Have A safe and Clean Environment in your home
Everyday we are exposed to numerous chemicals, from the moment we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed.
There is no such thing as a safe chemical and without our knowledge; many wreak havoc with our health.
Do you read labels on shampoos, toothpaste, cosmetics or cleaning products?
The other day I visited a friend and asked if together we could do a bit of research as to what products she and her family used during their day.
She had only opened up a new bar of soap that morning. We read the label and it had five chemicals listed, long and difficult names to decipher. Yet everyone in the family had the chemicals on their body either during their shower or washing their hands.
Hubby’s shaving cream had seven ingredients listed while her hand lotion had another five. All these went onto their bodies too. More personal care products followed, underarm deodorant listing six chemical names and toothpaste with a list that I am sure no doctor or dentist would advise anyone to eat or drink.
For my friend, like many other women on this morning, became subject to numerous more noxious chemicals that we had never heard of before, facial cream, eyeliner, lipstick and perfume. Today, her daughters were preparing for a special dance performance and were primed to yet more saturation of chemicals in shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, placing them at high risk.
Overwhelming? And we haven’t even left the bathroom!
The household tap water contains a further list of toxic substances, yet the family have just bathed in it, drinking their morning cuppa and later tonight will cook with it.
Before we leave for the performance, my friend puts on a load of washing with a big scoop of laundry detergent. The chemical laden residue left behind comes into contact with their bodies all day long, their clothing, their night wear and even the sheets they sleep on.
After the performance we all treated ourselves to a cold drink, nothing more than a chemical cocktail, and eat a large amount of refined sugar, dyes, preservatives and pesticides. We walk back to the car, all the while breathing in car and industrial fumes.
When we get back home, we stop to smell the roses and herbicides. The dog greets us from a flea solution bath. Into the safe domain, the house smells nice from the air fresheners and deodorisers saturating the air we breathe with more foreign chemical substances.
“Basically, our bodies are toxic waste dumps. There are over ninety chemicals in every body” writes Dr Doris Rapp, author of Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. “There are epidemics of illnesses like cancer, autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), muscular conditions and infertility, and many people are unaware that these epidemics can be due to chemical exposures.”
Petrochemicals derived from petroleum include Propylene glycol a common skin care ingredient used in cosmetics and toiletries and used as a powerful solvent to prevent creams from drying out. It is found in brake fluid, anti freeze, laundry detergents, paints and floor wax. No value to the skin, only used as an easy gliding agent to assist applying to the skin.
Another petrochemical, chlorine, most commonly known as bleach, destroys living organisms (bacteria, algae, etc) but is needed to biodegrade (breakdown) cleaners in our soil and water. It is used in water purification, disinfectants, swimming pools and is harmful to the respiratory system.
Sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate are common ingredients found in shampoos, facial cleaners, bubble bath, baby wash, shaving foam and toothpaste for its thickening effect and its ability to create a lather. SLS may cause a number of skin problems causing dryness, itching and in some cases hair loss.
Another unseen chemical is formaldehyde which can cause horrific effects on living cells. It is found in the home environment in different forms, particle boards, plywood, veneers, carpeting, and sanitary paper products such as tissues, serviettes, insulation, paints and fashion textiles to prevent creasing.
The way to provide a clean environment for our bodies:
- Use natural personal care products – pure soaps, non-fluoride toothpaste and natural cosmetics, providing a safe and environmentally friendly home.
- Read labels carefully, to be sure the ingredients are natural.
- Look for products that list all their ingredients – food products don’t have to list all ingredients, personal care products require less information and cleaning products almost none.
- Consider air purifiers for your home or workplace.
- Consider a water purifier for your kitchen taps, drinking water and shower.
- Avoid microwaving your food or baby bottles.
- Avoid food in plastic containers or wrappings.
- Only use low heat under Teflon cookware.
- Eat organic foods and avoid GM and irradiated foods as much as possible. Even grow your own.
- Free range chickens and eggs that are hormone free.
- Build up your immune system not only with fresh, healthy meals and snacks, but add healthy nutrients, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, under practitioner supervision if necessary.
- Drink more water, increases urination and assists in softening bowel movements, eliminating more toxins.
- Buy natural fabrics.
- Use a non-synthetic mattress with 100 percent cotton sheets.
- For infants, use cotton nappies and cotton overlays (if you must use disposable nappies, consider eco friendly).
- Use environmentally safe cleaning products.
- Use natural pesticides inside and outside the home, school and workplace.
- Run (don’t walk) away from chemical exposures (exposure to even a tiny amount of toxin for a few seconds can affect your body or that of an unborn child).
- Look into the pros and cons before making a decision regarding vaccination.
- Reuse and recycle as many things as possible.
