Our home is our sanctuary and it should be a safe place for us to live, however most of us are exposed to many harmful toxins on a daily basis. Many people are unaware of the detrimental affects they have on our health, there are simple ways to create a healthy home by removing toxic products and getting back to basics.

Our skin is our largest organ and we absorb toxins 3x faster than if we were to inhale or ingest them, which I think is pretty scary! The cosmetics industry uses thousands of synthetic chemicals in its products, everything from lipstick to moisturiser to shampoo and deodorant. Research by Biosen, a natural deodorant company found that the average woman’s daily grooming and make-up routine exposes her to 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every single day. Exposure to chemicals can lead to short-term and long-term health issues such as asthma, eczema, dry irritated skin, allergies, hormone imbalances, infertility or birth defects, cancer and many other chronic illnesses.

I must admit that I used to use chemical laden skin care and cleaning products, but I didn’t know any better and it wasn’t until I started to do my own research that I become aware of their dangers to my health. Instead of using them all up I decided to put all my chemical cleaning products from my kitchen, bathroom and laundry in a garbage bag and threw them out in the rubbish. To clean my home I now use bi-carb soda, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, vinegar and Enjo cleaning cloths. We are led to believe we need all these different products to clean our home ranging from bathroom cleaner, toilet cleaner, oven cleaner, window cleaner, furniture polish, floor cleaner, bleach & disinfectant as examples, you simply don’t need them all and by getting back to basics will save you money in the long-term.

Important tip: Do not store chemicals in your home as they will continue to emit harmful off gasses.

We have been mislead to believe everything we buy is safe for us, however it cannot be further from the truth. Most main stream products made by multinational companies do not care about the quality of ingredients as they are primarily focused on their profits. There are little or no restrictions on what chemicals can be used in the cosmetic industry, in fact it is one of the least regulated industries across the globe. One of the reasons why their products can be so inexpensive is that they contain mostly synthetic ingredients such as bi-products from the petrochemical industry. For example some labels state that they may contain coconut, vitamin E  but instead they are diluted with petrochemicals such as mineral oils to make them go further thus making their end product cheaper to produce. What is even more disturbing is that even though the chemicals have been tested and considered toxic to humans, manufacturing companies still use them.

Evidence suggests that antibacterial cleaning products and disinfectants may be producing strains of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria. Most bacteria is beneficial to humans and when antibacterial or antimicrobial products are used the good bacteria are also killed which could upset the ratio of good and bad bacteria. It then compromises our gut health and our immune system is weakened making us more susceptible to illness.

Cold pressed essential oils are a perfect alternative to disinfect the home and we shouldn’t underestimate their powerful properties as they are antibacterial, antiviral & antimicrobial, we need start using what nature provides us instead of man-made synthetic ingredients.

 

 

So what can you do now? The best approach is to get back to basics below are a few guidelines:

1. Use natural products – Bi-carb soda, vinegar, tea tree or eucalyptus oil for cleaning to start with, you will be amazed how effective they all are.
2. Replace paraffin & synthetic fragrance candles with beeswax, they have a subtle natural honey fragrance or buy unscented soywax. Alternatively use an electronic diffuser with essential oils, they are safe and purify the air as well as getting the added benefits from using essential oils. I recommend using high quality Perfect Potion, Young Living or DoTerra brands.
3. Switch to a natural skin care and make-up brands, there are many different brands to choose from, to make it easier look for the certified organic label or Eco Cert. Brands I can recommend are Miessence, Brooklan Tree Skin Care, Y-Natural, Eco- Minerals Make-up, Inika Make-up, Zuii Make-up, 100% Pure Skincare, Eco Tan & Happy Skincare. I’m sure there are lots more wonderful product ranges out there but they are just few examples I know of and trust.
4. Use natural deodorant and avoid products with aluminum, I have tried and tested a few different types and I recommend Woohoo deodorant paste (great for sensitive skin), Black Chicken deodorant paste and Perfect Potion active natural deodorant spray. The deodorant pastes will enable your skin to breathe whilst eliminating odour even on the hottest of days, I can assure you wont go back to using chemical based deodorants once you have tried them out.
5. Swap your synthetic fragrance perfumes for natural alternative such as essential oil blends or I have started using Vanessa Megan natural perfume range, they are beautiful, non toxic and last all day.
6. Buy indoor plants to help purify the air instead of air fresheners.
7. Switch off WIFI at night or when not using and turn your phone onto aeroplane mode to reduce radiation exposure. You can purchase a EFM (Electromagnetic radiation) pendant that helps protect you, for more information visit www.emfshield.com.au
8. Filter your drinking and cooking water– Install 0.05 -1 micron water filter to eliminate toxins, heavy metals and bacteria.
9. Use non-toxic cookware– Replace all non stick cookware with enameled cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic and glass.
10. Buy unscented recycled non-toxic toilet paper, you can also buy it online from https://au.whogivesacrap.org and get it delivered to your door.

Make sure you do own research and become educated to enable you to make an informed decision on which products to purchase, do not trust a label and make sure you read ALL the ingredients. For a great resource on what ingredients to avoid visit:  http://www.ynatural.com.au/what-is-y/ingredients-to-avoid/

I highly recommend visiting Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org  it is a great resource which enables you to look up products or individual ingredients to find out their safety.

 

 

I hope you can start making small changes today to help become and healthier and happier you!

Take care,

xx Rosy

 

Sources:

http://www.blisstree.com/2013/04/09/beauty-shopping/beauty-products-ingredients-toxins/

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/antibacterial-cleaning-products

 

Disclaimer: I am providing advice from personal experience only, I am not qualified health professional. Please do not make any changes without seeking professional advice from your doctor or natural health practitioner.