A few months ago, I shared my journey with essential oils. A lot has changed since that post. I originally started moving toward a non-toxic lifestyle to support my emotions. Since then, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Because of my diagnosis, I have started to view my health differently. I am doing everything I can to support my health and part of that has been to fully commit to non-toxic living.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I still go to my doctor and take medicines, but after research, there are so many things in our home that have unintended consequences. 

When I started this journey, it was extremely overwhelming. I started scanning products in my home with the EWG app, and basically everything had a high score. I want to stress this to you: small changes make a huge difference. Don’t make the mistake of trying to change everything at once. I did this at first, and I ended up not sticking with it.

In December, I decided to start being more intentional about this non-toxic journey, and I started with small steps. Now, seven months later, I am getting better sleep, I have better emotional support, and our home is a much safer environment. 

Why I chose to live a non-toxic life

So back to why I am choosing to live a non-toxic life. After doing research, I learned that many of the chemicals in our everyday products such as fragrance, sulfate, and phthalates, may have unintended health consequences. There is not enough safety research done on these chemicals to see how they will affect us down the road, but there have been correlations found between many chemicals used and health consequences such as cancer, hormonal imbalances, infertility, autoimmune diseases, and more. 

As a result of this, the European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals used in our everyday products. The FDA has banned under 100. After learning this, I realized that we need to be proactive about our health and be our own advocate. 

I started this non-toxic health journey before I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, but after my diagnosis, I decided to be more aggressive. I re-committed to a non-toxic life, started taking small steps towards supporting different areas of my health, and I re-examined everything in my home. There is nothing I can do about my autoimmune disease, but I can make these swaps in my life to support my body and to try to prevent other health issues. 

Results of my non-toxic journey

When I started making the switch, I thought that it would be a huge sacrifice. I mean I gave up candles, I stopped using basically every household cleaner sold at Target (yes, Mrs. Meyers is toxic too), and I switched all my beauty products. Even after all of that, I gained so much more. All the products I use now are higher quality, they last longer, and I have actually saved money. Most importantly, I don’t have to worry about my products harming my health. I’ve even seen some amazing changes in our health. For example: 

• I have had less headaches 
• My anxiety levels dropped drastically (I have an anxiety disorder, so this one is huge) 
• My scarring and redness from previous acne is greatly improved 
• Grayson’s eczema has improved and basically disappeared 

First steps to living a non-toxic life

Now this is just our story. I don’t want anyone to feel guilty for the products they use. Again, baby steps are key. I have been on this journey for about a year and a half, and there are still products that I have not swapped over yet. I want to encourage you to become more aware of what is in your products and research the potential consequences of these chemicals. 

As a first step in your non-toxic journey, download the EWG app and scan the products in your home. Make note of the scores of your products, and think about one thing you can switch today. If you are ready to start your non-toxic journey, I would love to talk to you! Just shoot me a dm on Instagram, and then click here to learn more about the starting steps to a non-toxic life.