With the busy world we live in, it can be hard to focus on finding holistic substitutes to the daily products we use. Most of us resort to bleach and Bath & Body Works candles to mask smells. Heck, I am guilty of all of these things too. But do we really know what we are breathing in or worse, putting on our skin?
Well, after doing tons of research and coming to terms with the fact that if I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle internally then I needed to start looking at the external products as well, I began the switch to cleaner, less toxic products.
It can be hard to switch over to all clean products all at once. My advice is to pick a certain area to start with, such as household cleaners, and start switching out items here and there. Today, I want to touch five of the biggest household items I switched over to in order to live a cleaner lifestyle.
Candles
I love for my home to smell great but not at the cost of my health. Did you know that the majority of candles are made from Paraffin wax. This sort of wax has been linked to studies that prove it has harmful effects. So, after learning this, I decided to switch my scents to all soy or beeswax candles and diffusing essential oils! TJMaxx is a great place to find a variety of candles and essential oils. Just be sure to read the tags and see if it has the good kinda wax ;]
Glass Containers
Chances are you have had to pack a meal for something before or had to store your leftovers. Well, glass containers are where it’s at. These beauties can be easily stored in the freezer and heated up in the oven! Plastic is not only bad for our polluted oceans and landfills but it isn’t the safest option when storing and reheating food. Every time you microwave plastic it is possible for your food to come in contact with the harmful chemicals in the plastic. So, switching over to glass containers may seem like a big task but it is one that is definitely worth it in the long run.
Laundry Detergent
One of the items I switched out first when looking to live a cleaner lifestyle was my laundry detergent. I have very sensitive skin and whenever I used scented detergent I always paid a heavy price. Changing my normal detergent (Tide, Gain, practically anything I could get my hands on for cheap) to a free & clear brand like Seventh Generation, my skin became less irritated. It is a simple switch for most and can make all the difference.
Water Filter
I absolutely love the taste of clean, fresh water. I mean, who doesn’t? But what I’m talking about is water that you can tell is purified of the harmful chemicals. When living in the city, I highly recommend a water filtration system or some form of water pitcher to filter out the harmful bacteria, including lime, chlorine, and fluoride. I have an Alexapure pitcher with charcoal carbon filters that provides my family with added minerals and 95% less chemicals.
Natural Deodorant
I have tried a few natural deodorants so far and I have to say that they do actually work like Native and Schmits. The main reason I switched from normal deodorant to natural is because of the aluminum that is present in most deodorants. Since aluminum on the skin has been linked to different types of illnesses, rashes, and irritations, I wanted to choose something cleaner that would keep me smelling fresh and healthy at the same time.
Changing all of my products to cleaner items is a hard task. Honestly, it will probably take me years to finally switch over everything. But, each day I seem to find something new that is a cleaner version of a not so healthy option and it gets me really excited! Personally, I love knowing that the little switches I’m making in life add to keeping me safe and healthy.
Written by Danielle Moore