Is Living Toxin-Free a Luxury?

Today I was presented with an interesting topic: is toxin-free living a luxury?

In all honesty, it's really not something I've given much thought about. It's simply something that I just 'DO'.

But, after pondering about this topic for some time, its gotten me to realise that indeed, I am quite privileged to live this way.

That's not to say it wasn't a hard road getting to where I am today. You see, it all changed when I (finally!) put two and two together, and realised that the reason I'd been diagnosed with cancer three times before I'd even hit age 30, was in part, due to my lifestyle.

Sure, some people might be more predisposed to developing the dreaded C-word, but there are certainly things we can do to prevent ourselves from getting it. Of course, nothing is ever fool proof, or guaranteed, but I for one, am damn sure the elimination of toxins in my life has contributed to my good health. Since making this huge lifestyle change, I have never been healthier. And I put that down to how much I've changed my life and environment.

Let me explain.

Do you realise there are toxins in almost ALL cleaning and beauty products sold on supermarket shelves? The moment I realised this, I, like many others, felt a distinct sense of betrayal from manufacturers, supermarkets, and inevitably, the government, for allowing this stuff to be sold, and telling us that it's safe to use them.

Unless the items you're purchasing are certified organic, you can be fairly certain it contains a fair few dangerous chemicals in the ingredients.

All is not what you thought it was.

Suddenly, I caught on to all the lies I've been told, and started looking at every single product in my home. Things I use to clean my home, I started to realise, were spreading toxins over literally every surface of my house! How could this be when I thought I was cleaning it, making it safer for my family? You mean, I was making it a chemical mine-field?!!?

I discovered a great app that analyses your products, and tells you if the ingredients in it are safe or not. It's called the THINK DIRTY app, and is singlehandedly one of the most valuable tools I believe I own.

One by one, I started replacing all the items in my house that were unsafe, with healthier options. I'm not going to lie, this was a huge task. The waste alone, really got to me mentally, because I absolutely hate wasting things. But now that I know what I know, no way was I going to have these things around my family! And you know something? As I started replacing things, my health improved dramatically. I never realised how much these products were affecting my health! That frog in my throat that always seemed to appear whenever I cleaned the house, went away. Usually I'd cough my guts up every time I used these products. My nose stopped running when I'd clean the bathroom with all the harsh chemicals I thought were making my home sanitary. What a relief it is that I now know that you don't need to bathe your home in a chemical shitstorm to get it clean! And actually, in retrospect, I realised the vibe of my whole house changed. Everything suddenly felt calm.

But I didn't stop there.

I started thinking about all the products I put on my body. From the shower gel that covers every inch of my skin, and contained things like DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), and TEA (Triethanolamine)—These three chemicals can disrupt your hormonal balance, and form cancer-causing agents. It also contains things like Phthalates and Parabens, which have demonstrated themselves to be carcinogenic, and they are linked to breast cancer. But most commonly, and shockingly, the most popular thing I'd find in EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT I OWNED, was fragrance. “Fragrance” is a euphemism for nearly 4,000 different ingredients. Most “fragrances” are synthetic, and are either cancer-causing or otherwise toxic. “Fragrances” are found in most shampoos, deodorants, sunscreens, skin care, and body care products.

Let that sink in for a minute.

4000 ingredients, just to get your products to smell nice. FOUR. THOUSAND. CHEMICALS.

No thanks.

I let these things be directly absorbed into my body? Well that explains a lot. No wonder I've had cancer so many times as a teenager, and in my 20s.

But back to my original point. Is living toxin-free a luxury?

I believe it is.

Getting rid of all products in my home and replacing them with natural alternatives has been expensive. Of course, you can't put a price on your health, but this has definitely come at a cost. I know many people who clean their homes with nothing but vinegar, saving them a bucketload of cash, but that's not for me. I like smelly things. But now I choose to fragrance them with pure essential oils instead.

There are many natural products that you can buy (most of them I've found online, but if you look hard enough, you can find them on the shelves of many supermarkets), but please beware of greenwashing.

Greenwashing is a clever little trick that manufacturers use, to think you're buying a natural product, when you're actually not.

They know people are waking up to the dangers of chemicals, so they use words like 'natural ingredients' or 'with real fruit' in their shampoos. Usually there's still fragrance added at a bare minimum. (Hint, if you're not sure, download the free THINK DIRTY app, and scan the barcode before you buy).

I am in no way affiliated with Think Dirty, this is just my personal recommendation.

Do you have trouble deciding where to start eliminating toxins in your life? Let me know, I'd love to help!