Healthy Living
DITCHING AND SWITCHING: A SIMPLE GUIDE TO NON-TOXIC LIVING
DON’T BE AFRAID TO DITCH HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND SWITCH TO NON-TOXIC LIVING. WITH THIS EASY NON-TOXIC LIVING GUIDE, MAKING THE SWITCH IS SIMPLE!
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WHY DITCH AND SWITCH TO NON-TOXIC LIVING?
It’s just a product, what’s the big deal? Once we delve into researching the chemicals within our commonly used cleaning and household products, the findings can become overwhelming quickly. In this post, we will discuss the importance of non-toxic living and I will share the changes our family is making towards living a non-toxic lifestyle ourselves at the Simply Rooted Farmhouse.
PROTECT YOUR SKIN
First off, it’s important to remember that our skin is the largest organ of our bodies. We cannot survive without our skin, as it helps us to regulate our body temperature, protects us from the elements and protects us from germs and bacteria. Our skin is also permeable, meaning that any chemicals we touch become absorbed into our bodies through our skin. Not only cleaning products, but for personal care, beauty, and all products or things that we come into contact with.
Some products contain chemicals that disturb our bodies, without us even knowing. Companies are required to label any chemical that is known to be hazardous, but if a chemical is not proven (unknown) to be hazardous, it doesn’t need to make it onto the label. Companies are not required to disclose all of the ingredients in products, kind of scary. There is a great article about this here. Most consumers don’t read the labels, or if they do – perhaps they don’t fully understand what they’re looking for. I fell into this category, until I started heavily researching products and chemicals.
NON-TOXIC LIVING STEP 1: DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR PRODUCTS?
While I do typically use Castile Soap and water as an all-purpose spray in most of our home, there is an “all-purpose” disinfectant spray that we always keep on hand for dirty messes.
I flipped over the bottle of disinfectant spray and did not recognize any of the ingredients (sound familiar?). But I did notice that at the bottom of the label it read, “Hazardous to Humans and Domestic Animals”. This is an all-purpose spray that I would use after dealing with raw meat or eggs in the kitchen, for example. The label also states to “rinse all food contact surfaces with water after use”. Then there is a warning about not using this product on eating or cooking utensils, cookware, dishes or glasses – and instructs you to wash your hands after using, before eating/drinking.
So don’t eat your food off of the counter that was washed with this product, basically. No problem, unless you have kids – who use every surface as a plate and who generally have their hands in their mouths. I was shocked that something I’ve kept in our home for so long (and used so often) had such warnings.
CRAVING TO LEARN MORE
I have always been very interested in non-toxic cleaning, but always thought this meant I had to make everything myself. So I have a few staple cleaning concoctions that have become my favorite, and I store them all in this e-book called “Cleaning Naturally” if you would like to check them out. But as life got busier, I found myself reaching for more convenient options rather than making my own. Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of everyday (autopilot) life, I had forgotten to stop and read the bottles.
Thankfully, with a bit of knowledge it is possible to make smart decisions about products coming into the home (without feeling like you should make everything by hand).
NON-TOXIC LIVING STEP 2: AVOIDING HARMFUL CHEMICALS
Chemicals that we come into contact with on a daily basis can have a variety of negative impacts on our bodies. From minor skin irritations, headaches, hormone disruption, and some can even be carcinogenic.
Artificial (or synthetic) fragrance is one of the most common, harmful chemicals in our products. Artificial fragrances contain chemicals, and some of those chemicals can disrupt our endocrine systems.
The list of harmful chemicals found in our homes is long, and consists of some chemicals such as Chlorine, Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol, triclosan, triclocarban, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonia …
For more information on any of the above ingredients, I encourage you to Google the side effects for any of the ingredients. Please note, this is not a full list.
HOW TO TELL IF PRODUCTS PROMOTE A NON-TOXIC LIFESTYLE?
Thankfully, there are tools available to help us to make more informed decisions on what to purchase. I recently heard about a free app, called “EWG Healthy Living” (or see their website here) that easily rates products and lists their ingredients.
Of course, if you’re making products yourself then you’re certain that they’re safe!
NON-TOXIC LIFESTYLE STEP 3: DITCHING AND SWITCHING
Recently, I discovered a company called Young Living, who makes and sells plant-based (essential oil based), non-toxic products for cleaning, personal care, baby, and beauty. Curious, I got started with the Thieves Starter Kit which comes with a variety of personal care and cleaning items (all non-toxic of course).
WHY YOUNG LIVING?
Young Living produces essential oils and essential-oil (or plant-based) products for cleaning, personal care, supplements, baby, cosmetics, essential oils and so much more.
With their Seed to Seal promise, Young Living is a one of a kind company who values the environment, product quality, health and transparency.
THE KIT THAT STARTED IT ALL
To get started on my non-toxic journey, I decided to try the Thieves Starter Kit. Here’s what came in the kit:
- All-Purpose Cleaner concentrate (2 bottles): This cleaner is very concentrated, add just one capful to a spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. This spray smells like fall, with hints of clove and cinnamon. We have used this cleaner on just about every surface in our home so far, and LOVE it! Our Castile soap spray leaves a residue behind, but Thieves does not.
- Foaming Hand Soap (2 bottles with pump): A more orange aroma than the all-purpose spray, this foaming hand soap is effective and removes any odors from hands.
- Aromabright Toothpaste: Although I was hesitant at first, I do like this toothpaste! With the taste of mint and cinnamon, my teeth feel like I’ve just been to the dentist.
- Mouthwash: The mouthwash freaked me out a little bit at first, because it’s an orange color. It has an orange flavor to it, and gives the mouth a tingly feeling much like traditional mouthwash.
- Hand Sanitizer (2)
- Mini Thieves Spray (2)
- Thieves Essential Oil Blend: A blend much like this has been around for a very long time. Check out “The Story of Thieves” or Google “the history of Thieves oil”. Spoiler alert, a blend of essential oils much like this one protected individuals from contracting the Bubonic plague. Talk about plant power!
DOES THIEVES REALLY CLEAN?
When switching to non-toxic living, the efficacy of products is at the front of our minds (along with safety, of course). After conducting a ton of research, I feel confident cleaning our home with Thieves rather than traditional cleaners. If you’re into hard evidence (like me), do a quick Google, YouTube or IGTV search for “Thieves vs Raw Chicken”. Plants being able to disinfect is what really started to get me to think about the power of non-toxic living.
READY TO TRY IT FOR YOURSELF?
If you are looking to de-toxify your home and products, and are interested in trying out the Thieves Starter Kit here’s how:
- Click here to access my link to Young Living.
- Select “other premium kits” and click on the Thieves Starter Kit
- Next, Young Living will ask if you would like to participate in Essential Rewards. This is a great way to get points (money back) on non-toxic products that you would normally be purchasing at a different store. This is not mandatory, just an additional perk (and tons of freebies) if you choose to enroll.
- Then click next, and fill out your information.
- Under Sponsor/Enroller Information, be sure to enter 25807692 for the Sponsor and Enroller. This will assign you to my team, so that I can send you valuable resources and connect you to our Education Groups.
PIN IT FOR LATER
With the right resources, making the switch to non-toxic living can be much easier. I am excited to be on this journey of living a healthier lifestyle, and I hope this post inspires you to do a little research on your most commonly used household items too!
If you’re more into DIY cleaning, you’ll love my free e-book called “Cleaning Naturally“. In this e-book, I’ve compiled my favorite all-natural DIY cleaning recipes.
For more all-natural recipes, you may also like these posts:
