Your home is your castle. Home is where most of us spend 80% of our time: eating, sleeping, relaxing, living, entertaining, growing… Home is also where your body is exposed to the most environmental pollution in the form of hundreds of different toxins and synthetic chemicals.
This may come as a surprise to you: surely air pollution and industrial pollutants in the environment are much more of a concern? The reality is that while air and other types of pollution can be harmful in some circumstances, we just don’t know how much our bodies are exposed to and it’s beyond our control. On the other hand, the presence of toxins in the home is something over which each and every one of us has maximum control. You choose each of the products that enter through the door of your house: cleaning products, bathroom products, cosmetics, air fresheners, toothpastes, detergents and soaps.
What you may not know is that each of these products contains a long list of ingredients, some of which have been shown to be harmful to human health, toxic, poisonous, carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, and irritating to skin and eyes, which can be directly linked to eczema symptoms. Many of these substances are also controversial or suspected of being harmful to health, but not yet fully proven.
The difference between outdoor pollution and the chemicals in your home is proximity. Rarely does anyone intentionally rub contaminants on their skin, inhale large amounts, or put them in their mouths. But at home you may be doing just that without knowing it. And this means that they can be much more damaging. The products you use in your home to keep it clean, to bathe, and to wash and moisturize your children contain a wide variety of synthetic chemicals, some of which are also used as industrial chemicals and pesticides.
Have you ever wondered why those harsh bathroom cleaners have to be disposed of in hazardous waste collection? Have you ever researched online the kind of chemicals used in regular laundry detergents or toothpastes? Me neither, but when a friend pointed this out to me and I started googling the ingredients in my household products, he surprised me.
Even the supposedly “green” dishwashing liquid she had chosen contained SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate, as its main ingredient. SLS is an industrial engine degreaser and garage floor cleaner linked to cancer in animals and/or humans, a proven skin and eye irritant, and a respiratory tract irritant. SLS also accumulates in organs and is toxic to aquatic organisms. If you check your labels, you’ll find SLS or its derivatives in many of your bath products: shampoos, bubble baths, shower gel, toothpaste… No wonder these types of products trigger your eczema!
When using these products at home, put them in your hair, on your body, in your mouth, they are absorbed through your skin and into your bloodstream. This could be far more harmful to your health than the air pollution you worry about outside, and SLS is just one example.
If you suffer from eczema, a home detox is essential for you. If you’re concerned about your health, removing all avoidable toxins from your life is one of the best preventative measures you can take. You have the power to choose the type of environment you want in your home. If you don’t know the ingredients in your household products are safe, then it’s time for a complete at-home detox.