I recommend natural beauty, baby, and cleaning products that are just as effective as toxic ones.
“Clean at Sephora" might lead us to believe a product is safe, but in reality there are many potentially harmful ingredients allowed in products with this label. There is no legal definition for "clean," so it's important to vet the full ingredient list instead of simply shopping from the clean section.
Adverse health effects from 1,4-dioxane include eye, nose and throat irritation from short term exposure, and kidney and liver damage from long term exposure. [1] Unfortunately studies over the years (dating back to the 1970s) have continually detected 1,4-dioxane in a range of products, some far exceeding the supposed safe threshold of 10,000 ppb.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are different types of chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature. VOC exposure can cause short term and long term health effects including the following: eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea, damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some VOCs cause cancer in animals, and some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. Because VOCs indoors can be up to 10x more concentrated compared to outdoors, it is important to take a look at the sources of VOCs in our homes.
Did you know Target has a “Target Clean” distinction for products that meet Target’s clean standard? The lime green target symbol indicates the product is formulated without certain ingredients like butylparabens and triclosan. Choosing Target Clean products is an excellent starting point but it is not foolproof. These are the best truly clean Targets buys that work.
A stocked pantry is the foundation to preparing simple, healthy, and delicious meals. Buy organic whenever you can to avoid pesticides and unwanted chemicals. Choose extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil over canola oil. Sprouted grains make for nutritious and satisfying breads. Steel cut oatmeal is the ultimate breakfast food and sweetened ketchup is a thing of the past.
In some products, preservatives are absolutely necessary and the product would be dangerous without them, and in others they are not necessary. Preservatives in skincare have been found to impact the skin microbiome. Harmful preservatives include dmdm hydantoin, parabens, phenoxyethanol, BHT, BHA, quaternium 15, diazolindyl urea.
Conventional dish soaps contain fragrances and other toxic ingredients you want to avoid, even those marketed as “natural.” Antibacterial agents like triclosan, triclocarban, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chloroxylenol, and others are harmful to health, are not necessary for washing dishes, and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Cleans the days' dirt, food, paint and more without irritating kids’ skin. Having one pump bottle for body and hair makes the job quick and easy. Alaffia does not sting kids’ eyes and the formula is gentle, nourishing, and non-drying.
Nu Evolution liquid foundation has a matte finish that photographs beautifully and lasts. Plus, it is truly non-toxic. We now know our skin absorbs much of what we put on it. Most makeup contains harmful ingredients that you do not want left on your skin for hours at a time. Especially common is added fragrance, which should be avoided because there are many ingredients that make up fragrance that are not disclosed.
