So, you've started some research into the products you carry in your home & you’ve come across some startling information. You’ve looked at the ingredient lists on products you use daily & have some questions. What is oxybenzone? Why is there triclosan? Parabens? Aluminum? Phenoxyethanol? & what in the hay is “fragrance”?
I know this process can feel overwhelming & daunting. You may feel like there’s so much to do that you don’t know where to start! You may have started looking into switching over your products & the cost to do so seems impossible for you for your budget.
I get it! I’ve been there! I’ve wanted to give up & just put up with the products I currently have in my house. I justified the hazards those chemicals would have on my family & almost wanted to close my eyes to the dangers that those toxins can bring to my health & the health of my loved ones. Also, to be honest, it seems “easier” to just pick up a bottle of whatever from the store than it is to make your own or make the plans to switch.
But I knew I couldn’t just go back to doing business as usual when it came to my home products after knowing what was in them. So I began the journey. I didn’t put up & give up. I researched, planned, asked questions from others & I dove into the journey to ditch the toxic products in my home & switch for safer, natural alternatives. I’m still on this journey. Probably not even halfway there but I’m trekking along this path & loving the results!
So where do you begin? I’m assuming you’re here because you’ve already done some of your own research. Or something has happened in your family like a health crisis or event that has made you have to change your habits. However or wherever you are at in starting this process, I’m glad you’re here & hoping I can help make this transition easier. Here’s some tips on how to start the ditch & switch:
RESEARCH! Don’t just take my word for it! Start doing your own personal research into the ingredients in your current products. An easy thing to do is to grab a common product you use like lotion or a cleaner & do a google search of each ingredient. You will be able to find articles & information on how that ingredient can affect the health & well being of your family & yourself. A great site to visit is www.ewg.org or to use the EWG Healthy Living app. They do the research for you & give each product a rating for the ingredients in them.
1. Make a list! I find lists to be super helpful for digesting thoughts & making a plan of action. Start by making a list of what you want to switch in your home. It can be just a starter list & you can add to it as you go along this process. Your list could include: all-purpose cleaner, laundry soap, hand soap, bodywash, deodorant, etc. Wherever you want to start or whatever your family needs. I am still adding things to my list after doing this for over a year!
2. Investigate & interview companies! I know this may seem odd to do but it is an important step in switching your products to a healthy alternative. It is a sad truth that many companies have picked up on the “natural” trend & have made products that appeal to this audience of consumers. But oftentimes these companies “greenwash” their products with language that will seem to be a good & healthy substitute but are often just as harmful.
For example, the FDA has allowed companies to use the word “fragrance” or “perfume” on their product ingredients list to hide an ingredient from the consumer. As long as they label the ingredient this way, the company can put whatever they want in it without sharing the true contents of the ingredient to the consumer. That doesn’t seem very honest & transparent to me! When I am interviewing a company, I ask the company what they mean by “fragrance” & what are the ingredients in that item? They will often come back & say that it is a “proprietary formulation” & cannot disclose the ingredients. But that is still questionable to me because they did not really answer my question. You can look into this topic more & research why companies use this word on their ingredient list.
Other interview questions I have for companies are: where do they get the ingredients? Are they synthetically made in a lab? How are they harvested? Are they harvested ethically? What is the process they use to put the product together? Do they add any fillers or dilute their ingredients? These are some starter questions that help me gauge if a company is authentic, transparent & devoted to natural production of their products.
**A side note**: There are plenty of companies out there that are doing an amazing job & producing quality natural products. We use some of them in our home regularly.
The company that I purchase the bulk of our natural, plant-based, toxin-free products from is Young Living. They are the pioneers & forefront leaders in this industry & have been for over 25 years. They are transparent with their entire process from where they get their ingredients to how they process & package them. For more information on this, go to my post on Why I YL, go to www.seedtoseal.com & check out my testimonial on my Instagram.
4. Make a supplies list! Now that you have made your list on what you want to ditch & done your research into different companies, make a list of what supplies you will need to make the switch. For example, to ditch your all-purpose cleaners you will need a new plant-based cleaner or soap (such as Thieves Concentrated Cleaner) & glass spray bottles. Sometimes it is an easy purchase with no supplies required like deodorant or a body wash. Sometimes you will have to buy containers or ingredients to make your own natural products. This will help you budget what you will have to spend to make the switch & be able to make the transition smoothly with your family life. I have a blog post coming on supplies & ingredients you should always have in your house for natural cleaners & personal products that you can use to either make your own or use around the house.
5. Make a switch schedule! Start to schedule when you are going to do each switch. Based on your budget or the urgency of each switch, you can choose when the transition will happen. For example, you can do one switch each month to help with your budget or you can plan to switch when you run out of an item & have the alternative product ready for when that happens. It is truly for whatever your family needs or what you want to do.
& that’s how you start! Keep checking off as you go & complete the switch. Add to your list if you need to. This is a journey & doesn’t need to be accomplished all in one day. Enjoy the journey & the results! A good phrase to remember in this process of ditching & switching is: you are the gatekeeper of your home. You allow what comes in & what everyone uses in your home. From the food we eat to the products we use, we make choices for the well-being of our family & ourselves. For me, I want to make the best choices I can for my family & myself to help improve our quality of life.
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