4 Easy Non-Toxic Swaps For 2021

4 Easy Non-Toxic Swaps For 2021

Andrea
Body, Household, Blog

Aiming for a healthier year? Make a big impact with minimal effort by swapping out these frequently used products. Most hand soaps contain synthetic fragrance, colorants, or ingredients that not only irritate skin but can have adverse health effects. Improve indoor air quality by swapping out traditional cleaning products. Ingredients commonly used in laundry detergent are frequently the source of skin irritation. Given the increase in use of hand sanitizer, consider swapping for a cleaner formula.

Nail Polish

Nail Polish

Andrea
Beauty, Body, Blog

Studies show that harmful ingredients such as triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) enter the body through nail polish application. TPHP is associated with endocrine disruption. Exposure to VOCs like acetone, methyl methacrylate (MMA), and toluene is associated with headaches, lightheadedness, and irritation to the nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Benzephenone-1 is associated with endocrine disruption and skin toxicity, and may accelerate growth of breast cancer cells and promote cancer metastasis. Sienna Byron Bay nail polishes are the cleanest option, free of harmful ingredients including benzephenone-1.

Ingredients to Avoid in Cosmetics

Ingredients to Avoid in Cosmetics

Andrea
Blog, Beauty

Clean marketing labels seem to be popping up everywhere. The labels make us feel like the products we are buying are safe but what really matters lies in the fine print on the back of the box: the ingredients. The truth is, “clean” is not scientific or foolproof, and there is a lot of gray area. Avoid ingredients that are used even in clean beauty products like fragrance, PEGs, phenoxyethanol.

Essential Pantry Items For Healthy Cooking

Essential Pantry Items For Healthy Cooking

Andrea
Blog, Household

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.

Carbon Black In Cosmetics⁠

Carbon Black In Cosmetics⁠

Andrea
Beauty, Blog

Most dark black pigment in eye makeup comes from carbon black, or a version of it. Carbon black is made from the incomplete combustion of petroleum products. It is toxic, possibly carcinogenic, and the FDA has even found carbon black unsafe for cosmetics used around the eyes. A source of concern for carbon black in cosmetics is the dermal absorption of these impurities, particularly PAHs, which have been classified as genotoxic carcinogens. Check the ingredient label for either carbon black, D&C black #2, or black 2.

How to Choose a Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer

How to Choose a Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer

Andrea
Body, Blog, Beauty

Hand sanitizer has become a necessity for everyone in the post-COVID world. You can buy it just about anywhere, but you might not be aware that some are safer than others, and some work better than others. It’s worth noting that while washing with soap water is always a superior option, there are occasions that you simply can’t use soap and water, and you need a safe hand sanitizer to reach for. In June and July of 2020, the FDA issued warnings about hand sanitizers that contained methanol or were contaminated with methanol.

Best Clean Beauty & Personal Care Products At Whole Foods

Best Clean Beauty & Personal Care Products At Whole Foods

Andrea
Beauty, Body, Kids & Babies, Blog

Shopping for personal care and beauty products while picking up groceries can be so convenient, that its tempting to just grab whatever you see. The personal care and beauty items in Whole Foods must meet certain requirements determined by Whole Foods. The requirements include a ban on over 100 ingredients like parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde donors, oxybenzone and EDTA. Additionally, organic claims must be backed up by a third-party certification. There are ingredients that are not Whole Foods banned list, but can still be harmful and should be avoided like fragrance, phenoxyethanol, and polysorbate 20.

Non-Toxic Makeup With SPF 40

Non-Toxic Makeup With SPF 40

Andrea
Beauty, Blog

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint comes in a dropper and it’s thin, spreadable consistency allows for a feathery fingertip application. Skin tint uses the safest available sunscreen ingredient, non-nano zinc oxide. This natural and non-toxic makeup has a truly unique serum formula and beautiful medium coverage.

Scented

Scented

Andrea
Blog, Body, Household, Kids & Babies, Beauty

When it comes to cleanliness, we associate a strong chemical smell with being clean, when in reality “clean” has no smell at all. Fragrance is one of the 5 common allergens found in cosmetics and can trigger asthma attacks, skin irritation and skin allergies, and allergic reactions. Fragranced products can cause adverse health effects including respiratory, neurological, cognitive, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, immune, and musculoskeletal problem to migraine headaches, mucosal symptoms, and asthma attacks. Despite these facts, companies are not required to disclose the fragrance ingredients in their products. Studies have revealed toxic ingredients in fragrance such phthalates, octoxynols and butylphenol methylpropianol. In addition, fragrances emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Disinfecting With Non-Toxic Products

Disinfecting With Non-Toxic Products

Andrea
Household, Blog

In the pandemic era, safer cleaning alternatives have been pushed aside in favor of bleach and strong antibacterial disinfectants. Disinfectants play a role in preventing the spread of germs; however, disinfectants come with additional risks and/or health problems so learning how and when to properly use them is especially important. Safer and non-toxic disinfectants include hydrogen peroxide & EPA approved disinfectants like Force of Nature and Clean Republic which use sodium chloride and hypochlorous acid.

Switching to Natural Products

Switching to Natural Products

Andrea
Blog

Food and drugs are regulated for safety by the FDA, but did you know that personal care products do not need government approval? For cleaning products, the EPA only requires a company to list active disinfectant ingredients. Over 40 countries have banned over 1,400 ingredients that are believed to be harmful in personal care products and cosmetics, whereas the US has banned merely 11. Many of the banned ingredients have been linked to cancer, disruption of the endocrine system, and organ toxicity, and can cause allergies and other negative health effects. Switching to natural products in which companies not only strive for safety and efficacy, but maintain transparency with customers, helps you ensure a safer and healthier lifestyle and home.

Make Your Own Green Juice

Make Your Own Green Juice

Andrea
Blog

The benefits of drinking fresh green juice daily are difficult to overstate. Some drink on occasion to “detox” but adding green juice to your daily routine can really boost nutrition, balance hunger, and benefit your body in so many ways.

Non-Toxic Household Cleaner Bon Ami

Non-Toxic Household Cleaner Bon Ami

Andrea
Household, Blog

Bon Ami powder cleanser is an excellent cleaner to keep around the house because it is non-toxic and has many uses. Since 1886, Bon Ami has remained committed to its non-toxic formula by not using bleach, fragrance, or dyes. It will not scratch or damage most surfaces yet is effective at tackling difficult stains.

Safe Kids Toothpaste

Safe Kids Toothpaste

Andrea
Kids & Babies, Blog

Parents are left to decipher long ingredient lists in kids toothpaste and decide if their children need fluoride or not. It’s important to know flouride, artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, flavors, and other potentially toxic ingredients are found in most kids toothpastes on the shelves.

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