Lord knows, we are all reluctant to let go of something. Sometimes our “stuff” is like a safety blanket. Sometimes we just resist change. After all, that’s why you still hang on to your favorite pair of shoes and wear them until they fall apart, right? It’s the same reason we keep things from childhood. We just hold onto them because.
And I guess that’s why I still had all this stuff in my bathroom, even though I haven’t used it in ages. Months. Maybe YEARS for some of it. And yet, it still made it past two moves, and it was still hanging out in my bathroom, taking up space.
Until this week. When I decided it just had to go.
Why do we need a zillion products anyway?
The reason why I’m junking these products is because they are TOXIC or “junk”. Some are more toxic than others. A lot of them are masquerading as “healthy” products, and some of them even sit in the “organic” or “green” section of my supermarket. But odds are, if it’s got more than two lines of ingredients, there are chemicals hiding out in your lotions and potions.
It’s hard to get rid of them, I know. These products are created and marketed especially to make us feel like we’re doing something good for our hair and skin. They are sold to us in ways that convince us we’ll be better, prettier, more likeable, younger-looking people. But are they HEALTHIER?
And WHY—if we had the information—would we choose to use chemicals on ourselves and our children that cause toxicity in our bodies, can cause skin irritation (like it did for me), and can contribute to numerous diseases over time…
…WHEN there are alternatives that are not just great for all your bath and body needs, but can actually make a difference in your overall body health?
Is it so great to “look young” when it’s killing you in the meantime?
I’m not trying to be dramatic here. But have you ever looked at that ol’ ingredient label?
Cleansing Make-up Remover and Towelette with Vitamin E:
- 2-Octyl-1-dodecanol: (C20H42O) An alcohol that is classified as a eye and skin irritant as well as a respiratory irritant. Why would they put this in a makeup remover wipe that you’re putting on/near ALL of those??
- Polysorbate 20: Ah, the wetting (surfactant) and dissolving (solubilizing) agent. Polysorbate starts out as sorbitol that is then treated with 20 “parts” of carcinogenic ethylene oxide. (Polysorbate 60 has been treated with 60 “parts” ethylene oxide.) The resulting chemical, is then combined with various fatty acids and can be laced with heavy metals. Yum!
- Phenoxyethanol: (C8H10O2) A skin and eye irritant that is also an endocrine disrupter, can affect the brain, nervous system, and the bladder, as well as the reproductive organs. May also be in shampoos and bug repellants.
- All those -parabens: Preservatives that, according to MANY studies, are directly related to breast cancer. That’s right ladies. Breast cancer. Parabens also act as endocrine disrupters that mimic estrogen and can cause weight gain. Just say no!
Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath Treatment:
Even this Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath Treatment, often used to treat eczema, contains Laureth-4! Laureth-4 is made by treating Lauryl alcohol with 4 parts carcinogenic ethylene oxide. There are many different types of Laureths, with the lower the number, the more irritation. Doesn’t it seem counter intuitive to add it to a bath “treatment”? No wonder it never worked for me.
A & D Ointment:
Contains petrolatum, a by-product of petroleum, which is related the development of breast tumors and mammary gland cancer. According to the Herb Research Foundation, our skin can absorb 60% of the chemicals it comes in contact with, and these chemicals move directly into the bloodstream. Petrolatum essentially suffocates the skin, preventing oxygen flow, and allowing the chemicals it’s mixed with to be absorbed instead. Petrolatum can also cause premature aging of skin through the creation of free radicals and disrupt your body’s natural moisturizing mechanisms and cause chapping. (Defeats the purpose wouldn’t you say?) Petrolatum is also found in Vasoline and Aquaphor. Stay away!
Hiding in Plain Sight
Chemicals aren’t just hiding in conventional products. They’re in “healthier” products, too!
Take a look at these products and their ingredients:
Tom’s Deodorant:
Propylene Glycol is found in the majority of personal care products these days, and I’ve even seen it in salad dressings and ice-creams! It is used as a penetration enhancer to bring other chemicals closer to your bloodstream, and it is also ANTIFREEZE! Um, no thank you. It has been linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. Concentrations as low as 2% can cause skin irritation and sensitization, and yet cosmetics can contain up to 50% concentrations!
ALSO KNOWN AS – 1,2-Dihydroxypropane; 2-Hydroxypropanol; Methyl Ethyl Glycol; 1,2-Propanediol; Propane-1,2-Diol
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
This is the lip balm I used to use and love until I realized that it had less-than-preferable oils in it. :( Take a look. Soybean oil and canola oil.
Crystal Body Deodorant Stick:
This is actually one of the deodorants I tried when I switched from my old antiperspirant 5 years ago. Except, as Frank pointed out to me, Ammonium Alum is just another form of aluminum! But it says “NO Aluminum Chlorohydrate” on the label! Doesn’t matter. You can read more about Crystal deodorants from Dr. Mercola in his article Aluminum Lurks in Crystal Deodorants.
Jason’s Deodorant:
Propanediol: Synonym for Propylene Glycol, just like in Tom’s deodorant.
Tom’s Toothpaste:
Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser:
So…what am I supposed to use now?
Most of your products can be replaced with simple, cost-effective, and healthier alternatives.
Coconut Oil
- Face and Body Moisturizer (add some therapeutic grade essential oils for some lovely scents and healing properties)
- Oil Pulling (Oral health)
- Toothpaste (every other day with baking soda and peppermint oil)
- I mix coconut oil with baking soda and essential oil to make deodorant.
- THE BEST make-up remover and eye-makeup remover ever!
- Frizz tamer
Olive Oil
- Face cleanser using the oil cleansing method.
Apple Cider Vinegar
- Toner (use like regular toner)
- Conditioner Rinse (makes hair nice and shiny!)
Baking Soda
- Shampoo rinse
- Toothpaste ingredient and teeth whitener
- Deodorant (Check out my super awesome DIY solid deodorant recipe HERE!)
Coconut oil and baking soda for homemade toothpaste. It’s divided into two glasses because I’ve found it stays fresher, it’s easier to dip our toothbrushes in the oil THEN the baking soda, and I’ve gone to doing baking soda every other day and only using coconut oil on the other days. You can put therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil in the coconut oil to make it taste minty and delicious. : ) Peppermint oil is also a natural whitener!
As you can see, Frank and I decided to use the most basic ingredients. And they WORK. Not only do they work, but my acne has cleared up significantly since using the oil cleansing method, my hair is softer, shinier, and I have more highlights since getting rid of shampoo and conditioner, and my teeth and gums feel better than ever! No tooth sensitivity (which I got from using Crest for just TWO days on vacation. NEVER again.) and my front teeth are lighter. I’m hoping to see an improvement in all of them over time. Gotta counteract those turmeric stains, man. ; )
Take the JUNK YOUR BATHROOM challenge with me,
and be a healthier, stronger YOU!
Need help replacing your bathroom products with natural alternatives? DIY NATURAL IS HERE!
50+ All-Natural, Toxin-Free Recipes That Really Work
My friend Heather (The Mommypotamus) has spent countless hours and hundreds of dollars researching and testing recipes to bring you practical solutions for TOTALLY NATURAL beauty products!
In This eBook, You’ll Learn How To. . .
- – Make your own shampoo, conditioners, lotions and deodorant
- – Whiten your teeth naturally without harsh chemicals like coal tar, fluoride, aspartame, aluminum and benzene
- – Nourish yourself from the inside out for radiant skin, hair and nails
- – Use natural preservatives, make sure your skin and hair remain PH balanced, and formulate products that are safe for small children
There are even video tutorials to help guide you, step-by-step!
Click here to view more details
Click HERE to Order Your Copy!
This post is a part of Thank Your Body Thursday.
okay wow, you just literally made me go into my bathroom and throw out everything!! I am now left with my coconut oil. apple cider vinegar, my green clay, baking soda and some nail varnishes and eye things, I have never really used anymore makeup than that so I didnt need to throw away things like that, moisturisers and cleansers are gone but I liked using just honey/cinnamon DIY face wash/mask and just a cloth to wash my face. so happy. thank you!!! <3
Outstanding article! My husband and I were comparing lotions at wal mart just this last weekend. Amazing what is in some of those things that are applied to our skin. The skin absorbs and sending it into the body and we wonder why our nation is so sickly.
Great job!
I have a question—I have done most of these things and we’re using GOOD natural stuff now. But the one thing I CANNOT find in a natural form is hair goop (for lack of a better term!). I have short hair and I use it to give my hair that piecy, textured look. I’ve tried the homemade beach spray….that just leaves my hair crispy like too much hairspray. Any advice from any short-haired women??
Do you mean something like mousse?
I just found your site through pinterest. Gotta make those Lu bars-YUM! Anyway, I of course checked out this post because I just dejunked my bathrooms and still have the crystal deodorant (the one you have!) and after looking at it (at the natural food store where I purchased it) questioned about the alum in it…..then continued to use it. I can’t believe I didn’t look into it further because of what it said about not containing aluminum chlorohydrate. I feel duped. And to think I was trying to do something good for my body. I have used coconut oil straight as a deodorant and will start using it all the time now. Thank you for shining some light. Jess
I actually have a post for homemade deodorant, if you want to check it out. Here’s the link: http://www.thepolivkafamily.com/2013/03/homemade-deodorant/
This is really interesting information. Just wondering if there is anything in your book about the dangers of taking birth control and the high levels of hormones contained in them which can increase your risk of breast cancer by 64%. It just seems like if you are going to chase down every little chemical that we consume that could give cancer, we should remove the most toxic deadly ones too. find out about NFP!
I really need to get rid of all the junk in my bathroom/linen closet too. Most of it does not even get used and is just sitting there cluttering my house. I just don’t know what to do with it all.. throw it in the trash so it goes to the landfill? Dump down the drain putting it all into the water supply so I can recycle the bottles? (I do realize it all goes down the drain anyway if it actually gets used) I also find myself holding on to it all because I’m a very frugal person and I hate wasting anything.. throwing half full bottles of products I paid for is just like lighting money on fire in my mind, even though I’m not actually using the products! Ahhhh
I went through the SAME thought process when I junked my bathroom.
What did you end up doing with all of it??
To be honest? eBay! Got $30 for it all. I think the Aveeno stuff sold it though.
That’s awesome! I’ve thought of that too.. or at least giving it all away. And then I have that mental battle with myself again – why would I knowingly give someone a bunch of toxic crap to put on themselves.. and yet, they’re going to use it anyway no matter who it comes from! Lol can you tell I’m one of the most indecisive people ever?
No, I TOTALLY get it. I had the same mental battle. I came to the conclusion that people are going to buy it anyway, and that I didn’t want to just throw money away. Everyone has to go through their own learning experience and actually be convicted about what they learn before they change. In the meantime, I made $30 one time getting rid of my toxic stuff, and I’ve come to peace with that. It takes a little bit of $ to run this blog anyway! Paying for hosting and such. :/
I completely understand that and I totally agree. People have to make their own decisions and learn WHY before they will change anything. I will think about it this way – I’m not enabling, I’ll just be helping someone save a little money on something they would have bought anyway :)
i thought i bought “good” stuff :) now i will have to go look again…. but yes i have unclogged my stash many times and will get down to bare essentials :) have to try the shampoo change!!! as soon as i get some horse chestnuts i will fill you in on the soapyness of them ( i want to make my own laundry detergent with them, but they are supposed to work for hand and hair soap as well)
Wow thanks so much for this info! I have some trashing to do for sure. My hubby has sensitive gums — he’s been using Jason’s sensitive toothpaste which is, to my knowledge, fairly safe. I am wary of telling him to brush with baking soda. Suggestions?
Frank and I used Jason’s before we made the switch, and I actually really liked it! But I just get in this mode where if I’m going to be really hard-headed about one thing, I won’t comprise on others, and because Jason’s has carageenan in it, I decided to try just coconut oil and baking soda. So far, it’s going great! I have sensitive gums, too, and I found that brushing with baking soda EVERY day was too much for me. I’ve been just brushing with straight coconut oil OR coconut oil with peppermint essential oil (whitening!) OR doing oil pulling with coconut oil. And I’ve limited brushing with baking soda and coconut oil (combined) 2-4 times a week.
I just went through a similar process! I had so many bottles of skin care stuff and hair stuff and toxic makeup. I just started using homemade baking soda shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant. I also started the oil cleansing method and mixed up my own facial oil. And I agree–the natural alternatives are cheaper and more effective!
That’s awesome, Lauren!
Just the simple things I use too! I also use magnesium oil for muscle tension and it gets rid of stink! I love this stuff, I thought I would share the recipe :) http://www.mygutsy.com/homemade-magnesium-oil-and-giveaway/