Studies show that women use an average of 12 products daily containing up to 168 different chemicals!
Men use fewer products but can still use up to 85 chemicals on their bodies and teens use around 17 products so are also exposed to an array of chemicals. It’s important to pay attention to this since many of these chemicals are toxic and can disrupt hormonal function.
Apart from the chemicals we apply to our bodies, we are also exposed to an array of household chemicals which are more toxic that previously thought.
Health and wellness are not isolated to diet and exercise, but also must incorporate the minimizing of exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals.
Here are some of the more obvious chemicals to be mindful of:
Perfumes:
Toxic chemicals such as benzaldehyde, camphor, ethyl acetate, benzyl acetate, linalool, acetone and methylene chloride are commonly found in fragrances and can contribute to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, throat, eye, skin and lung irritation as well as kidney damage and headaches.
Cleaning Products:
Many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates and chemical wetting agents. Natural products like baking soda, vinegar or lemon and hot water often work just as well without covering your home in toxic chemicals. With more awareness there are also many green cleaning products available to choose from.
Air Fresheners:
Excessive use of air fresheners in unventilated areas release toxic levels of pollutants such as ethylene-based glycol ethers and paradichlorobenzene. Using an air purifier with natural essential oils will be far more environmentally friendly without the toxic effect on your body. Essential oils can also be put in a spray bottle with purified water to provide a pleasant-smelling alternative.
Chemical free products are more readily available so where possible switch to these to reduce toxic exposure for yourself and to reduce the effect of toxins on the environment.
Listen to my interview with Brad Kirsten from Radio Cape Pulpit on 11 March 2021 to learn more.
Listen to my next interview on Thursday at 7.45am