We often spend a lot of time deciding whether something is safe or not for ourselves and our children. Is this something we are overdoing or not doing enough?
Being so caught up in making sure everything is safe can have a negative effect on us. But the truth is we are not spending enough time thinking about the things we are using. Is this okay? Should we just stop worrying about these things and accept the poison being shoved into our bodies? No.
We should be aware of everything we use without overdoing it. We cannot avoid everything but it is important to be as healthy as possible. Just what are the main things we should be aware of exactly? Well, to name a few we should be aware of the things we eat, the things we apply, and the things we take medicinally.
The Things We Eat
We should be getting plenty of fruit and veggies. When it comes to food we should do our best to eat organic GMO-free foods. We can achieve this by checking labels and looking into what companies own which brands. For instance companies like Monsanto (GMO central for those who are not aware) have products used in companies like Pringles, Pepsi, General Mills, and more. To see the full list please click here.
The Things We Apply
Now, when I say ‘the things we apply’ I mean makeup, lotion, sunscreen, and anything of that nature. These things come in tons of varieties and some are much better than others. When it comes to makeup I find that making my own actually works best. I have had success in making all natural homemade gel eyeliner, powder, and lipstick. The eyeliner is definitely my favorite as it works exactly like the kind I used before. I literally see no difference between the two!
Now, of course, you can make your own lotion and sunscreen as well but for most parents buying from a store is much easier. When you cannot make your own I strongly suggest looking at what brands are best before buying. Some brands are legitimately toxic death cream in a tube and should not be used. When it comes to lotion I honestly just use coconut oil by itself but if for some reason you’d rather go out and buy some here are the things you should check the ingredients list for.
If This Is On The Ingredients List DO NOT BUY:
- 1,4-Dioxane
- PEG
- Polyethylene glycol
- Oxynol
- Polyoxyethylene
- Parabens
- Methyl Paraben
- Propyl Paraben
- Ethyl Paraben
- Isobutyl Paraben
- Phthalates
- Dibutyl Phthalate
- Diethylhexyl Phthalate
- Diethyl Phthalate
- Dimethyl Phthalate
- Triclosan
- Toluene
- Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)
- SLS, ALS, & SLES
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate (ALS)
- Propylene Glycol
As for sunscreen, there are several brands you should avoid when it comes to protecting our children from the sun we don’t want to harm them in other ways in the process.There are several sunscreen brands that have at least three strikes against them. Just because they are convenient does not make them healthy. If you have any of these in your home please throw them out immediately.
Here are some of the brands to avoid according to EWG:
- Banana Boat Kids Max Protection & Play Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
- Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Stick, SPF 55
- Coppertone Sunscreen Lotion Kids SPF 70+
- CVS Baby Sunstick Sunscreen
- Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunscreen Spray SPF 70+
For the full list and specific products please click here.
The Things We Take Medicinally
Natural medicine is always king in my book. When it comes to healing myself I will always go with the holistic approach over seeing a doctor (unless seeing a doctor is needed, of course, it depends on the situation.) We have been gifted by mother nature with an endless amount of natural healthy alternatives to the chemical medicines of modern day. If you’re dealing with something like a cold, headache, anxiety, or even joint pain then doing something about it at home might save you a good bit of money. I am sure you all know by now doctors are not cheap and sadly not all doctors are out there to help people. There are natural remedies for everything. It really is amazing the things mother nature has provided for us. To learn how to deal with some of the most common ‘health issues’ via natural remedies please watch the videos below.
There are natural remedies for everything. It really is amazing the things mother nature has provided for us. To learn how to deal with some of the most common ‘health issues’ via natural remedies please watch the videos below.
(I am not saying that if you have a broken leg or heart disease that you should not see your doctor. By all means, if you are dealing with a serious issue and you need to see a doctor you will know. If I break my toe and it swells up to the size of a grapefruit I will damn sure be going to see a doctor myself. Sometimes it is unavoidable.)
At the end of the day as long as we are doing our bests our job is done. There are tons of things we can do to maintain our health without overstressing about whether we are healthy enough or not. Try to keep your stress to a minimum because let’s face it, your family needs you!