Today I think we need to start thinking more outside the box. When I say that I mean that traditionally a detox focus’s on what you put into your body via your mouth , so basically what you eat and what you drink. However there is way more to it than that and we need to become aware of how many other toxins seep into our systems secretly every single day. If we can start to recognise some of these or at least be aware that they exist we can then over time, take steps to either remove them, replace them, or limit our exposure to them. Again, I’ll put it out there that I am not an expert on this field, I do want to raise awareness and tell you my personal story and its my heartfelt intention that it may be heard and you may start looking into these things yourself. If you want you can always connect with me and we can join forces.
Cosmetic Products
We all use them everyday, face wash, toothpaste, shower gels, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, serums, eye cream, deodorants, hair serums, hand cream, body cream and the list goes on and on. When we buy these products we are programmed by advertisers to focus on the pretty smells, the nice packaging, the hype of how amazing they are, what they can do for us and how they can change our lives. Truth is they can change our lives, not always the way we may want though. The common factor about all of the type of products that I have listed above is that they are either applied directly onto our skin or are transferred to our skin from our hair or teeth for example. I mentioned before in a previous post that our skin is the largest organ in the body, its our cling film to protect us against the world, sadly we are under chemical attack and our skin has no defences. Depending on the type and size of the molecules in various products they are able to permeate the skins barrier. Now when they are molecules that our natural and good for us this is great as its a direct way into our body and blood system via the skin. However when the molecules have been chemically and in some cases genetically modified to be able to penetrate our skin this is not such a good thing. Just grab your shampoo, or your face wash and read the ingredients how many of them do you recognise? How many of them are natural chemical free?
Its really important that you look at the chemicals you are putting into your body and be aware of them, if you chose to continue thats fine as long as you are aware.
Personally, I first started looking into this when I started using essential oils. I was busy reading all about how quickly they could effect your immune system and your mood etc and I wondered how this was possible. When I take a painkiller, it takes time before I get relief from it however when I use an essential oil its much faster. This got me thinking and I found out very soon after, that when substances are applied to your skin they can cross the skin barrier and be in your bloodstream within 30-60 seconds and within 60-120 seconds that substance can be wizzing around your body. This is awesome and an amazing delivery method if what you are applying to you skin is welcome in your blood stream, but if its not, if its perceived as harmful or toxic then your body has to defend itself. This is part of what we mean when we talk about toxic load, its the fact that our poor body’s are being bombarded with chemicals that are harmful and need to be removed. This natural process of keeping the body safe from foreign invaders of a chemical variety is massively overworked in our current culture of a pill for every ill and our bathroom cupboards being stacked high with chemical laden potions and lotions that we lather on our poor poor skin thinking we are being beneficial: when really we are simply bombarding our system with chemicals that the body will have to work very hard to expel and protect us from.
What I am saying is be aware when you are applying anything to your skin read whats in it, think about the possible battle thats about to commence inside of you when your body has to deal with the chemicals that it needs to quarantine before they do any damage.
Hosehold Products
To be honest I’ve always been totally swayed by adverts as I used to work in advertising and its made me a real easy touch for advertisers. So as soon as there was a new surface cleaner that was supposed to kill more germs or a new floor cleaner that claimed to seal in the shine I was at the shop and it was in my trolly. The cupboard under my sink and my utility room housed an array of multiple products to do and clean everything you could think of and I was happy that I had it covered. My family would be kept nice and safe from all the nasty bacteria that could be lurking on the work surface or on the floor. I had products that could handle everything. I had made sure that I’d bought every possible product and had them all at hand. That was before I started with essential oils and realised that these chemicals where not only going down my plug hole and into the environment to reek unimaginable havoc with our planet, they where in my home, in the air we were breathing, on the surfaces we made our food on and on the very plates we ate from.
It was a very rude awakening for me to realise that all the money and effort I’d put in to keeping my family safe was actually bringing enormous amounts of chemicals into my home that weren’t needed. I’m not suggesting that these chemicals are poison when used correctly, what I am saying is that they are not natural, they will get into our bodies and our body’s will them have to deal with them. They may not make us sick as our body’s are designed to protect us and deal with anything foreign that gains access, the problem is that in dealing with these chemical our systems are put under additional pressure. Our liver and kidneys have to work harder to try and flush out the toxins, our digestive systems suffer and our toxic load will increase.
So please be aware, look at the products you are using, read the ingredients do some research. What you find when you research the products in your home will unnerve you, the word toxic will appear more often than you will feel comfortable with as will the word carcinogenic. Treat these products with caution if you must keep them in your home, be careful with their storage, minimise their use and just remain aware of their dangers to your family. When I say dangers to you family I’m referring not only to their misuse but also and more importantly their normal usage.
How can we address this?
There are a variety of products on the market that are chemical free which are better for you and better for the environment. I’ve chosen dōTERRA as I know and trust the brand, plus they have the Healing Hands Foundation which provides global aid. Plus dōTERRA is also my business now but originally they were just great products that I bought.
dōTERRA in Northern Ireland is relatviely fresh and not widely known about yet and most people that do know about the company tend to think of them as just the best essential oil producers. However dōTERRA is way way more than that. I’ll elaborate in future posts but for now I’ll give you a list of the natural chemical free products that I now use both personally, for my children and in my home.
dōTERRA Personal Hygiene Products I currently use:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Hair serum
- Hair Gloss
- Toothpaste
- FaceWash/cleanser
- Toner
- Facial Serum
- Moisturiser
- Deodorant
- Shower Gel
- Hand-wash
- Hand-cream
- Cleansing Bar
- Lip Balm
dōTERRA Household Products I currently use:
- Laundry Detergent
- Cleaner Concentrate( CC-this can be diluted and used all around the home)
- Floor Cleaner CC
- Surface Cleaner CC
- Window Cleaner CC
- Bathroom Cleaner CC
Be careful out there and think twice when applying anything to your skin and watch what you put your hands in… Just remember that within 30-60 seconds its in your bloodstream and not just in your bucket.
If you are interested in any of the products I’ve mentioned above drop me an email to mandy.reid@mindmenders.co.uk or Click Here to visit my dōTERRA website.