How to live a non-toxic lifestyle

I know I have spent the last several blog posts talking mainly about what you put in your mouth, but there is another important part of health that has been part of my life for several years now - that is, non-toxic cleaning supplies and personal care items.  This topic can be really overwhelming because there are so many things that we are used to using that are actually just straight up toxic to us.  The thing to know about this is that it is a work in progress.  Just take it one step at a time.  I am STILL after years of this lifestyle finding ways to reduce my toxic load.

Let’s start with cleaning supplies.  I know yall love the disinfectants because they make you feel safe.  They say things like 99% blah blah.  The fact is these are heavy chemicals that you are wiping all over every surface of your house (and most likely you aren't even using them as instructed so you aren't getting the full effectiveness that they advertise). There is a reason that they have warning labels and you have to call poison control if ingested.  There is a reason you have to lock these things up so your children can’t get them.  When you clean your counters and floors with these and then your child crawls all over or licks the surfaces they are literally ingesting chemicals.  You need to be wary of the chemical cleaners that make you feel like you are using a safer option.  I use Norwex.  They are simple, microfiber clothes with microsilver, a natural antimicrobial, weaved within them.  All you use to clean is water and the cloth.  It picks up all the germs off of surfaces and doesn’t leave behind any nasty chemical residue.  You can find tons of videos online about the efficacy of Norwex compared to your chemical cleaners - but here is my favorite because it is done by an independent lab.  In addition to the chemicals, the fragrance in these toxic chemicals is also quite bad for you.  Fragrances are known hormone disruptors.  It is to the point now that when I stay somewhere else (i.e. Hotel) and am smelling the cleaners I find it really bothersome!! And of course I question how clean it really is.  OH. One more thing.  Norwex saves you a bunch of money because you only need one cloth and you don’t need to buy cleaner over and over and over again.

Laundry Detergent and dryer sheets.  Perhaps this is the most toxic thing in your home when you consider that you wear your clothes all day everyday so any chemicals that are absorbed into your clothes are then absorbed into your skin, the largest organ in your body.  And again, fragrance shows up here.  Instead of dryer sheets, opt for wool dryer balls. They can be used over and over again, saving you money!  I use Norwex laundry detergent, but Rowe Casa is another great clean brand.  Don’t be fooled by marketing again - the “clean” or “free and clear” stuff you find in the store is still toxic!

Skin Care - okay ladies.  This one hurts.  Lotions, creams, foundations, make up of all sorts is loaded with preservatives, like parabens, and make ups can even have heavy metals in them.  I have slowly transitioned my make up over to non-toxic versions.  Beautycounter was one of my fave brands and is currently closed with plans to relaunch early 2025.  I use Ilia for mascara and eyeliner and brow liner.  I just started using Crunchi for some things as my Beautycounter supply runs out.  I have also heard that Dime Beauty has some good clean products.  I use Everyone for unscented body lotion and also Rowe Casa has great skin products as well.  I use their body butter on my hands at night before bed.  Their products are beautifully scented with only essential oils!

Deodorant - I think it is pretty well known now that most deodorants contain aluminum which is toxic to the human body.  Don’t ask me how we know all these things but they are all still allowed to be sold on shelves.  Deodorant was the one that took my the longest to figure out.  I think I have finally settled on Rowe Casa being my fave! I love that it is scented with essential oils so I still get a lovely smell without the toxic hormone disrupting drawbacks.  I have used Hume as well which my body didn’t like but it is a good trustworthy brand and I have tried a few other brands as well.  As with all of these things, it might take experimenting to find the thing that works best for your body.

These are the major areas to start with.  The cleaning products and laundry detergent are especially easy to switch.  Personal care products take a bit more time to find what you like.  Like - it took me quite a while to find Ilia mascara which I love and lots of bad mascaras to get to that point!  Like I said in the beginning, take it slow.  Take it one thing at a time and don’t let it overwhelm you.  Every step that you take in the non-toxic journey is a step in the right direction!  Overtime, you will find you  have switched most of your things to the least toxic versions available.

Remember, progress over perfection.

A wonderful resource is the Environmental Working Group database for skin care.  They also have a database for cleaning products located here.  It will give you an idea of how clean or toxic something you are using is.  I have found things on there that I thought were good and they were rated more highly toxic and I have found things that are not as toxic as I would have guessed.  When in doubt, run it through the EWG!

Just one last important point - don’t give up.  It might be trial and error for a while to find something you like (like mascara).  It also might be super easy to make these switches for you.  Either way, provide yourself with permission to try new things and do what feels the best for you and your.  Once you go the non-toxic lifestyle, you won’t want to go back!

Cheers to your healthier, non-toxic life and happy shopping!