Hi everyone!
I hope you all are having a fantastic week. I am so excited the weather is started to warm up a bit, and the sunshine is peaking though! A few weeks ago, I attended a party that sells non-toxic household items. After hearing of the toxic chemicals found in our everyday products, I decided to make a HUGE lifestyle change. I found out that before a woman leaves the house in the morning, she is exposed to 250 chemicals! YIKES! No thank you. I am now on a mission to purchase safe and less-toxic products, to reduce the risk of cancer and disease as I age.
I currently rid my cabinets of:
Deodorant
Body sprays
Perfumes
Toothpaste
Body wash
Candles
Lotion
75% of my hair products
All purpose cleanser
Windex/glass cleaner
Baby shampoo (Clean my brushes with)
I am trying to do this change gradually as it can become expensive. I have switched all of these products to non-toxic, environmentally safe, and healthy products. Don't forget your skin is the largest organ in your body. It absorbs anything that comes in contact with it.
Now don't be fooled when something says natural or organic, you need to know how to read and understand the ingredients on the back of the product. When I look at a product I have no idea what the ingredients mean half the time. Your best cheat sheet is from a website called Skin Deep. Skin Deep is a database in which you can enter the product's brand or name, and see the levels of toxicity, and if you should purchase it or not. It is rated on a scale of 0-10. 0 being the best and least toxic. I would say do not buy a product with a rating higher than a 3. The scale shows what chemicals are in each product, and you would be very surprised how toxic some products are, even if they are listed as natural.
You want to look for products that are made without:
Fragrance
Synthetics
Parables
Sulfates
Etc. the list goes on!
When switching your products to natural or organic, it can become very expensive. The best way to find out if the product is safe, non-toxic, and worth the money is to research a head of time. I have listed below the best places to find deals on natural products, as well as where I purchased mine.
The best place to find natural candles, body lotions, facial products, and essential oil fragrances (non-toxic perfumes), is from Esty.com. These products are home-made, and very inexpensive!
Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Cavity Prevention (Rates a 2 on the scale) I found this product at Wegmans for $5.
Deodorant Cream: $12.00 Esty.com from a shop called Soapwalla Chef. Worth every penny! Deodorants contain aluminum and other dangerous chemicals, which can cause Endocrine Disease and Breast Cancer
Candles: 2oz candle for $6.00 Esty.com from a shop called Aunaturelle
Fragrance Oil: $8.95 from Etsy.com from a shop called Wonderweeds
Natural Hairspray:
Andalou Natural Hairspray. It has great reviews, and holds up in humid weather! You don't want to keep breathing in dangerous chemicals from your hairspray, which gets absorbed into your lungs.
$20.00 for 2 bottles. Purchased from Amazon.com
Or
Honeybee Gardens $10.00 purchased from Honeybee Gardens website
All-Purpose Cleanser: 7th Generation $5.00 purchased at Wegmans
Shampoo and Conditioner: Derm Organics can find on eBay or Amazon from $20-$65
Body Wash: All Natural African Black Soap. Check your local health food stores. Price: O sale for $6.99 from local co-op.
Facial Products: Eminence Organics Skincare of Hungary
If you are ever questioning if a product is really natural or not, just take out your phone the store, and plug it into the database on Skin Deep.com. It will save you time, money, and your health!
I decided to make this huge life change, so I could a strong healthy person for the rest of my life. I want to be healthy for my future husband, future children, and I want my children to grow up in a healthier world. I hope you take into consideration how toxic the products around your house are, and how toxic they are to the children that live in your house with these products. I just want everyone to live a happy and healthy life :)!
