I believe that God gave us everything we need to live and strive on earth. Man has MADE a lot of things that we don't need. Many of those man-made things are in every single product you use....whether you're cleaning your body or your bathroom.....your toilet or your clothes.
We are made in God's image. Genesis 1:27-"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Are we not supposed to take care of that image.....the body God has given us? Part of taking care of our body means caring about what we put on our body (& in). The chemicals found in everyday household and skincare products get absorbed into the skin and then make their way to your bloodstream. They can make you sick.......causing.............cancer!?!..........alzheimer’s!?!.......lung disease!?!.....sadly the list goes on and on.
Becoming aware of the INGREDIENTS TO AVOID (ITA) is a very important step....and one of the first things I did. There are two places I look for these. Here and Here. The first is on Suki's website. The second is on a site called Bubble and Bee. B&B has great soap, lotion sticks, chapstick(where I get mine) and even hair care products. The creator, Stephanie, also has a blog where she writes about a different chemical every so often as well as oodles and oodles of information!!! For Stephanie's TOP 5 Chemicals to Avoid click here.
I studied the lists of INGREDIENTS TO AVOID and also wrote them down and kept them in my purse. It was very handy to have....uh...handy.....when I was looking for a particular product. I have now gotten to the point where I don't need the list and I can tell just by looking at the ingredients list if it is considered good or bad....organic or man-made. Another thing you can look for is how long the ingredient list is. If it's a small novel chances are it's got bad stuff in it. If it's really short or almost non-existent...then it's probably okay....I say "probably" because I've seen some short lists with a few bad ingredients....and if all else fails Google the brand and find a list of their product ingredients.
I encourage you to make a copy of the ITA and become familiar with them so that you can start living your life in a new and healthy way.
Now for a little game. The topic is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. This ingredient/chemical can be found in your everyday products like hand soap, shampoo, body wash, detergent, toothpaste and can even be found in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and car wash soaps. Hmm...that just doesn't seem right to me. What do you think? Is it good or bad? Let's find out.
So...here's how to play:
First: Go grab 3 different household or skincare products in your house.
Next: Look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate....it has other names so look for any form of Lauryl.
Then: If you find it.....throw it away!!! :) Okay, you don't have to, but you'll probably change your mind in a minute or so...
Last: I want you to read about SLS in this article found on Bubble and Bee's website.
Pretty gross right? Yah, I thought so. Did you throw it away yet?
I hope you found this helpful. Please feel free to comment with any questions. I'll probably answer it in the next post....
Here's last weeks question:
Q: I would like to try to switch to cleaning products that aren't so harsh but I don't really know what to use...do you have any suggestions?
A: Two words: Better Life. I came across Better Life while reading a post on Fig+Sage awhile ago. I love their products and I don't have to worry about what's in it. And it smells great too. I bought the Starter Kit. To see what's in the Starter Kit and/or to buy it click here. Plus they offer Free Shipping when you purchase the kit. When you look at the breakdown of prices it really is a great deal!
If you want to go a cheaper route you can always do the ol' water and vinegar mixture. It's cheap, non-toxic, all-natural, and good for the environment. Click here for tips.
Other brands I like:
Dr. Brommers: this has to be diluted and I currently use the liquid soap for hand soap. I just saved a soap dispenser and I added the Dr. B soap and some water. Easy Peasy. I buy it at Target. Click on the link above to read about the many uses these soaps have.
Babyganics: I've used a few of their products. I'm pretty sure they are good. Though sometimes I'm a little skeptical. Don't let the word Baby throw you off...it just means it's safe around kids.....well not safe for kids to use....oh you know what I mean!
Brands to avoid:
Seventh Generation
Method
Any "normal" brand (like All, Tide, Gain, etc) that says Free and Clear. It's still bad.
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So what do you want to learn about next?
2 comments:
Awesome information, my dear! Very well written and it makes me want to protect my family and make the switch. I do the shopping, perhaps Josh wont even notice. Hehe!
Awww. Thanks Sarah. I say go for it!! Love ya!
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