We are constantly surrounded by toxic products and material on a daily basis. These toxins enter our body and contribute to a number of illnesses and harmful conditions. It is important for every person to work to reduce the toxins in their environment. This will go a long way to improve your over all health.
Below you will find a list of three common household products that are loaded with poisons and toxins, yet you use them everyday. The information provided not only explains the dangers involved, but it also shows you how to make your own naturally.
Developing a healthy lifestyle is a process and you can begin by eliminating the 3 toxic home products listed here from your home. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace Ph.D.
1. Toothpaste
Fluoride: Fluoride is a by-product of manufacturing iron, aluminum and copper. Although classified as a pollutant, fluoride has been the cornerstone of dentistry for years on the basis that it prevents dental cavities.
However, when 39,000 school children around the United States were studied in the 
1980s, it was discovered that there was no real difference between the tooth decay rates of children who consumed fluoridated water and those who did not.
In 1997, the FDA ordered that toothpaste manufacturers put a poison warning on all fluoride toothpaste sold in the United States. People, especially children, who ingest too much fluoride may experience symptoms such as gastric pain, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, vomiting and headaches.
A study out of the University Indiana reported that rats who received extremely small levels of fluoride developed high levels of blood glucose and decreased levels of insulin.
Triclosan: first put on the market in the late 1960s as a pesticide. Today, it is still used for pesticide applications, as well as in the manufacture of plastics and a number of other industrial processes.
Found in three quarters of all soaps, deodorants and toothpastes in the US, has been linked to several consequences to human health, including hormonal disruption and allergies.
Propylene glycol: This chemical is an active ingredient found in antifreeze and also some brands of toothpaste. According to the Material Safety Data Sheets for propylene glycol, it can be readily absorbed into the skin. Long-term exposure to this chemical may cause brain, liver and kidney problems. The Environmental Protection Agency requires workers that handle propylene glycol to wear rubber gloves.
Making your own effective toothpaste is easy. Coconut oil and tea tree oil offer potent antibacterial properties, while baking soda helps to neutralize acid, whiten teeth, and remove plaque and stains. Just mix together:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 5 drops tea tree oil
2. Shampoo
The FDA has very loose regulations on what is allowed to be included in shampoos. Many known carcinogens, and other dangerous substances, are in the mix.
Parabens: Parabens are preservatives found in many skin and hair care products, as well as an array of cosmetics. Studies have linked them to elevated estrogen levels,hormonal imbalances and cancers.
Methylisothiazoline (MIT): Used in many brand-name shampoos and conditioners, this preservative has been found to cause neurological damage in humans by the National Institutes of Health. It has also been linked to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and, perhaps most frighteningly, it has been linked to an increased risk of brain defects in unborn children.
Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate (SLS and SLES): These two are surfactants that give shampoos that luxurious lather. Organic shampoos with real, natural ingredients do not foam like the commercial types that we are used to. Along with potentially causing eye and skin irritation, SLS and SLES have been linked to genetic mutations, disruption of the endocrine system and cancer
Make your own
Baking soda also works wonders as a shampoo. It helps to remove styling product buildup and results in more manageable hair. Wet your hair and sprinkle one tablespoon onto your scalp. Massage it into your roots and rinse just like you would with traditional shampoo.
Follow this with an apple cider vinegar rinse, which helps to balance the alkalinity of baking soda as well as to remove buildup and residue, and to close the hair cuticles. Pour about a half cup of apple cider vinegar over your hair after the baking soda shampoo treatment and then rinse.
3. Sunscreen
Vitamin A: Sunscreen that contains vitamin A or retinol may actually speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when sunlight is present, according to a 2009 study done by the National Toxicology Program.
Dangerous chemicals: Most of what you find in the store are chemical sunscreens, which may contain from three to six of the following active ingredients: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octinoxate and octocrylene.
Almost all products contain avobenzone – the agent for filtering out skin-damaging UVA rays. There is some concern, however, that this substance may break down when exposed to the sun. Other chemicals, such as octocrylene, are often added as stabilizers.
Many ingredients found in commercial sunscreen may disrupt hormones. Animal research also suggests that oxybenzone (found in 80 percent of chemical sunscreen) and octinoxate are toxic to reproductive systems and can interfere with development.
Studies done at the University of Zurich (2010) found sunscreen chemicals in 85 percent of milk samples. Four of the chemicals that were found are commonly used in American sunscreens.
Aerosol and powder sunscreen concerns:
Food and Drug Administration has mounting concerns that aerosol sunscreens can be inhaled during application. Both the propellant chemicals and the nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (found safe in other forms) worry scientists, who say that these particles are easily ingested.
Although the particles can’t be absorbed through the skin, they can accumulate in different organs in the body once they are ingested. Because they are so small, they can move freely throughout the body, causing problems at the sub-cellular level. What is worse is that the body can’t get rid of them.
Each time the sunscreen nozzle is pressed, these particles are transported some 20 feet in all directions, landing on everything in sight. Everyone in the danger zone gets to breathe in the dangerous particles, even if they don’t want to.
The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens classified titanium dioxide as a “possible carcinogen” when inhaled in high doses as from an aerosol can. As noted, it isvery hard for the lungs to clear the tiny particles, which are easily passed into the bloodstream. When these particles penetrate lung or skin tissue, they can cause severe organ damage.
Use caution with loose powder sunscreens as well for the same reason; they contain particles that could end up in the lungs and cause damage.
Make your own
- 1 ounce coconut oil
- 0.8 ounce shea butter
- 0.1 ounce sunflower or jojoba oil
- 0.1 ounce vitamin E oil
- Zinc oxide powder
- 30 drops of preferred essential oils (optional)