Non-toxic living has been a popular trend on tik tok and other social media platforms. Gaining more popularity over the past couple of years. But why go non-toxic, how can you make the switch without breaking the bank, and if you’ve been ok this long why change? If you’ve asked yourself any of those questions today’s post is for you we are going to be covering all things non-toxic living!
After making the commitment to healing my body I was sent down numerous wormholes, one being toxin exposure. My goal was to put the cleanest food and ingredients in and on my body. But I had no idea where to start or what these “toxins” were. So what even is non-toxic living and what chemicals are harmful?
What is non-toxic living?
Non-toxic living is reducing/ eliminating harmful chemicals in ones everyday life with the overall goal of reducing ones exposure to toxins. There are loads of “harmful chemicals” non-toxic living targets for example GMOs (genetically modified organisms), pesticides in food, and fragrances in hygiene products/ household cleaners. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to household/body care products that contain harmful chemicals.
Toxic chemicals to look out for?
I am going to do individual posts for each category of non-toxic living like cookware and makeup. But I want to go over quickly why these GMOs, pesticides, and parabens are harmful to the body.
Pesticides:
Pesticides are chemicals used to keep pests away from agriculture, and to prevent rot and diseases. Pesticides leave residue on food allowing the same harmful chemicals used to kill bugs to be ingested by millions daily. Pesticide consumption has been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, immune disruptions, and more.1
I switched to only buying organic produce after learning this but sometimes you can’t even trust the organic options and the price tag that comes with organic food wasn’t sustainable for my budget. I have opted to grow my own food which has been a process but long term will help me to avoid pesticides!
GMO(genetically modified organisms):
Genetically modified organisms(GMOs) are food that have been scientifically altered for various reasons. Like providing a longer shelf life, growing faster, pest resistance, disease resistance, and ease of farming. Genetic modification allows foreign genes, bacterial/viral vectors, viral promoters, and antibiotic markers to be added to our food with little to no research backing the safety of GMOs.2 This does not make the list of concerns surprising like cancer, immunosuppression, toxicity, and loss of nutrition just to name a few.
The skin is the biggest organ of the body that soaks up everything applied to it like a sponge. With 80,000 chemicals that are not well researched/ regulated. I realized how important it is to take your health into your own hands and educate yourself on what you’re putting on your skin to absorb into your body.
Parabens:
Parabens are synthetic chemicals used as artificial preservatives in make-up and body care products. Parabens elongate shelf life and prevent mold & bacteria growth. But they have been linked to fertility issues, increased risk of cancer, and hormone disruption.3 Products can be made without parabens and the list of potential side effects that come with them. I started using the EWG app to check the products I was using and to be conscious of what the products I use are made out of.
Teflon:
Teflon is a chemical known as C8. It is used as a coating on pans to make them non-stick. The non-stick convenience does come at a cost to your health. The Teflon coating breaks down and is released into the food. Causing hormone disruption, infertility, cancer, and more.4 I opt for stainless steel and cast iron pans to avoid Teflon.
Aluminum:
Aluminum is used in many deodorants and cookware. Aluminum being absorbed into the body has been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc.5 There are so many deodorant alternatives these days I will link all of my favorite aluminum-free deodorants below!
How to go non-toxic without breaking the bank?
I saw a majority of comments about the finance side of going non-toxic that I wanted to touch on. For starters, unless you have the financial backing going non-toxic will not happen overnight. Switching every toxic product in one household even in the span of a month or a few months would be a massive financial burden to anyone. I used the products I had that contained harmful chemicals until they were gone. Sometimes you just gotta do what you have to do and with the insane spike of grocery store prices throwing out almost full products wasn’t an option for me. It’s also unreasonable and stressful to expect such a big commitment to happen overnight/ immediately. I took it as a gradual process of swapping out products around my house when I could. Trust me I wanted to get harmful chemicals away from my household as quickly as possible but I just had to trust the process.
Going non-toxic can 100% be financially doable but it will be a long process that takes a lot of research to find swaps in your budget. At least that’s how it was for me. But to get to the point of how to go non-toxic without breaking the bank you just have to do it in stages. It’s overwhelming to look at all the products in a whole house that are toxic. Start with one area, for example, the kitchen. Then break it down even further into cookware/ containers/ plastic holders/utensils…..you get the point. Breaking the process into bite sized chunks was the least stressful and most productive way I have found to get big projects like going non-toxic done.
Having financial freedom 100000% helps when going non-toxic because most non-toxic products are more expensive. But I have found cheaper alternatives especially in the beauty department it just took loads of research. Hopefully as non-toxic becomes the norm prices will drop and new brands will emerge offering more price-friendly options. Finding non-toxic products that are gentle on your bank account is possible, it just takes a little bit more time. Keep an eye out in the next few months for posts on my favorite non-toxic kitchen swaps, skincare swaps, makeup swaps, and more!
Why make the change?
I’ve seen the comment “It hasn’t hurt me this far why would I change” on many social media platforms. It’s a valid statement and 100% comes down to a personal choice. I wanted to make the change to non-toxic living after months of research on topics like leaky gut, factors that bring out genetic depositions, healing autoimmune diseases, etc. I will link a few posts below that touch on toxin exposure being a trigger to health issues.
Post:
“Gut health and the link to Autoimmune diseases”
After all my research It wasn’t really a choice for me to make the switch I just knew I had to. I don’t want to expose myself to any more harmful chemicals than I have to and knowing it can contribute to triggering autoimmune diseases/ leaky gut ultimately sealed the deal for me on a non-toxic lifestyle.
I see it from the side of why fix something when it is not broken but then again just because it’s invisible (or hasn’t shown up yet) doesn’t mean it’s imaginary. Loads of research back the harm certain chemicals do to the body and if I can avoid exposing myself to the high risk chemicals I will.
It just comes down to personal preference. I mean anyone who smokes cigarettes knows they are harmful to the body and 28.3 million adults smoke cigarettes in the US. I would say do your own research and what works best for you and your life! This is just what I have found to work for me and I have enjoyed finding more natural alternatives.
And again there are a handful of habits and products in my life that aren’t 100% non-toxic that I still use to this day. I’ve cut out 70-80% of all skincare, makeup, and body products that contain possibly harmful chemicals (low to moderate risk). I think in today’s world it’s a give and take. I research everything I use on my body and there are a handful of low-moderate risk products I still use while trying to find better alternatives. Personally for my life at this moment going 100% non-toxic doesn’t fit without force. What I mean by that is I I would have to use products that don’t work on my skin, hair, and body as well. I am still on the journey of going 100% non-toxic but I want to love the products I’m giving up my OG’s for. Household and food swaps were easier than the beauty swaps for me. And that’s ok it is a journey and to make it sustainable I want to do it the right way and not feel like I’m giving up my favorite skincare/ body products for swaps I don’t feel work as well.
Switching to a non-toxic lifestyle doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming; it all relies on the way you choose to look at it and go about it. Breaking the switch to a non-toxic lifestyle down and taking it at my own pace has made it achievable for me. I’m around a year into the switch and getting closer to the goal of a 100% non-toxic lifestyle by the day! I just had to accept I was in for the long haul with the process and know I will eventually get to my goal! If you’re from tik tok leave a heart in the comments!
- Sabarwal A, Kumar K, Singh RP. Hazardous effects of chemical pesticides on human health-Cancer and other associated disorders. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2018 Oct;63:103-114. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.08.018. Epub 2018 Sep 1. PMID: 30199797.
- Center for food safety. “GE Food & Your Health.” Center for Food Safety, 2016, www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/ge-food-and-your-health.
- “What Are Parabens, and Why Don’t They Belong in Cosmetics? | Environmental Working Group.” Www.ewg.org, www.ewg.org/what-are-parabens#:~:text=The%20concern%20with%20these%20chemicals.
- Holly Roser. (2021, March 15). Is teflon safe? the truth about nonstick cookware [2021]. Holly Roser. https://www.hollyroser.com/post/is-teflon-safe#:~:text=Teflon%20contains%20a%20compound%20known,various%20cancers%20and%20birth%20defects.
- Wells, Katie. “Is Aluminum Safe to Use?” Wellness Mama®, 9 Oct. 2021, wellnessmama.com/health/aluminum-safe/. Accessed 17 May 2023.
