Hi Friends! Spring break is happening now, and I’m trying to fill my week with fun and productivity. So far, I got my eyebrow tattoos touched up. That was much needed! My morning routine will be so much easier. I bought ferns for the front porch and planted a few things in my backyard. I love seeing all my plant babies popping out of the ground for another season. I always assume I’ll kill everything, so it’s a pleasant surprise when one of the perennials grows back. Along with the fun and beautifying, I am continuing to weed out the toxic products from my home.

This still seems like such a weird concept to me, the queen of stuff.

I used to hear people talk about removing toxins from their homes, and I thought, “Nah. It’s not for me.”

It’s too overwhelming. It’s too expensive. How do you know what is good or bad? Does it make a difference? That’s something I’ll worry about later.

Those were some of my honest excuses.

And then I registered myself for a documentary called “Heavy”. My mind was blown with some of the things I learned. Those things were scary enough to be life-changing.

Root causes of cancer and autoimmune diseases are something I’ve been studying for years. All of a sudden, everything about sickness made sense after viewing the Heavy videos.

The missing piece of the puzzle is the toxins in our daily lives.

We didn’t have the huge amount of toxins and forever chemicals 20 years ago. These chemicals are in the air we breathe, in our soil, in our “healthy” beauty products, and even in our organic produce. I fully believe that these pull the trigger on disease. Also, I learned that toxins are stored in your fat cells. More fat is added to those fat cells to keep the toxins from escaping and wreaking havoc in your body. If you’ve ever struggled with weight, this could be the issue. And besides, who wouldn’t want to drastically reduce the risk of chronic illness? Especially if it’s not all that hard.

I’m here to help you figure out where to get started.

Converting to a non-toxic (or less toxic) life can be very overwhelming! I want to make it easy for you. I’ve done a lot of research. I want you to live your best non-toxic life! I’m not a gatekeeper. I’m always willing to share things that have helped me.

Get Rid Of Fragrances

First, I took a trash bag (or three) and filled it up with everything that contained fragrance. Fragrance is one of your worst enemies. Fragrance is unregulated by the FDA. Hundreds of chemicals can be hidden in the word “fragrance” when it’s listed as an ingredient. Whatever you inhale goes into your bloodstream via your lungs. Goodbye Bath and Body, all candles, Febreze, perfumes…..scented EVERYTHING! And it was hard! I had so much scented stuff. I threw away hundreds of dollars worth of things I worked hard to buy. It made me want to cry that I had spent my money on things that were poisoning me.

Get Rid Of Almost All Beauty Products

Next, I threw out beauty products- anything that went directly onto my skin, including my scalp. I might have shed a tear at throwing out my OPI collection of nail polishes. I tossed all of the body wash, lotions, creams, and anything that had more than a few ingredients. I threw out everything that was listed as long-wearing. These all contain forever chemicals that can stay in your body for up to three years. I threw out all items with talc. Most of these items we don’t need. We’ve just gotten used to the convenience. Check the EWG for the rating on cosmetics. I’ve read that you should always stay above a rating of 3. I prefer to use verified products.

Get Rid of Cleaning Products

I threw out cleaning products. I did save a can of Comet Cleanser (for occasional tough stains)….and one can of bug spray to use outside on my door surrounds. Darn, those persistent ants! I threw out dishwasher pods and laundry detergent. I don’t want chemicals near my food. Speaking of that, I got rid of all plastic possible in favor of stainless steel and glass. I made a no-Clorox ban! The surprising thing is that vinegar is great for everything! It cleans perfectly. It shines glasses. It removes odors. It removes mold. I even make my weed killer! I’m sure my Walmart grocery shopper wonders why I buy gallons of the stuff. Pure gold, Y’all!

Get Rid of Processed Food

I cleared my pantry of things that contained more than three ingredients. I didn’t have much to get rid of there, since I already rarely bought processed food. If I treat myself to junk food, I make it homemade with products I can trust. I love these crackers! They are so easy to make. Find the recipe here! And this is the BEST lemon bar recipe!

I’m still throwing away things a month later! But you don’t have to be so drastic. Since it turned my stomach to throw away so much, I put my favorite things in storage bins. I kept only necessities. As I felt ready and more confident in my non-toxic endeavor, I’d revisit and throw away a few more things I learned to live without. Another way to do it is to replace empty items with clean, one at a time. Personally, I couldn’t do that because I wanted everything gone. And because I’m impatient.

Here Are the Benefits I’ve Noticed….

I enjoy having less stuff! I love the look of a tidy drawer with few things.

I love not having to search for things under the sink.

My skin loves me now! After a purge of breakouts, my skin is responding so well! It glows! I was doing more harm with my expensive creams and makeup. How ’bout that!

I have become way more intentional about what I purchase. Although some of the clean items are more expensive, such as laundry detergent, the cost is easily displaced by what I save on making my homemade items.

I have so much less waste, which has gotten me interested in zero-waste sustainable living. Last week, we only had ONE trash bag in our big garbage can. Wow!

Since detoxing, I’ve become so in tune with my body. I’ve noticed that I’ve developed a sensitivity to chemical fragrances. I’d gotten so used to them over time, that I paid them no attention. Now, I can feel it in my lungs if I breathe any chemical smells. They smell terrible to me now! If I put on something that was washed in the old detergent, I become very itchy. My sensitivity shocked me! It goes to show that if you listen to your body, it will easily let you know what isn’t good for you.

The best benefit- I FEEL good!

Here is a List of My Favorite First Replacements. (I’ve Linked the Best of the Best!)

Most of them are EWG verified or rank at least a two on their scale. You can download the EWG app to quickly check products. I check everything now!

Beauty Products– Well People (Owned by ELF), Beauty Counter, Prose customized shampoo, conditioner, and styling gel, Castille Soap, Coconut oil, homemade toothpaste, bamboo toothbrushes, Olive and June nail polish and products, Arrowroot ( to replace dry shampoo and setting powder), deodorant, homemade shave oil, Vitamin E oil, Castor Oil

Cleaning Products- homemade window and floor cleaners, Clean People Laundry Pods and Dishwashing Detergent, Clean People Scrubbing Cleanser

Best heavy metal detox supplement- Chlorella This has even stopped the odor when I sweat- which shows the extent of the detox! I rarely, if ever, wear deodorant now.

These Are My Two Favorite Toxicologists.

Dr. Wendy Meyers

Yvonne Burkart

I hope you find inspiration in this! That’s my goal.

Yes, indeed, plastic particles, heavy metals, and a slew of other toxins are in the air we breathe and in the organic food we eat. There’s no way to avoid them. Your body is made to get rid of a normal amount of toxins daily. However, because there are toxins in so many things we use or consume without thought, we can easily reduce what we can with a little conscious effort. I read that the average person takes in 700,000 toxins a day. Studies of babies were shown to be born with up to 287 toxins. Any toxin load that you can reduce helps!

Once you detox and begin feeling good, I’m pretty sure that you will have forgotten how good you can feel!