Toxin Free Family

The average person applies 300 chemicals to their body every single day, 80 of those chemicals before breakfast!  Most are from four things – soap, makeup, shampoo, and hair care.  The biggest pollutants in our home are fabric softener, dryer sheets, air freshener plug-ins, and candles.  You are literally poisoning your family every single day with the stuff that you can’t pronounce in your home, like your bright blue dish soap, the cleaner you use on your kitchen counters, processed food, and more.  Health and safety data only exists for 15 percent of all the chemicals out there, even though so many are known to cause asthma or are endocrine disrupters.  

I was shocked when I started scanning some of the products in our home!!!  Even some of the "green" products we had still had toxic ingredients 😩. And we were feeling the effects in our health - tired, stressed, rashes, allergies, headaches, chemical sensitivies, achy joints, and more!  Thankfully, a friend introduced us to Young Living Essential Oils and we were able to kick toxins to the curb so our bodies could function and heal as God designed them to.

Essential oils are a better way.  They are totally chemical free, steam distilled or cold pressed from pure plants.  There’s nothing in them but that oil, whether it is lemon, tangerine, lavender, peppermint, or others.  There are over a million uses for essential oils.  In this post I will help you kick chemicals to the curb much like we did a few years ago.  It’s easy, simple, and it’s a small change you can take to protect you and your family.  It’s time to take charge of what’s in your house.

Our skin is our largest organ.  It is estimated that your skin absorbs approximately 60% of what you put on it (and a much higher percentage of nanoparticles and “penetration enchancers” found in many lotions and sunscreen).  It can take as little as 26 seconds for chemicals applied to the skin to enter your bloodstream.  This is the reason why many medicines are delivered through the skin, most often in the forms of patches or gels.  This method is quite potent and effective at delivering chemicals into our body.  When you skin is warm (such as when you are in a hot shower or washing your hands in warm water), the pores open up which can increase the quantity and speed the rate at which toxins are absorbed. 

It is also common to take medications sublingually (under the tongue) because of the speed at which the medications are absorbed and enter the blood stream.   Some chemicals are even more dangerous when absorbed through the skin or sublingually because they bypass our digestive system, which can metabolize and break down some toxins.  Think for a minute: most antibacterial soaps and toothpastes come with warnings not to ingest.  Why then would you apply it to your skin or swoosh it around in your mouth?  Check your shampoos, bath soaps, toothpaste, and cleaners.

Did you know SLS is a mutagen, which means that in sufficient amounts it is capable of changing genetic information found in cells? It alters skin structure and allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin. It has been found to cause loss of hearing and eye-sight. It can also damage the immune system and cause skin inflammation.

Propylene Glycol is a byproduct of petroleum and used in antifreeze and hydraulic fluids. Yet, did you know that this toxic chemical is also commonly found in laundry detergents, pet food/treats, baby wipes, lotions, and even some processed foods?!?  Take a look at its MSDS. Here are a few highlights for you: " It may be absorbed through the skin and cause systemic effects similar to those of ingestion... It may affect behavior/central nervous system(CNS depression, general anesthetic, convulsions, seizures, somnolence, stupor, muscle contraction or spasticity, coma), brain (changes in surface EEG), metabolism, blood (intravascular hemolysis, white blood cells - decreased neutrophil function), respiration (respiratory stimulation, chronic pulmonary edema, cyanosis), cardiovascular system(hypotension, bradycardia, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest), endocrine system (hypoglycemia), urinary system (kidneys), and liver." Yet we put this stuff on our babies, feed it to our dogs, and even eat it ourselves?

DEA is a lathering agent used in soaps, detergents, and surfactants. It may also be found on labels as Cocamide DEA, DEA Lauryl Sulfate, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide DEA, Oleaminde DEA, or TEA (Triethanolamine).  It is found in over 600 home and personal care products. More than 10,000 tons of DEA are sold and consumed in the United States annually.  DEA blocks the absorption of choline, which is a nutrient necessary for normal human brain development, which can cause birth defects and miscarriage. It is also linked to cancers of the liver, kidney, esophagus, and stomach.

When ditching the chemicals, let’s start with the products that you use every day, multiple times a day.  Hopefully you are washing your hands on a regular basis.  Regular hand washing is important in protecting yourself from germs.  However, we want to take care not to poison ourselves while trying to do something that is meant to protect us!  Thieves Foaming Hand Soap is a great alternative that protects without harming!  Thieves Foaming Hand Soap combines the Thieves blend, Lemon, and Orange essential oils with other naturally derived ingredients to clean hands.  Its instant foam makes it easy to lather and rinse.  Your skin will be left feeling clean and refreshed, but never over dried.  And most importantly, it contains no sulfates, dyes, synthetic fragrances, or harsh chemicals.

Thieves AromaBright toothpaste gently brushes away daily buildup and helps combat the effects of unsightly staining.  It’s tough on buildup, but its smooth, plant based formula is gentle on teeth and their delicate enamel.  Peppermint, Spearmint, and Cinnamon Bark essential oils, along with the popular Thieves blend, give this toothpaste a sweet, spicy-mint flavor and freshens breath – all without synthetic dyes, artificial flavors, or preservatives.  With AromaBright you can ditch the ingredients in commercial toothpastes you don’t want and keep all the results you do: a deep clean, bright teeth, and fresh breath!

Fabric softener is the #1 cause of indoor pollution.  Whenever you smell that “laundry smell” you are inhaling toxic VOC’s.  In a recent study, published in the August issue of Air Quality, Atmosphere, and Health researchers found more than 25 “volatile” air pollutants – including the carcinogens acetaldehyde and benzene in homes after running a regular laundry cycle with scented liquid laundry detergent and a leading brand of scented dryer sheets.  Benzene causes leukemia and other blood cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.  Acetaldehyde has been shown to cause nasal and throat cancer in animal studies.

Thieves Laundry Soap gently and naturally washes your clothes, cleaning them without any chemical or synthetic residue.  Natural enzymes and powerful essential oils add to the formula’s strength to leave your clothes fresh and clean with a light citrus fresh scent.  The bottle may be small (be thankful you are paying less shipping!), but it is highly concentrated!!!  Use just ¼ cap for HE washers, and ½ cap for conventional washers.  I can get over 100 loads on one bottle in our high-efficiency washer (advertised as 64 loads for conventional washers).

I used to make my own laundry soap (because our kids are sensitive to so many conventional laundry detergents) until I received a free bottle of the Thieves Laundry Soap during a promotion. WOW! I was blown away by the difference in the smell of our clothes. We cloth diaper and despite running the diapers through the wash a few times with our homemade laundry soap, they never really smelled clean. My husbands work uniforms would also require a lot of added scent in the dryer to cover up the sweaty, aircraft fuel odor. There was such a noticeable difference when we switched to Thieves Laundry Soap. Even my husband noticed!

Instead of fabric softener, use wool dryer balls scented with essential oils.  Wool Dryer Balls save you money, energy, and time by cutting the dryer’s drying time - with 4 balls in your dryer, you can cut your dryer time by 25-50%!!!  That is huge for this large family momma that is constantly battling laundry mountain!  

Don’t be fooled by “natural” or the green seal of approval.  Green just means that it is environmentally friendly and there is a renewable supply.  You can try looking up just how toxic your household cleaners are at: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners .  The EPA states that there are 80,000 household chemicals.  Less than 2% have been tested.  Toxins in homes account for 90% of all poisonings each year.  There is a call to a US poison control center every 14 seconds.

In 1993, the American Public Health Association urged manufacturers to phased out the use of chlorine in consumer goods. Chlorine ranks first in industrial injuries and deaths in the US.  In 2000, the US poison control centers reported that chlorine bleach was implicated in injuries to 18,863 children under age of 6.  So why can’t you just use bleach?  Bleach is 3-6% sodium hypochlorite and 94-97% water.  When the sodium hypochlorite evaporates, it leaves water in its place and allows mold colonies to begin forming again in 24 hours or less.  Bleach does not kill mold spores in the air or on porous surfaces.  Bleach can be highly toxic, and is believed by some authorities to migrate to the thyroid where it may replace iodine and may damage or diminish thyroid function

I cannot express enough how much I love Thieves Household Cleaner!  It has replaced every other cleaner in our home!  I love the power of Thieves and the confidence I have in its ability to truly clean the home of any potentially harmful organisms.  Check out this Zone of Inhibition experiment done by Dr. Cole Wooley.  The first petri dish shows the Staphylococcus bacterial growth without essential oils.  Staph colonies cover the entire plate.  In the second photo, Cinnamon Bark essential oil was added to the adsorbing disk at the center of the petri dish.  The bacteria-free circle is very broad.  Some Staph colonies are growing on the periphery, but not in the center.  This is why cinnamon bark is a strong essential oil defense against Staph and other harmful bacteria.  Cinnamon bark is just one of the essential oils found in the Thieves blend!

This all-purpose cleaner can be used on any surface in your home for dusting, spot cleaning, scrubbing, or any other cleaning need. Wherever you use it, you’ll feel good knowing it’s safe to use around everyone in your family, including pets.  Watch this video to see our children cleaning our bathroom with just three capfuls of cleaner.  

Super easy, super effective, and super budget friendly. 

Check out this photo of the Thieves Household Cleaner vs. our 11-year-old couch! 

So thankful we were able to salvage our couch and wait a few more years for the kids to grow up a bit before investing in a new couch!

Of the 884 toxins used in personal care products: 778 can cause acute toxicity, 146 can cause tumors, 218 can cause reproductive complications, 314 can cause biological mutation, and 376 can cause skin and eye irritations.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that “Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities”.  I encourage you to be a label reader!

Thankfully, we as informed consumers have choices.  You do not have to choose to allow toxins into your home.  Our family has chosen to ditch the toxins and have slowly replaced our home with Young Living Personal Care and Household Products. Our kids bathe in the KidScents bath gel (no chemical filled bubble baths for us!) and use the KidScents shampoo.  I love the Lavender Mint Shampoo and Conditioner and the Orange Blossom Face Wash is awesome!  Remember, Young Living products are highly concentrated!  I extend the life of my Shampoo and Face Wash by filling about 1/3 of a foam pump bottle and topping with distilled water.  My husband loves all the Shutran products – Shutran oil instead of cologne, Shutran Bar Soap, and Shutran Shave Cream.

It is estimated that every year, Indoor Air Pollution causes 1.6 million deaths.  That is 1 death every 20 seconds.  The EPA says that pollutants may be 2-5 times and occasionally more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels.  Where does this pollution come from?  Furniture, Paint, and Mattresses may all contribute to out-gassing and increased levels of volatile compounds in the air.  However, synthetic fragrances, such as air fresheners, plug-in deodorizers, and scented candles can emit hundreds of harmful chemicals – and this is a source of toxins that can be easily preventable!

You will find a diffuser in just about every room in our home! By diffusing we have not only ditched the chemicals found in synthetic fragrances, but the oils themselves help to purify the air.  It’s a win-win!!!

Watch the Webinar Version of Toxin Free Family:

By now, if you are not yet a Young Living member I’m sure you are wondering where to begin.  We began our Young Living journey with a Premium Starter Kit.  I’m a frugal momma, and it’s the only thing on the Young Living site that’s half off.  I recommend one of the Diffuser Premium Starter Kits.  If you take the diffuser off, you’re literally getting 11 bottles of therapeutic grade oil for $70!  The kit also comes with bottles to share the oils with your family and friends, an AromaGlide roll-on bottle to apply the oils on the go, and samples of NingXia Red for full system support.  You also get a diffuser with the kit AND a lifetime wholesale membership.  That means 24 percent off your oils and products FOR LIFE.  Every single order you place is 24 percent off. 

I also recommend adding the Thieves Essential Rewards Kit.  For just $275 you are well on your way to detoxing your home with products valued at $568.35.  What a fantastic value!

Go to youngliving.com, click on “Become a Member”, and fill out the form.  You’ll need a sponsor and enroller number because Young Living is a multi-level marketing company.  Many people tell me they can’t buy from an MLM, but when you shop at Walmart, you’re supporting a CEO’s third home.   When you shop at a MLM, you’re buying local.  You’re supporting my family business.  You’re paying for gas in our car and food on our table.  It’s the best business out there, and one of the most important reasons is you get to see your friends and family financially blessed.  My member ID is 1570232.  For your convenience, you can simply click my personalized enrollment link.

Learn more by visiting our website: JessicaBaker.VibrantScents.Com