Toxin-Free living is one of the best changes you can make for yourself & your family’s health. When I became pregnant with Emersyn, I became very conscious of the things I was putting in/on my body. Now, this isn’t easy in a world that is constantly Greenwashing us into believing things are “all-natural” or “non-toxic.” Creating a toxin-free lifestyle is not something that is going to happen over night. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, and quite expensive. Do not try to replace everything at once. You will find that everywhere you look in your house is quite toxic. It will overwhelm you & you will want to quit. Wait until you finish one product and then replace it with something better. These are the 6-simple steps I took in order to create a healthier lifestyle for our family.
- Cleaning up Cosmetics
Think of everything you put on your body in the morning before you even start your day. Soaps, shampoo, lotion, face cream, foundation, eyeshadow, eye-liner,lipstick, mascara, hairspray, etc. The average women applies 168 chemical ingredients to her body every.single.day. Many of us are lathering chemicals all over our body, these chemicals are entering are bloodstream, and we aren’t even thinking twice about it. Cosmetics were the very first thing I replaced in my home. The products I personally use can be found here.
2. Household Cleaners
Did you know you actually don’t need toxic chemicals in order to get your house squeaky clean? Not to mention every time you clean you are breathing those chemicals in, this can especially be dangerous for kids/babies that are playing, crawling, touching, and eating everything they come in contact with. In our home we use a lot of vinegar & essential oils. I just love the clean feeling you can get while knowing your baby can safely play. **Sign up for my emails for a copy of my toxin-free master list of products we use.
3. The Laundry Room
There are so many products available when it comes to doing laundry: stain removers, bleach, dryer sheets, laundry soap, fabric softener. All of these products contain so many toxic ingredients, which can be so detrimental to our health because we constantly are wearing clothes (thank goodness LOL). Some of these ingredients include: Dipropylene glycol methyl ether, Ethoxylated alcohol, Petroleum solvents, Fragrance (see below) **Sign up for my emails for a copy of my toxin-free master list of products we use.
4. Fragrance
Fragrance is considered the “new second-hand smoke” & can actually be linked to various health issues. Many of the ingredients in fragrances are classified as carcinogens, allergens, and hormone disrupters. Fragrances also contain phthalates, which can often be linked to birth defects, breathing issues, and even cancer to name a few. The products I immediately stopped using were candles, deodorants with fragrance (especially important to stop using while nursing), lotions, and perfumes. They all smell so so good, but they are terrible for your health.
5. Eat FRESH Food
Our family chooses to limit the amount of processed foods we consume on a daily basis. If it has ingredients we cannot pronounce, we simply do not buy it. I have always eaten healthy, but it is even more important now that I have children. We have one chance to raise our babies, and teaching them to make healthy choices something we really value.
6. Think DIRTY/EWG
A couple of tools I use to make shopping for toxin-free products easier is the Think Dirty & EWG Apps. With these App, you can scan the barcode of the products you use on a daily basis and see just how toxic they really are. This is not the end-all-be-all, as it is not perfect, but it will help you determine which items in your house need to go!
Toxin-Free living is a marathon, not a sprint. I am here to support you on the journey to create a healthier life for your family. I would love for you to be a part of my toxin-free living group. You will find even more helpful tips there. Happy Clean Living, my friends. Xo.
