From Sink to Shower: The hidden toxins in your everyday products (& How to Ditch Them)

Why some Cleaning Products are bad for your health:

Let's cut through the scent-clouded nonsense: not all cleaning products are born equal. Some are hazardous - your lungs, hormones & even your sense of smell will thank you when you start making more conscious decisions, here is why:

The Hidden Danger in Every Spray:

• 193 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) flagged as hazardous were found across 30 cleaning products tested - VOCs have been linked to respiratory damage, reproductive issues & cancer risk. (1,2)

• 53% of cleaners assessed by the Environmental Working Group contain ingredients known to harm lungs; 22% include chemicals linked to triggering asthma (3).

• When bleach reacts with acids like vinegar or ammonia, it can release chlorine or chloroform, carcinogenic gases that can spike indoor air pollution and cause various challenges for our health (4).

Chemical Chaos: VOCs, Fragrances, and Endocrine Disruptors:

• Many standard cleaners leak hundreds of VOCs into the air - something that even 'green products' can't entirely avoid, but certified fragrance-free or low-VOC options are much better (3,5).

• Common fragrances include hundreds (approx.. 3,000+) of secret chemicals, from synthetic fragrances to hormone-disrupting phthalates (6).

• Triclosan, the once popular antibacterial is now banned in some soaps. It was found in so many products that 75% of Americans have been exposed to this substance. It is absorbed through the skin, persists in the environment and messes with hormones (7).

Personal Care Products: What is Lurking in the Lather:

Unfortunately, it's not just the kitchen that is risky business - your routine in the bathroom may be delivering unwanted guests to your body.

Chemicals you Lather, Rinse, Repeat... Every Day:

• The Environmental Working Group highlights the 'Toxic 12' in cosmetics - heavy metals like arsenic and lead, endocrine disruptors like parabens and phthalates and formaldehyde-releasers - all have been found to have links to various types of cancers and are harmful for the immune system (6).

• A study found over 50% of the 546 tested products marketed to women of ethnic background, contained ingredients linked to cancer, reproductive health, developmental difficulties and endocrine disruption (7).

• In a study of 70 women using 1,100 personal care items, 53% used at least one product with formaldehyde-releasers like DMDM hydantoin which has been linked to uterine cancer, amongst other forms of cancer too (7,8).

Why it Matters - Beyond the Mirror:

• Exposures to endocrine disruptors - even in small amounts - are linked to developmental delays, cancer, metabolic disorders and early hormonal changes (7).

• On a societal level, endocrine disrupting chemicals impact the healthcare systems with their secondary impacts: annual costs estimated at $340 billion in the US and 163 billion in the EU (14), and that is of what is actually known.

Swapping to Natural feels so good - Your body will Thank You for it:

Switching doesn't just feel good it is good... Healthier air, cleaner skin, and products that will close the loop on waste one refill at a time.

• 'Green' cleaners reduce toxic emissions into your environment.

• Certified natural homecare is on the rise - brands are focusing on biodegradable, refillable and toxin-free formulas and these products are taking up more space on this beautiful planet & it is now being educated on the reasoning behind why it is so important for our health.

• Simplicity, transparency and style CAN coexist - refillable glass dispensers, door step refill service (excuse the shameless plug), natural products - all let you clean with confidence.

Let Us Summarise:

Conventional cleaners and personal care products pack hidden pockets of toxins, VOCs, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens - all of which you do not need in your lungs, on your hair or in your bloodstream.

It isn't all Doom & Gloom:

Swapping to more natural, transparent, certified products lets you clean your home & your body guilt free.

Time to mention The Conscious Collective:

Yes, I am going to bring it up. The Conscious Collective's whole purpose is to make planet-friendly, low-tox products more accessible in the modern world so if you are thinking of making some swaps in your home, there is no better place to start than our online Refillery.

If you do one thing today, please start making more conscious decisions with the products you stock in your home, if not just for the planet, also for your health.

Take care always,

The Conscious Collective xoxo

References:

(1) Chemosphere

(2) Article: Health: These Scented Products Pollute Indoor Air

(3) Article: Environmental Working Group: Guide to Healthy Cleaning

(4) Environmental International

(5) National Library of Medicine

(6) Article: Environmental Working Group: Toxic Twelve

(7) Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology

(8) Environmental Science & Technology Letters

(9) Article: Endocrine Disruptors