If you're like me and always looking for ways to be healthier, then this Home Environmental Detox series is for you! Learn about what toxic ingredients are lurking in your home and about what safe (and effective) options you can use in their place. In this blog post (Part 1), I'll be discussing seven areas in your bathroom that might be laden with chemicals, what those chemicals are, what they do to your health and what non-toxic, plant-based, environmentally - safe options are available to you. These are also products I use, love and continue to re-stock since they're safe and they get the job done!
I'm passionate about pursuing A Beautiful Life, and when it really gets down to it, A Beautiful Life is a healthy life... physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, relationally, environmentally... you get the idea. So when I think of "health", I'm looking at not only the harmful effects that chemicals have on my body, but on my mental health (hello, brain fog), my emotional health (hormone disruptors are running rampant in so many products)... I'm also looking at the impact certain ingredients and products has on the environment. Because if our Earth isn't as healthy as it could be, neither are we. And unfortunately, Mother Earth IS sick, and so are we, BUT! I believe if people are armed with the right information then they can make better choices for themselves, their family and our planet. Any "How I Met Your Mother" watchers out there? I just remembered the part where Barney is working in that salon as a gay stylist and he says:
"When we know better, we do better."
Shane and I actually refer to this quote quite often. It's so simple, yet sooooooooo TRUE! If we know better, we can make better choices for ourselves, our family, our communities and our planet. So, let's get to it...
Seven Things (or areas) in Your Bathroom that Need a
"Non - Toxic Make - Over"
(Pun intended.)
1. Deodorant/Anti-Perspirant
If you haven't heard by now... standard Deodorant/Anti-Perspirants are loaded with chemicals and fragrances, AND ALUMINUM!! Aluminum is a carcinogen has been linked to Cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Now, even though I might sound like a hippie with my herbal remedies and at-home-with-a-midwife ways, I REALLY don't want to smell like one!!
So, I like to use either Thai Natural Crystal Deodorant OR more recently, I've been really liking Schmidt's Natural Deodorant in Ylang-Ylang & Calendula.
2. Perfumes
(Standard/synthetic) Perfumes are made up of mostly synthetic fragrances (think man-made from a lab and not found in nature). Perfumes can also be made up of a combinations of around 3000 ingredients, most of which are toxic, such as propylene glycol, acetone, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, limonene, linalool and methylene chloride. Unfortunately, it's not required by law for perfumes to list it's ingredients (how would they fit 3000 ingredients on a tiny bottle anyway!?)
When it comes to synthetic Fragrance, it's being toted as "the new cigarette smoke" because of the adverse health effects such as: hormone disruptions, endocrine damage, infertility, asthma, neurotoxin problems, respiratory problems, allergies, headaches... need I go on? Since perfumes and fragrances make me sick (it literally feeds my Epstein Barr Virus), I rarely use any type of perfume.
When I do, I use Pacifica French Lilac Spray Perfume, which is plant-based, non-toxic and it makes me fee like I'm dancing around a bunch of Lilac bushes! (Heaven.) Plus, my 4 year old daughter, Lorelei loves this rubbed onto her "special bracelets" that she wears at school... she loves the scent because it reminds her of Mama and comfort her when I'm not with her. When I'm not wearing the Pacifica perfume, I'm au-naturale... which apparently smells like herby oils according to my brother-in-law. (It's meant as a compliment.) But it has me wondering if I really am a hippie after all!?
3. Hair Products
Hairspray: I used to use hairspray a TON in my old business. For over a decade, I owned a children's entertainment business and portrayed lovable characters such as Cinderella.
(My daughter still thinks I'm she. I'm just going with it as long as possible.) Every time I styled or donned a wig, I'd spray it down with hairspray like it was the 70's and I was on the cast of Charlie's Angels. My hairspray days are over, though. And I'm ok with that because the toxic effects are terrible... phthalates (can cause miscarriage, gestational diabetes and fertility problems), coumarin (toxic on the liver), glue, polymers, solvents, can cause skin reactions, sneezing, coughing, red eyes, rashes, allergies,
CANCER, breathing difficulties... yuck, yuck, YUCK! Many of the ingredients are also really bad for the environment and can harm wildlife. So. NOT. Cool.
HOWEVER! I kinda don't want my hair lookin' like it's comprised of a couple of spools of thread (I have very fine hair, and unfortunately have lost a good portion of what I had to my Chronic Epstein Barr Virus). So, I've been on the hunt for non-toxic, safe products that still give me a bit of that Farrah-Faucet-y hair.
The #1 product that helps me the most with this is the Volume & Shape Volumizing Mist by Beautycounter. And I'm excited to try this non-toxic hairspray soon! (It's highly recommended by the natural-living community and it's currently sitting in my Amazon cart! Yay!)
The next time you're in the salon chair and your hair stylist is complaining of a chronic cough, you'll be able to provide the answer to her (hairspray). Let her down gently, though. ;)
Shampoo/conditioner: To tell you the truth, I use my daughter's shampoo and conditioner. It's so safe and gentle for kids 4 years old or 36 years old (me!). When I'm not using my daughter's shampoo/conditioner, I also really like Beautycounter's Volume and Shape Conditioner.
4. Toothpaste
Triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), artificial sweeteners, fluoride, and diethanolamine (DEA) are commonly found in toothpastes. What's this mean? Ingredients such as these are linked to cancer, hormonal defects, carcinogenic, stomach ailments, skin rashes, vertigo, neurological and endocrine dysfunction, and organ toxicity just to name a few. A FEW! Yikes. I used to make my own toothpowder, but with life getting busier the last few years, I've been getting mine (Uncle Harry's Toothpaste) from our local grocery store (Town and Country, if you're a local reading this!). My daughter, Lorelei has been using Jason Kid's Only Toothpaste. I've really liked the Jason products for years.
5. Nail Polish
I meeeaan... you know where I'm going with this, don't you? Toxic chemicals such as Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) (a Plasticizer), Toluene ( a paint thinner), and Formaldehyde (just... ewww!) in nails polish can leach into your body and cause headache, kidney and liver damage, reproductive problems, dizziness, numbness, dry skin, nausea and irritated eyes, skin, nose, mouth, and throat. Now, before you think us girls are not going to paint our nails, think again!
We just use safer ones. I use Gabriel Nail Polish and Lorelei uses Piggy Paint on her 10 little piggies and fingernails and... well, her fingers too, I guess!! At least it's non-toxic paint that's sitting on her skin!
6. Personal Hygiene Products
Lotions, face cleansers, serums, facial masks, lip balm, etc... I'm going lay it on you straight. When it comes to personal hygiene products and cosmetics (#7 on this list), the US is a bit behind on limiting toxic ingredients allowed in products on the consumer market. How behind, you ask? I hope you're sitting down when you read this. The E.U. bans over 1,300 toxic chemicals from the consumer market. Canada bans around 600. The U.S. ... Oh, we ban 11, and have restrictions on 30. Eleven. ELEVEN!! Do you know what this means? This means that when you walk into your local Target to stock up on makeup, cleansers and lotions and you see the chic packaging on products that seem so cute they wouldn't dare be harboring death inside it's bottles... the fact is... they really could be. (Ok, I'm being a tad bit dramatic to make a point.) We assume from clever marketing (and the fact that it's just plain on the shelves for sale) that these are safe products available to us! WRONG!
List of Ingredients to avoid in beauty products:
Fragrance, Formaldehyde, Parabéns, Coal Tar, Phenoxyethanol, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Aluminum, Hydroquinone, Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine, Phthalates, Petroleum, Triclosan, BHA & BHT, Polythylene (PEGS), Propolene Glycol, Coloring Agents... Just to name a few.
List of effects these ingredients can have on your health:
Cancer, hormonal disruptions, sperm damage, allergies, rashes, organ toxicity/damage, neurological damage, infertility, fetus damage, endocrine disruptions, reproductive damage, carcinogenic effects, and of course immunotoxicity... this one was big for me. Like I mentioned, those little Epstein Barr Virus bugs had a PARTAY when they came in contact with any toxic chemicals.
So, now that I've told you the bad news, here's what you can do about it. Take your health into your own hands. Make sure you trust a product because of what they stand behind and the ingredients that they FREELY disclose, not because of that cute packaging that gets us every time. choose products that are plant - based, non-toxic and that score between a 1 and 3 on EWG website. {EWG (Environmental Working Group) is a super helpful website that scores products based on their safetly/toxicity. Just type in whatever product you want to get the dish on the truth behind it. It's SUCH a helpful tool when trying to figure out what's safe and what's not.
Here's the link for you. There's also an APP!}
I get most of my personal hygiene products from Beautycounter after my bestie (our wedding photographer turned best friend) turned me onto to what makes them so great in the world of natural products. Get this: Beautycounter bans over 1,500 toxic ingredients from their products. And that means forever. Like, they'll never use these in their products, ever. (They call this their "Neverlist".) They test ALL their ingredients and products before launching onto the market. AND the founder, Gregg Renfrew and her team has been fighting hard at Congress for years to get the beauty laws better enforced. This is really cool because it means that after that positive change happens and more toxic chemicals are banned from beauty products, that ALL beauty companies would have to adhere to this... and that means you can start trusting that cute packaging in the beauty aisle at Target again. But, it's going to be a WHILE until this happens.
Until then, here are my FAVOURITE personal hygiene products that I love and trust and are super effective (some are Beautycounter products, some are not.) :
Mother Hen Organic Body Butter by Buckaroo Organics. My childhood friend created this company and it's products (like their amazing laundry detergent) and what she's got going on is really awesome. I'll just be over here lathering up this body butter on my baby bump a LOT during this pregnancy to avoid stretch marks. (A girl can hope, right!?)
Nourishing Rosewater Mist by Beautycounter. I spray it on to set makeup, re-fresh my skin and feel like I'm walking through the rose garden in the Secret Garden. Again, heaven. In a bottle.
Sea Berry Seed Oil by SIBU. If you follow @holisticali on Instagram, you know how much he's recommending Sea Buckthorne oil for problem skin, acne skin, damaged skin, aging skin (gulp). I really love this stuff. I feel like a mermaid when I put it on.
Cleansing Balm by Beautycounter. One of my all time favourite, go - to beauty products. This stuff does it all in the sense that you can use it as nourishing daily cleanser, a melting makeup-removing balm, and a deeply replenishing overnight mask. My friend who uses it and ADORES how much it hydrates her skin always jokes how she wants to lick it. Hey, it's made of safe, clean ingredients... it probably wouldn't hurt you to lick it, buuutttt... better save those calories for the good stuff (Haagen Daaz! Am I right!?)
Saffron Seed Nutrient Cream by Wild Carrot. I use this to DEEPLY hydrate my dull, dry skin which sees 10 months of winter a year here in Montana. This stuff brings my facial skin back to life. I LOVE Wild Carrot's products! They even have products for kids. Plant-based, non-toxic. If you're local, I get this cream at the Bozeman Coop.
Balancing Charcoal and Facial Mask by Beautycounter. Every friend I give this to just raves about it and then they tell their friends about it and before you know it, everyone is wearing this black, charcoal mask (even the husbands) because it's the bomb. The charcoal pulls out impurities and the nutrient-rich kaolin clay mask deep-cleans and balances.
7. Cosmetics
If your makeup looks like mine did a few years ago (Cheap - Crap City), then your makeup needs a make - over with safe products for your precious skin. With reference to the toxic ingredient list (above) and by using the EWG app, you can find out what's safe in your ol' caboodle and what to chuck in the trash-o-la. Need a place to start? Here's my top 3 everyday, favourite cosmetics (My basic makeup look. AKA "the-mom-who-made-an-effort-and-put-on-makeup" look):
Volumizing Mascara by Beautycounter. Once I realized that MERCURY can be found in most standard mascaras and I gave this one a try a couple of years ago, I had a light - bulb moment. I realized that my eyes no longer burned, itched or were irritated!! My eyes have thanked me every since. When I'm out of this mascara, I often use and love Gabriel Cosmetics Mascara. (I also get this at the Bozeman Coop, if you're local.)
Dew Skin Tined Moisturizer. The product that started it all. This was the first product I tried when my bestie showed my Beautycounter's line. I love that it's light, yet has medium coverage and has SPF 20 and gives a slight glow.
Sheer Lipstick by Beautycounter. The product that got my bestie hooked on Beautycounter! Twig happens to be everyone's favourite colour. It's hydrating, it doesn't cake, and best of all... it doesn't contain any harmful ingredients such as LEAD! Most standard lipsticks on the market these days sadly contain lead, among other toxic sewage. Stock that in your memory bank the next time you're strolling the beauty aisle.
True Story: I have a friend who had the hardest time getting pregnant for the longest time. Once she heard about how the toxic ingredients in many beauty products are linked to infertility, hormone disruption, and endocrine disruption, etc., she decided to give safer beauty products a try. For her, that switch was Beautycounter because of their dedicated mission to make sure their products are effective, yet safe and non-toxic. I’m happy to report that she now has TWO beautiful girls and she honestly credits turning her reproductive system around (to be able to get pregnant) in making the switch to safer beauty products.
Will you drop dead from one beauty product alone? Probably not. Do all these products with harmful chemicals have a cumulative, negative effect on our health? Definitely.
For as long as I can remember, I've always had an understanding of natural health. I was raised health conscious (we never had "sugar cereal" in the house; only the stuff that tasted like shredded cardboard).
I fell in love with herbs and herbal tea in my early 20s and have been making my own remedies at my apothecary ever since. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, it was important to me to have as natural a pregnancy and birth as possible for not only the baby's health, but mine too. ...And ever since I was diagnosed with Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus a couple of years ago, I've made even more drastic changes in terms of health and healing. Now that I'm pregnant with my second daughter, I'm continuing on this journey of natural health (with enjoying a wee bit of ice cream, of course) and I know more now than I did in my first pregnancy! Over my 36 years, I've learned that not everything on the market is safe, that I need to be my own health researcher, my own health advocate and everyday I continue to learn more and more about what true health truly means. My hope is that I can pass what I've learned onto you so that you can have a healthy life... A Beautiful Life.
As always -
Have a beautiful day!
Cryssy
Disclosure: Some links (but not all) are affiliate links to help support my little blog.