GREENWASHING: When companies mislead consumers about health safety, and the environmental impact of their products.
Candy-colored bottles draw you in...clean, white labels and product names, too. They use marketing buzz words and seem eco-friendly, quirky, hipster and homemade...but that's just not the case.
In only 26 seconds the chemicals in your bath & beauty products or household cleaners enter your bloodstream through the skin. What are you washing your body with? What are you rubbing onto your babies' bodies? What are you all breathing in?
You'd be shocked at the number of harmful chemicals in the products lining stores that we breathe in and apply daily; literally hundreds of chemicals before breakfast alone. It's difficult to know how much damage these products are doing to our bodies. Even if we don't feel immediate reactions - headaches, nausea, rashes, etc. - we're not in the clear. Over days, weeks, and years of use these chemicals build up in our bodies and can trigger serious disease outcomes. And what toxins are our bodies passing on to our children before they're even born? What are we using on them as they grow?
Is it worth the risk?
First: Check more than the label.
Check the ingredients + use DuckDuckGo, searching "harmful effects of (ingredient name)." Below are just a few of the harmful ingredients in some popular products that market themselves as safe.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation, and endocrine disruption (hormones / thyroid / reproductive issues).
Benzisothiazolinone: eyes, skin, and lung irritation.
PEG-2 Cocomonium Chloride: evidence of cancer, developmental / endocrine / reproductive effects, damage to DNA.
Methylisothiazoline: possible neurotoxicity, nerve damage, lung toxicity, and allergic reactions.
Phenoxyethanol: eczema, life-threatening allergic reactions.
Fragrance: undisclosed chemical cocktails that could include anything, including arsenic, but don't have to be individually listed because they're "trade secrets." The negative health impact of "fragrance" is practically limitless.
Second: Know Your Company & Its Practices
What about products where the ingredients say they're plant-based? It could be all marketing lingo or - at best - include a tiny amount of natural or pure ingredients in the finished product just so they can make labeling claims to get you to buy their product.
Find out what kind of soil your company plants their crops in. Does it use any pesticides on those plants?
How do they process the plants - is it with solvents? Do they have any control over that process?
Most companies outsource their ingredients, getting them from farms or labs where they have no hand in the process. These farms use pesticides to have a larger harvest and the labs use things like solvents to get a higher ingredient yield and protect their bottom line - and these are toxic chemicals that you're then putting on and into your body! This goes for companies who claim to use "pure essential oils" as well - where do those come from and how are they processed?
Even ingredients with a name that seems natural doesn't mean it's actually derived from nature; synthetic ingredients made in a lab may be under the same scientific chemical constituent name (like limonene, for instance) and our bodies just don't do well with the synthetics.
We've all used products that aren't the best for us, but we can't let old habits dictate our future. Companies are smart with their marketing - but WE are smarter! We decide what products we buy and bring into our homes.
We are the gatekeepers.
Now that we know better, we can do better.
And it's so worth it. YOU are worth it!
Making better choices for our families isn't just about buying some essential oils. We can start by removing harmful chemicals lurking in our bathrooms, cabinets, and counter tops. This is easier than you think!
Why I Choose Young Living
We can replace everything we use in our home with truly safe products that are even more effective from a company we can actually trust. Not only can you call and get the answers to the questions you have about where the ingredients come from, but you can actually go and watch - and even participate in - the process for yourself.
You don't need to spend your Saturdays fighting crowds to pick up toothpaste, laundry soap, and window cleaner. What if you could skip driving around running errands? What would that be worth to you?
Get all of your favorite household products delivered right to your door with Young Living and spend that extra time enjoying family breakfast in your clean house!
If you don't already shop through Young Living, we're here to help you get set up. Talk to the person who shared this post with you to use their referral link - or - click here to use mine. With our exclusive resources and community, you're going to get lots of support.
If you're already a wholesale member, what are you doing to ditch the toxic chemicals this month? Are you taking advantage of the Young Living lifestyle and all the free products through Subscribe to Save + our Loyalty Rewards Program / Essential Rewards? This is a no-risk, fully customizable way to get the products you want while you earn cash back to buy future products for free, with discounted shipping right to your door. We'll even help you set up a plan that fits in your budget and meets your lifestyle goals. Super simple!
When you invest in your wellness, you're not alone - we're here to walk alongside you as we grow in wellness, purpose, and abundance. Together, we'll help you find answers to your questions and build lasting relationships along the way.
We're here to pay it forward. A friend helped empower us and now we're here to share what we've learned so you can make the best choices for you and your family, too!
Start by claiming your free guide, like 5 Steps to Healthy Living. You can also head over to learn more about why it's important for us all to become educated consumers.
