Toxins, Cancer and Chemicals, oh my!

(photo source: http://www.kabntr.org/mission/)

I talk a lot about how important it is to be aware of what you are putting in your body, but it is equally as important to be aware of the chemicals you are putting on your body too. Even just what you are spraying around you gets absorbed through your nose and into your lungs.

Our skin is a lot like a sponge, filled with pores that cover our entire body that have the ability to soak up anything and everything we expose it to. That's why it is vital that you are not only careful with what you eat, but also with what skin products you use (lotions, perfumes, body washes, face washes, makeup, sunscreen, etc!) because these get absorbed into the body and can cause serious side effects over time. You may think "well I only use a small amount of lotion every day so it won't make much of a difference" but lets put that into perspective. You use it every day. Lets say you go through a bottle a month. That equals up to 12 bottles of chemically laden lotion that is building up toxins in your body every year. And thats just your lotion! We haven't even added in the perfume, body wash, deodorant, sunscreen, makeup, cleaning products, etc that you also use every single day. What may seem like a small amount can add up very quickly over time with daily use.

Why should we be so concerned with all these toxins? More and more studies are coming out every day directly linking our overexposure to chemicals and toxins to cancer and other diseases. (here is a great article on NY Times about it) And it makes sense when you think about it. We are flooding our bodies with toxic chemicals that have warning labels all over them saying to contact poison control if swallowed, however we are absorbing them into our skin on a daily basis. This also goes for our over obsession with cleaning products. When sprayed in the air we are absorbing them in through our lungs.

Keep A Breast's Non Toxic Revolution has a great 2 minute video on their site addressing this very issue. You can watch it directly here. Their website is a great resource for more information on how to live a "non-toxic" lifestyle.

I am also very excited to announce I will be guest blogging on their site for the month of October and telling you guys what to eat every Wednesday!

I am sure you are wondering now where to go from here! First of all, don't freak out. It is a process to eliminate all the toxins from your beauty routine/house/overall life but it can certainly be done! I'll help you out by giving some suggestions for products I use in my every day life. :)

Also, Whole Foods carries a great selection of non-toxic cleaners, beauty care, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. Too expensive for you? Go check out the products they carry (to get an idea of what to buy) then go home and order them off Amazon. (you're welcome)

Seventh Generation is a great non-toxic line that carries everything from a full bathroom cleaning line to anti-bacterial wipes, to laundry detergent and everything in between. I am a frequent user of their products and you can find them almost anywhere now, Target, Whole Foods, online, etc.

Crystal Body Deodorant. I realize I am setting myself up for judgement on this one since we are online and you can't smell me but this is my FAVORITE natural deodorant I have found. I swear it works. I know that most of you reading this post have never met me in real life so you don't know that I do not smell like someone who doesn't shower, but trust me. I use this and I do not smell! (hoping one of my friends will comment on here backing me up...hinthint) You can find this at Whole Foods or online.

Aubrey Organics E Plus High C Deodorant  I am also a huge fan of this one and have been using this deodorant for about 7 years now. This is great for someone looking for more of a scented deodorant. I find it at Whole Foods or you can buy it online.

Fluoride free Toothpaste- Such as Tom's new Botanically Bright or Spry. Both can be found at Whole Foods or online.

Organic Juice Beauty Makeup I have to admit, I am a brand new user of this line but I am already in love with it. I first heard of it through my friend Anna Rose, a successful make up artist in LA, which is why it caught my eye. Having never really found an organic makeup line that I liked, I was very excited to try this line because a makeup artist who I know (and trust) liked it enough to recommend it herself! Not to mention the ingredients are organic and non-toxic. Win win! I found the whole line at Ulta or you can order it online. (did I mention it is Alicia Silverstone's line....CLUELESS anyone??)

Badger Sunscreen (and bug spray!) A lot of the chemicals put in normal sunscreen actually turn into carcinogens when exposed to the UV rays of the sun! (read about it here) So stick to sunscreens made up of just minerals such as Non-Nano, uncoated Zinc Oxide (like Badger sunscreens!) Can be found at Whole Foods or online