15 ways we reduce toxins in our house
There are so many places where chemicals can enter our lives without us even realising it and unfortunately these chemicals can have a major impact on our bodies, our health and the health of our family.
"Although it's not common knowledge, the world's leading health organisations have stated that 95% of all cancer is diet and environment related. This literally means that at least 95 out of 100 cancer cases could have been prevented. Stated another way, 95 out of every 100 cancer cases is man-made and is caused by living in a cancerous environment"
Dr Stephen Cabral, The Rain Barrel Effect
This is scary, does this concern anyone else? Let's take a deeper look at some of the chemicals commonly used and the effects they have on our bodies.
Women on average put 168 chemicals on their body each day through the beauty products they use. Some of the top chemicals are
Phthalates
Parabens
Phenoxyethanol
Resourcinol
Benzophenone
Lead- has been linked to miscarriages and birth defects
Our skin is our largest organ therefore what we put on our skin gets absorbed straight into our bodies directing affecting our endocrine system.
How do these chemicals affect our endocrine system?
They can mimic or partially mimic our hormones
They can block our natural hormones
They interfere with the way our hormones are controlled
This can contribute to
Low sperm count
Disrupted fertility
Endometriosis and PCOS
Thyroid regulation
Metabolism
Cancers
When we are pregnant and breastfeeding these chemicals can also affect your baby.
When you breathe, swallow or absorb chemicals through your skin they enter your bloodstream and pass to your baby via the placenta.
The average fetus is exposed to 287 harmful chemicals
The umbilical cord typically contains over 100 toxins, cancerous chemicals and heavy metals
When you baby is born they can be further exposed to these chemicals through breastmilk
The worst part?… We aren't told this, we aren't educated at school about the effects of these chemicals and when we get sick we often aren’t asked what beauty products and cleaning products we use, instead we are often offered some kind of drug or medical intervention.
So to make it all a bit easier for you I’ve listed 15 substitutions we have made to the products in our house and included a link to all of the websites where you can find them.
Cookware. Did you know that many pots, pans and utensils have chemicals all over them, especially the ones labeled ‘non stick’. It is this non stick chemical coating that often causes people to experience spare throats and breathing difficulties including asthma. Check out Neoflam and Solidteknics.
Glass food containers. Plastic containers leach chemicals into our food especially when we put hot food in them, if you have to use plastic I’d recommend not putting any hot food in them. You can get some from woolies with plastic lids which is what we use a lot of, just don’t let hot food touch the lid. Wait until they are on special before you buy them and they usually go half price. Or Seed and Sprout have some great ones.
Toxic free bedding. We spend a third of our lives sleeping and when we sleep our bodies are wrapped in our sheets and our faces are buried in our pillows, which means if we are not sleeping in toxic free sheets and PJ’s we are literally spending 7,8, 9 hours plus every night in direct contact with and breathing in these chemicals. This can often lead to eczeama, athsma and allergies. Check out this post for more information. But also Yo Home, Organature and Bhumi.
Makeup. Parabens and phthalates are two very common chemicals in makeup which can lead to recurrent headaches, liver damage, cancer, fertility issues and can affect birth outcomes. I have used Inkia and Ecomineals
Organic clothing and underwear. This doesn’t always happen in terms of clothes but we always buy chemical free underwear. Our underwear is the first point of contact with our genitals, the source of our reproduction, it just makes sense that we would want to reduce the chemicals exposed to this area, especially since we are wearing them for majority of the day. Some brands I love are Bhumi, Indigo Luna, Purebaby, Boody, Organic Crew, Bonds Organic, Target Organic
Chemical free laundry liquid. We can’t always buy chemical free clothes but I always make sure I wash them in chemical free laundry liquid. Our clothes are in direct contact with our bodies which means we are spending all day wrapped in chemicals. I love Dirt, Doterra, Cherub Rubs and Koala Eco.
Cloth nappies and wipes. Some disposable nappies are laced in toxic chemicals which we are putting directing on our babies delicate skin, no wonder so many babies get nappy rash! I love Econaps and Designed bums. You can also get chemical free disposable nappies which I have used when we go away and don’t want to use cloth nappies.
Chemical free shampoo and conditioner. Where do I start with the chemicals in shampoos and conditioners… These are a major source of endocrine distributors which affects our entire body. Some brands I have used for both myself, Josh and Paige are Doterra, Sukin, Cherub Rubs and Weleda.
Natural deodorants. Like the shampoos these too have endocrine distributing chemicals in them that directly affect our hormones and fertility. I love Noosa basics, Weleda and No Pong.
Moisturiser. Similar to deodorant and shampoos, moisturisers are full of toxic chemicals that cause havoc to our health. I like to use just coconut oil with essential oils added, but some other brands are Weleda and Sukin.
Filtered water system. Did you know that they have found that tap water has traces of peoples medications in it and antibiotics! I love Hydrogen Health but really anything is better than tap water.
Stainless steel water bottles. When we drink out of plastic bottles the plastic release chemicals into the water and then we drink those chemicals, especially if you have left the bottle in the sun to get hot. You can find these pretty much anywhere these days, just make sure you wash them regularly.
Beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap. Cling wrap should never be put on hot food as this causes chemicals to release into the food, and lets be real cling wrap is just not good for the environment. We mostly just put everything in containers or use beeswax wraps instead.
Beeswax candles. Did you know that burning traditional candles actually exposes you to many chemicals, especially if they have synthetic fragrances. Some are even considered carcinogenic and can contribute to asthma, allergies and other health conditions. Whereas 100% beeswax candles do not release any chemicals into the air and can actually neutralise and pull toxins from the air.
Essential oils. Instead of synthetic fragrances that contain parabens and phthalates which affect our endocrine system try diffusing clean essential oils. Doterra and Young Living are some of the cleanest ones. Essential oils also have other benefits like reducing stress and calming the nervous system.
Some shops and resources I love
Happy clean living team. Email me or DM me on my socials if you have any questions.
