Nowadays, it can be hard to avoid the chemicals and toxins that surround us in everyday life. Not only is the regulation of our self-care products outdated, but our household products may be putting us at risk too. Due to little regulation, many of the products we buy may contain health harming ingredients. Unfortunately, chemicals in the U.S. are categorized as safe until proven otherwise.
Until then, it is up to the public to pay attention to what ingredients are hiding in the products we buy. There are many common toxic products that people are unaware of, such as cleaners, laundry detergents, cookware, air fresheners, cosmetics, and personal care products. Because of this, the air in our homes may be more polluted and toxic than the air outside of our homes. It is incredibly important for our health to be aware of the chemicals we may be surrounding ourselves with, and this is a simple step to living a healthier lifestyle.
No matter what stage you are in your journey when it comes to becoming more aware of your health, we hope these simple tips will encourage you to create a safe and toxic free environment in your home. Let’s take a look!
Cleaning Products
One of the major culprits to spreading chemicals in our home is cleaning supplies. More than 2,000 of cleaning supplies on the market have been found to contain toxic ingredients that are linked to health problems.
Unfortunately, government agencies and independent research institutions have not evaluated the safety of several ingredients found in cleaning products. When looking for toxic-free chemicals, one of the many chemicals to steer clear of is fragrances. Fragrances commonly contain chemicals like phthalates, which help maintain the scent of the product. However do keep in mind that “unscented” does not mean it is fragrance free.
When looking for toxic-free products, make sure to avoid other chemicals including VOC’s, irritants and flammable ingredients. To make your search easier, head on over to EWG’s Guide to Safer Cleaning Products. If you even want to take a step further, making your own cleaning products is easier than you think!
Air Fresheners
Air fresheners seem to be everywhere we go these days, but sadly they are one of the number one sources for indoor pollution. Although the name is quite misleading, don’t you think? Air fresheners cause the formation of numerous chemicals that are associated with negative health effects such as cancer and endocrine disruption.
Not only do air fresheners carry fragrances, but they carry many other chemicals like parabens and phthalates, all which are common ingredients in air fresheners. To make the swap, you can switch to healthier options like natural air fresheners, diffusers, and plants.
Cookware
Yes, our cookware is also toxic. The last thing anyone wants to do is cook their food in toxic pans. So how safe are nonstick pans? When nonstick pans and pots are overheated, the nonstick coatings begin to break down, and toxic particles and gases such as perfluorinated chemicals are released.
Not only does this cause these chemicals to latch onto our food, but are now in our body and environment. Some toxic cookware to stay away from are copper, nickel, teflon, aluminum, and lead. Switch to safer cookware like cast irons, stainless steel, enamel and ceramic pans.
Laundry Detergents
We already spend a fair amount of time in the laundry room, the least we can do is make sure we aren’t infusing our clothes with chemicals! Ingredients like artificial fragrances, chlorine, and optical brighteners can cause symptoms like headaches, skin irritations and endocrine disruption. If we haven’t convinced you that fragrances are awful for your health yet, just remember that companies are not required to list every ingredient they put in their products.
Especially when it comes to fragrances, manufacturers can put hundreds of chemicals all under that one word: Fragrances. In other words, a single scent can contain hundreds of chemicals that are not listed. This may be very frustrating for many, but making the effort to avoid scented dryer sheets, fabric softeners and toxic detergents will make all of the difference. To make it easier for your search, you can checkout one of our favorite products here to make the switch!
Personal Care Products
With countless options for products in your daily routine, it is important that you know what you are actually putting on your skin. Since the 1930’s, the beauty industry has only banned 9 chemicals for use, and more than 12,000 chemicals are approved for use today. Sadly, the average American woman uses products with nearly 200 chemicals a day.
Not only are toxic ingredients scary enough, but the skin absorbs these chemicals in a matter of seconds that then enter the bloodstream. Using the app we mentioned above and EWG’s Skin Deep Database will assist you to find nontoxic products for your routine.
Furniture & Bedding
Have you ever noticed that scent you smell from new furniture? That’s probably chemicals you are smelling, and it can be very harmful to your health. New furniture and mattresses are often sprayed with flame retardants, which releases into the air causing a toxic environment for your home. To avoid these health risks, make sure to find furniture that is retardant free and made with organic materials. If you cannot seem to find any luck, stay away from bedding made out of memory foam and cover your mattress with an organic mattress topper or pad.
Tap or Drinking Water
Nearly a third of the United State’s water systems have been found to have toxic lead due to lead servicing lines. Other common contaminants in our water include aluminum, copper, chloramine, arsenic, barium, ammonia, chromium and countless more.
Unfortunately, these contaminants that live in our water sources are completely legal under the Safe Drinking Water Act. To avoid drinking toxic water in your home, EWG also has a tap water database for you to see how your local water ranks and what to do next.
With the many scares in today’s modern world, we hope that we can provide ways for you to live a healthier lifestyle as well as helping those who may be unaware of the many toxins hiding around us. There are many resources available to look to including our website for the best chemical-free products on the market, our mailing list for exclusive offers and updates, and our blog for important tips on living a toxic-free lifestyle!
Sources:
https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/content/cleaners_and_health/#:~:text=Environmental%20Working%20Group's%20investigation%20of,asthma%20in%20otherwise%20healthy%20individuals.