Is Your Home Environment Toxic?!

We talked on the podcast this week about Biohacking Your Biology and how our modern environment can be a detriment to your health. Even if you are eating the cleanest diet, we are all living in a dirty world and the culprits are on every corner from cosmetics to hair dye to nail polish to household cleaners to EMFs emitted by our devices! It can be a scary world and no matter how hard we try, shy of living in a bubble we are going to come in contact with these things from time to time.

Most Common Toxins Lurking in Your Home

Air Fresheners and Scented Candles

There’s a reason that just walking by a Yankee Candle store can trigger a headache! These release phthalates which are known endocrine disruptors that are also linked to cancer and birth defects. They can also be harmful to our kiddos respiratory systems and contribute to asthma. Use candles that are scented with essential oils and use natural wax or a diffuser with a set of organic essential oils instead!

Household Cleaners and Laundry Products

Oven and drain cleaners can contain substances known to cause chemical burns while laundry soap can contain surfactants, bleach, fragrance, phosphates and beyond. These products make contact with our skin so we spend all day essentially bathing in them! And Dryer sheets are known to contain at least 3 chemicals on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list! See more below about Branch Basics, a personal favorite for all things household cleaning!

Cosmetics & Personal Care

Makeup can be a huge source of toxic chemicals and many of us spend 12+ hours a day with this on our skin! This blog goes deep into the toxins lurking in our beauty products but among them are parabens, phthalates, and even formaldehyde and lead. Our skin is the largest organ of the body and the EWG estimates that women are using an average of 12 products daily with a total of 200+ toxic ingredients! Beyond cosmetics, hair products, lotion, perfumes, and deodorants can drive hormonal interference and many contain known carcinogens. BeautyCounter is a favorite of ours for all things non-toxic beauty and body!

Baby Products

Popular baby brands like Johnson & Johnson and products that are intended to be “gentle” and “tear free” like baby powder, washes and wipes often contain talc, parabens and propylene glycol (PEG) among other toxic chemicals. Talc found in baby powder is a lung irritant and is potentially carcinogenic while PEG found in baby wipes is used in windshield wiper fluid and is easily absorbed into the skin, serving to allow other chemicals to easily penetrate! BeautyCounter makes baby washes, shampoos, and oils that you can feel good about using on your little ones!

Plastics

Plastic water bottles, tupperware containers, and even ziploc baggies can contain flame retardants, bisphenols, and phthalates that leach out, especially when heated. Exposure is linked to birth defects, certain cancers, autoimmune disease and endocrine disruption. Use stainless steel water bottles and glass containers for storage whenever possible and never heat in plastic!

EMFs

EMFs or electromagnetic frequencies are emitted from laptops, cell phones, microwaves, TVs, wifi and beyond and may be linked to cancer as well as impact brain function. EMFs have also been linked to DNA damage, memory loss and poor learning capabilities. Keep cell phones out of the bedroom and put them on airplane mode as often as possible. If using a laptop often, grab an EMF blocking pad to put under it to protect your precious lady or man parts!

Favorite Non-Toxic Household Products

Branch Basics

Branch Basics Cleaning Products are plant and mineral based, free of harmful preservatives, biodegradable and not tested on animals. Their multi-purpose concentrate allows you to dilute to your desired concentration for various surfaces around the house, making their products less expensive and more sustainable than single-use products. I love that I can use these with zero trepidation while cleaning with Stella! Click here to shop!

BeautyCounter

BeautyCounter bans over 1500 toxic ingredients from their products including parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, PEG and many more. They source and create their products with safety and quality in mind and their products still stand up and perform like the makeup you have always known! The Flawless in Five is a staple of ours and allows you to customize to your skin tone and color palate–perfect for creating a polished everyday look. Shop with Becki Yoo as your consultant!

Harapad EMF Protector & Heat Shield

This protects from EMF, ELF, FR, WiFi and Bluetooth radiation while cooling the laptop and reducing heat exposure. If you are sitting on your laptop late into the night like we are, this is a must!

Stasher Reusable Silicone Food Bags

These self-sealing plastic bags are made from non-toxic silicone with no BPA, PVC or latex and can be used for storage, marinating and even sous vide. They are safe up to 400 degrees and come in a ton of different sizes. I love these for packing travel snacks without the toxin exposure and guilt of single-use plastic! Shop more sizes and colors on my Amazon Store!

Sunlighten Sauna

For supporting your daily detox process, there is nothing better than a sauna sesh! Sunlighten’s Signature II home sauna offers clinically proven backed infrared sauna benefits like lowered blood pressure, weight loss, detoxification and more – all from the comfort of your home. Nine heaters provide the most effective highest quality and quantity of far infrared heat available, and our proprietary design produces virtually no EMF. The Signature II far infrared sauna seats up to two people, and a removable bench allows for full use of floor space for yoga or stretching. Optional premium add-ons include acoustic resonance therapy, chromotherapy lighting, natural sauna cleaners and more.

Use this link for $200 off and free shipping

Not sure what an ingredient is or which brand to choose? Check out the Ali Miller RD Amazon Store for pantry staples, favorite snacks and more!

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Is Your Home Environment Toxic?!