Clean Living: The General Chemicals to Avoid

One of the most confusing parts about eliminating chemicals from your daily and household routines is that the chemicals have wild scientific names that are hard to pronounce. Then, trying to remember them all while looking for new goods and products is overwhelming.

Take a deep breath! You don’t have to memorize them all or know the scientific definitions. Just being aware of them at a high level is a fabulous start.

Below, you’ll find some quick and digestible info that will help you in wrapping your mind around the chemicals to avoid in many of your household products. Lay that knowledgeable groundwork so your future self can thank you!

Top Chemicals to Avoid

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. The toxins and chemicals to avoid are laid out below. Are you ready? LFG.

Keep in mind that this list is more of a general list of toxins to avoid within most product categories of your life. We’re just giving you a little jump-start on your clean living lifestyle education and changes.

If you’re looking for the top chemicals to avoid in beauty & cosmetics, you can find them here!

Let’s go!

1. Fragrances

Why avoid fragrances?

This one ingredient can hide dozens or hundreds of different mystery chemicals.

Fragrances require zero regulation from any third party because the fragrance industry is deemed “self-regulated.” They appear on labels because the FDA requires this. However, no regulations are in place because most fragrance concoctions are deemed a “trade secret.”

Fragrances can be derived from petroleum and around 75% of fragrances contain phthalates, a known carcinogen.

Top health hazards

The chemicals in fragrances are also endocrine disruptors. This means the synthetic chemicals mimic or interfere with your body’s hormones, known as the endocrine system, causing issues with your reproductive and overall hormone health.

What do you do?

Become mindful of your scented products and note the ones you use on a daily basis. Simply check the label for “fragrance, perfume, scented, etc.” The next time you run out, replace it with a fragrance free version or a product scented with essential oils instead.

Top Product Offenders

Truly any product that has a scent will most likely have a synthetic fragrance attached unless it says “fragrance free” or if it’s scented with essential oils. The biggest day-to-day products to think about are: laundry detergent, fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners, dishwasher pods, dish soap, hand soap, air fresheners, candles, etc.

2. Phthalates & Parabens

First, let’s pronounce Phthalates together: tha-layt. It’s a silent P. 😉

Why avoid these two P’s in a pod?

They’re both used as a chemical, artificial preservative, and/or plasticizer to make products last way longer than needed and/or make them more pliable for use in plastics and day-to-day products.

Top health hazards

Phthalates:

They can cause hormonal reproductive issues (aka endocrine disruptors) in both males and females, developmental problems in children, respiratory problems like asthma, and immunity issues. Also found hidden in fragrances!!!

Parabens:

They work with other cell receptors to switch on cancer genes, particularly breast cancer. They can act like the hormone estrogen and cause endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and skin irritation.

Now what?

Check your day-to-day products and look for these two! And gradually start to replace your next items with phthalate-free and paraben-free versions.

Parabens to look out for are: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Phthalates are: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP).

Top product offenders

These two can be lurking in plenty of products like: laundry detergents, plastic containers/packaging, hand soap, dish soap, moisturizers, perfumes, nail polish, hair spray. Phthalates can also be found hiding in our tap water.

3. Dyes

Here’s the bottom line, dyes add no value to products besides aesthetics.

Why avoid dyes?

Like our friend fragrance, around 25 synthetic chemicals are used to make a single dye.

Many dyes are made from coal tar or petroleum, especially in cosmetics and personal care products.

Top health hazard

Benzidine (a chemical used to manufacture dyes) based dyes are a recognized potential human carcinogen by the CDC.

What now?

Simplicity is key here – do your best to skip the dye and replace with a dye-free version.

Look to remove and replace your current products with safer options that do not contain color additives, “Blue 1, Red 40, etc.” as well as any benzidine-based dyes. Luckily, making this swap is a tad easier to navigate and swap because it might be visible from the product bottle.

Top product offenders

This particular additive is also found in a wide variety of goods. But the most common are laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dish soaps, hand soaps, all-purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, window cleaner, dishwasher pods, etc.

4. BPA & BPS

BPA made a bigggg splash within the plastic world. Now that it caught fire, it’s been replaced with Bisphenol-S and in some cases BPF.

Why are they so bad?

They’re pretty much everywhere! For example, you can find them in plastics, food packaging, and canned foods.

Top health hazards

These bad B’s are linked to obesity, metabolic disorders, some cancers, and endocrine disruption aka hormone health. Noticing a pattern with our endocrine disruptors??

What to do now?

Do your best to avoid them, but we’ll be honest, it’s hard because they are SNEAKY and are in so many products/packaging. You can do your best by:

Opting for glass food storage containers, stainless steel water bottles, also, being aware of canned food, and choosing the BPA-free cans or the glass packaged options. I know, eye-roll, on the cans – this a do your best approach, not all or nothing, hunny!

Top product offenders

Baby & kids toys, plastic-based products, plastic food storage containers, packaging, canned food, water bottles, etc. Luckily a lot of brands have chosen to offer BPA and/or BPS versions due to the health hazards. So just be conscious of when you’re making choices around these products.

5. Formaldehyde & Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives

Why avoid?

These colorless chemicals are disguised as preservatives and can slowly but continuously release formaldehyde.

Top health hazards

These are known human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What to do?

Look for “Formaldehyde-Free”

Since these guys are lurking in a variety of daily goods, it’s tough. But something simple you can do is air out your home for 15-20 minutes a day! Just by opening a door or two. This helps so much by circulating in fresh air.

Top product offenders

Examples include glue, some fabrics, paints/coatings, preservatives in some medicines, cosmetics, dishwashing soaps, fabric softeners, fertilizers, and pesticides.

6. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Why avoid these sodium sisters?

They’re a synthetic soap found in many soaps, cleaners, and detergents; they simply create the suds and foaming feeling we associate with “clean.”

Top health hazard

While these are being produced, a by-product called 1,4 dioxane is made. This by-product is carcinogenic to humans, according to the EPA.

They’re the main residents of “toxi-city,” causing organ toxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and endocrine disruptors.

Now what?

Before you run out of your daily household soaps and cleaners, take a look at what you use. Take note of the ingredients. In your next round of shopping, keep a watchful eye on the harmful ingredients.

Top product offenders

These two are mostly found in soaps and cleaners like laundry detergent, fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners, hand soap, dish soap, dishwasher pods, shampoos & conditioners, body wash, etc.

WHEW!!! That’s a lot to digest. The goal here was to be educational and to familiarize you with the top chemicals to avoid and the why’s behind avoiding them – to the best of your ability – in your home.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry! There are posts and products that will help guide your next purchases of chemical-free products! You’re not in this alone, hunny.

Overall, I hope this sparked your curiosity and desire to make cleaner choices for your little slice of heaven in this wild world, your home.

Sources:

Fragrance

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018511/

https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/secret-scents-the-hidden_b_2907073