Non-toxic living has been a passion of mine for at least a couple of decades as I became increasingly aware of how many chemicals can be in our daily lives without most people being conscious of it. As cancer and autoimmune/chronic conditions continue to skyrocket, I find myself continually puzzled as to why most people don't seem to be asking WHY? Or, if they are, not taking meaningful steps to take their power back as to how much exposure themselves, their families, and their pets are submitted to. After all, there are so many ways we can personally decrease our toxic exposure by the decisions we make in what we buy, put in our environment and skin, and how we take care of our indoor spaces. Although we cannot control all of it, as many toxic chemicals have been unleashed upon us in the air, water, and lawns and parks we visit, there is no reason not to do what we can to minimize our exposure. So, here are a three keys areas I will highlight that you can consider doing differently to not only protect and support your own health, but the health of the environment around you as well. If you want to learn more, many health bloggers and other educators have written extensively on this topic and there is a lot of great information out there that you can use to educate yourself further.
- Water: please filter your water if you do not already. Municipal water sources are managed for the best interest of the pipes that channel our drinking water and to prevent microbes in the water, not for the health of the water for humans and animals. Chlorine is not beneficial in any way to the body, and can certainly be harmful to our gut microbiome (beneficial bacteria) among other things. There are so many options for filtering your water that are inexpensive. I'm not going into my preferred filters here, but do your research. Do not buy water in plastic containers. Not only does the plastic leach into the water (especially those soft disposable water bottles) which you then consume, but the single-use plastic bottles are absolutely terrible for the environment. They end up everywhere and will not break down for eons. Many people invest in glass jugs and refill them at filtered water stations in natural grocery stores, which is another good option.
- Cleaning products: Most commercial cleaning products you buy are full of chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens (cancer-causing). Not only do you inhale those when you are using them, but the residue remains on the surfaces so it can be taken up by the skin through the toilet seat for example, by bare feet (on the floors) and by your pets paws. The added double-wammy for pets is that they also will likely lick them off, ingesting those chemicals. It's amazing how many inexpensive and nontoxic ways there are to clean! From simply diluting Distilled White Vinegar in water for almost all your cleaning needs, there are natural abrasives like Bon Ami for places you need that scrub, like bathtubs and sinks. Baking soda is another helpful, nontoxic cleaning agent, which can work for stains and as a laundry powder. There are lots of natural laundry powders (and now low-packaging options that look like thick paper that you toss in with your wash) that have no added chemical fragrance, which are full of chemicals if you hadn't guessed that already. Also, there is no need for dryer sheets! Use wool dryer balls or simply throw in a dry hand towel with your wet laundry and the static is nonexistent. Get used to your laundry smelling like absolutely nothing, because that smell is truly the smell of clean! Have you ever tried to wash out the smell of commercial laundry detergent, fabric softener, or dryer sheets? I have, and it can take more than 8 washes to get it out, if it comes out at all. The fact that the scent lasts that long, should be a red flag. Your clothes, towels, and sheets/pillowcases are on your skin and you put your face onto your pillow and breath in all night. If everything is laced with chemical fragrance, you are taking that into your system all the time. Just think about it! Also, remember that everything you wash with will go "down the drain" and into our waste water systems, which eventually make it out into our large bodies of water. Many take decades to break down, if they do at all. This can negatively effect the entire chain of animals and microbes, plants, and a variety of other species.
- Personal care products: Remember that your skin is our largest organ, and it absorbs what is put on it. Most commercial hair and skin products are riddled with chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens. This includes most of the preservatives commonly used which increase shelf-life exponentially but are not there in any way for health. Fragrances in lotions, perfumes/colognes, deodorants, etc are also highly toxic, unless they come from or are derived from natural extracts of plants. There are so many nontoxic skin and haircare products out there now, but you still have to read labels with a discerning eye. I like to use the Environmental Working Groups (EWG.org) chemical database to see if an ingredient is considered safe based on testing and their safety ratings. I personally like to keep my personal care products as simple as possible, with as few ingredients as possible. All the products we carry at my shop I feel good in recommending. And they work, to boot! I hope you found article helpful and that if you are already on the path to nontoxic living you have learned a few more things you can implement to help you on that journey. Your body and Mother Earth will thank you.