There’s no doubt we’re living in a toxic world! Thousands of chemicals (most of which are not regulated) are released into the atmosphere each year and getting into our homes and bodies through our food, water, cleaning products, personal care products, and lawn products.
So, unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely avoid all toxins.
That’s the bad news.
The good news?
There’s plenty we can do to avoid known toxins and help our bodies cleanse from the toxins we do encounter!
This is your Quick Guide to identifying the most common toxic chemicals that come into our homes. In addition, there are recommendations for safer & cleaner ingredients and products you can upgrade to. And we’re dividing it up room-by-room for easy reference.
Laundry Room
Everyone wants cleaner clothes. But did you know many people are washing their clothes in toxic chemicals? Then they proceed to dry them with toxic dryer sheets!
Many conventional laundry products contain chemicals that cause respiratory issues, skin allergies, and hormonal disruptions.
Some of the most common include:
- Fragrance
- Surfactants
- Phenol
- Bleach
- Dioxane
- Phosphates
- Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)
The good news is that you can get your clothes clean and dry without using toxic chemicals! And if you enjoy DIY projects, you can even make your own!
This is my favorite brand of nontoxic laundry detergent (affiliate link). It’s made with plant-derived cleaning agents and is scented with lavender essential oil.
And for the dryer, I like using wool dryer balls with a few drops of an essential oil on them to make our clothes smell fresh and clean (without all the toxins).
Bathroom
When you think about how many different products the average woman uses on a daily basis multiplied by the number of potential chemicals in each product, it’s staggering to think about the effects they could be having on our health!
Check out the number of products in the average bathroom:
- Toothpaste
- Mouth wash
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Hair Spray
- Body Washes & Soap
- Scrubs
- Face Wash
- Moisturizer
- Toner
- Sunscreen
- Makeup
- Bath Bombs & Salt
- Deodorant
- Shaving Cream
- Tub & Tile Cleaners
- Mirror Cleaner
- Toilet Cleaner
- Bathroom Sprays
- Feminine Products
If these products aren’t clean, these are some of the Chemicals you can find in these products:
- Fluoride
- Propylene Glycol
- Sodium Laureth & Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- Triclosan
- Sodium Hypochlorite
- Hydrochloric Acid
- Bleach
- Ammonia
- Cetrimonium Chloride
- 1,4 Dioxane
- Benzophene
- BHA
- Ethanolamine Compounds
- Formaldehyde
- Parabens
- Phthalates
The important thing is to become a label detective 🕵️♀️ Learn to spot chemicals and their scientific names on product labels so you know what to avoid. If you’re unsure, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database – it’s a super helpful website that gives products and ingredients a safety score along with additional information as to why that ingredient is not clean.
Here are some of my favorite clean, nontoxic skincare, makeup, and cleaning companies/products:
- Beautycounter – my favorite high end skincare & makeup that combines cutting edge science with nontoxic ingredients to create highly effective products!
- Honest Company – a great, nontoxic, budget-friendly option for skincare & makeup
- Pacifica – also a more budget-friendly option for clean skincare, haircare, and makeup
- 365 Bathroom Cleaners – this is Wholefoods brand of bathroom cleaning products that are made with plant-based ingredients and are a great nontoxic, budget-friendly option to clean your bathroom
- White Vinegar, Baking Soda, Essential Oils – Every nontoxic home needs these staples! Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and baking soda makes a great scrub (combining the two causes a “fizzy” chemical reaction that is great for cleaning toilets, tubs, & sinks). And essential oils add a clean scent (Tea Tree is great at combating mold and mildew). There are so many DIY recipes available using these wonderful, nontoxic ingredients – just do a simple google search!
Kitchen
What goes into our bodies is the most important thing when it comes to our health. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that the food you eat and the cookware and containers you use are nontoxic.
Here are some of the most common toxins in food:
Food
- Herbicides
- Pesticides
- Heavy Metals
- Xenoestrogens
- BPA
- Hydrogenated Oils
- Processed Flours & Sugars
- GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
You can avoid many of these chemicals by choosing organic fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, eggs, and grains. When a food has the USDA label on it, that means it has been grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified ingredients, or any other chemicals.
To save some money at the grocery store, you can opt for the conventional version of certain fruits & veggies, because they contain the least amount of chemicals. They are known as the Clean 15.
The most heavily sprayed fruits and veggies are known as the Dirty Dozen, so you’ll want to try and purchase the organic version of these to avoid these chemicals.
Cookware
You don’t want to spend $ on healthy food only to cook it in toxic cookware! Chemicals can leach into your food when it is heated in toxic cookware such as:
- Aluminum (linked to Alzheimer’s disease)
- Teflon & Non-stick pans (contain PFAS or “Forever Chemicals” that are highly toxic to the body)
- Plastic Containers (contain BPA and Pthalates, which are linked to hormonal cancers)
Instead, opt for healthy cookware, such as stainless steel pots and pans, cast iron, and glass containers to heat your food. These are much safer options!
Living Room & Bedroom
Everyone wants their home to smell good! The problem is that many home fragrance products are highly toxic!
Items such as air fresheners, plug-ins, and candles can contain synthetic fragrances and petroleum products that are toxic when burned or heated. This can cause respiratory issues and hormonal problems!
Healthier options would be to diffuse essential oils and choose clean burning candles that are made with plant ingredients like soy and contain 100% cotton wicks.
In addition, it’s a good idea to turn off technology at night in the bedroom! I put my phone on airplane mode and keep it on the other side of the room at night. This helps to reduce our EMF exposure and helps us get deeper sleep.
We want our home to be a haven – a safe and healthy sanctuary where we can retreat from the stressors of life. Avoiding unnecessary toxic chemicals is one way we can accomplish that! Your home can be clean and smell amazing by choosing natural, nontoxic products. And the side benefits will be a healthier family!
