Let me get medical with you for a second and tell you one of the major reasons why I choose to live more naturally. Our household cleaners, body products, and even stuff to make the air smell good are KILLING us. No, I am not being overly dramatic either. Your skin? It is the largest organ that we have and it is permeable. That means things can get absorbed through your skin and can effect other parts of your body. How much stuff? There was a recent study done on drinking water that shown the skin absorbed 64% of what was put on it. Click here to read the study for yourself.
Lets just look at some of the ingredients of the products we use. There was an article in the Huffington Post about 10 toxic beauty products. You can read the whole thing for yourself but here are some of them. Parabens are one that actually mimics estrogen and are linked to increased risk of breast cancer. Yeah, I totally want 64% of that to be absorbed through my skin and a lot of products have it. Phthalates are a type of chemical that can be put in nail polish, perfumes, lotions, and hair spray. They have also been linked to increased risks of breast cancer. They can cause early breast development in girls and can even contribute to reproductive birth defects in both males and females! Tricolsan which is found in a lot of our hand sanitizes and "antibacterial" washes can not only irritate the skin but it can disrupt your endocrine system causing issues with your thyroid and reproductive system. There is also sodium lauryl sulfate which can lead to a lot of issues including kidney and respiratory damage. I am going to stop with those four but you get the picture right? Bad, bad stuff.
Now lets talk about one of our most important organs. Our lungs. Those bad boys help us oxygenate our blood and organs and without them, we would be toast. Everyone knows they cannot live without their lungs. Chemicals can also be absorbed through the lungs. You know those glade plug-in's that make your house smell good. Chock full of chemicals that are getting absorbed right into you. Also any chemical cleaners get absorbed right into your lungs and a lot of them are known to cause respiratory distress. I have asthma and I am super sensitive to these chemicals. I also cannot be around cigarette smoke. When I was pregnant for Emelia it was really hard for me to keep the bathroom clean because I could not breathe. My poor husband had to clean the bathrooms after working 50 hours a week because I could not do it. That is when I decided to try and find natural alternatives to cleaners and start making stuff myself.
If you are having any sort of medical issue going natural wont magically take it away but when you get rid of those chemicals from your life you really do start to feel better. I haven't had breathing issues for years now since I started. Every once in a while I will get tight chested (especially during allergy season) but I don't need to take my emergency inhaler every day. Becoming more natural and being in control of what you put on your skin and in your household is empowering. I know EXACTLY what is in my cleaners because I make them for myself.
Now I am not perfect because I still use a lot of commercial make-ups and I haven't found a shampoo or conditioner recipe that I like yet. Plus I still take my kids to McDonald's every now and again and we are definitely not organic. I can say that my cleaning products are chemical free and so is the way I scent my house. I did find some shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate and phthalate free. Let me tell you how much easier my hair is to handle now. I have super thick, curly, dry, and frizzy hair. It has been a pain in my butt since day 1! With one use of a shampoo that is free of those two chemicals my hair was transformed. Don't believe me? Here is a picture (PS no I am not wearing makeup *gasp* and my hair is naturally that wavy):
Have I scared you enough for today? Good! I am sorry for frightening you but the good news is a quick google search can give you many (easy to make) alternatives for these chemicals. I use my essential oils in a lot of my recipes to make all natural products. You don't get more natural that plants. Essential oils are huge now a days and almost any store now carries them. A word of advice from your favorite oil lady, trust the company you buy them from. Really, even some companies put chemicals in their essential oils. GASP! I know it should be a crime, but it is not! If you want to learn about what oils I use and how to get some of your own click here.
When I can I will post some recipes I use and you can always message me any time or even leave a comment asking any questions. I am here to help. I really want to help people become healthier and get rid of some of these awful chemicals. I can almost guarantee that by living a little less chemical free you will not only feel better but your body (and your families bodies) will thank you. Well that's what was on my mind today folks, until next time.
Peace and Love,
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