Sulphate free, Paraben free, Pregnancy Safe, non-GMO, organic ingredients. If any of this sound familiar but you’re not quite sure what they mean this blog is written for you.
First off let’s break down the basics of everyday toxins and why you see brands using this as a call out on their products. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the use of chemicals is common in almost all industries. These chemicals have significant impacts on all biological systems, our bodies being one of them.
Chemical exposure during the early stages of development, can disrupt our normal patterns of growth and development and have detrimental effects on our health as we age. Endocrine disruptors are synthetic chemical originally designed to have a specific action like pesticides, solvents etc. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with our body’s endocrine system because they are absorbed into the body. We’re going to get into some anatomy 101 here, but it’s important to understand this complex system of glands and organs a little more.
Basically, our endocrine system is a complex system responsible for making and releasing hormones that control our mood, energy levels, growth & development, metabolism and reproduction, as well as our response to injury & stress. When we are exposed to EDCs they interfere with our natural hormone levels, inhibiting or stimulating the production of hormones or changing the way they travel through the body. They can cause issues with synthesis, secretion, transport & elimination of our hormones. They can also block or mimic hormones causing a wide range of effects on the body.
What does this have to do with my everyday products? Well like I mentioned above, we live in a world where chemicals are used in EVE-RY-THING. The foods in the grocery store, the packaging your food comes in, receipts the cashier hands you, plastic bottles, pesticides sprayed on your food, detergents, toys, cosmetics and more. Close to 800 chemicals are known or suspected to be capable of interfering with our hormones yet only a small fraction of these have been investigated in tests. The lack of data causes uncertainty of the true risks from our daily exposure to these chemicals so it’s best to err on the side of caution.
We absorb about 60% of what we put on our skin and growing evidence shows that EDCs may not only affect the person exposed but also the children and subsequent generations. The age at which we are exposed to an EDC also has health implications because the evidence shows that exposure to them during development has a higher risk than exposure during adult years. This is due to “communication interruption” during our early stages of life. Over 280 different chemicals have be found in the umbilical cords of babies, these are assumed to be from mums’ exposure during pregnancy or likely present in her body previous to conception.
Our personal care, beauty and household cleaning products can cause us to be exposed to an average of 168 chemicals per person that have a direct effect on our hormone systems. When it comes to chemical exposure and pregnancy, these toxins are associated with things like pre-term birth, low birth weight, developmental delays & altered gene expression. This is not just effect women’s reproductive health but men’s as well. Sperm count worldwide has been on the decline for decades, its estimated that men today have about half the sperm count their grandfathers did, not to mention have a lower motility rate and it is declining at a rate of just over 2.6% each year.
So, if there’s one thing you take away from this – chemical exposure affects our hormones. Not just our reproductive hormones, but the hormones we need to grow, metabolise & digest food, regulate our immune system and more. So not only if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, but pretty much everyone that has a body should be mindful of the amount of chemicals we are exposed to on the daily. There are so many low tox/no tox options out there that actual promote healing in the body instead of slowly degrading our health.
If you are someone that already has a hormonal condition, making the switch to chemical free products should start today. On an already burdened endocrine system, adding more chemicals and toxins to the mix will only make you feel worse and can increase the risk of many diseases including diabetes, obesity, cancer & more.
Some common hormonal conditions, and health problems that can affect hormone balance may include;
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Endometriosis
Low Ovarian Reserve
Auto Immune Conditions
Thyroid Problems
Genetic Mutations
Symptoms of Toxicity
Toxicity is when your body is so burdened with these manmade chemicals that it causes miscommunication in your body’s normal ability to send messages and function. It can even slow or block productions of essential hormones that we need to regulate our body. Some of this miscommunication issues can lead to problems associated with;
- Blood sugar regulation – dizziness, low energy, increased risk of diabetes
- Headaches & migraines that are abnormal
- Hormonal imbalances due to high oestrogen levels – heavy, painful periods, endometrioses & fibroids
- Infertility
- Obesity & Metabolic disorders
- Hypothyroidism or other thyroid issues
What Can You Do?
Lifestyle changes can help get your hormones into top shape and help to minimise your body’s overall toxic load. Your environment, the foods you eat, the cleaning products you use, the products you put on your skin (clothes included) all have the potential to help or harm your hormonal balance.
So what can we do about it? The first step is to be aware of some of the major chemicals to look out for and what to swap. The task of minimising your toxic load is not an easy one, it will take time. It’s important to know that this is a guide of where to start, most of us cannot do all is this at once. Swapping over your everyday products can take years, and cost $ so be easy on yourself and make small changes overtime where you can fit it into your budget. Organic foods are expensive and may not be easily available in your region or fit into your budget, but it’s all about balance because no one is perfect and we all do what is within our means.
Easy Lifestyle Changes – The ones we can all do
- Don’t reheat your leftover or anything in plastic – the heating of any type of plastic will cause the BPA & Phthalates to leach into your food. Instead transfer your leftovers into a microwave safe glass or ceramic container before putting in the microwave.
- Wash your fruit & veg – this may seem pretty basic but it is achievable for everyone. This removes dirt, external chemicals & pesticides, waxes etc. Sure you can use a fruit and veggie soap but if you pop ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar into a 1/3 filled sink of water and wash all your fruit and veg in this with a natural scrub brush or your hands.
- Ditch plastic water bottles – choose glass or invest in a stainless-steel bottle – plastic water bottles contain BPA (a known endocrine disruptor that in most countries is legally being phased as it is linked to many health disorders).
- Ditch the toxic household cleaners – The toxic residues that your traditional cleaning products leave around your house hang around for a long time exposing us on the daily. Dispose of anything that has a hazardous or poison symbol or that contain corrosive ingredients. A popular blue coloured window cleaner for examples contains ammonium hydroxide that are rated severe for being an eye and skin irritant, when inhaled this substance can cause cough, sore throat and even shortness of breath – and that’s just one of the many chemicals in this product.
- Opt for Paperless Receipts – the BPA and BPS in your receipt rolls can been confirmed as harmful to your health. The results of a Canadian study publish in 2019 indicated an increase in BPA & BPS in the participants system after only 15 minutes of handling in one day.
- Choose organic for garden & pest control – there are many effective products on the market or you can even make your own at home! When planting in your garden be sure to include native and interplant with beneficial bug attracting flowers.
- Load up on liver supporting foods – our liver is the organ that processes and eliminates our toxins so load up on all the foods that help boost your immune and support your liver. Foods like dark leafy greens, cruciferous veg, watermelon, pumpkin, garlic, onions & chives – helps to protect the liver and reduce oxidative stress. You can even add milk thistle or liver supporting organic teas into your daily routine.
- Become a plant parent – There are certain indoor plants that help clean the air such as Peace Lily (be mindful to keep out of reach of your pets as these can be toxic if ingested), Spider & Snake Plants, Aloe Vera, Bamboo Palm, Devils Ivy and more all help to improve air quality inside our homes.
- Skip the “Antibacterial” label – evidence shows this does more harm than good and is no better than using regular soap and water! The science is there to show that this may also be a cause to antibiotic resistance later in life if exposed during the developmental stages in life.
More Advanced Lifestyle Changes
- Invest in a water filtration system – these can be costly upfront but many options are available to fit into everyone’s budget– you can purchase a small fridge size jug for as little as $70, or you invest in a 10L countertop unit for around $500. A built-in system for your home can cost anywhere from $800- thousands so depending on the level of chemicals you are looking to remove you need to find what works for you.
- Avoid foods in plastic or cans – BPA and Phthalates are also of concern here. Canned food makes life much more convenient and the idea of having to buy, soak and cook your own dried beans is a lot of effort so if this is something that is important to you then it is a better option to buy dried, and it is much cheaper to buy dried organic legumes in bulk but again you need to do what works for you. As for the fruit and veg wrapped in plastic at the grocery store – avoid it if you can, opt for the ones that are loose and free.
- Swap over your personal care products – deodorants, shampoos, body wash, skincare & baby products. Start to find organic or low-tox alternatives to your favourites. Luckily the low tox market is ever growing and there are so many more options now, that preform on par if not better than the chemical options in the market. This is why Nourish & Glow Beauty came into fruition – to help give you options in the beauty and personal care space that are better for your health and the health of the planet.
- Nail Polish – Most traditional nail polishes on the market contain several chemical, and while the evidence is unclear on whether or not the amount we absorb from wearing nail polish is harmful it’s best to avoid. Look for nail polish marketed 3-free, 5-free or 7-free when choosing a better option.
- Perfumes, Candles & Room Scents – Many chemicals found in perfumes & synthetic fragrances re made from petrochemicals & phthalates which have shown to have a negative effect on hormones. They can cause headaches and even irritation especially when paired with drying alcohols in most fragrance. Opt for products that are made from a blend of essential oils and/or botanical extracts instead and that are paraben & phthalate free if you are worried about this.
Summary
I hope that the information has help shed some light into the “low tox” world and how to reduce your overall chemical exposure. I also hope that it helped you better understand the impact that these toxins can have on your hormones and overall health and why it’s important to all of us that we should care about what’s really in our products and the world around us and why we should be choosing products that help our health and that don’t make us sicker.
Chemicals and Toxins to look out for in your everyday products;
- Bisphenol A (BPA). BPAs are shown to have health effects on the brain of fetuses, infants & small children. They have been shown to increase blood pressure, type 2 diabetes & cardiovascular disease. They are also linked to hormone dependant tumours such as breast & prostate cancer, metabolic disorders such as PCOS. Some food storage containers contain this chemical, if these are heated (aka if you leave your water bottle In the sun, or heat food up in takeaway containers, if you wash plastics in the dishwasher) they can leach out into your food.
- Parabens – these can mimic oestrogen & have been shown to disrupt hormones – usually found in shampoos & conditioners, deodorants, shower gels & facial scrubs.
- Phthalates. Makers of plastic use phthalates to make their products more pliable. Over 2 decades of research have shown hormones disruption & potential to cause harm in utero, linked to infertility & reduced sex hormones – usually found in cosmetics, lotions, nail polish, skincare and haircare
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Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). PFA exposure is linked to many adverse health outcomes such as aletered metabolism, infertility, reduced fetal growth, increased risk of obesity, certain cancers & a reduced immune system. These substances are used in non-stick coatings, clothing & carpets resistant to stains.
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Triclosan. Interferes with the body’s thyroid hormone function. Used in soap and hand sanitizers, this chemical is still present in other products designed to kill bacteria, some toothpastes, soaps and body washes still contain this.
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). PCBs are found in many products in and around the home, including electrical transformers and lubricants. Exposure to PCBs can cause skin reactions & acne, and have been shown to impaired liver function when exposed to larger amounts (usually workers that are around the type of products or anyone that consumes a large amount of fish in the Puget Sound area in North America)