Bodycare is the area of personal care that is used by all of us and in my opinion is the easiest area to change. 

Women, men, babies of all ages use products such as soap, shower gel, toothpaste, deodorant, body lotion, powders and perfumes. The swaps in this area are so easy to carry out that a quick swing by your local store or health store and the swap can be done by tonight!

 

Making up a majority of products we use on a daily basis, changing these will have the biggest impact on your toxic load and health.  A survey carried out by EWG Skindeep database, discovered the average person uses up to 9 products daily with 25% of women and 1 in 100 men using up to 15 products a day. 

So go to your shower and count the amount of ingredients used in your shower gel.  It can be 19 plus, ingredients.

One of these ingredients can be fragrance which means it can be anything to 200 extra chemicals used on top of the 19 listed.  Multiple this by the number of products you use daily and you can see why the swap is essential! That is 171 ingredients, going into your system on a daily basis, not including fragrance.

The swap is super easy too. 

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coconut oil

This makes a fantastic pre-shower wash, which can be used by everyone that cleans the skin.  Simply apply oil before your shower or bath, and rinse off with water. This also eliminates the need for body lotion!  What if you do not like coconut oil? 

Don’t worry, we all have our favourite oil and the fun is try to find one that works best  for you. My skin loves olive oil.

 

Coconut oil, is also the base of a fantastic DIY deodorant and effective toothpaste. If DIY cosmetics are not for you, do not worry.  Pop down to you local health store for fantastic toxin free items. Don’t forget your dirty dozen ingredients list and always check ingredients. 

 

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lime slices

 Simple but hugely effective when eliminating highly perfumed and shockingly toxic standard deodorants, keep a slice of lime in your bag. During the day, remove from your storage tub, give a slight squeeze and rub under your arms. You will feel instantly refreshed and can be repeated as and when you feel you need it. Remember when changing your deodorant, your body will take a few days to adjust. Body odor is a sign of detox and the time needed to adjust depends on our overall lifestyle and the material of your clothes. Natural alternatives to deodorants also do not stop your body sweating, which is a natural detox process and necessary to help maintain body temperature. It's for this reason anti-perspirants should be avoided.  When researching for your new products, lime slices offer a fantastic first step.

 

toothpaste

 With fluoride being a known and listed toxin, it is never too soon to start looking at alternatives to a very essential care product.  What do you want from a toothpaste? Something that cleans your teeth, while respecting and maintaining oral health and at the same time tastes great.  Luckily clean and non-toxic toothpaste are readily available at health store. Just make sure to check for the dirty dozen ingredients to avoid any false claims on packaging.

 

Need an extra help with your dental health? Strong teeth come down to two factors, good genetics and good lifestyle. You don’t have to be a saint but being mindful of your sugar and refined grain consumption will go a long way.  To help matters along, consider including oil pulling into your routine.  Rinsing your mouth, for 20mins with coconut oil or a combination of coconut and sesame oil, has been shown to improve weak teeth and gums. Plus it leaves your teeth super white.

 

specialised products 

 Specialised personal care products, like hair removal and sanity products can all easily be swapped over and many fantastic items are available on the market today. This is an area where I recommend products over DIY.  Check out the brand directory for safe non-toxic alternatives.