Kitchen & Bathroom Toxins & Infertility
It's time to clean out the bathroom cabinet, makeup kit, kitchen cupboards and your cleaning cupboard.
When I started my home detox 10 years ago I made an agreement with myself that I would go product by product. Once one product was used up, I tossed it and replaced it with a cleaner alternative.
Let’s start with The Makeup Kit:
The reason why it's so important to clean up your beauty products is because of endocrine disruptors, especially phthalates, which are linked with fertility issues, thyroid issues and birth defects, to name a few.
Here is my full Beauty Product Detox alternatives list.
Going forward, I highly recommend two great sites to help you keep it clean & to also audit your own beauty products to see if you are on the right track:
1) Think Dirty
Alright, let's clean out The Kitchen:
What is lurking there that could be causing problems?
1) Unfiltered Water. Water can contain things like lead. It is worth investing in the testing of your water and adding a filter. Berkley and Santevia are great countertop options, and reverse osmosis is the gold standard for installed systems.
2) Pesticides. Sadly pesticides are major endocrine disruptors. They live on inorganic produce. The great news is that not all produce has to be organic. Learn which foods to focus on here. You can print the list for easy reference while at the grocery store.
3) Plastics. Water bottles, plastic food storage containers, plastic wrap, etc. Wherever they are, they've got to go. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor, and, sadly, some of its BPA-free alternatives are testing as problematic these days, too. Always use glass storage containers. Never microwave with plastic. Avoid canned food lined with BPA, BPS or BPF. Avoid plastics #3, #4 & #7, too. Try out beeswax food wrap, and reusable food storage bags. We just switched over this year, and it's an awesome investment!
4) Cookware. PFAS is yet another endocrine disruptor that can be present in Teflon cookware. If you have old cookware that is scratched, get rid of it. Do not buy new non-stick cookware. Choose cast iron and ceramic instead.
Lastly, let’s look at Your Cleaning Cabinet:
Sadly, the products we use to keep things clean around the house are often not so clean. They contain harsh chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, can impact breathing function (especially for those of us with asthma, like me), can irritate skin, and more. A lot of us are switching to green-er options, but did you know it's really easy to be "greenwashed'? This means thinking the product is eco-friendly and natural when it actually contains lots of not-so-great things - like artificial fragrances (aka. endocrine disruptors).
My goal today is to help you understand that DIY cleaners are a great and effective option.
Emma Rohmann of Green at Home is a great resource for DIY Cleaners - Here is that resource. She also mentioned she uses EcoMax products, like their laundry detergent (as do I - along with Nellie's), as a back up when she runs out of her DIY options.
I urge you to switch the products in your own home when trying to conceive in order to avoid harsh chemicals and "greenwashing".
While you're at it, can you please toss your scented candles and air fresheners, too? Sadly, artificial fragrances are endocrine disruptors (as mentioned above). Stick with beeswax options and essential oil diffusers instead.
