Why I Went Low-Tox

I could take this story in many different directions because I don’t think one persons journey is ever very straight. I fell into the ‘non-toxic’ and natural world a few years back, when I was attempting to regain consistency with my period after years of absent or irregular cycles. It was during that challenge that I learned a lot. I really had no idea how my hormones could be affected by my environment, but I was open to learning.

There are so many reasons for hormonal imbalance in women, which is part of the reason it can be so challenging to overcome. But I was determined to find answers and began experimenting on myself. The more I learned, the more I realized that what I was putting on my body mattered just as much as what I was putting in my body. I was shocked to learn that many of the products I used daily contained endocrine disruptors, some of the biggest culprits you may be familiar with — triclosan, parabens, BPA, fragrance and phthalates. Endocrine disruptors function in a way that can interfere with the body’s natural hormones, which can often lead to over or underproduction while also interfering with production, release and elimination of the body’s natural hormones. And when you are trying to regulate your own hormones, you really don’t want anything unnecessary messing with them — especially when it is 100% avoidable.

Many of these ingredients are added to products, not for therapeutic or personal benefits, but rather to contribute to some of the ‘consumer traits’ we typically look for. For example, SLS is added to soaps as a foaming agent. Phalates are added to products to improve their consistency. Petroleum is added as a moisturizer. I don’t know about you, but if I were making a moisturizer at home, I definitely wouldn’t feel inclined to head on down to the gas station to stock up on DIY ingredients. The moral of the story being, we need to take ownership of what we bring into our homes because the FDA does not require safety testing nor do they require approvals before products hit the shelves. What’s important to remember here is that our skin is absorptive — meaning, whatever we put on it will most likely get absorbed into our bloodstream, very quickly. And if I wanted to bring my body back to balance, an overwhelming amount of chemicals getting absorbed into my bloodstream would not be helpful.

So I needed to detox. I switched the things that were the easiest to change first. I re-evaluated my laundry detergent, my body wash, shampoo and conditioner, lotions, sunscreen. Pretty much anything that came into direct contact with my skin. I also thought about the things I was breathing in— so household cleaners, candles, air fresheners. This may sound overwhelming, but when you don’t feel good and you have a lot on the table (hormones are no joke), it really doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice.

I find it nearly impossible to pinpoint my success in regulating my hormones to a specific change or a specific habit. It’s all cumulative. The more you begin to change, the quicker your body will begin to heal. I certainly cannot credit non-toxic living solely to balanced hormones, but it definitely played a role. And I’m still not perfect. But I don’t think that should be the goal. It’s unreasonable and it prevents you from making any changes at all if you believe it’s too much to tackle all at once. It’s baby steps, all the way, until you realize all of your baby steps led you miles and miles down the road.

And speaking from my current state of being, I’ve recently found another reason to re-evaluate my home and the products I use within it. In September, I landed myself in the hospital after having some rather severe asthma attacks. While the experience left me feeling incredibly grateful to be breathing, I couldn’t help but wonder what caused this reaction in the first place.

After getting allergy tested this year, I can be pretty sure that the asthma was triggered by ragweed, which I am allergic to. My second highest allergen was dust mites. And while both of these things are pretty hard to avoid, I at least feel inspired to figure out how to lower my allergic or asthmatic threshold. I have a lot to learn in this area, but I know that breathing in inflammatory chemicals should be the first things to go. So back to investigator status I go— trying to determine anything and everything in my home that could be causing inflammation in my lungs.

Here are a few quick facts related to asthma…

• Companies do not need to list their fragrance ingredients in the label

• 12,500 ingredients fall under the umbrella called “fragrance” on a label

• Fragrance are common triggers of asthma, migraines, allergies and sinus problems

• Fragrance can be found in our every day products such as perfume, cleaners, candles, body wash

These changes can happen as fast or as slow as you want them to. I am personally a slow learner, but I try to always make progress and move in a forward direction.

The good news is that time will be moving anyways, so we might as well make some good use out of it and just start.

I choose to see setbacks as an opportunity to learn. I’d much rather feel empowered to learn and make changes than to feel like I have no control over my situation. Maybe this speaks to my controlling tendencies (lol), but it’s the truth. I’d much rather experiment to see if it makes a difference than never know.

Disclaimer: it made a difference.

Natural Non-Toxic Cleaners | DIY Recipes

I started making the switch to non-toxic cleaners a few years back, after learning that many household products contain harmful chemicals and hormone-mimicking compounds. As of today, I do the majority of my cleaning with a few main ingredients:

• Dr. Bronner’s Sal’s Suds

• Vinegar

• Baking soda

• Essential Oils

The majority of the recipes listed below, I learned from Ashlee Piper’s book, Give A Sh*t. It’s a book focusing on sustainability and I highly recommend reading it. I have found the cleaners in this book super simple and they work really well. A lot of the times when switching to ‘natural’ products, you think you need to compromise on quality or efficiency, but you don’t. These products work just as well as store-bought brands and they are simple, quick to make, cheap and free of chemicals.

When considering what to swap out first, I find it useful to think about what is in contact with your body the most. For instance, clothing will be in direct contact with your skin for hours each day, so laundry would be of high importance. Same goes for kitchen counters.

Multi-Purpose Spray

+ 2 tbsp vinegar
+ 2 tsp sals suds
+ 2 cups water
+ 15 drops lemon essential oil

Combine all ingredients into a glass jar with a spray top. I use this most often for counter tops, stove, sink, etc.

Laundry

Laundry was an easy swap for me, but it’s something Andy still has some trouble adjusting to. You need to rethink how your clean clothes should smell. That ‘clean clothes smell’ is really just chemicals that have leeched into your clothing and when you wear clothes all day long, they can also seep into your skin.

+ 1 tbsp Sal’s Suds

or

+ 1 cup homemade washing soda
+ 1 cup borax
+ 1 bar tea tree Castile soap
+ 20 plus drops lavender oil
+ 10 plus drops tea tree oil

Directions: For the washing soda, bake baking soda at 400F. Cut the soap into fine pieces and combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Pulse until a fine powder is achieved. Add 1-2 tbsp to your wash per load.

For our laundry, we usually wash with about 1 tbsp of Sal’s suds and dry without dryer sheets. I’ve been wanting to try dryer balls with essential oils but just haven’t gotten around to it or really felt the need for it. When wanting a bit more of a scent, we use the powder detergent, which is typically for our towels and our bedding.

For stain removing, I use Puracy and it’s hands down the best stain remover I have ever used.

Dish Soap

+Sal’s Suds

A little bit of Sal’s Suds goes a long way. I think my favorite thing is how versatile it is. It can be used to wash the dishes, do the laundry and make an all-purpose cleaning spray. It can be diluted 1/2 cup to a quart of water, if preferred, but I tend to just add some to my sponge before doing the dishes. It might go a longer way if pre-diluted. For hand soap, I also use Dr. Bronner’s but I prefer the scented bar soap.

Shower Cleaner

+ Baking Soda
+ Lemon Essential Oil

I usually shake some baking soda over the base of the tub and then add some drops of lemon essential oil to the baking soda. It will create a sort of paste-like cleaner. Scrub the area and it works as a good de-grimer. Use as much as necessary.

I’ve also used Branch Basics and I loved it - it made cleaning the bathroom easy. Being totally honest, the only reason I didn’t repurchase was price. I do think it’s worth the money, but using baking soda and essential oil is a pretty close second for much less money.

Windows and Mirrors

+ Vinegar

Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle (I upcycled an old hair product bottle that had a spray top). It looks a little foggy at first, but keep wiping and soon it will look crystal clear.

Essential Oils

My favorite oils are lemon, lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus. I have a few others but these are my most often used. The brand I usually purchase is Aura Cacia, but brands like Mountain Rose Herbs, Saje and Young Living are also high-quality.

I diffuse oils throughout my house instead of candles, it refreshens any space. For the bedroom, I typically diffuse lavender and eucalyptus for relaxation. For the kitchen and living room, I diffuse lemon or a lemon blend for a clean, energizing scent. I am looking into getting a second diffuser, but I currently use this diffuser and move it from room to room based on necessity.

Etc., etc.

Other brands I use or have used are Seventh Generation, Branch Basics and The Honest Company. EWG is a helpful website to determine if a brand is clean or not. Enter the brand into the search bar and a ranking between A - F will appear, A being the cleanest and F being the most harmful. This comes in handy when trying a new product or looking for a new one.

Any questions, leave in the comments below!

Asthma + Life Lately

The third week in September is notoriously considered peak week here in Massachusetts, a term I had never heard before this year. It’s the week that asthma and allergies require the most hospitalization. And to my surprise, I became one of those statistics, landing myself in the hospital right during the middle of peak week.

After about 4 weeks of dealing with a chronic cough, post-nasal drip and fatigue, my cough progressed into recurrent asthma attacks resulting in a hospitalization with a heavy (and continued) dose of steroids. I’m finally on the mend, have most of my energy back and am feeling grateful that I have access to medicine yielding this experience an inconvenience rather than a death sentence. 

I haven’t suffered from allergies in about 12 years, but things change. It is most likely why I didn’t suspect allergies to be the culprit until it was a little too late. I pushed a little too far for a little too long. It scared me, to say the least. I usually take pride in my health and this experience definitely brought me to a point of surrender and vulnerability that I haven’t quite experienced before. My lungs felt like they were failing me and until you can’t breathe, it’s hard to understand how much of a blessing sufficient airflow is. I was left feeling grateful, more than anything.

From what I understand, there is a threshold to asthma. Our lungs can only tolerate and filter so much until our body goes into overdrive. During peak week allergies are at a season high, putting those with asthma at an increased risk. I don’t know fully what triggered my attacks yet, but I suspect the main culprit will be ragweed. As to the whole threshold theory, I am curious what other environmental irritants I could potentially be breathing in on a day to day basis. Dust, air quality concerns, fragrances, etc.? Pollen and air pollution are not things I can control, but it has definitely left me thinking of the things I maybe could.

I originally went down the natural home path to avoid unnecessary exposure to chemicals (don’t we get enough as is?) and to lighten the toxic load of my surroundings— but intuitively I feel like it makes sense that chemicals we breathe would cause our lungs to become irritated and inflamed over time, making it more likely that seasonal allergies would be the tipping point. Since the hospital stay, I have done a bit of minimizing (bye-bye dust) and removed the final remaining store-bought cleaners from my cabinets. It leaves me feeling like I am doing what I can in a highly uncontrollable world. Here’s a few final thoughts…

+ Introduce plants to filter air quality 

Plants filter the air, removing toxins that typically get released from wall paint, plastics, furniture, etc.

+ Use non-toxic cleaners

Consider swapping out store-bought cleaners for homemade ones with non-toxic ingredients.

+ Less things = less dust

Simply put.

I am clearly not a pulmonologist or an allergist, but I think removing as many environmental irritants as possible (aka what we breathe in) just makes sense to me. I obviously have more to discover in relation to my breathing, but feel like I am at least on the right path towards discovery now.