Stop Toxic Shock – Change or Make Your Own Personal Care Products

It can be easy to put creams and deodorants on our skins and forget that these may be creating health issues in our bodies. These can range from eczema, dermatitis, rashes and hives, through to hormonal disruption, chemical sensitivities, neurodegenerative disorders and even cancer. Whilst we are eating well and exercising to look after ourselves we can be unaware of the health issues being created by the insidious absorption of chemicals through the skin.

Potentially harmful ingredients contained in some skin and personal care products are:

  • Petrochemicals
  • Mineral oils
  • Sodium lauryl sulphate
  • Propolene glycol
  • Fluoride
  • Formaldehyde

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) state that personal care products do not list formaldehyde as being included, but will present it as a ‘preservative system’ which uses one or several chemicals called ‘formaldehyde releasers’ to prolong a product’s shelf life. They can be presented as any of the following chemicals:

  • DMDM hydantoin
  • Imidazolidinyl urea
  • Diazolidinyl urea
  • Quaternium-15
  • Hydroxymethylglycinate
  • Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)
  • 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane

It is in our interest to choose quality products for our bodies which use natural and ethical ingredients, not those made with synthetic ingredients. I also believe we should consider not using products that contain animal parts or have been tested on animals, but this of course is personal choice/philosophy.

The benefits of pure ingredients have been shown to have higher levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals and these are particularly important as they help to stop free radical damage to the skin. Many ‘natural’ products are advertised as organic but it is still important to check the labels as this labelling may mean there is one organic product contained in the product alongside other harmful products.

There are many natural moisturisers, shampoo and conditioners, deodorants and toothpastes on the market that are safe to use or, if you feel inclined, you can make your own! Facial moisturisers and shampoos perhaps require special effort to make but below are some easy recipes for make at home deodorant and toothpaste.

It is important to use only aluminium free baking soda as otherwise this render your product almost as harmful as a non-natural bought one. Aluminium blocks the pores of the skin and prevents the release of toxins from the lymph, thereby preventing the release of toxins from the body.

My Favourite Natural Deodorant/Toothpaste Recipes!

Coconut Oil Deodorant
1/2 cup of aluminium free baking soda
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon of tea tree oil or your favourite pure aromatherapy oil

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl and either use directly or place in a dispenser for later use.

Colloidal Silver Deodorant
1/2 cup of colloidal silver
3 drops of your favourite aromatherapy oil.

Mix the ingredients together and wipe under arms to apply.

and the easiest one!

Fresh Lime Deodorant
1 fresh lime

Cut lime in half and use for three days. Store it in the fridge and label the start date. This works very nicely!

Most brands of toothpaste contain fluoride (which is linked to thyroid damage) and sodium laurel sulphate, and even some ‘natural’ ones with have either one or other of these chemicals. This is a good one to make at home with amounts of stevia and essential oils added to taste so play around with the quantities to find a balance that suits you.

Natural Toothpaste

About 1/2 cup of coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons of aluminium free baking soda
2 drops of stevia liquid or 1 teapoon of stevia powder
5 drops of peppermint or cinnamon essential oil
5 drops of grapefruit seed extract (optional – this is highly anti-bacterial but bitter to taste)

  • Soften coconut oil.
  • Mix in other ingredients and stir well.
  • If using semi-hard coconut oil use a fork to mix, rather than a spoon.
  • Place mixture into a mall glass jar – you can make a different one for each member of the family if you wish.
  • Let cool completely.

    • To Use: dip toothbrush in and scrape a small amount on the bristles of the brush or you can put it on with a spoon.

    If you have any other personal care home recipes I would love to hear about them from you.