Now, as more and more people become aware of the effects of chemicals on their health they are open to consciously going green and clean.
What is green and clean?
Going green and clean can mean different things for different people.
Some are happy to just start to reduce the toxic load in the home, others want to go no-tox and remove the toxins from the home but going green and clean is really about being a conscious consumer about using something natural made from plants to clean your home.
Green and clean can refer to using nature and it’s incredible anti viral, anti bacterial, antiseptic properties to clean your home.
Where do I start?
Many people ask – ‘where do I start? I’ve been using commercial products for as long as I know and I would have no idea where to begin?’
For me it was literally about starting to become more aware about the type of chemicals that you were trying to eliminate and then finding and identifying products that did not contain these chemicals.
Ingredients to look for
Today I’m going to share with you a few tips on how I started out…it’s important to identify the main chemicals that you want to make sure and not part of your green and cleaning process.
The first is artificial fragrance.
Artificial fragrance often sits on the ingredient list as ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’. And is much worse than any of us ever imagined.
Many refuse to listen because they are addicted and in love with their personal fragrance. Sorry ‘bombshell’. But it the hard reality for many.
Many products that we use to clean with are made from petroleum and contain artificial fragrances that are extremely toxic to the body.
How do they affect our body?
They affect the body in many ways including the ability to play havoc on our hormones affecting our endocrine system in really detrimental ways.
The other thing artificial fragrances do is affect our respiratory system, digestive system and compromise our immune system, they also affect the health of our cells and are known carcinogens.
Knowing this about fragrance should be enough for you to start to eliminate it in your approach to going green and clean.
Triclosan is an ingredient found in cleansers like hand wash. Triclosan is best known for its germ-killing power. That’s why it has been used in so many hand soaps and body washes. In water-based products like aftershave and makeup, it is a preservative. It has been under scrutiny for some time and has now been banned by the FDA. It however is still found in some products in other countries like Australia.
Ammonia is another ingredient to be aware of and look out for. The reason ammonia is considered a hazardous chemical is that it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Ammonia has a distinct and irritating odor when it is released, so your nose is usually the first warning of exposure. If you breathe ammonia into your lungs, you may cough, wheeze, or feel shortness of breath.
Sodium laurel sulphate Is an irritant and accumulates in our organs. Used often for its foaming properties such as hand wash, shampoo and toothpaste.
Overall when we consider the toxins in commercial store-bought products in most cases they will contain a chemical such as the ones we have discussed.
Other tips for going green and clean
Something else to be mindful of is the branding and marketing around natural and organic products.
Green and clean it not always honest when it comes to off-the-shelf products.
It is very easy to label a product organic, green and natural without having the ingredients represent the same.
So I suggest ignoring the front labels, just use them as a guide only and always read the ingredients.
Another tip is if you don’t recognize the ingredients on the label often that’s a great indicator that they are using synthetic ingredients.
Green and clean it about conscious consumerism using products that are made from nature which in turn will protect our bodies and our kids body from harmful toxicity and long-term side effects.
The efforts employed with going green will be enjoyed for centuries to come, the knowledge you gain through this process you can hand down to your kids and likewise they can hand down to their own.
I’ve never known anyone to regret the choice to go green and clean nor looked back and thought that was a waste of time if anything they see it as an advantageous process that gives them the opportunity to do something beneficial for themselves and their families health.
Going green and clean is an investment into your health, vitality and overall wellness and will pay dividends into the future.
So how did I go green and clean?
First of all I started to identify the products that were toxic and not purchase them and bring them into the home.
The next process was to work out how to find something to replace those items that was natural green and clean.
For me I broke it down and started to look at the different products that were coming into the home. Identifying what I needed to switch out and found some amazing DIY recipes that I could start using.
These recipes used ingredients commonly found in the home such as vinegar, bicarb soda, castile soap, water, coconut oil, salt and the only thing missing for me was something to add to give a fragrance and help with the anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties.
Luckily I had discovered a brand of essential oils that pride themselves on top grade, therapeutic quality that serves as an incredible fragrance replacement that is natural and also brings the antibacterial and anti-septic properties needed.
My brand of choice is doTERRA because they are certified therapeutic grade, hundred percent pure, and not adulterated in any way.
On the market today many products up to 95% of the essential oil’s are adulterated in someway meaning they contain other ingredients such as contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, fillers and synthetic agents.
This is why I choose the doTERRA brand because they are transparent with their testing process and a third party tested by a separate entity.
As a customer this gives me confidence and peace of mind that their product is what they say it is.
The other thing I love about Doterra is that they are green and clean and have plant-based cleaning products, a skin care range and many household products.
If you are not into the DIY these ready to go products are a perfect solution for switching and ditching the toxic products in your home!
To go green and clean and save 25% off, follow the link below which will help you to set up a wholesale account with doTERRA To access ready-made products and the essential oil’s.
If you are keen to make some products yourself and save loads of money grab our DIY top recipes for around the home ebook below (completely free) which will inspire you to get started.
Hope you enjoy the information I have shared with you and that you embrace the green and clean lifestyle for your families health.
