Why make the switch to natural cleaners?

The EPA has listed indoor air quality as one of the top 5 environmental risks to our health.

The average person spends 90% of their time indoors. So the air quality inside your home is crucial to your overall health. However, most homes have inferior air quality, which is alarming considering the time spent indoors.

Many factors contribute to the air quality inside our homes, many coming from the house itself. Building supplies leach chemicals that contribute to poor air quality, including carpeting, paint, pressed wood products, glues, resigns, fabrics, etc. Other primary sources include personal care products and cleaning products. Environmental Working Group’s investigation of more than 2,000 cleaning supplies on the American market has found that many contain substances linked to serious health problems such as asthma, cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies and irritation, and accidents such as burns and poisonings.

While we can’t always control all the building materials used in our homes, we can control the products we use inside.

Minor changes to our cleaning products could have huge impacts on the quality of air inside our homes and help reduce exposure to toxic chemicals that may be present in many commercial cleaners.

Make this quick 5 ingredient Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Essential Oils.

Ingredients to avoid when purchasing commercial cleaners.

When making your products is not possible, some ingredients are better to avoid in your home and beauty care routine. The following is not a comprehensive list, but it will give you an idea of what to look for and how these ingredients can affect your body.

I suggest picking one or two of these ingredients to look for when you're first starting out so you don't get overwhelmed trying to avoid everything. Chances are when you cut out a few there will be less of the others. 

• Parabens - used as a preservative in many conventional beauty products and easily absorbed through the skin- have been shown to mimic estrogen, a female hormone.
• EDTA - shown to be cytotoxic and genotoxic, it may increase the absorption of other chemicals found in products containing EDTA
• Phenoxyethanol - preservatives found in a wide range of beauty care items such as makeup, hair care, soap, and toothpaste, has been known to cause skin irritation and inflammation, eczema, and allergic reactions
• Fragrances - synthetic and botanical fragrances are considered proprietary, and companies are not required to disclose the ingredients and chemicals used in the making of fragrances
• Phthalates - often found in synthetic beauty products, artificial fragrances, and plastic packaging, have been identified as a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor with links to metabolic interference, and reproductive issues
• Paraffin and petroleum jelly - both by-products of gasoline production and known carcinogens, found in candles and personal care products and often used as stabilizers and thickeners
• 2-Butoxyethanol - according to the EPA, inhaling it may cause sore throats. At high levels, glycol ethers can also contribute to narcosis, pulmonary edema, and severe liver and kidney damage.

If you want to try a quick and easy multi purpose cleaner with only 5 ingredients check out this Multi-Purpose Cleaner with Essential Oils.