SIMPLE STEPS TO CREATING A TOXIN-FREE HOME

How to create a toxin-free home is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. To be clear, I am in no way an environmental or chemical expert. I simply want to share what I know and what I have learned in my own journey in creating a toxin-free home for my family. I also like to emphasize that creating a toxin-free home is very much a journey. We are all going to be at different stages in this journey, and I know that I still have a long way to go before reaching perfection.

That being said, my goal for this class is to simply raise awareness of the chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis and to show that a few simple steps can greatly reduce our toxic load and contribute to our health and vitality.

Before getting knee-deep in information, I would like to introduce myself. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Joanna. I am a happily married Mom of 2 young children. I began my journey towards a healthier lifestyle several years ago through essential oils. I was a fairly new Mom, I was working a stressful night-shift job and I was far, far, far from healthy. I was at a place of desperation with my health and was willing to try anything.  But I’ll be honest, as a Nurse for over 20 years, I didn’t have much faith in natural modalities.

It wasn’t until one afternoon, (like I said, I was working night-shift) I woke up to get ready for work and I noticed that the bathroom was covered in an orange cleaner. From top to bottom – the mirrors, the sink, the toilet, even the floors. I called my son, who was 5 years old at the time, and when he didn’t answer, I felt this fear clutch at my stomach. This is something that you think is never going to happen to you. I kept all my cleaners locked up safely, I did all the right things. But like my father always said:  If it can happen, it will happen!

And what had happened was, my husband had started cleaning and had set the cleaner down for a minute (it’s always just a minute, right?!) to do something else, so my sweet little boy decided he was going to help. He proceeded to spray down the room and then sprayed himself right in the face. Right in his eyes, to be exact.

I found him hiding in his bed, covered in the orange cleaner. He was afraid he was going to get in trouble, so he hid! Long story short – he was fine. But that was really my defining moment.

I decided right then and there – at that moment – that all toxic cleaners and any other toxic products that I could find where going in the garbage. There was none of this – “Oh, I’m just going to finish the bottle” business. As you can imagine, I was driven by fear and guilt that this accident had happened, a little panic and horror to say the least, and a lot of anger. I was so angry at myself for what had happened! As mothers, it is so important to us to protect our families and I felt that I had failed.

This incident really lit a fire in me, and has been the passion that drives me ever since. We don’t have to buy the toxic products in the grocery store. We don’t even have to walk down those isles! As mothers we are the gatekeepers in our homes. We control what crosses the thresholds of our doors. We have the ability and responsibility to make our homes safe for our children!

This class is all about education. I am not here to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. I am not here to prescribe anything. I am here because I am passionate about DITCHING the harmful, toxic products in our homes, and SWITCHING to healthy and natural ones. I am here because the simple steps that I’ve taken have had a profound effect on my own health and that of my family – and I want to share that with you!

In this class we will be talking a lot about essential oils – they play a huge part in replacing the toxic products. I want to mention that in this class we are only referring to Young Living Essential Oils. Please do not purchase other brands of essential oils and use them in the way I am suggesting in this class.

Although I am a Registered Nurse, I am embarrassed to admit that I never paid any attention to my exposure to chemicals or toxins in the workplace or at home. I had this attitude that “oh, if they’re selling them in the stores, or if they’re in a hospital, they must be fine!” Or I’m sure you’ve heard this one – “Oh, everything causes cancer these days!  Whatever!” So I lived in blissful ignorance, really, until that day with the orange cleaner.

That day, it was as if an awareness came over me, a seriousness and a passion that I had to get rid of these dangers in my home. It suddenly dawned on me that I had been smearing and spraying toxic chemicals all over my children in the form of sunscreen, insect repellent, soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc. Not only that, but I was cleaning my home with harsh chemicals that could seriously harm a child if inhaled, touched or ingested!

Let’s take a moment to look at some of the statistics and facts.

• Americans now spend between 80-90% of their time inside.
• The average American home contains over 63 hazardous products, resulting in 7 million accidental poisonings each year. Many, but not all of these are children.
• The ingredients in these common household products have been linked to asthma, cancer, hormone and reproductive disorders, and neurotoxicity, to name just a few. So let’s talk a little about these issues:
• Asthma has more than doubled in frequency since 1980 and is the leading cause of ER visits, hospitalizations and school absenteeism.
• Cancer is now the second leading cause of death in childhood. From 1975 to 2004, primary brain cancer increased by 40%, and leukemia by over 60% in children.
• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and Type 2 Diabetes has become an epidemic.
• 1 in every 6 children has a developmental disorder such as ADD, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and mental retardation.
• Birth defects is the leading cause of death in early infancy.
• According to the CDC, more than 200 high-volume, synthetic chemicals can be found in the bodies of nearly all Americans, including newborn babies. Obviously we’re concerned about these chemicals around our children – but it’s not just them who are suffering. It’s the adults, too.
• A 15-year study revealed that women who work at home have a 54% higher risk of developing certain health problems than women who work outside the home. The only thing linked to this increased risk was increased exposure to household cleaners!

Now here’s the kicker:  There is NO federal regulation of chemicals in household products! In fact, in 1976, the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) grandfathered in up to 100,000 chemicals that remain on the market today. This means these chemicals have never been tested for safety. The manufacturers are protected by trade secret laws that allow them to keep their ingredients a secret. If a chemical is tested, it only requires toxic labeling if more than 50% of the animals tested DIE.

Crazy statistics, right?

When I stood in my bathroom with my orange cleaner in my hand, I didn’t know which way to turn. I didn’t know where to start researching – and not only that, I didn’t have TIME to research every item that came into my home! It was like a massive mountain to climb and I needed help with just the first step!

This is what I would like to help you with. What are some small, simple steps that we can do today to start to create that change that we want in our homes?

Well, first, start with things that you can control. You can educate yourself. This class is a great start! You can also download the “Think Dirty” app or go to The Environmental Working Group’s website, www.ewg.org. They have an app as well called “Healthy Living.” These apps will scan the products in your home and evaluate the ingredient list. I promise you will be shocked to see what you have in your home!

Next, start reading labels. Become ingredient savvy! Get to know what those words are that you can’t even pronounce! We’re actually going to go over a few of these in this class, so keep reading!

Now often, you’re going to find that no ingredients are even listed. On one spray can that I recently threw out, ONE active ingredient was listed, which consisted of 0.1% and the remaining ingredients – meaning 99.9% of the bottle was labelled as “Other ingredients.” This is a great example of how the TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act), which was just mentioned, protects manufacturers under “Trade Secret Laws” so that they do not have to reveal their ingredients. Well here’s the thing:  if you need to hide your ingredients, there’s a reason for that, isn’t there? That makes it simple – if there aren’t ingredients on the label, it’s not coming into my house. That’s our very basic standard, and we don’t compromise on that.

Finally, start replacing your toxic products with ones that are safe. We suggest starting with your most frequently used items, and those that you use on the most susceptible, meaning your children.

We are going to go through several of the more common ingredients found in products in your home, just to give you an idea of what’s lurking there. I think it’s important to remember as we are going through this, that putting chemicals on your skin may actually be worse than eating them. At least when you eat something, you have the protection of the digestive system to break things down and flush them out. But when you’re applying these chemicals directly on your skin, they are absorbed directly into your blood, and will go directly to your various organs.

If you use conventional bath and body products and cosmetics on a daily basis, you can actually absorb almost 5 pounds of chemicals and toxins each year. So what you may think is benign, like your shampoo and toothpaste can actually result in exposure to thousands of chemicals that may accumulate in your body creating a toxic load because you don’t have the ability to break them down. Because we typically are not able to break these chemicals down, they accumulate in our bodies and in our organs, causing damage. So be informed – in our home, the general rule is “If it can’t go IN you, it shouldn’t go ON you.”

We’re going to start with FRAGRANCE because it is one of the worst offenders when it comes to ingredients. Fragrance or parfume is a generic term for thousands of chemicals – often solvents, preservatives, dyes, and known carcinogens – used to mimic, mask or enhance a natural scent. The ingredients included in a product’s fragrance are not required to be disclosed because they are considered proprietary and fall under the category of “trade secrets.”

You are going to find Fragrance listed in almost everything – cosmetics, personal care products, household cleaning products, you name it. It is linked to migraines, allergies, dermatitis, respiratory problems. It is a neurotoxin linked to irritability, depression and hyperactivity.

Next is PARABENS, because they’re in EVERYTHING – in bath and body products, cosmetics, deodorant, pharmaceuticals, even food products. Parabens are used as a preservative and anti-bacterial agent. The research tends to be controversial, yet they are regulated or even banned in other countries – so that always makes me think twice. They are known to be carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. They may interfere with hormone levels, fertility, and cause developmental complications in a fetus or child.

Several studies have now shown that parabens accumulate in the body, and have consistently been found in breast tumor tissue. So maybe it’s time to consider what you are applying in that area everyday!

Next, let’s look at ALUMINUM. Aluminum is actually a skin irritant that is linked to nerve damage, brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, DNA alterations, and abnormal tissue growth.

It is commonly found in deodorant, and has been found to accumulate in the breast tissue over time. Studies are now showing a disproportionately high incidence of breast cysts and cancer in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, which is, of course right where deodorant is being applied.

MEA, (Monoethanolamine), DEA (Diethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine) are part of a chemical group made up of amino acids and alcohols. They serve as emulsifiers and fragrances in bath products, shaving products, cleaners, detergents, sunscreens and cosmetics. They are found in products that foam.

Studies have shown that especially with repeated and prolonged use, these ingredients bioaccumulate and affect male reproductive health. Their use has been linked to organ toxicity in the liver and kidneys, leading to cancer, as well as neurotoxic effects such as tremors.

I always find it interesting to look these chemicals up in the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) because chemicals are treated very differently in an industrial setting as compared to our home environment, where there is virtually no regulation. For ethanolamine, the MSDS notes that skin contact may be harmful, and that the material can produce chemical burns and may cause inflammation. Prolonged exposure can result in liver, kidney or nervous system injury. The sheet also notes that animal studies with DEA and MEA have shown a tendency for these chemicals to encourage the formation of tumors and to cause developmental abnormalities to an unborn baby.

Why is there a picture of ice cream here? Because PROPHYLENE GLYCOL, an actual ingredient in antifreeze, is also found in our food. This additive helps to maintain consistency and taste in everything from Pop-Tarts to paint. Any flavor not found in nature was probably made possible by propylene glycol.  It’s also found in coffee, fast foods, deodorants, bath and body products, and cosmetics.

This ingredient has been shown to cause dermatitis, kidney and liver abnormalities in animal studies and it’s industrial label warnings include “avoid skin contact.”

SODIUM LAURYL or LAURETH SULFATE (SES OR SLES) is a surfactant, detergent, emulsifier and foaming agent found in shampoos, mouthwash, lotions, toothpaste, and industrial cleaners to name just a few.

There are literally 10s of 1000s of research studies showing links to irritation of the skin and eyes (I’ve experience this myself), organ toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, cellular changes, possible mutations and even cancer.

SLS has been associated with canker sores, burning and irritation in the mouth.  Swallowing is likely to lead to nausea and diarrhea (and is actually used as a laxative in enemas) – so be careful when using your mouthwash and toothpaste!

Finally we are going to talk about talc. Talc is a great example because it really shows how deceptive and dangerous the marketing can be. Talc is a mineral substance used in baby powder, feminine powders, cosmetics and other personal care products to absorb moisture, and to smooth and soften products.

You may have heard about the lawsuits involving Johnson & Johnson and their baby powder. In February 2016, a jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer. A year before that, another jury awarded $55 million in damages to a woman who used Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. During the court case it was found that internal documents from Johnson & Johnson show that the company knew of studies indicating the link between talc use and ovarian cancer but, to this day, it continues to market it as safe.

Studies have shown a direct link to ovarian cancer. Women who use talc powder in the genital area have a 60% increased risk, while women who use feminine deodorant sprays had a 90% increase in risk. Talc also causes damage to the respiratory system. Some talc is contaminated with asbestos and this was found in the lung tissue and lymph nodes of women using the product.

As an aside, when talking about labels, we must mention greenwashing. The dictionary definition of greenwashing is “Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” In other words it is marketing efforts (publicity stunts) made by corporations to portray themselves as environmentally responsible, or corporations changing their words rather than their actions.

There are a few ways to spot greenwashing:

1.Watch for earth-toned or green-colored packaging with leafy or flowery designs.
2.They may have different eco signs and fake certification labels.
3.Labeling that includes the words “natural,” “green,” “organic,” or “pure”

Here are a few greenwashing examples:

1. 100% All Natural Tyson Chicken – Tyson promises in their TV commercial to “Always keep it real.” Yet they are injecting their eggs with antibiotics, sourcing their meat from factory farms and feeding their animals GMO corn. Not even close to natural.
2. Huggies Pure and Natural – I think greenwashing is especially disgraceful when it is targeting babies. It been found that 100% of toys and 99.2% baby products surveyed are guilty of some form of greenwashing. Huggies Pure and Natural claims to include natural, organic materials. They don’t say how much is natural and organic, and they don’t mention if it’s certified organic, which makes it very questionable, AND these materials happen to be on the outer cover of the diaper, NOT touching your baby’s skin, which makes it somewhat pointless. The box also says the outer packaging is sourced from 20% post-consumer recycled materials, which in this day and age is ridiculous. Many companies make products with 100% recycled packaging.  And most of all, the diaper is still disposable, ends up in a landfill and is not biodegradable. So very misleading to a parent who is trying to do better for their baby and be environmentally conscious.
3. Herbal Essence – Remember that commercial with the woman in the shower, having a “total organic experience?” Unfortunately, their ingredients are not remotely organic, and despite their nature-inspired claims, are far from natural. Their ingredients include chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol and D&C red no. 33, which are not organic.
4. Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner – This product is put out by Clorox (a bleach company – anyone see the irony in this?). However, this cleaner is actually 99% clean, but unfortunately they’ve added toxic dyes to get the green color and then the packaging is 100% plastic, so unless the consumer chooses to recycle it, it will end up in a landfill.
5. Lush Cosmetics – This one really makes me mad because it’s targeted to young girls who are so vulnerable to hormone-disrupting chemicals. Lush touts their natural ingredients, their ethical buying practices and the fact their products are 100% vegetarian. They don’t mention the toxic fragrances and dyes, the sodium laurel sulfate, and parabens they contain – to name just a few.
6. Aveeno Active Naturals – The neutral color of the packaging with the green flower and the leaf lead the consumer to feel that this product is eco-friendly, but when you read the smaller print, you’ll see that this product contains “gentle microbreads.” Now these little pieces of plastic have since been banned in the United States, but the effects of them in our waterways and oceans will be around for a long time to come.

The good news in all of this is that it shows that marketers are listening to consumers, who are demanding greener goods. Hopefully actions will follow their words.

It can certainly be overwhelming, can’t it?!

What do you think you would find if you were to take inventory in your home right now? Let’s limit it to just 3 cabinets – so we don’t get overwhelmed. Let’s say the Laundry Room, the Kitchen and the Bathroom. What would you find? I was blown away when I began to really examine what was in my home. Most of the cleaning products had few or no ingredients listed – always a big red flag for me! It’s like when a price isn’t listed – at that point, you don’t even want to know what it cost, right?! Here are a few items that were in my cabinets:

• Comet: This product emits over 146 different chemicals, including some thought to cause cancer, asthma, and reproductive disorders, such as formaldehyde, benzene, chloroform, and toluene – none of which were listed on the label.
• 2000 Flushes and X14 Toilet Bowl Cleaner: This one states on the box: “May be fatal if swallowed.” The boxes warn customers to wear rubber gloves when handling, and to avoid inhaling the fumes.
• Easy-Off Oven Cleaner: The label warns: “CORROSIVE. WILL BURN EYES AND SKIN. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, mucous membranes and clothing. DO NOT ingest. Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing spray mist. Wear long rubber gloves when using…” Who’s home has a ventilation system?
• Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner: This product is so toxic that it is actually banned in other countries. It contains up to 10% of a solvent called DEGBE (butoxydiglycol), which will irritate and inflame the lungs.

This is what I found in some of the small print: “Chemical known to cause cancer,” “Suspected of damaging the unborn child,” “will burn skin and eyes,” and “will penetrate skin and attack underlying tissue and bone.” This sounds like a horror movie to me, doesn’t it?!

Come to find out, I had a TON of toxic chemicals in our home that were actually known to adversely affect cellular health, mental clarity, focus, hormone structure and respiratory health. That orange spray was the LEAST of my worries!

So why are we still using these products?! I think it comes down to 4 simple reasons.

First off, the belief just isn’t there. It actually took me quite a long time before I was even willing to TRY natural products, because I was convinced that they would not be as effective as their toxic counterparts.

Secondly was the cost. I believed that any alternatives will cost more money – kind of like buying organic produce. Right?

The third reason is time. We believe that it’s going to take a lot of time to do all of the necessary research, to learn all of the ingredients and then to actually find products that fit our standards. Who has time for that?

And finally we think it’s going to take a lot of skill. I mean, I’ve been on Pinterest and I’ve seen what it takes! And honestly, I just don’t have the time for all of that DIY stuff!

The thing is, we need to clean our homes, and ourselves – but how can we do this without bringing all of these toxic chemicals into our home? Well, I want to tell you about my solution.

I got started on this journey several years ago, but my big breakthrough came when I discovered essential oils from Young Living. I did my research, I got to know the company, I visited a farm, I experienced the company from the inside out so that I have no doubt that this is an honest and ethical company who values quality and purity above all else. But like everything – don’t take my word for it. Do your own research!

Many of you who are reading this are already familiar with Young Living Essential Oils and their benefits. For those of you who are not, essential oils are known as the lifeblood of aromatic plants. This means they are a liquid that circulates through the plant, providing health, wellness, and protection to the plant. Have you ever broken open the leaf or stem of a plant and seen a fluid come out? Well, when you take that fluid from aromatic plants containing the plant’s therapeutic properties and you distill it, you end up with an essential oil!

The great part is that these little drops of oil are incredibly beneficial to us as well! They can support every system in our bodies – our immune system,  our respiratory system, our hormonal system, our digestive system etc! They support healthy tissue and nerves and can carry nutrients and oxygen through our bodies and can effectively combat the damaging effects of toxins, impurities, and harmful substances in and around the body. Can you imagine if your toilet and shower cleaner actually supported your immune system rather than destroying it? Well, that’s the power of essential oils.  So I’m going to show you how to seamlessly incorporate these into your lifestyle, so that you can completely eliminate those toxic products from your home!

The foundation of all the products that I’m going to talk about is Thieves essential oil. This is one of Young Living’s proprietary blends that is known worldwide for it’s germ-fighting, immune-boosting properties. And it is the foundation of Young Living’s entire line of Thieves cleaning products that I want to tell you about!

My big thing, when looking at products coming into my home, is I want them to be safe, effective and affordable.

I love that Young Living, a company that I now know and trust has exactly what I was looking for. Thieves Household Cleaner is probably my absolute favorite of them all, so I want to start with that. This comes in a concentrate; it’s a natural, plant-based cleaner that is incredibly cost-effective – I mix one bottle top of the concentrate in a 32 oz spray bottle – which comes to a grand total of $0.75 per bottle! That’s less than $1/bottle for an all-purpose cleaner! And when I say all-purpose, I really do mean all purpose! I have thrown out every other cleaner in our home for this one – I use it in varying strengths as a window and mirror cleaner, on my floors, table, bathrooms, wood, carpet – you name it. It is the most effective cleaner I have ever used – It really blew apart my entire paradigm when it came to my skeptical opinions on natural products.

Let’s go back to those three cabinets.  The three rooms that can typically use the biggest makeovers are the laundry room, the kitchen and the bathroom.

Let’s start with the laundry room because this can be one of the most toxic rooms in your home. It’s often full of all kinds of products that we use to get our clothes clean – laundry soaps, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, bleach and stain removers, to just name a few. But here’s the problem: Laundry soaps are full of chemicals such as DEA, which we talked about, petroleum distillates, artificial fragrances and sodium laurel sulfate. They can cause headaches, skin and eye irritation, damage to the liver and kidneys, allergic reactions, hormone disruption, fertility problems, and are known to cause cancer.

Then there are Fabric Softeners and dryer sheets that contain artificial fragrances, chloroform, and ethyl acetate. They can cause irritation to the skin and eyes, asthma, headaches, developmental and reproductive issues, serious nervous system disorders, and are known carcinogens and neurotoxins.

Bleach is one of the most corrosive and deadly chemicals and can still be found at every supermarket and drugstore in the nation, and under countless kitchen sinks. It contains chlorine and caustic soda and can be corrosive to the skin, eyes and lungs. It can also cause respiratory irritation, it can increase allergy and asthma symptoms, and it is a carcinogen and a hormone disruptor.

Stain removers are made from sodium borate, fragrance, ammonium hydroxide, and many other toxic ingredients. Like the other products, it is a carcinogen, a hormone disruptor and can cause irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory system.

Take a moment when you can and scan your laundry room products into one of those apps that we mentioned at the beginning of the class.

The good news is that this is not all doom and gloom. Now that we’ve talked about all the things that we want to AVOID in the laundry room, let’s look at some great alternatives!

Thieves Laundry Soap is simply AMAZING!  It is super concentrated so this little bottle actually packs a powerful punch and washes 64 loads! It is a plant-based formula, without any of the toxic or synthetic ingredients. It contains natural enzymes and powerful essential oils that work together to leave your clothes fresh and clean with a light citrus scent, which is absolutely beautiful.

A great alternative to toxic fabric softeners and dryer sheets is to get some wool dryer balls, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil directly onto the ball, and toss them into your dryer with your load of laundry. I like to use Purification, Lavender, Thieves, or Lemon essential oil – but you can use any you like. Before I had wool dryer balls, I just dropped a couple of essential oils onto a damp wash cloth and tossed it in the dryer with the load of clothes. That worked great, too. You can also add white vinegar to the fabric softener slot in your washer, if you have one. This is just another way to soften your clothes without the harsh chemicals.

As for bleach, we have a great, simple recipe that I’ve posted in our Diamond Drops Groups on Facebook.

Next, let’s take look in our KITCHEN to see what cleaners we use there. When I think of the kitchen, I think it’s so important what we use here because we are cleaning our food which we are consuming and our dishes, which we are eating off of, and putting into our mouths. Common cleaners in the kitchen are antibacterial sprays for the counters, oven cleaners, floor cleaners, dish soap, and deodorizers for the trash and garbage disposal. Again, take a moment to scan your kitchen cleaning products to see how they rate. Here are a few options for you:

Commercial dish soaps contain phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate, propylene glycol, and triclosan. Besides being a carcinogen, dish soap is linked to liver abnormalities, kidney disease, and neurotoxicity. It is a skin irritant, can trigger allergic reactions, and can effect estrogen and testosterone levels. Let’s DITCH that and SWITCH to Young Living’s Thieves Dish Soap and Dishwasher Powder. These products are made with all plant-based ingredients and scented with beautiful essential oils.  It’s a fantastic way to get your dishes clean and keep the toxins out!

Now, I don’t know about you, but we try to buy all organic fruits and vegetables. However, I know there are many who just can’t afford that or may not even have those options where they live. Thieves Fruit & Veggie Wash is a great way to get all the junk off of your produce without the nasty chemicals of other washes. It comes in a 16 oz concentrate or a 2 oz spray to use on-the-go!

We’ve already talked about Thieves Household Cleaner – this is great for cleaning your counters. I just spray it on and wipe them down. No more nasty germs on the kitchen counter. If you prefer the convenience of ready-made wipes that are already infused with the power of Thieves, then you may appreciate the Thieves Wipes.

I also use Thieves Household Cleaner to clean my floors – it doesn’t matter if they’re hardwood, tile, or concrete. This way I can be confident that those surfaces are safe for my children. I even use Thieves Household Cleaner for bigger jobs, like the oven. I use a more concentrated version and it works wonders!

Let’s finally look at the bathroom. We use so many products in here – from bath and body products to toothpaste to cleaning products to makeup – this room can be the source of many toxic exposures throughout the day. We don’t have time to address all of them, so I’m going to address some of the bigger, more obvious ones like hand washing. We all know that this is one of the most important tasks in staying healthy, and I don’t know about you but this is something that I have to constantly reinforce with my children. Because it’s something that is done so often, it’s really important that we DITCH those hand soaps with toxic ingredients – this includes hand sanitizers! – and SWITCH to safer choices.

We like to use Young Living’s Thieves Foaming Hand Soap and Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier. Instead of the toxic anti-bacterial ingredients you’ll find in commercial products, you can be using natural, plant-based ingredients which cleans and refreshes your skin. If you’re a DIYer, you can very quickly make your own Foaming Hand Soap using some castille soap, water and a few drops of Thieves essential oil. My children actually do this – and love it.

Oral care is another area, which is so important, first because of how often we do it, and secondly because our mouths are incredibly vascular and are created to absorb whatever they come in contact with. When we are brushing our teeth, and even more importantly when our children are brushing their teeth, we want to make sure that our toothpaste is not labelled as poison. It’s shocking to me what is in our toothpastes, even the ones that are known to be natural are full of artificial fragrances, flavors and dyes. This is one of the first things I switched over in my home. We now use Thieves AromaBright toothpaste for the adults and the children have their own KidScents Slique Toothpaste, which are both safe and effective options. My children absolutely LOVE the taste of this toothpaste, and I don’t have to worry about the swallowing it – in fact this blend of ingredients and essential oils can actually be beneficial for them!

Bath and beauty products found in our bathrooms are packed with chemicals that we are slathering on our bodies. Yes, our skin absorbs these toxins, putting us at risk for skin irritation, respiratory compromise and endocrine disruption to name just a few concerns. The good news is that Young Living has a high quality, natural alternative for almost everything! Many bath products can be replaced with Young Living’s shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, bar and liquid soap, lotions and deodorants. Each of these products is infused with Young Living’s powerful essential oils, bringing their benefits to you as you use the product.

I also want to mention skin care products and makeup, since these are also things that many of us are applying to our skin on a daily basis. Both of these can be incredibly toxic, causing long term damage to our skin and body systems. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent a lot of money on high end skin care lines and makeup. I can tell you, I have NEVER seen the results that I have seen with Young Living. I use the ART Skin Care Line, and Young Living’s new Savvy Minerals makeup line, which I absolutely love.

Overwhelmed yet? I know this is a lot of information to be thrown at you at once, but like I said, I want to make this easy for you. We’ve done the research, we’ve found the safe alternatives and we’ve done the testing – so now we are offering what we’ve learned to you! Now, if you are already a wholesale member with Young Living, you already have access to purchase all of the products we talked about tonight with your wholesale discount. How awesome is that?! The easiest and most cost-effective route to get started detoxing your home (this is the route that I took, and I highly recommend it) is to get the Thieves Essential Rewards Kit. You’ll have to be a Wholesale Member with Young Living and you must be on the Essential Rewards Program to take advantage of the discount with this. To help you find it in your Virtual Office, the item number is 3697. With this kit, you get everything pictured in this slide:

• A 15 ml bottle Thieves essential oil blend
• A tube of Thieves AromaBright Toothpaste
• 2 bottles of Thieves Household Cleaner,
• Thieves Mouthwash
• 2 bottles of Thieves Foaming Hand Soap
• 2 bottles of Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier and
• 2 bottles of Thieves Spray

If you ARE NOT a wholesale member, no worries, we can help you too! You can actually become a Young Living wholesale member with the purchase of this kit. Click HERE to get started as a Wholesale Member. As a member, there are NO minimum purchases, NO requirements to sell anything, honestly NO strings attached – AND you’ll get 24% of all of your purchases for life. So, it’s kind of a big deal.

We wish you much health and happiness as you pursue your own toxin-free home!