The Toxins Hiding in Your Home
Did you know that the average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every day, over 80 just before breakfast. 60% of those chemicals are absorbed into our bodies. What is worse is that the FDA doesn’t even require that there is any pre-market testing before these products are released. And you might be thinking “yeah, so what? I don’t hear any major news about Biore or Loreal killing anyone.” No, you don’t. But how often do you hear about adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, any hormonal imbalance or countless gut issues that come with colonoscopies and endoscopies and my list could go on. Now before you roll your eyes and close this blog, I’m not saying that all these issues come from the beauty products, soaps and personal care products that we use. I am just saying that they can be a large contributing factor in the equation. Personal care product chemicals are the silent monsters. The ones we wouldn’t even know are harming us because of the way they present their issues. Unless you have a major allergic reaction where your skin breaks out in a rash and you become itchy, you probably wouldn’t know that these things are harmful. Whether you are a perfectly healthy human or you have multiple issues, these chemicals are not good for you. That’s just a fact.
MY THYROID STORY IN A NUTSHELL I believe this to be true especially because of the negative impact that chemicals have had in my own life. Not to mention the amazing impact taking them out of my life has had on my body. I have struggled with a thyroid condition for probably more years than I know. If you struggle or suspect you struggle with a thyroid condition, then you probably know the battle in getting someone to believe you and treat you properly. In addition to my thyroid, I have all sorts of other hormonal imbalances that are just so all over the place that I can’t keep up with them. If you are someone who is struggling with that right now, let me tell you something: if you know your body and know in your gut that something is off, don’t settle for the “everything is normal. You can go home and live your life” answer that the doctor has given you. I went through 4 different doctors and several different blood panels before they finally found what I TOLD THEM TO LOOK FOR. I had done all my research and I knew in my heart that I had a low thyroid, possibly Hashimotos Thyroiditis. And I was right. REMOVING THE TOXINS Before the official diagnosis, I had literally thrown away half my house! I went into my bathroom with a large trash can and started getting rid of any product that had chemicals and synthetic fragrance in the ingredient lists (spoiler alert: I had nothing left). At this point I had just recently boarded the essential oil train and was rapidly learning how to use natural everything. It wasn’t a slow transition for me. I knew the change that needed to take place and I was pretty much chemical free in a week. I started making my own deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, cleaning products and face wash (if you’re wondering about hair care, I couldn’t find a homemade shampoo that worked so I buy a natural, vegan shampoo). I was even learning how to use essential oils and natural supplements to balance my hormones naturally. These are practices I still use today religiously. Chemicals are not just in our beauty products, they are hiding in our plastic food packaging, clothing, bedding, foods, air fresheners, candles, and so very much more. My husband and I invested in a natural mattress after learning that the dangers of the chemicals in mattresses and the link they have to thyroid conditions. We learned that mattresses have formaldehyde, PBDEs in them and flame retardants (mattresses must meet flame retardant laws) which are all hormone altering chemicals. These chemicals also have been linked to male infertility. Yuck! That right there was enough to put our foot down and spend the extra money to sleep a little more assured at night. DON’T FEEL DISCOURAGED While all of this information may sound daunting and impossible to get around to the point of just throwing your hands up and saying, “Forget it! I just need to not think about it. It’s too much to try and change” think about this: my skin care routine consists of Dr. Bronner’s diluted castile soap and coconut oil. Our bathroom is cleaned with vinegar, baking soda and thieves essential oil. That is it! And you can absolutely get more fancy. But I am saying that it doesn’t have to be complicated. And in turn you are giving your body and the environment room to breathe easier. Over the next few weeks I will be posting a few of my body and house care recipes. Stay tuned for these and see how simple this lifestyle can be! If you read this and just feel so compelled to dive in and want to talk more about essential oils, please email me so we can chat one on one.
