A partial list of toxins that may be found in common personal care products:
- Aluminum: found in antiperspirants and deodorants
- Fragrance: found in almost anything that has a scent
- Oxybenzone: found in sunscreen
- Parabens: found in shower products, lotion, deodorant, and more
- Petroleon (Mineral Oil): found in lotion, cream, lip balm, and skin care products.
- Phthalates: found in fragrant products such as soap.
- Propylene Glycol: found in shampoo, toothpaste, shaving foam, body washes and facial cleansers.
- Retinyl palmitate or retinol: commonly found in lotion, moisturizer, chapstick, sunscreen, and lip balm
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: commonly found in most skincare products.
- Talc: commonly found in baby powder and deodorant.
- Triclosan: found in liquid soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc.
As the weather gets colder you’ll most likely be spending more time indoors. The windows will be closed and the air can get stale. Cooking or baking can fill your house with warm, cozy aromas. For times when you aren’t creating delicious scents you may be tempted to burn a candle or use a plug-in air freshener to make it smell nice in your house.
Where do the fragrances in them come from? Most are created in a lab with chemicals. Very few, if any, come from naturally derived scents. Even if the label says they contain essential oils those oils are probably synthetic.
Man-made scents are one of the biggest contributors to toxic overload in your body. Fragrance is a term used to identify undisclosed ingredients contained in a product, usually consisting of synthetic chemicals designed to mimic natural scents.
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The world we live in is toxic and becoming more and more so. Your home environment is no exception. Synthetic, man-made chemicals are in many household cleaning products. They are found in dish soap, laundry soap, toilet bowl cleaner, multipurpose cleaners, window cleaner, dryer sheets, air fresheners, and more.
According to the American Lung Association, there are many cleaning supplies and household products on the market that can cause numerous health conditions from minor things like throat or eye irritation to headaches all the way to major things like cancer. Read more about it here.
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A key ingredient of health and wellness is your environment. You can’t really control much of the external environment but the health and safety of your home you can. Do you give it much thought?
Consider the following:
You wipe off the kitchen counter and then prepare a meal.
You mop the floor and kids, grandkids, pets, or you come through in bare feet before it’s dry.
You apply makeup every morning before going out to meet the world.
You burn candles, spray air fresheners, or have plug-ins to make the house smell nice.
You pour cleanser into a bucket, the toilet, or spray it on surfaces and breath in the fumes.
You wash your hair with shampoo and slather your body with soap.
You spend countless minutes a day with your hands in dish water.
Common Household Toxins
- Aluminum: commonly found in antiperspirants and deodorants
- Ammonia: found in cleaners that shine bathroom fixtures, glass, sinks, and jewelry
- Boric acid: commonly found in cosmetics, laundry detergent, pesticides, and medications
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA, or anything with “butyl” listed): commonly found in makeup, cosmetics, and creams
- Chlorine: commonly found in cleaners labeled for scouring, heavy duty cleaners like toilet bowl cleaner and mildew removers, and in some tap water
- Coal Tar Dyes: banned in food products, but is still commonly found in cosmetics, hair dyes, lipsticks, and more.
- Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): commonly found in nail polish and cosmetics
- Formaldehyde or formalin: commonly found in nail polish, hair treatments, air fresheners, candles, and repellants
- Fragrance (or “parfum”): commonly found in just about everything if it has a scent
- Glycol Ethers: Found in window, kitchen, and multipurpose cleaners
- Oxybenzone: commonly found in sunscreens
- Parabens: commonly found in cosmetics, shower products, lotions, and more
- Petroleon (Mineral Oil): commonly found in cosmetics, lotions, creams, lip balms, and skin care products.
- Phthalates: Commonly found in fragranced products such as air fresheners, soap, hair spray, nail polish, and cosmetics
- Propyl or Propylene Glycol (aka antifreeze!): commonly found in cosmetics and food products
- Retinyl palmitate or retinol: commonly found in lotions, moisturizers, chapsticks, lipsticks, sunscreens, and lip balms
- Sulfate Compounds: commonly found in most skincare and cosmetics and skincare products including shampoo, body washes, and facial cleansers. It’s also used in car cleaners and engine degreasers
- Talc: commonly found in baby powders, cosmetics, deodorants, and powdered makeup
- Triclosan (or Triclocarban): commonly found in liquid soaps, toothpaste, laundry detergents, shampoos, and etc.
Fragrance
A big culprit contributing to toxic overload is the ingredient labeled “fragrance.” It is a term used to hide undisclosed chemical ingredients that may be contained in a product, usually consisting of synthetic chemicals designed to mimic the smell of natural scents.
An alternative is to use unscented, fragrance free items, or products scented with essential oils. Essential oils are not regulated by the FDA, so terms like “Therapeutic Grade,” “100% Pure,” and even “USDA Organic,” don’t always mean there are no synthetic chemicals or adulteration issues. Do your research to find a reputable source of household products that list essential oils in their ingredient list.
How to rid your home of toxins
Identify the chemicals in the products you use. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) Healthy Living app can help. It is a free mobile app that allows you to scan the barcodes, or search for, personal care products to see how they rate on the toxicity scale.
A few tips:
- Replace dryer sheets with wool dryer balls. They are both good for you and the environment as they can be used over and over again.
- Replace air fresheners and scented candles with a diffuser and essential oils. Remember the quality of the oils you use is important.
- Find a supplier you can trust. To save time, preferably one that carries most of the products you need.
- Make it yourself. Many DIY recipes are available on Pinterest or clean living blogs.
Don’t be fooled by claims on labels like “All-Natural,” “Gentle,” “Clean,” “Simple,” or “Green.” These terms mean nothing when it comes to the safety of a product. Companies know people are willing to pay more for what they assume is a safer product, even if it isn’t, and use clever marketing to their advantage.
After my journey with cancer, I rid my house one item at a time and replaced each with a toxin free, plant based product. Most come from a single company. For me, it takes out the guesswork and saves me a lot of time and effort. You can do the same.
Click the link to learn how. Healthy Home
