I reflect back on my twenties with a bathroom cabinet of Nivea creams, various designer fragrances, Dior make up, Dove deodorant, John Freida hair mousse and volume sprays… the list goes on.

What I didn’t realise was what was actually in these products and how detrimental they were to my body.

In fact, here is a list of the most toxic chemicals in beauty and personal care products:

• Toluene (or benzene, toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene): respiratory system, nausea and irritation of the skin, immune system toxicity. Toluene vapors may cause developmental damage in the fetus of pregnant mama’s. Found in nail polish, nail treatments and hair color/bleaching products (avoid having your nails done or hair coloured when pregnant or in the first 6 weeks with your newborn if breast feeding).

• Parabens: hormone disrupter, estrogen-mimicking properties, increased risk of breast cancer. Found in makeup, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. You can also find them in food and pharmaceutical products.

• Fragrance: the most terrifying and deceiving ingredient of all, a concoction that contains 3000+ chemicals that are hazardous to your health – allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and infertility. Found in perfume, cologne, conditioner, shampoo, body wash and moisturizers.

• Phthalates: dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. Known endocrine disruptors and linked to increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Unfortunately, phthalates are not disclosed in every product as they can be added to fragrance. One of the any major loopholes in labelling laws. Found in deodorants, perfumes/colognes, hair sprays and moisturizers.

• Tricolson: Known endocrine disruptor (especially thyroid and reproductive hormones). Found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps and deodorants.

• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES): A carcinogen (cancer causing), kidney and respiratory damage. Found in shampoo, body wash/cleanser, mascara and acne treatment.

• Formaldehyde: A carcinogen (cancer causing), immune system toxicity, Found in nail polish, body washes, conditioners, shampoos, cleansers, eye shadows, nail polish treatments.

If you’re new here you may not yet have read a defining life moment that involved the bathroom floor, a garbage bag, iphone and google.

This is when I individually searched every ingredient on the labels of my bathroom products and proceeded to throw out every-single-one – except what I needed (shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, toothpaste and deodorant), until I could do the research to replace these basics.

That was 10 years ago and thankfully you do not need to spend 4 hours sitting on the bathroom floor due to apps like Think Dirty and EWG which allow you to quickly search toxic ingredients.

But it gets even better for the modern time-poor mumma!

What’s easier than getting to your local health store and reading all the labels of each product, with google in hand, to ensure it’s clean?

Having someone do it for you…

Which is why I am in LOVE with ‘The Wellness Edit’ by Inner Origin.

Because I am that girl who receives allll the text messages from my friends with pics of their labels asking if the ingredients are safe. I research, send back pub med studies, EWG snapshots and other articles that have me replying ‘hey girl! nup. it’s cancer causing… throw it out!’.

Now I send them to The Wellness Edit where a Product Advisory Board have already pre-approved and pre-vetted 100+ Australian brands which have passed strict criteria that they are in fact natural, clean and ‘truth on label’ (aka no hidden nasties).

(FYI did you know that not every apparent ‘clean’ product is actually non-toxic? Labelling laws allow a myriad of toxic chemicals that do not need to be disclosed and marketing terms like ‘paraban free, natural, organic etc’ are misleading not to mention the most toxic concoction of up to 3000 chemicals alone being ‘fragrance’. This is the ugly side of the beauty and personal care industry).

You see.

I first replaced my basics because these were the products that I used every day:

• Cleanser + Moisturiser

• Shampoo + Conditioner

• Toothpaste

Over time I slowly upgraded to other clean beauty and personal care items including oils, natural perfume and hair products.

You can do what I did and bin your entire bathroom cupboard.

I just wasn’t willing to load my body with products that included ingredients known to cause cancer, infertility, hormonal imbalances and more…

Or you can swap out your products as your budget allows.

Although I do recommend you clean up your basics immediately as it’s these products you are using daily.

Shop my Clean Everyday Basics on The Wellness Edit below and enjoy a daily routine that is nourishing to your body without the harmful effects of mainstream products.

I am deeply passionate about redefining wellness in our homes and educating women on the negative affects hidden toxins have on their body.

Please don’t wait until you get sick (like I did), before you pay attention to what you put on your skin every day.

D xx

PS: If you have any questions or would like help shopping the edit on Inner Origin, please message me via messenger on this page or contact me here.

PPS: Want to know what’s in the ‘fragrance’ of your perfume and personal care products? This one word alone can be made up of thousands of chemicals. Just go here: https://www.womensvoices.org/2015/12/10/toxic-chemicals-found-in-fragrance/

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SHOP ‘THE WELLNESS EDIT’ FOR YOUR EVERY DAY BASICS

I’ve curated this edit of clean everyday essentials to help you make the switch to cleaner products including Cleanser, Day Cream, Shampoo, Conditioner, Toothpaste and Deodorant.

Use these or find your own on The Wellness Edit online shop by Inner Origin.

(click on each product to view then add to cart – open your FREE customer account to shop the edit or get in touch and I’ll help you)

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DOCUMENTARY

TOXIC BEAUTY

Each morning we spritz and slather ourselves in over 100 different chemicals – yet the cosmetics and personal care industry in North America is not required to prove an ingredient is safe for human health before it is on the shelves. So when we run a bath, lather cream for a shave, carefully apply our makeup or deodorise our underarms, we could be exposing our bodies to myriad toxic chemicals. Hormonal disruption in baby boys, developmental delays, ADHD, low sperm count in men – the cosmetic industry isn’t pretty. Toxic Beauty is a documentary feature that follows the class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and the plaintiffs; women fighting for justice in a race against time.

Pour yourself a glass of vino or a hot cuppa and enjoy this valuable documentary.

VIEW HERE: https://geni.us/ToxicBeauty

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