Detoxifying Your Home - Part 2
What We Absorb
Your skin is a major barrier protecting your body from the environment. It’s your first line of defense. The problem is, your skin evolved to handle a very different environment than we have today.
Sadly, many chemicals have been approved by Health Canada, the FDA, and most countries in the world that can be absorbed through your skin membrane and enter your bloodstream.
Your skin is very protective AND it allows for absorption. This can be really good when you’re using your skin to take medications, or topical vitamins and minerals (topical magnesium is VERY helpful for releasing tense muscles). You can even rub some natural anti-microbial oils onto the bottom of your feet if you don’t want to taste them.
But…there are a lot of chemicals that your body didn’t expect to deal with when your skin evolved. And, there are a few you might want to avoid.
A lot of these added chemicals serve a purpose. Often they’re anti-fungals, preservatives, and anti-microbials that allow the product to have a long shelf life. The companies using these chemicals are trying to compete in the weird capitalistic shopping structure that we have right now. They’re not monsters for adding them…but, they’re still best avoided.
As always, the key is to do your best. Changing out one product can make a huge difference. Your liver is equipped to handle this chemical assault, so it’s a-okay if you have a favourite product (or two) that you don’t want to part with.
Start with what’s easy and change your products one by one when you find a good solution.
Let’s first look at some of the chemicals that can be found in our products today and how they affect your body. Then, I’m going to give you some ideas of easy places to start.
Please note – I’ve been doing this for 15+ years. I’ve changed out a lot of my products…but not all of them. For example, I JUST found a natural shampoo/conditioner that I like more than my salon brand. For many years, my salon brand was something I didn’t want to part with…even though I knew that it contains some of the chemicals listed below. We all can have our exceptions :).
Xenoestrogens – an important chemical to avoid
Hormones are messengers in our body, they bring information to cells and tell them what to do. Many health issues stem from a hormonal imbalance. Hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, and diabetes are just a few examples of conditions that are caused by a hormonal imbalance.
Xenoestrogens are man-made chemical estrogens (“xeno” means foreign) that mimic the estrogen that’s made in your body. They fall into the family of “endocrine disrupting chemicals” (EDC) and can throw your hormone balance out of whack. All genders make some estrogen and keeping estrogen in balance is something your body is striving for each day.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are causing many of our health problems today from infertility, early puberty, abnormal development of sex organs, cancers, neurologic, immune, and respiratory issues to diabetes and obesity. Many of these EDCs are commonly referred to as ‘obesogens’ because the body needs to put them somewhere and stores them away in fat cells.
Xenoestrogens are new to our body and frustratingly, are very hard to avoid today.
The following additives are considered xenoestrogens:
Bisphenol A (BPA) - commonly found in plastic food containers, water bottles, and canned foods.
Phthalates - commonly found in plastic products such as toys, shower curtains, and food packaging.
Parabens - commonly found in personal care products such as shampoos, lotions, and makeup.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - commonly found in electrical equipment, flame retardants, and plasticizers.
Dioxins - commonly found in pesticides, industrial chemicals, and waste incineration.
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) - commonly found in non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging.
Triclosan - commonly found in antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, and other personal care products.
One of the first xenoestrogens created was BPA, a chemical in plastic that was originally developed as a synthetic estrogen in the 1930s. Soon it was discovered that BPA does a good job at keeping plastics hard and stable and was added to many types of plastic we use regularly, including Tupperware, and coats the inside of many canned food products. Anything with the recycling code #7 often contains BPA and therefore contains a hardy dose of xenoestrogens. Due to a public outcry over a decade ago, many companies are moving away from BPA, but have replaced it with a cousin chemical that may not be any better.
(BPA is also commonly found on receipts and can be absorbed through the skin. So bookkeepers & accountants, be wary)
Phthalates are another common xenoestrogen in our life and does the opposite of BPA. It makes plastics soft and pliable. Phthalates are very good at off-gassing, which means you can breathe them in. They’re considered an “everywhere chemical” because, well, they’re everywhere.
Fragrances are a common source of phthalates, which are added to perfumes, air fresheners, scented cleaners and detergents, and anything that uses chemical fragrances. It’s also in all PVC products (like plastic toys), food packaging, and is often in paints.
The best way to avoid phthalates is to avoid all scented products. I’ve been avoiding them for close to 20 years (I used to be sensitive to the scent), and now I can’t stand being in the same room as anyone wearing a scent. Even houses that use scented laundry detergent bother me. It’s like my body is saying “NOOOOOOO” to anything that contains phthalates. Essential oils are a healthier alternative to fragrances :).
The easiest way to tell the difference between a product that uses essential oils vs. xenoestrogen-laden fragrances is by how “sticky” the scent is. If you use a hand lotion scented with essential oils, that scent disappears after a few minutes to an hour or two.
Verses a phthalate scent, which can stick around for many hours or even many days. Phthalate-laden scented laundry detergent can stick around for weeks and even after multiple washes! You’re absorbing xenoestrogens through your skin from these scents, which is why it’s best to avoid them.
Side note story time:
Recently my husband went skiing with his family and stayed at an AirBnb. He was hit by a chemical assault of scented laundry products the moment he walked in. The horrible scent was everywhere!
He did everything he could to avoid it. He didn’t let his clothes touch the sheets on the bed and he kept his window open the whole time, but still, the smell on his clothes when he got home was shocking.
First, the scent was all over him, sticking to his skin & hair (and therefore absorbing into his skin). All of the clothes he took with him were left outside (our place is waaaay too small to have them inside), and he immediately took a full shower and washed his hair.
But…the scent was so “sticky” that it was still on his skin for DAYS. His side of the bed wreaked of it too! All of his clothes needed at least 2 washes before the smell came out of them.
Here’s the thing – Michael’s clothes were never washed in the detergent/fabric softener. They only touched furniture that was exposed to the scent. Now that’s the power of phthalates! They really hold on tight!
…and really, do we need scents to be THAT sticky?? Geez!
Xenoestrogens & Estrogen Dominance
Xenoestrogen is a factor in the imbalance called “estrogen dominance”. Your hormone balance is very precise and adding even very small amounts of xenoestrogens to your body can through off your balance. Xenoestrogens are one factor in causing your estrogen is sitting way too high and knock other hormones, like progesterone and testosterone out of balance.
Symptoms of estrogen dominance in women include:
bloating
swelling and tenderness in your breasts
fibrocystic lumps in your breasts
decreased sex drive
irregular menstrual periods
increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
mood swings
headaches
anxiety and panic attacks
weight gain
hair loss
cold hands or feet
trouble sleeping
sleepiness or fatigue
memory problems
Estrogen dominance can occur for many different reasons, xenoestrogens is just one cause. It can also occur in men, but it’s less studied.
Xenoestrogen vs. Phytoestrogen
Phytoestrogens come from plants, and it would make sense if adding extra xenoestrogens to your body is bad, phytoestrogens must be a problem too. Except…they work a little differently.
Phytoestrogens are VERY weak estrogens, at least 100x weaker than the estrogen your body makes and xenoestrogens are significantly stronger than your body’s estrogen. But, phytoestrogens look like estrogen and can take up space on the cell, blocking the stronger forms of estrogens. So, interestingly, you can use phytoestrogens, found naturally in soy, flax, and other food, to lower your overall estrogen level and reduce symptoms of Estrogen Dominance.
(it also works in the opposite way if your estrogen is very low, like at the end of perimenopause. This weaker estrogen can give you a wee bit of a bump, reducing your overall symptoms, like hot flashes).
Other health risks of xenoestrogens include:
Trigger warning – this section is getting scary…feel free to skip this part.
Cancer
Endocrine disruptors are connected to hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer
Prostate cancer incidence has nearly tripled from 1975 to 2007
Breast cancer incidence in women has increased by 57% from 1977 to 2007
Xenoestrogens are linked to other cancers including pancreatic, lung, kidney, brain and testicular
Infertility
Xenoestrogens can cause infertility in couples and lower sperm count in men
Can influence endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and PCOs in women
Can even be linked to the decline of sex ratios (male to female births)
Obesity
Xenoestrogens accumulate in fat tissue
This can lead to the accumulation of excess fatty tissues in the body, altered metabolism, increased appetite and obesity
Diabetes
Exposure to organochlorine pesticides, phthalates and PCBs are linked with insulin resistance and risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
Thyroid Disruption
Xenoestrogens can interfere with thyroid hormone production, signalling and receptors
How to reduce xenoestrogens in your life
There are some xenoestrogens that you don’t have a lot of control over, but MANY you do. And, happily, it’s not too difficult to avoid them once you know what to look for. Side effects of xenoestrogens tend to go away once the brunt of extra estrogen has been lowered (so yes, all of those nasty things listed above)
*As always, just do your best. Your body can handle some and avoiding the easy-to-avoid ones is VERY helpful :)
1. Avoid artificially scented products –
All of those “sticky” scents that stick around are easy to avoid. Look for unscented or natural products for your soaps (hand soap, dish soap, etc.), laundry detergent (avoid dryer sheets and those extra scent balls too), perfumes (essential oils are much nicer), air fresheners (essential oil diffusers are much nicer), and lotions.
2. Use natural cleaners –
Check out Part 1 for many great ideas and recipes :)
3. Store food without plastic (and esp. don’t microwave in plastic) –
Glass containers are super easy to find and are wonderful for food storage. They usually include a plastic lid, but the lid doesn’t touch the food (so don’t worry about it).
Also avoid reusing plastics with a “1” in the recycling code, like plastic disposable water bottles. It might seem tempting to refill them to avoid more waste, but “1” recycling code plastic are only meant to be used once and the plastic is less stable than other types. Refilling them can lead to more xenoestrogens leaking into your water.
4. Be sure to poop every day –
The best way to remove all toxins, including xenoestrogens, from your body is through your poop. Pooping each day will stop the toxins from being absorbed back through your intestinal tract too. Your body loves to put nasty things into your poop to remove them from your body, keep this pathway wide open :)
How to help your body avoid all of these chemicals
The scary part is over, time for the things you can do to avoid these chemicals :)
1. Take care of your skin as best as you can –
This protective layer works best when it’s happy. Moisturize dry skin, stay hydrated, and be extra careful on spots that have eczema or other rashes (those are weak spots in your skin’s barrier…and check out our Eczema/Psoriasis masterclass for tips).
Healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, and other unprocessed fats help protect your skin’s protective layer by building very good cell membranes. Fish oil and GLA-rich borage or evening primrose oil is also helpful :)
2. Look for small-batch, even handmade products –
There are a lot of options today for skin care. Many companies are making great alternatives right now and they’ll often have short expiry dates so they don’t need to add any nasty preservatives. I’ve listed my favourites below.
3. Check your products –
“Skin Deep” is a website created by the Environmental Working Group. It lists most cosmetic products available in North America and rates their toxicity level. You can find how they rate your favourite products and find many easy-to-find alternatives that contain less harmful ingredients.
I used this website a lot when I first started switching my products. I was really surprised when I entered my new cleanser I bought at a health food store and found it to contain more toxic ingredients than my old drugstore brand! 🤯
Products I’ve really like:
This isn’t a comprehensive list and it’s a bit egoic to think you care about what I like. But, I thought it might help get you inspired to try something new. Many of these products I like far more than the conventional products I replaced.
Also, most natural companies are small and don’t have large distributions. Many will only be found in Canada and even some might only be found in BC, Canada. Sorry it’s not more inclusive.
And – please share in the comments below your favourite natural products! Let’s share what we love!
Skin care, face:
I’ve found tons of products I like. My current favourite brands are:
Annemarie Borlind –
This company was an early adopter of natural ingredients…and honestly, it took a dive into their company before I realized how natural they really are. These are what I currently use…but I need to share a caveat. I’m an educator for a brokerage that distributes this brand (they also distribute some supplements, that’s what I educate on). So, I get these products at a deep discount. I really do love them, but would I use them if I had to pay full retail? I’m not sure…
Impt note: the scents they use are sometimes strong. They’ve assured me that they use essential oils, but give a sniff test first if you can. I use the “Sensitive” line because it’s unscented (and happens to be their lowest priced line…which is a bonus :)
This company is from Germany and should be available worldwide
https://www.boerlind.com/us/
Viva –
Viva’s Amaze Cream is by far THE BEST moisturizer I’ve ever used. I found a sample in my bathroom recently and was reminded about how great it feels and how it instantly makes my skin look and feel amazing. The only reason I don’t use it every day is the price point is a tad steep for my liking (aka, I’m too cheap)
https://vivahealthskincare.com
Sukin –
This is my favourite budget-friendly moisturizer and the first natural moisturizer I tried. I had weird little growths on my face when I was using a drugstore brand and I was surprised that they went away completely when I switched to Sukin. This is still one I reach for when I need a moisturizer and my budget is tight.
https://sukinnaturals.ca
Makeup:
I can’t give you any suggestions here. I haven’t changed most of my makeup and I’m so clueless about makeup (even though I wear it daily) that I don’t know where to start.
Skin Care, Body:
I use the “Everyone” brand because it’s cheap and comes in large containers. I use their body lotion and their body wash is my hand soap. I haven’t felt the need to try anything else and it’s available at both health food stores and grocery stores.
https://www.eoproducts.com/collections/everyone-nourishing-lotion
Deodorant:
Routine –
Hands down, it’s the only natural deodorant I’ll use. I’ve had some very embarrassing moments with other ones that I never want to repeat (including an embarrassing realization that the terrible smell that was following me during a speaking event was me 😳).
Routine works really well and has many recipes and scents to choose from. Their packaging is also hilarious. My favourite scent is “Like a Boss” and my husband uses “Blackberry Betty”. I’ve also used “Cat Lady” and it smells MUCH better than you’d expect :). The key is finding a scent that works with your natural scent.
They have some formulas that use baking soda and other’s that are baking soda free. Baking soda can burn if you have sensitive skin…but it’s also great at getting rid of smells if you’re a tad smelly (like me :). I always use the baking soda options and it doesn’t burn my skin at all.
https://routinecream.ca/collections/deodorant
Shampoo/Conditioner:
I’ve tried everything at the health food store, and they all made my hair frizz and they dried out the ends.
About 3 months ago the brand Good Juju sent me their shampoo/conditioner bars to try (I love another product of theirs and wanted to talk about it on TikTok…they generously offered the sample).
Holy crappity crap! They’re so good! Even though my hair hasn’t been cut since November, my hair hasn’t gotten dry and crunchy. They even have a formula specifically for Fine/Oily hair…which is a first (my fine hair is so greasy!).
The bars look small and they claim to last 75 washes. I’ve used them for about 60 washes at this point and I’m about 2/3 done…so that’s accurate (and I’m VERY heavy handed with the conditioner). I’ve bought more :)
Laundry Detergent:
There are SO MANY good options on the market right now, and they all work well.
Nellie’s laundry powder has been a favourite over the last few years. Due to the lack of storage space in the RV (which I’m living in while writing this), I tried laundry strips about a year ago. Fantastic! Won’t go back.
I’ve tried True Earth and Good Juju laundry strips and I like Good Juju the best, but both do the job. Good Juju did the best job at cleaning my husband’s filthy clothes after working on the house (somehow, he gets covered with dirt from his shoulders to ankles…so much more than the other workers).
If you like liquid laundry detergent, there are so many great options. I’ve tried most that are available to me and they all work fine. None stood out as better or worse than others. I just dislike having a big, lint-covered jug to deal with…especially in the RV. It’s just a preference, liquid detergents are great.
Is there a type of product I’ve forgotten? Email me and I’ll add it :)
TL/DR – In Summary
If this felt too long and you don’t know where to start, here are 10 easy ways to detox your house:
(okay, there are a few ideas here I haven’t expanded on…but this masterclass was feeling unwieldy already. Let me know if you’d like more on any topic)
Increase ventilation: Open windows and doors to improve airflow and reduce indoor air pollutants.
Use natural cleaning products: Many conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals. Choose natural alternatives like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
Remove synthetic fragrances: Synthetic fragrances in air fresheners, candles, and cleaning products can emit harmful chemicals. Use natural alternatives like essential oils.
Reduce clutter: Clutter can harbor dust, allergens, and other pollutants. Regularly declutter your home to improve air quality.
Use an air purifier: An air purifier can help remove airborne pollutants like dust, pollen, and pet dander.
Eliminate mold: Mold can cause respiratory issues and other health problems. Fix leaks and moisture issues and clean any visible mold promptly.
Use natural pest control: Traditional pest control methods often involve harmful chemicals. Try natural alternatives like diatomaceous earth or essential oils.
Filter your water: Municipal water supplies can contain contaminants like lead and chlorine. Install a water filtration system to ensure clean drinking water.
Use indoor plants: Certain plants can help improve indoor air quality by absorbing pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene. Some good options include snake plants, spider plants, and peace lilies.
Reduce electromagnetic radiation: Electronics like Wi-Fi routers and cell phones can emit electromagnetic radiation, which can be harmful to our health. Turn them off at night to reduce EMF exposure.
In Conclusion:
Phew! That was a tad long-winded! There’s so much I could talk about in this masterclass that it was hard to find a spot to stop. Message me anytime if you’d like more info on any topic we’ve touched on here :)
Also, please remember that each change makes a big difference. If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, just choose one easy thing to start with. Due to my absolute hatred of scented laundry detergents…might I suggest starting there? :). Sorry…I should pass along my frustration to you.
Start wherever you’d like, your body will thank you :)
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :).