by Liz Sefton.
With Mother’s Day approaching the retail catalogs are overflowing with perfumes, scented body wash & lotion packs and scented candles as gift ideas!
Before starting my low tox journey, I would have been seduced by this marketing. But now I know the effects of chemical exposure in these types of products are very real, and I hope to give you something to think about before you purchase a gift for someone special in your life including yourself!
It can be overwhelming
When looking at the ingredients list on products keep it simple! One word you can search for is the word parfum or fragrance. If it is listed and is not derived from essential oils, it means this product is made up hundreds of synthetic chemicals including hormone-disrupting chemical, phthalates.
Many of these chemicals do not have to be disclosed or tested for safety and unfortunately, a product doesn’t need to be tested until there is a known issue! Exposure to these products is linked to many health conditions including headaches, migraine, allergies and respiratory problems like asthma. The accumulation effect of these chemicals could potentially be making you and your loved ones sick.
Back in the day
In my 20’s I had a vast perfume collection with designer perfume, washes and lotions brands taking a proud position on my dresser! No longer. Have you noticed that every time you buy your favorite perfume, it smells the same? This is because it is a synthetic product and that is replicated en masse in a lab. Global company marketing determines that it must last, must smell the same- the only way to do this is with an injection of chemicals.
Warning: Marketing!
Marketing is also very clever by using words, colors, and packaging that entices us to think the product is natural. They can technically put on the packaging that the product is organic by just including one organic ingredient into the product! This is called greenwashing! Only trust products that have the certified organic symbol and you can be guaranteed that the product is 100% naturally derived!
If you would like to investigate more about the products you are using I suggest the Think Dirty App or Chemical Maze book or app. Safe replacements are not too hard to find, and over time I have eliminated all these products from our home and replaced them with essential oils! Today I simply massage Twenty8 essential oils into my skin after a shower and make my roll on perfumes. I have more comments today on how lovely I smell than ever before. ! As a bonus, I’m not exposing those around me with the toxic smell of a synthetic fragrance. Plus, I am also increasing my vibrational energy and essential oils it is a great way to bring nature indoors.
Mother Nature
Mother Nature has provided us with a complete beauty and cleaning cupboard of products if we dig a little under the surface of what the big marketing gurus “want us to see and use.”
So, show your Mum you care by only buying “REAL” natural products that will genuinely nurture her and her health.
Liz Sefton is a Qualified Food Coach and Health & Lifestyle Educator and an advocate for living as naturally as possible! She knows it isn’t always easy, and the simplicity is the best policy for health! For more information about Liz, recipes, tips and all things natural, go to The Nourishing Home Facebook Page and her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/lizsefton/
