(Post 015)
What is Toxic Load & Why a Non-Toxic Home Matters
Prevention / 12•07•23
Working in the beauty industry, I first started to learn about clean beauty years ago. It quickly became apparent to me how many toxic ingredients are hiding in the products we use every day and this made me think about how these products can have an effect on our health.
And it’s not just beauty products – there are harmful ingredients found in personal care products like toothpaste and deodorant, liquids that come in aerosol cans like spray sunscreen and bug spray (which also often contains DEET). Even household cleaners ranging from drain cleaners to laundry detergent and air fresheners all have chemicals that can alter the way our cells normally function. This gave me flashbacks to when I was growing up and our chihuahua Peanut would mark his “territory”, so there went my mom dousing the floor with Pinol and Clorox. Seriously mortified at the realization that it’s no wonder I had severe asthma and allergies . But hey, it was the 90’s and we had no idea!
Today it’s a different story, we know now that toxic substances can also “be found in building materials, cookware, cleaning products, shower curtains, furniture, carpet, and other common items,” warns the National Institutes of Health. These other common items can include produce and other non-organic food items. I’ve become super passionate about this topic and I truly believe each of us has to be our own advocate when it comes to what products we are consuming.
So, how do these products harm our health? Well, depending on their form and use, the chemicals might be absorbed into our skin, inhaled into our lungs, or ingested and processed by our digestive tracts. They might evaporate into the air or collect with the dust particles that settle around our homes.
From there, some chemicals trigger an immediate reaction, like a rash or an asthma attack, but others accumulate in the body over time. So when things like secondhand smoke, pollution, toxins from household cleaners, makeup products, mold, pesticides from food and PFAS’s in water - start to accumulate over years and years there is something that occurs that's what’s collectively known as toxic load, and that’s when things start to get dicey.
Our bodies have an amazing built-in detoxification system that includes the kidneys, the lungs, the skin (the body’s largest organ!), the lymphatic system, and the digestive tract. But there’s no doubt as to which organ wins MVP of the detox team: The liver. “Anything that is eaten or consumed, whether it’s food, alcohol, medicine or toxins, gets filtered by the liver. Once we ingest food, it’s digested by the stomach and intestine, gets absorbed into the blood and goes to the liver,” explains Dr. Hellan Kwon, a clinical assistant professor of hepatology.
The liver is VERY good at performing a lot of functions – over 500 of them! – but alas, it’s not invincible. If it can’t keep up with the toxic load, its efficiency can be impacted and symptoms like fatigue, breakouts, slowed digestion and bloating, insomnia, and brain fog can result.
One of the key functions the liver performs is the secretion of hormones involved in the stimulation and regulation of processes throughout the body. Certain chemicals, known as “endocrine disruptors,” can interfere with this crucial function. In a study conducted at George Washington University, environmental and public health expert Dr. Ami Zota and her team identified several different chemicals belonging to the endocrine disruptor group in samples of household dust.
As you may have guessed, endocrine disruptors interfere with the mechanics of the endocrine system. They mimic hormones naturally produced by the body, or inhibit the production of them. This can lead to health consequences, like the loss of fertility, the development of cancer, and impaired nervous, immune, and respiratory system function.
Clearly, these chemicals are substances to avoid. But realizing how many different household products we use in a month (or a week, or even a day!) and considering how much potential there is to interact with chemicals can get overwhelming very quickly. NOW LET’S GET NERDY. If the concept of clean beauty, personal care, and household products is new to you, the best way to start detoxifying your home and minimizing your exposure to harmful chemicals is by eliminating products that contain these culprits:
1. Phthalates
These endocrine disruptors often found in scented products can be hard to avoid because they’re not always clearly labeled on the products that contain them. They might be denoted as an abbreviation like BBP, DBP, or DEP, or they might just be lumped in under the general ingredient “fragrance.” The best strategy? Opt for fragrance-free products wherever possible, and keep an eye out for ingredients like “dibutyl phthalate” even in places you wouldn’t expect to find them – like hair spray and nail polish. Side note, there is a lot of innovation in the fragrance space so some brands are coming out with clean fragrances and disclosing what those are on their labels.
2. Triclosan and triclocarban
While it’s been banned in soaps by the FDA, triclosan can still be found in products like dishwashing detergent, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, certain face washes, and deodorant. A strong antibacterial agent, it can actually have the adverse effect of encouraging the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. Triclosan is also a suspected carcinogen.
3. Quats
Short for Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, quats are also antibacterial agents commonly found in fabric softeners and “antibacterial” household cleaning products. The good news is, there’s an easy DIY workaround: use white vinegar in place of fabric softener when you do laundry.
4. Parabens
While it’s pretty common knowledge that parabens are substances to avoid, they’re still pretty common ingredients due to their use as preservatives in a wide range of beauty and household products. Check ingredient lists for propylparaben and butylparaben, or look for products labeled “paraben-free.”
5. BHA and BHT
Also preservatives, BHA and BHT can be found in personal care products like lip balm, sunscreen, and deodorant, as well as food. They are recognized endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens.
6. Oxybenzone
Oooo this one is a big one for me. A common sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone allows the absorption of UVA and UVB rays into the skin where they are dispersed as heat. It might protect the cells and DNA beneath the skin from harmful radiation, but oxybenzone itself interferes with hormones and has actually been banned from use in some popular vacation destinations because it damages coral reefs and other sealife.
7. Formaldehyde
If you thought formaldehyde was only found in embalming fluid, think again. This pungent gas is used to prolong the shelf life of cosmetics and some food products. There are also several chemicals that release formaldehyde, and the FDA estimates that 1 in 5 cosmetic products contains one of them. The EWG recommends being on the lookout for the following ingredients:
◦ DMDM hydantoin
◦ Imidazolidinyl urea
◦ Diazolidinyl urea
◦ Quaternium-15
◦ Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)
◦ 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
◦ Hydroxymethylglycinate
Ok that was a lot but, no stress. If you're worried about how many toxic chemicals might be lurking in your home, take a step back and start evaluating how you can slowly swap out your go-tos for greener, cleaner products. If you can’t do a complete overhaul at one time, a good tip that I like to do is on products that are already running out and need replacing anyway.
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/12/making-healthier-home
https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/what-does-the-liver-do
https://us.thebeautychef.com/blogs/blog/5-ways-to-reduce-your-toxic-load-at-home
https://phase-iv.com/detoxification-101-14-symptoms-of-toxic-buildup-in-the-body/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128138144000183
https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/edcs
https://www.ewg.org/the-toxic-twelve-chemicals-and-contaminants-in-cosmetics
https://thegoodfaceproject.com/articles/toxic-ingredients-to-avoid-in-cosmetics
https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/toxic-skincare-ingredients-to-avoid/
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html
