins, but if you live in the US, here are some options for greener cleaners.
Make your own household cleaners. My favorite basic cleaner is just mixing 1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water and 10-20 drops of essential oils (depending on size of your bottle). I love to use lemon EO, lavender EO, sometimes I use doTerra’s “on guard”, or for a less expensive version I also like this blend.
Be mindful of your carpeting. Opt for a formaldehyde-free carpet option. Here is EWG’s Healthy Cleaning guide for the best non-toxic carpet cleaners.
Be careful with paint. Many of the chemicals in paint have been linked to birth defects, cancer and more. If/when it’s time to repaint or remodel your home , request the least potentially toxic paint options.
3. FILTER YOUR WATER. Get a good water filter that has been tested to remove 99%+ of potential toxins. I use Aquasana (let me know if interested, I have the contact for a local distributor in Nicaragua) and recently discovered eco filtro Nicaragua for easy filtered drinking water. In the US, I’ve heard great things about the Berkey filter.
4. CHOOSE ORGANIC WHEN POSSIBLE. The sad truth is that lots of fruits & veggies are loaded with pesticides and chemicals these days. Opting for organic can help ensure your greens are clean (and often more nutritious). Check this list to see the produce where pesticide residues are highest (where it’s most important to buy organic). Its primarily for the US but even though I live in Nicaragua, I still view the guide and assume its fairly similar here. Or honestly, I get what I can find organic.
5. REDUCE YOUR USAGE OF PLASTIC.
Kick the bottled water habit and get yourself a reusable water bottle, like stainless steel or glass option (not plastic or aluminum lined with plastic).
Swap plastic Tupperware for glass. And swap plastic ziplocks for reusable silicone bags.
Read more HERE.
6. UPGRADE YOUR COOKWARE and DITCH THE TEFLON. The chemical compound used to make Teflon is harmful to our health - it has been linked to high cholesterol and hormonal imbalances - and is hard to eliminate. Switch to cast iron, stainless steel or nontoxic ceramic. Read more HERE.
7. BE CAREFUL WITH HEAVY METALS, ESPECIALLY MERCURY
Reduce consumption of high mercury fish like the larger fish that tend to absorb more mercury (swordfish, dolphin/mahi-mahi, most tunas). Wild-caught salmon and sardines are better options, or your local smaller fish (like pargo in Nicaragua). And be careful with seafood. Read more HERE.
If you have older metal amalgam dental fillings, have them removed and swapped out for more modern tooth-colored resin.
And I just learned: ditch compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which contain mercury and should be handled and disposed of with care (away from children). Learn more.
8. SUPPORT YOUR BODY’S DETOXIFICATION PATHWAYS
MANAGE YOUR STRESS, IMPLEMENTING DAILY TOOLS TO HELP YOU KEEP STRESS AT BAY like meditation, exercise (I love barre and yoga), deep conscious breathing techniques, journaling and more. Read more HERE for the tools I use everyday.
SIGN UP FOR A DETOX ONCE A YEAR, OR UP TO 4 TIMES PER YEAR. I highly suggest you try my 7 day or 10-day detox. Even my 14 day Vegan Challenge will help you lower your toxic-load.