Non-Toxic Living
It's no lie that I am always excited to share my Thieves from Young Living.
I've also mentioned before that we’ve tried a lot of different things and that over the past few years I’ve been diving deeper into non toxic living. I received quite a few messages from people asking “what did you change?” It’s a fabulous question, and it’s a big question.
For me the journey has been slow and painstaking. Including a lot of research and long trials to witness results before I was ever willing to share. I am a firm believe in doing your own research (as in even though you’re reading this post from me; do your own research!) and trying things out for yourself, because what works for me might not work for you. But one thing will work for all of us; taking small steps towards better overall health and a non toxic lifestyle! So here are some of the ways I’ve made small changes in the past year to better mine, and my family’s, health.
Non Toxic Living Disclaimer
Hi, it’s me, Steph and all these opinions are my own. I’d like to point out that I am not a doctor, homeopath, oils specialist, nutritionist, etc. I am always pro do-your-own-research and find what’s best for you, so I’d simply like the chance to share about what our family is doing!
Also, please note that some of the links are affiliate links. I’ve linked to Amazon for easy ordering access and am also a Beautycouter consultant, and Young Living member. So just to be completely transparent I wanted to give you a heads up. But again, I am sharing things that I have tried/read and loved. I am not here just to “make a buck”. It is always my heart and mission on social media to see other women encouraged, supported, and uplifted through everything I share.
So, with that out of the way, on to non toxic living!
Beauty isn’t only skin deep
For me it started with makeup; skincare, beauty products. Yikes!
When I realized just how toxic and polluted my every-day makeup was I was practically crawling out of my skin to by safer options! It literally made my skin crawl to think about smearing toxic junk all over my largest organ. Not to mention the chemicals in my makeup could then be passed to my children in-utero or through breastfeeding.
So I took the plunge. I signed up for BeautyCounter and have slowly worked to switch over all my makeup to safer options. Once I started using their makeup I tried out 1 or 2 of their skin care products, saw and felt results, and the rest is history. It makes me feel so much better to know that when my 4 year old swipes my makeup brush and starts rubbing it on her own skin she’s not rubbing toxins and hormone disruptors all over herself!
What are we eating?
Of course this one has been on my mind for awhile; the sad state of our food these days. It doesn’t take a genius to realize most of what we eat is crap. So I decided to start looking into supplements and also work on buying organic (when we can). I’ve been doing my best to work more real, colorful, healthy options onto our plates too (think fruits and veggies)! It’s not like my kid’s taste buds changed overnight or anything, we’re still working on them “liking” a lot of it, but I will continue to offer better foods!
Which is also something we’ve worked towards in the snack department. *sigh* I realized way too many of my kids snacks were sugar laden and full of extra chemicals and unhealthy dyes. So, as our snack drawer slowly dwindled we stared substituting what was in there with healthier options. I’m not saying I’m an absolute purest or anything, again, we’re taking small steps here! But instead of mainstream granola bars we look for the organic options (oh yeah, and I read labels lol instead of just throwing stuff willy-nilly in my cart!). We eat regular raisins instead of yogurt covered ones. Dried fruit and nuts have also become options for our household! Or if we’re at home fresh fruits and veggies or a cheese stick are also ready options.
Resources: The Lies They’re Feeding You by Vani Harris
And then there is Cooking….
I’ve also been working on switching over my cooking oils, seasonings, and sugars. Again, small steps here; none of this happened overnight! But using healthier cooking options like coconut oil and olive oil over refined canola oil can be huge for health! Seems small, but each new small step you take can be substantial.
Then of course I started looking at my seasonings. Most of them are okay, but as one would run out I’d try to replace it with an organic version rather than just regular. Also I switched from using regular white table salt to stuff with actual nutrients in it, because why not?
And then I took a look in my baking cabinet and started buying healthier sugar options. And beyond that just limiting our sugar/baked goods intake. We’re not a huge sweets type family, but when I did start considering how much extra sugar comes in here and there I was surprised by what I saw.
Resources: Healing Spices by Bharat B. Aggarwai
Non Toxic Living & Household Cleaners
This is a big one for me. So, so many toxins and chemicals in household cleaners! Yikes! Lately I have very seriously been focusing on using natural and safe options when it comes to my household cleaners! Watching my 18 month old drag her hands all over the toilet seat I’d just washed really brought this one home for me! What if I’d just used bleach or some other harmful product and she’d just gotten it all over herself? Because yes, once upon a time I totally did use bleach to clean my toilets (coughing and gagging all the while). But I didn’t. I’d used Thieves cleaner, and while I still wasn’t thrilled to watch her put her hands on the toilet, I was thrilled to know that nothing I’d just used would harm her in any way. Lol actually, it might boost her immune system ha ha
I also love that the Thieves cleaner is basically a one stop shop. You can buy the bottle of cleaner, split it up into multiple smaller bottles and use it on everything. Literally everything. Spray it on mattresses, pillows; use it to clean counters and floors; use it as laundry detergent, window wash, the list goes on! And it’s also cost effective since you dilute it 30 to 1 or more depending on what you’re cleaning! Oh, and it smells nice! My son ran around the house all day today after I went on a cleaning rampage saying “it smells sooooo good in here!”.
Resources: Here is a quick 5 minute video demonstrating the power of Thieves using a restaurant grade test kit!
Don’t forget the laundry room!
Of course another area that is important when it comes to non toxic living is laundry! We wash our clothes to get rid of stains and germs; but what if you’re putting harmful chemicals right back on your body but what you wash them in? Did you know that dryer sheets have some serious health concerns? It’s not good folks. So if you want one simple step you can make towards a healthier lifestyle today throw out those dry sheets! Use wool dryer balls instead, nothing at all, or a washcloth with a few drops of essential oils on it.
Everyone’s biggest concern when it comes to using clean alternatives for laundry is that it won’t get clean enough. I’ve been using natural laundry detergents for over 2 years now and never had a problem. And no, no fancy washer necessary! Up until we moved into our new house a few months back I had a very regular run-of-the-mill washer and dryer and my natural stuff worked great!
Mom hack here; are you aware that hydrogen peroxide can get blood out of just about anything? Learned this one from a nurse and it’s been saving my life ever since! My kids struggle with nosebleeds off and on but I never have to worry about them getting blood on things! Just pour on the hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for a few minutes. It foams up and “eats” the blood. Wash like normal and thank me later.
Essential oils
So I’ve finally taken the headlong dive into essential oils. I know, I know, what took you so long? That’s basically what I’ve been asking myself for awhile now. Call me a skeptic but I wanted to make sure they work first! I also heavily research everything before jumping in so trust me when I say I took my time studying them and learning about safety etc.
I’ve had oils for a few years and used them off and on, but after reading “The Healing Power of Essential Oils” I finally took the plunge and really started using them. I’ve already seen some awesome results and feel very excited to continue to implement them as part of our non toxic living plan.
If you’re like me and have been sitting on the fence send me a DM with any questions! I’m not claiming to know it all -really I’ve barely scratched the surface- but I’d be happy to talk about anything. If you’re ready to take the plunge and want to come along with me on my non toxic journey I’d love to have you! You can sign up for a Young Living essential oil’s kit here!
Resources: The Healing Power of Essential Oils by Eric Zielinski (This is a good neutral book that gives lots of history, facts, scientific research, recipes, etc. The author is not affiliated with any one company so it’s very none biased; a good read and a nice way to dip your toes in!)
Essential Oils Pocket Reference by Life Science Publishing (Note; this one is specifically by/for Young Living oils but a lot of the knowledge is transferable.)
Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern (Also geared towards YL, but good info!)
Homeopathic remedies
Another area I’ve been diving into is homeopathic. It’s a huge topic and not something I take lightly so it’s been an area I’m only very recently starting to share about. If you’re interested more on this topic I would highly suggest these books to help get you started!
And if you’re looking for a good book about children’s health overall that offers a variety of conventional and natural remedies check out this book! My mom used to use it when we were kids! Now it’s updated and my go-to whenever my kids are sick.
Resources: The Complete Homeopathy Handbook by Miranda Castro
Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand
What’s the Remedy for That? by Collett Avenue
Chiropractic care
I cannot recommend highly enough a good chiropractor! I found one almost two years ago during the last few weeks I was pregnant with Aurora and feel in love with them and their clinic! It’s a husband and wife team and they’re so kind and caring. They are able to see and adjust your entire family too! I go prenatally to help with my sciatica and just to stay aligned in general. I’ve also taken my children to see them and get them adjusted off and on.
Now don’t panic!
I feel like you might be a little overwhelmed right now; and if you are, I’m here to say don’t panic! I know exactly what it’s like to try and digest too much information too quickly and end up feeling rooted to the ground in fear because you don’t even know where to start. Slow down mama! Let’s take it one step at a time! That’s really the mantra I’ve adopted in all of this.
If you’re a researched like me, order a book and start reading. Choose one topic at a time to dive into. And whatever you do don’t go running through your house like a mad woman chucking everything toxic in the trash! I mean if you have the money to go out and replace it all with non toxic alternatives right now; good for you do it! But for most of us that just isn’t an option. So start slow, research items before you buy and beware of false advertising! So many labels and companies tout an “organic” or “all natural” label when really they’re still packed full of crap.
Pro Tip: Did you know that the word fragrance is a “trade secret” and can basically be used on a label in place of hundreds of harmful and toxic chemicals? Yeah. It’s not good. Due to the current state of laws in our nation companies do not have to disclose exactly what “fragrance” means on their bottles; so watch out for that sneaky little buggar!
Transfer Buying or DITCH & SWITCH
So let’s talk about something called transfer buying; slowly replacing your every day items with non toxic living alternatives as you use them up. Is your dawn dish soap running low? Great! Do some research and find a healthier version to replace it with.
Tide about to run out? Replace that sucker with a natural alternative.
Same goes for just about everything in your house.
When you take small steps towards non toxic living and don’t overwhelm yourself I feel like it goes a lot more smoothly! Plus it’s easier on your budget. Yes, buying non toxic can be more expensive, but if you do it right it can actually be more cost effective in the long run!
Like I mentioned before my Thieves cleaner can be used for basically everything! It comes in a very concentrated form so it lasts a long time! Safe, clean, smells nice, and cost effective; all sound like wins to me!
Confession Time
And let me just end with this…
After saying all this does this mean I’m perfect? Nope. Does this mean you’ll walk into my house and everything you pick up will be toxin free? Nope. But I’m hoping to get there someday!
Like I said, small steps ladies! I am doing my best and slowly working towards a full overhaul of our household! I hope in a year or two you will be able to walk into my house and find it as a gold standard for non toxic living. Lol but let’s be real, I may never get there.
I still eat at chipotle and drink Starbucks sooooo 😅
Grace you on your journey mama; you can do this!
DM me on 'gram with any questions!
With Love,
