Why Chemical Free?

A lot of people have been asking why I decided to start going chemical free in my house and how easy or hard it has been. It has defiantly been a journey for us to find the right products and at the right price [stuff is not cheap these days!]. I’ll talk about our adventure and my favorite chemical free products we use daily and that are worth the money!

It first started after I had Jack that I became more aware of what was being put on/in our bodies. Especially for my kids. Around this time was when The Honest Company started to become big. I started ordering stuff from them and felt better about products we were using. Time kept going on, and I started seeing more “crazy” facebook posts from my news feed. There were facts about current products and their ingredients to the newest products on the market to use to help eliminate chemicals. That is when I really started to dig in on the facts. Here are some of the most alarming facts to me:

-       Fragrance is a generic term found on labels of personal care products we use daily [ Shampoo, deodorant, lotion, make up & laundry detergent]. The term Fragrance is considered a trade secret, so companies aren’t legally bound to disclose what chemicals make up the scent. It is often DOZENS & sometimes hundreds of chemicals.

-       1 in 3 women & 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime due to exposure to    chemicals and toxins.

-       The United States has banned or restricted 11 toxic chemicals from appearing in our personal care products. The European Union? They’ve spent the past two decades restricting or banning over 1,300 toxic and harmful chemicals.

-       The last time the government passed a federal law regulating the use of ingredients in personal care products was 1938. That’s 75 years ago. In layman’s terms: The five-billion-dollar beauty industry is at full liberty to use whatever ingredient they want in the products you use every day.

-       1 out of every 3 chemical cleaning products contain ingredients knows to cause human health or environmental problems.

-       Household cleaning substances are the second most common reason for pediatric exposure to poison.

I won’t keep rambling on about facts; plain and simple there is not much regulation! So not only did that scare me, but just the fact alone that I have kids around my house daily and the last thing I need to worry about is them getting poisoned from anything they get themselves into or touch. Yes, I can put the chemicals up high and out of reach; but many times I’m cleaning during the day and it takes two seconds for my one-year-old to come grab it off the table and stick it right in her mouth.

The first area I started looking to replace in my house is cleaning supplies. My friend Amy was having an oil party and honestly… I wasn’t buying this oil craze everyone was in. However, after the party I did buy some stuff and have fallen in love with them! I can’t say I’m all about them in the healing power type of way that many people get into, but I do LOVE using it for cleaning and defusing. All of us girls are getting together soon and going to make a ton of household products with the oils! [I’ll keep you guys posted on how it goes!]

Second area that I kind of stumbled upon after reading blogs and social media was the make-up industry. DUH! These are items I use daily and a lot. I decided to check out Beauty Counter and FELL IN LOVE! Holy cow, their regulations and attention to safety is amazing. Not only are all their products safe and packaging recyclable/earth friendly but they actually WORK! I was nervous that they would be “cheap” or not work as well because of how “clean” they are but I am addicted. Ill post my top products below but really this company has it all from make-up, brushes, facial cleansers, anti-aging and baby/kids products.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not the type to make my own deodorant [as of now ;)] or sit and critique every product that’s not “chemical free” but this is just the beginning of my journey to become chemical free. I want to start simple and slow with this process so I don’t get overwhelmed and stop!

TOP 5 PRODUCTS!

1.      Beauty Counter BEBE Gentle All-Over Wash  - Like I said above, my kids are my number one concern when it comes to chemicals. This baby wash is awesome! It comes in a whole collection, but this all over wash is one of my particular favorites! 

2     Beauty Counter Dew Skin - LOVE! I am not usually all about the heavy make up, and this item covers a thin layer over your face, creates almost a glow & gives great coverage without feeling like I have 5 pounds of make up on. You only need a tiny bit to cover your face so it will last a LONG time! 

3 Beauty Counter Concealer Pen  - I have never been a "countouring" your face person; but this pen makes it super easy to do! It also covers all imperfections. Must have!

4 Young Living Thieves Household Cleaner - This product has replaced ALL my cleaning products. Yup you heard that right. BEST stain remover ever. I have no clue how it does it, but it works magic on everything in our house. If you have any interest in trying this you have to contact my friend Amy ASAP [Get spring cleaning ready!]. 

5 Young Living Lemon Oil - One think I like about the oils is you can use them many ways. From cooking, cleaning, healing, putting in water, and diffusing. Like I said before, not huge into the healing aspect, but lemon is awesome in water & diffusing. You only need one from of lemon in your [GLASS] water bottle a day & can keep refilling it with out adding more oil! 

This is such a small taste of what has helped me become chemical free! I will share more tips & ideas later on as well. I never thought id be the one making my own laundry detergent or looking for chemical free make up but the facts are alarming. Way too many chemicals going into our bodies, way too many cancers and illnesses in this world, and too little of regulations! If you want anymore details or have questions about the products I use don't hesitate to reach out :) HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT WEEKEND! 

 [[I’d love to hear what you guys love for chemical free products]]