Clean Living: How to Stop Micro-Dosing Microtoxins
No matter how spotless you think your home is, it’s probably not very clean. Mostly because the majority of products you bring into the house are full of chemicals that aren’t as good as the labels claim. Those tried and true brands you grew up with are no longer good for you — the Tide detergent of today isn’t the same Tide of the 80s.
From the plastic water bottle you’re drinking out of to the laundry detergent you’re using, you are microdosing toxins every day. Over time, these polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAs or “forever chemicals,” compound to disrupt your endocrine system and cause severe damage to your brain and body.
Though never completely avoidable, making incremental product changes to eliminate invisible toxins from your environment can exponentially improve your health and leadership performance.
Ditch These Products
Whether you work from home or in the office, executives are spending too much time around harmful chemicals and toxins. A 2023 study measured the volatile organic compounds released by 30 cleaning products, reporting a potential decrease in emissions for “green” and fragrance-free products. Along with cleaning products like laundry detergent and Windex, your mattress, and the clothes you wear are likely filled with toxic dyes and formaldehyde — a cancer-causing chemical. So despite going above and beyond to make sure you’re always eating organic, these toxins are likely still impacting you. Cooking supplies are made of microplastics, and personal hygiene products like shampoo and make-up use chemicals that seep directly into your body. Unfortunately, it’s often that the more expensive and luxurious the brands, the worse they are for you. Your favorite perfume, cashmere sweater, scented candles, or even toothpaste could be the reason you’re experiencing debilitating brain fog, hormone imbalances, or inexplicable pain.
Start Small
Learning about these microscopic toxins can be overwhelming. Instead of trying to completely flip your entire lifestyle overnight, take it slow and start swapping one thing at a time. Every week, eliminate one dangerous product from your lifestyle and replace it with a cleaner, less damaging one. If you want to start with cleaning supplies, we recommend Branch Basics. Their mission is to help people create healthy homes, offering a range of products with simple ingredients. For personal hygiene products made from non-toxic ingredients, our go-to is Primally Pure. If the kitchen is your next stop, prioritize purchasing organic foods when possible before moving onto the rest of your kitchen. While there are still some pesticides used on organic products, they cannot include organophosphates which are known to cause chronic neurotoxicity. Another major area to tackle is plastic which is being directly inhaled or consumed via products like plastic storage bags, tupperware snd non-stick pans, or those green produce bags that sit in your fridge after the grocery store. One report from the Environmental Protection Agency found that over 14.5 million tons of plastic were used on packaging in 2018. The EPA said that microplastics have been reported in every ecosystem on the planet. Reducing the amount of plastic you purchase and switching to more sustainable alternatives can help make an immediate impact.
Stay Informed
Now that you’ve ditched your air fresheners and are reading the ingredient labels on your shampoo bottles, you may be wondering what to tackle next. After unlocking this awareness of your environment, it’s important to find brands that share your values instead of purchasing products that are clean one day and reformulated with toxins the next. We love leaning on the Environmental Working Group to stay informed about toxic chemicals and important changes you can make. Their consumer guides and research share actionable information that can help you on your journey to a reduced-toxin life. You can also look for MADE SAFE certified products. To achieve certification, companies must prioritize a clean supply chain and avoid over 6,500 substances that are considered prohibited or restricted by the company. By using the resources available, you can easily find products that work for your safety and functional needs.
This isn’t just a new trend — it’s a movement that’s demanding more from consumer packaged goods companies. Until they change, making small adjustments rather than aiming for perfection is the fastest way to promote a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.
