Toxins are so prevalent in our household products. I was shocked at the chemical load found in things I used to use every day! So I started looking for safer products. Unfortunately, I found it to be more difficult than I thought. Many companies use clever marketing tactics, known as “greenwashing” to make their products seem natural and safe when they’re anything but. Words like “biodegradable,” “plant-based,” and “all-natural,” along with packaging covered in leaves and nature scenes, can be incredibly misleading. The truth? Many of these products are just as toxic as those that don’t even pretend to be safe. So how can you tell the difference? Let’s break it down.
How to Spot Toxins in Everyday Products
Knowing what to avoid can feel overwhelming at first, but there are simple ways to identify harmful chemicals:
Read Labels Carefully – Look out for these common toxins:
- Parabens & Phthalates (in beauty and personal care products, dryer sheets) – These are linked to hormone and nervous system disruption, they can disrupt DNA, and cause organ toxicity. We’re putting this on our skin and coating our clothes with it, without realizing that it can cause such harm to our bodies.
- Fragrance (often a hidden mix of chemicals) – Fragrance is protected as trade secrets. Companies don’t have to disclose what chemicals are in their fragrances, so we don’t truly know what we are cleaning our house with, inhaling into our lungs, and putting on our skin (our skin is our largest organ and anything you put on it, absorbs into your bloodstream). Fragrances can trigger allergies and disrupt hormones among other more serious side effects.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) (in soaps and shampoos) – A known skin and eye irritant, and it can impair the nervous system, it can cause hair loss or thinning (in our shampoos!!!), and it can cause skin irritation and rashes.
- Triclosan (in antibacterial soaps and toothpaste) – This chemical disrupts hormones and gut bacteria, it’s a known carcinogen, and it can suppress the immune system.
- Formaldehyde (in nail polish, furniture, and cleaning products) – Do you remember back to biology class in high school when it was time for the dissection unit? Do you remember that smell? That chemical that preserves dead animals for dissection is being put in our products! It’s a known carcinogen, it can cause lung damage, skin irritation and rashes, migraines and it’s linked to respiratory distress.
You guys, there are so many more chemicals I could list, but just looking at these few, it’s alarming to see the damage that can be done to our bodies. No wonder so many of us are struggling with health challenges!In 2008, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and while toxic products may not have been the cause, they certainly didn't help my body as I sought health and healing. Jon was still undergoing treatments at the time, and unfortunately, I put my health on the back burner. A few years after he passed, my physical and mental health hit rock bottom, and I knew I needed to do more than just dietary changes and exercise. Since then, it's been a long journey to health. Replacing my go-to products with nontoxic alternatives has played a big role in unburdening my body, so I can be (and stay) in remission.
In the next post, we'll talk about where these toxins are hiding and additional, safe alternatives to harmful products.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor of medical professional. Any claims in here are my experience and not medical advice.
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