5 Easy Ways to Remove Harmful Chemicals from Your Home!

5 easy ways to detox your home!

I decided it was time to share more about the natural living lifestyle in a new way because Young Living is more than just essential oils. Originally I taught folks how to use the Premium Starter Kit by making sugar scrubs, bath salts, rollers, and other homemade items. With this method, however, I am concerned that I am not sharing enough of the "why", as in why do I even use Young Living. Of course, I still use my original bath salts recipe at least once a week, but there is more to the Young Living lineup than just bath salts.

Further, I have rollers in at least one pocket of every bag. This guarantees that I never leave the house without at least one roller. My overarching concern for new oilers is simply sending them on their way with a roller and not providing sufficient education on the myriad of uses for their oils. That ends today! Today, I am sharing about how simple it is to get started with essential oils by simply switching a few items that are already in your home. 

These 5 recipes also made me think about offering education that actually show people how to use their essential oils as products that they already use in there home. By using these recipes at a workshop in the future, my goal is to help friends actually see themselves ditching traditional products and switching them with Young Living products.

When I got my starter kit I honestly had no idea about any chemical in my home. I simply bought the Premium Start Kit because my sister told me that I would like using essential oils. About six months into using essential oils I attended a workshop hosted my an upline leader to learn more about how to use my Premium Starter Kit.  The class taught me a lot more then just how to use my essential oils! I remember how mortified I was the moment she started talking about hidden chemicals in the home. Everything from my personal care products, cleaning products, to my body sprays. Ah, I was disgusted from the facts! Twenty-five years of my life lathering up chemicals, upon chemicals on my skin and inputting them into the air. I mean, what more did I need to start making small changes with tools I already had? I needed nothing else, I was in, hook, line and sinker. I was on board with Young Living because of the integrity and products offered to members. 

Since then, I am so motivated to make this the best life possible and take care of myself and the people I love.  I love continuously learning more about health and wellness and I have a passion to share what I find along the way so that this information can be spread. 

I know it can be overwhelming to get a starter kit and not know what to do with all your essential oils, so we are going to dive into some easy ways to help you get your oils out of the box and use them everyday!

All it takes is trying, take out your kit and use your oils. Your investment of the Young Living Starter Premium Starter Kit was worth it because nothing feels better than good health! 

Why read this post:

• Reason number one: First learn five reasons why I use Young Living Essential Oils. 
• Reason number two: Learn five recipes below that are so easy to make and they will transform your home from a chemically filled home to a clean home in a few short minutes. Everyone can make these and start to feel good about what they are putting on their skin. 
• Reason number three: I know a lot of people who love their essential oils and want to share with the ones they love too. Once you see value in taking care of your health and how simple it is to use Young Living, you can’t keep this lifestyle a secret. You want to help everyone around you see why Young Living instead of traditional living.  So this blog post will help you if you are looking for ways to share your love for Young Living with friends and family who maybe aren't that into essential oils, yet! It doesn’t have to be hard to share with friends. Simply invite your friends over and share these recipes to host your very own workshop!

We totally bought in to the Young Living lifestyle and completely upgraded our home in the last three years, and here's why:

Before we jump into the natural living recipes below, here are five reasons that I want you to leave my blog understanding.  

By understanding these five things, we have found our ‘why’ to embracing the Young Living Lifestyle and took things into our own hands to ditch our old products by slowly switching to Young Living.  Trust me, these five things are worth a read and might just lite a fire in you! From experience, knowing this information started the momentum that we needed in our life to start really considering our everyday choices and the impact they have on our wellness. Now, here we are sharing with everyone! We are never going back. Know better, do better is what they say.

We are the gatekeepers of our homes and I am here to help you see that you have a choice. We have some control over our health and wellness, it starts with your choices. We have the ability to choose what products we introduce to our families and loved one. Unfortunately many products, even the "natural" ones, (we will get to this in a little bit) at the grocery store, are filled with hidden toxins that are literally poisonous and harmful to how our body works.

1. The first step in transforming to a natural home is knowledge. Knowledge is power!  

Use resources to learn about products, ingredients, and chemicals so you can make the decisions for your health and wellness for your family and loved ones. Instead of purchasing things without knowing what’s in them, make informed decisions with your health in mind. 

Environmental Working Group is a great place to review information about your products, they even have a great post that will help you decode labels to understand the meaning of words found on labels at the store such as organic, natural, active ingredients, Green Seal/ EcoLogo, Fragrance, Scent, Free& Clear, Plant-Based, Non-Toxic, Phosphate-Free, and Volatile Organic Compounds. I found this information really helpful for understanding Green washing too, which is coming up here soon. 

2. Avoid the ultimate ‘F’ word, FRAGRANCE.

I have become aware that many products contain the listed ingredient 'fragrance' as simply a broad term category that hides hundreds of toxic chemicals behind that word itself. It’s found in virtually everything scented. When you see ‘fragrance’ on a label of air fresheners, personal care products, or cleaning products, just read it as ‘hidden chemicals.’ This is a major labeling loophole that allows manufacturers to include nearly any ingredient, yes even toxic ones, in their products under the name ‘fragrance’ without actually listing the chemical! I used to wear lots of perfume and body spray, I am completely disgusted that I used those things for years, but grateful  and I am thankful that I know better now. EWG reported some information after looking into hidden chemicals in cologne and perfume. 

3. Don't be fooled by labels, read the ingredients:

When looking into products, I found that there are a lot of ingredients that can be harmful to my body, here are just a few I choose to avoid, the list could go on and on.   

• Fragrance, which can be a number of things but also includes formaldehyde, the number one cancer causing chemical. Why would I want to willingly expose myself to this? Some of the other ingredients below could also be hidden in the word fragrance as the catch all term! Here are a few resources from EWG, this video explains which toxins are found in fragrance and here is information on formaldehyde.  
• Phthalates, endocrine disruptors which means they causes hormonal changes, phthalates can also signal cells to to die  and causes other irregularities. Here's information that the CDC released. 
• Sodium laureth sulfate, some of you may see this as SLS on a label, its a toxic chemical used as an emulsifying cleaning agent in household cleaning products, but used to remove car grease off of garage floors, its found in other products  like laundry detergent too! SLS may be damaging to the skin, as well as disruptive to immune health and hormonal health. The National Library of Medicine published information in 2015. 
• Benzene, chemical that may cause cancer could be found in personal care products and even food or drinks. Type in Benzene to EWG, review benzene under what causes cancer at Cancer.org, and read more under the National Library of Medicine.  
• Parabens, a popular preservative in personal care products and are linked to breast cancer, hormone disruption, and fertility. Read more information at the National Library of Medicine. 
• Petroleum is found in baby lotion, lipstick, shampoos and is linked to cancer, hormone disruption and skin irritation.
• Glycol Ethers are common in most cleaning products and may cause health problems.

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Another thing to be aware of is that many of these chemicals can be listed as other synonym names on labels.

From American Cancer Society, Formaldehyde can be listed on a product label by other names, such as: Formalin, Formic aldehyde, Methanediol, Methanal, Methyl aldehyde, Methylene glycol, Methylene oxide. Other used preservatives that may be used, for example benzylhemiformal may even release formaldehyde too. 

Parabens may be seen on labels using synonyms: Methyl, Ethyl, Proply, and Butyl. 

4. Greenwashing
This is a big one to really understand, its about learning how to read labels and ingredients. Since the idea of natural living is catching on and a large majority of us are all "looking" for cleaner products, companies have started to use catchy consumer techniques. Adding words like “natural” or “organic”  to packaging to make consumers think they are making the right purchase but really these things could still be filled with harmful ingredients.

Remember, if you look at the list of ingredients and fragrance, that could mean a whole list of other chemicals. Since we are looking for products without these chemicals, what’s even scarier to know, is some of the most popular “organic” products can still contain some the ingredients above that I try to avoid.  Many chemicals even are listed with alternative names.

Even if you think you’re making a better decision about going organic or natural instead of conventional, there are still ways that your product is actually highly toxic. Since some of these chemical ingredients are actually found naturally in the environment it allows companies to put natural ingredients on the label or market it as natural. Scary huh. Again, go back through Environmental Working Group where they break down the words and what they would could possibly mean. When you visit the Environmental Working Group,  you can even plug in the ingredients of your products or even type the name of the product in the product search and see how high it is rated in toxicity.

Also, our friend google makes things so easy. You can find anything your looking for, simply type in the ingredients and look at the risks. If you look for things, you can find a lot of information. Back in 2016, the results shocked me and I ended up throwing a lot of my old products in the trash because they do not belong on my skin.  Some things are just better off in the trash. 


5. Realizing the impacts and consider bioaccumulation in the body:

Bioccumulation which is known as the process in which our bodies accumulate toxins faster than they can eliminate them.

Many chemicals are deemed safe in small quantities or for single uses, but can be very harmful to our bodies over time and with consistent use. Think about all the personal care products, the food we eat, and cleaning products, for years and years, just filling our body up with harmful chemicals creating a whole body burden.  The reason why I am on this wellness journey is about removing these harmful things from our lifestyle, learning how to support my by instead of wear it down.

We may not be able to completely remove everything but we can remove a lot of them by simple choices. These toxic chemicals break our immune system, endocrine system, and those two things alone alter our whole body functions. Hormones are our chemical messengers that influence things such as mood and even fertility, but balanced hormones and cells affect our overall health,  from heart rate, to metabolism, to mental and emotional wellness, to sleep quality.  Hormones are the communication to our cells throughout our body and if they are disrupted, it can negatively affect every system in our body!

EWG reported facts about Endocrine Disruptors, which is worth a read for better understanding. 

While trying to remove the negative toxins in our life, I think its also important to mention I put a lot of focus on positive lifestyle choices too. People such as Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains how eating well, exercising, and sleep habits are just as important as removing chemicals.  These things help only help our body stay well through improving how the physiology of cells, hormones, organs and all body systems work together. Her educational podcasts have really helped learn how to optimize my body and make big changes, checked out her podcast it’s worth a listen! 
 

After reading through, why we switched to Young Living it's time for you to build a clean home too:

Now that I personally know about all the toxic ingredients found everywhere in the traditional products we used in our home, we only use Young Living. It didn't happen overnight but every month,for the last three years we have been working toward doing better. I changed one or two products every month and now we have a chemical free home.

​It wasn’t hard to justify getting signed up for Essential Rewards to help me slowly ditch all the old crap that we used for ages and switching over to Young Living products. My community likes to call this “Transfer Buying”. It’s knowing that money we are spending already is now put to clean products, we simply don’t waste our money on harmful things anymore and we are fully invested in our health. Young Living has a replacement for almost everything you currently buy at the store, only a safer, higher quality version.  I do not worry at all about any of the chemical or the effects when using Young Living, which is a relief.  Transforming you home may sound scary but it all starts somewhere. These next 5 recipes will help you move in the right direction to a cleaner home!

Here are my top 5 all-natural household recipes to transform your home:

#1 - Household Cleaner

​A staple home cleaner for all demands!  Your Premium Starter Kit now comes with a sample of Thieves Household Cleaner or you can purchase the Thieves Premium Starter Kit, and if your already a member just order the Thieves household cleaner bottle which will last you a long time! We use this one bottle of cleaner for everything in our house for windows, the dog crate, all the tables, counters, bathroom things, and even furniture. If your wondering can you use thieves on wood or granite, yes!
​How to make Thieves Household Cleaner:
​16 ounce glass spray bottle
1 capful of thieves household cleaner concentrate
Fill the rest with water

Note: When giving samples to friends or hosting a make and take, I like to use these adorable 8 oz spray bottles for friends and family to try at home. When filling up smaller bottles I usually make a 16 ounce then pour the mixture into the smaller containers to get the correct measurements. Don't worry, if you do not have the Thieves Household Cleaner Concentrate yet, but your ready to make the switch or you're little more into the DIY, simply make your own cleaner with your essential oils from your Premium Starter Kit. I think it's important to note though, the Thieves Household Cleaner Concentrate is actually more cost effective than using all that thieve essential oil.

How to make homemade DIY Cleaner:
16 ounce glass spray bottle
Add some white vinegar
Fill the rest with water
Add about 20-40 drops of Thieves essential oil

#2 - Linen Spray
A great way to remove unnecessary fragrance from your house is creating this easy Linen spray or Room Spray. I like to keep these in every room to freshen up anything really, blankets, clothes, closets, and our laundry. We have linen sprays in a variety of glass bottles but most of the time I use these 2 ounce bottles.

Linen Spray:
In a 2 oz spray bottle
Add a little bit of Thayer's Witch Hazel and fill the rest with water
Add about 10-20 drops of essential oils
For my Linen Spray, I enjoy using oils such as: Lemon, Lavender, and Purification. 

# 3 - Using Wool Dryer Balls
One easy way to remove a whole bunch of chemicals is by ditching your traditional dryer sheets. Traditional dryer sheets are problematic if they contain fragrance and other chemicals because they are being heated up too. Using chemically filled laundry is the worst because most of the laundry is coming in contact with our skin, which absorbs everything. Remember our skin is the largest organ and chemicals exposed to our skin is found in our body very quickly.

To help avoid traditional dryer sheets, after we use Young Living Laundry Detergent, we put a few drops of our favorite essential oils on wool dryer balls instead. After a load of wash, put a few drops of your favorite essential oils on the wool dryer balls directly. Toss them into the dryer with the clothing to help absorb some water and freshen the laundry without all those chemicals.

You can use any of your favorite essential oils. I typically put essential oils such as Lemon, Lavender, Purification, Lemongrass, and Orange onto the wool dryer ball before tossing them into the dryer.

If your hosting a workshop, you can help your guest make linen spray and send them home with a wool dryer ball too.

# 4 - DIY Carpet Powder
Another super simple product is a DIY carpet powder. I love sprinkling this on the carpet before I vacuum the house. We use our carpet powder every time we vacuum. I sprinkle the powder on the carpet and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before vacuuming up, you could let it sit longer if you desire. To make this all natural carpet powder, all it take is getting some baking soda and essential oils, how easy is that!

We like to buy thislarge bag of baking soda so we always have some in stock. At home, I use a large mason jar and add some of my favorite essential oils like Thieves, Lemon, Purification, and Orange.

When hosting a workshop, would provide these small glass shaker jars and help guest make a small sample of DIY Carpet Powder. I would add about 20 drops of essential oils in the small jar. 

# 5- DIY Hand Soap or Thieves Hand Soap
One of the first things I got rid of in our house were the soaps, skin was my biggest issue and now I understand why! With this switch you have a few options.

First, the Thieves handsoap from Young Living. I love buying Thieves Hand soap directly from Young Living.  When you buy the hand soap you can buy it already packaged in a foaming hand pump and you can purchase a concentrate to refill the containers. I do all of the above.

Second option, making your own soap. With a few ingredients you can make all the soap you need in your house. I purchase these 8.5 ounce foaming pumps which I use at home and when sharing with others.  These 2 ounce foaming pumps are also great to have at any workshop or when traveling!  

To make you hand soap in any container always use the 1:2 ratio. Your soap concentrate will be about one part of the container and your water will be about 2 parts of the container. If you want your hand soap to be a little bit stronger just add more concentrate into the container of your choice. Simple as that.

If you do not have a Thieves Hand Soap Concentrate, you can also create your own using Doctor Bronner's Castile Soap, remember to buy the unscented option, and Premium Starter Kit essential oils. Again, one part of your container will the castile soap while two parts will be filled with water, then add essential oils.  In a 2 ounce container, I add about 6 drops of essential oils. 

I use Thieves Essential Oil when making hand soap and Lavender for facial soap or body soap.

Remember, the control is in your hands!

I hope you can see that these 5 recipes are a simple place to start something amazing. These all natural recipes can help you get rid a lot of chemical filled products that you are probably using in your home by switching to a cleaner version product. 

I love that these can all be created by using your Premium Starter Kit Essential Oils along with a few other affordable things.  I encourage you to do some reading, dig into the facts. Find out what's in the products that fill your home and make informed decisions about what you would want to use on your loved ones. The failing ratings on Environmental Working Group was enough for me to learn about this lifestyle, and never look back. We used these recipes to slowly transform our home to a chemical free home. 

If your looking for help on transforming your lifestyle or organizing a workshop to educate others, please reach out. I would be happy to help you directly. 

Until next time, enjoy!