List Of Toxic Chemicals In Everyday Products
In a world fueled by innovation, we find ourselves surrounded by an array of new and convenient products. The allure of these advancements is undeniable, but amid our enthusiasm, concerns about their safety arise. While our country’s laws and regulations sometimes protect us and the environment, they often fall short. The pace of legislative changes is disappointingly sluggish, creating a gap through which potentially harmful chemicals find their way into our daily lives. As we navigate this landscape of progress, I believe it’s important to understand where we most often face these concerns.
I Read Labels For You was established to help you skip the toxins in consumer products as well as greenwashing marketing claims. In this blog post, my recommendations are backed by numerous scientific studies and years of dedicated mission-driven work. Over the years, I have learned that every family can learn to make safer choices, one step at a time. Given your regular purchases of household items each week, why not try clean household products to see if your health improves?
List Of Toxic Chemicals In Everyday Products
Have you ever experienced irritation or headaches after using a particular product? While some toxins cause obvious reactions, others can silently undermine our health and well-being without our knowledge. However, living in perpetual fear is not the solution. In this post, my goal is to empower you with insights into the various ways we encounter toxins. And provide practical guidance on how to reasonably minimize our exposure to them in our daily lives.
One eye-opening concept I learned is that regulatory bodies view chemicals as “innocent” until proven “guilty.” In other words, it’s not until a particular chemical or group of chemicals garners enough attention or concern that their safety becomes scrutinized. Even then, hundreds of studies, often over decades, are required for regulations to be put in place.
The good news is that there are organizations, companies, and bloggers who bring awareness to potentially toxic chemicals in everyday products and fight for their removal. In fact, Environmental Health Perspectives published a new study that identified 921 chemicals that increase the risk of breast cancer. Thus, our journey to a healthier home is a joint endeavor. As consumers demand cleaner products, companies often feel compelled to adjust to that demand. So, let’s keep up the good work!
In this blog post, we will delve into six common areas where toxins infiltrate our homes and provide straightforward tips to minimize their presence. It’s pivotal to recognize that sustainable change often requires incremental steps.
A practical approach often involves gradually substituting toxic products with non-toxic alternatives as you run out of them in your household. For instance, once you’ve exhausted a cleaning product, consider transitioning to a toxin-free alternative.
Are Fragrances Bad For You?
Many of us have experienced the overwhelming sensation of being around someone wearing cologne or stepping into a home with an overpowering scent. This sheds light on a concerning aspect of the fragrance industry. The term “fragrance” serves as a convenient umbrella term that allows companies to conceal undisclosed chemicals. For your information, of the 3000+ chemicals allowed in “fragrance,” many of them can be irritating, cause allergic reactions, are linked to cancer and/or are potentially developmentally or reproductively toxic (source).
In addition, a tactic used by greenwashed brands involves the deceptive use of the term “natural fragrance.” Such labeling aims to instill a sense of safety and eco-friendliness among consumers. However, it’s crucial to understand that the term “natural” lacks a legally regulated definition. Meaning, that anything at all can be labelled as “natural.” This grants companies significant leeway in its use. Consequently, they can manipulate the phrase to incorporate a wide array of toxic ingredients without any legal repercussions at all.
The crux of the matter lies in transparency.
Without full disclosure of a product’s ingredients, we remain in the dark about its potential risks. Over the years, I have discovered that companies are typically unaware of the specific ingredients that comprise their so-called “natural fragrances.”
With that said, I do not suggest you run from all scents. There are thousands of products made with safe disclosed ingredients. Some categories are easier to find substitutes for than others, but don’t let this discourage you.
Fragrance safety is a significant focus, particularly in areas like candles. Explore my suggestions for non-toxic candles and non-toxic laundry detergent, where I detail different trends with transparent ingredient lists. Navigate to the SHOP section on my website, explore gift guides, and delve into numerous blog posts without worrying about harmful scent ingredients. Embrace this journey, and you’ll likely witness a transformative shift in your home. Personally, since eliminating synthetic fragrances, I can attest to not missing their presence in my home!
How Do I Avoid Parabens And Other Toxic Preservatives?
It’s essential to establish a balanced perspective on preservatives while recognizing their role in maintaining the safety and efficacy of many products. Preservatives serve as guardians against the proliferation of yeast, mold, and bacteria, which, if unchecked, can pose health problems (source). I have seen some product manufacturers boast that they don’t use preservatives at all. However, in my opinion, this is a dangerous practice because it poses its own significant risks of infections. I believe that all products containing water require a preservative. For more on the consequences of lack of preservatives, read my WaterWipes Baby Wipes blog post. However, the scrutiny surrounding preservatives arises from legitimate concerns regarding their toxicity.
Some preservatives are very effective but can have toxic effects.
For instance, you should avoid a group of preservatives called parabens, as they can be endocrine disrupting. More specifically, our bodies can interpret parabens as hormones, such as estrogen (source). In other words, your body may either be affected by them in the same way the hormones are supposed to work and can otherwise become disruptive to the body. A valuable tip I can give you is that preservatives are typically listed towards the end of an ingredient list. This placement makes it easier for you to identify preservatives when assessing the safety of consumer products.
My Savvy Consumer Superpower e-book is an incredible resource for assessing a product’s safety. I teach readers how to spot red-flag ingredients, including preservatives, within seconds. In my opinion, this is an important skill to have. So that you can make decisions in real-time – without referencing a website.
Ultimately, you can avoid harmful preservatives without compromising a product’s integrity. All the brands that I recommend on my page are either safely preserved or are formulated to not require them. Shockingly, there is very little discussion on the importance of safely preserved products, despite their importance to public health.
How Can I Avoid Flame Retardants In Mattresses And Furniture?
To begin, flame retardants are chemicals or substances added to materials to inhibit or resist the spread of fire. Chemical flame retardants are added to many conventional mattresses as they contain petroleum-based polyurethane foam that is highly flammable. While this does make them less flammable, manufacturers are not required to disclose the chemicals they use in their flame retardants.
Furthermore, many flame-retardant chemicals may cause serious health problems, particularly in children’s products (source). They can inhale or ingest these toxic chemicals as they off-gas or rub onto other surfaces or body parts. Some of the effects of flame retardant chemicals include inflammation, significant respiratory problems, endocrine disruption, as well as developmental and carcinogenic effects (read more in my Are Organic Mattresses Worth It? blog post).
How to reduce exposure
While it’s challenging to fully eliminate these chemicals from all products in our homes, we can reduce our exposure. One practical strategy I’ve prioritized is to avoid mattresses and pillows containing chemical flame retardants. This is because of the extensive time we spend sleeping on them. At the same time, we can be safe without chemical flame retardants. Organic non-toxic mattresses still adhere to federal flame resistance standards by not using highly flammable polyurethane foam and utilizing inherently less-flammable materials, such as wool. For an in-depth exploration of this topic, visit my blog post Best Organic Mattress Review.
My favorite brand of mattress is Naturepedic (get a 15% discount code here). Additionally, you can learn how Naturepedic compares with 9 other organic mattress brands in my Are Organic Mattresses Worth It? blog post.
As for other furniture, you can look to avoid flame retardants where that is reasonable for you. For example, some couches from even big box stores are beginning to show flame-retardant-free product labels.
That said, replacing every piece of furniture in your home might be overwhelming and may break your budget right out of the box. Rather, you can focus on washing your hands before eating or preparing food, and ventilating your home by opening a window or using an effective air purifier.
How Do I Reduce The Use Of Plastic?
While there are very real concerns about the toxins in plastics, it is important to understand where and how we face them. For example, our exposure to plastic toxins while playing with plastic Lego blocks is different from drinking from a plastic water bottle every day. Furthermore, it appears that plastics will always play a role in our lives to some extent, so I feel that it’s important we understand when it poses the greatest risk.
Research suggests that the plastic in our homes can leach potentially harmful chemicals. Petroleum and toxic chemicals, like bisphenols (e.g., BPA, BPF) are used in the production of most plastic (source). Leaching happens most readily when the plastic comes in contact with acidic, hot, or fatty substances (read more about this in the BPA-free cans blog post). This makes cooking or storing food in plastic problematic. Also, scientists concluded that leaching can occur under normal conditions as well, such as in the case of plastic water bottles.
Plastic does not biodegrade
Following that, the other primary concern is that plastic does not biodegrade and consequently shreds microplastics – tiny beads of plastic. As you may know, microplastics are invisible to the naked eye but you can find them in water sources, products, and food (source). Understandably, there are valid concerns about the harm this can cause us, especially as we consume them. Explore this more in my blog post Are Tea Bags Bad For You? Subsequently, I recommend you avoid drinking from plastic water bottles on a regular basis, as they typically contain microplastics (source). Instead, you can see a round-up of the best and safest water bottles here.
On the one hand, you can easily avoid plastic in the kitchen by switching to materials like clear glass, stainless steel, and cast iron. In my opinion, the best place to start is in the kitchen with storage containers, dishware, and cookware. You can find my favorite non-toxic kitchen products here. When we choose not to cook or consume food from plastic, we can avoid significant exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and microplastic particles.
On the other hand, striving to have zero plastic in our lives is not practical. We use plastic in our vehicles, toys, appliances, tools, and innumerable other products for the rest of our lives. In my opinion, it is not healthy to stress over each item of plastic you may have in your home. Please remember that experiencing chronic stress and anxiety is counterproductive to healthy and non-toxic living.
Potentially Harmful Chemicals In Beauty Products
Simply put, there are several ingredients we want to avoid in our beauty products. Personal care products often stay on us throughout the day or get absorbed into our largest organ, our skin. As I mentioned earlier, you can find toxins like fragrances and harsh preservatives in beauty products. Fortunately, I review ingredients in beauty products every day, and can provide you with some pointers for the following categories:
- Toxins in Skincare and Makeup
- Toxins in Hair Dye
- Toxins in Nail Polish
Toxins In Skin Care And Makeup
Interestingly, skincare and makeup products often share many of the same concerning ingredients. Some of them are listed right on the product labels. Whereas others are contaminants are not in the list of ingredients. But obviously pose the same risks as if they were. Thankfully, many of these concerning ingredients are easy to spot, or easy to remember with some guidance. For example, there are several different ethoxylated ingredients (a group of chemicals that may contain trace carcinogens), but they are easy to spot. This simple rule is one of the many tips I provide in my Savvy Consumer Superpower e-book.
Next, it is best to buy makeup and skincare products from companies that test for common contaminants; again, contaminants don’t show up on lists of ingredients. In my blog post Makeup Contains Heavy Metals I explain where and how toxic metals like lead and cadmium end up in our makeup. Heavy metals are especially common in lip products, and I’ve covered that for you in my post Lead In Lipstick.
Forever Chemicals
Further, another group of contaminants are known as “forever chemicals,” or PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances). PFAS chemicals are widely used in waterproofing and fast-food packaging. But they do not break down, and thus contaminate water sources (source). Thankfully, some brands are testing for toxic metals and PFAS. My favorite makeup brand, Crunchi, goes to great lengths to ensure their products are safe. You can see my review of the Crunchi non-toxic makeup and skincare products.
With that said, it’s impossible to know every toxic ingredient, so I have written numerous blog posts on popular products. My blog post Hidden Ingredients in Cosmetics is a good place to learn more on this topic. When shopping for specific makeup, my reviews such as Finding A Clean Foundation, help you navigate labels and give recommendations. Furthermore, I provide full details on my anti-aging skincare routine, as well as tips for those with dry skin. In fact, if you are searching for a specific product, any of my makeup or skin care posts will surely help.
Toxins In Hair Dye
Likely, if you have ever dyed your hair, you probably know that hair dyes use intense chemicals! But did you know that hair dyes are known for causing severe irritation, allergic reaction, hair loss, and even anaphylaxis? As a result, I have studied the ingredients of permanent hair dyes since 2014 extensively and want to share some key takeaways as to the list of harmful chemicals in hair dye.
First and foremost, there are no absolutely safe chemical hair dyes. Beware of greenwashing techniques such as claiming a hair dye is “organic,” “natural,” or “ammonia-free.” Second, ammonia-free hair colors can be potentially more harmful than the ones that contain ammonia. Third, it is important to know that even if you haven’t had an allergic reaction to a hair color in the past, you may develop one in the future. Dermatologists call this phenomenon “sensitization,” which I describe in the Natulique Hair Color Ingredients Review. Fourth, studies show that hair dyes are linked to cancer and you can read more about that in my blog post about hair dyes and cancer.
Therefore, there are no safe permanent hair dyes. However, in my opinion, some are better than others. In my Permanent Hair Color Rating List e-book, I compare the ingredients of more than 60 permanent hair color lines so you can learn what is best for your health, beauty requirements, and risk tolerance.
Toxins In Nail Polish
Much like hair dyes, nail polishes typically use a wide array of concerning chemicals. After all, walking into a nail salon can feel like being hit with a wave of chemicals. But does this mean you have to go without nail polish? Not necessarily. As with everything else in our lives, balance is important.
More specifically, I explain the core nail polish ingredients and provide a comprehensive list of common ingredients to watch out for in my post OPI Nail Polish Ingredients Review. For example, there are solvents, film formers, plasticizers, UV absorbers/stabilizers, and colorants. Each of these categories contains toxic chemicals that are associated with a variety of health problems.
Furthermore, when you apply nail polish, please do it in a ventilated area, and avoid painting on your skin. If you frequent a nail salon, consider bringing nail polish with you, so you can be sure of the ingredients in it. Some nail salons provide fans or prop their front doors open, and these are other practical ways to help disperse the inhalation of these chemicals. Lastly, if you have an adverse reaction, please consider switching to a safer brand, as some reactions can intensify with repeated exposure.
What Chemicals Are In Tap Water?
Despite being last on our list today, drinking filtered water is among the first actions I recommend taking. Think of it this way: what else do we put into and on our bodies more than water? So, are there chemicals in our tap water that pose a risk to our health? In short, yes. But the good news is that there are a lot of options you can choose from to avoid them.
Let’s start with why there are toxins in our tap water. Chemicals often enter our water sources through improper disposal of toxic products, agricultural runoff, biological waste, the use of water disinfection products, and even through natural processes. Municipal water treatments often fall short of removing these contaminants. Thus, drinking water that is not properly purified can pose health risks. See my blog post Toxic Chemicals in Water List to learn more. Similarly, for those who consume well water, I discuss relevant concerns in my Is Well Water Safe To Drink? blog post.
So, what are reasonable steps that we can take?
The answer is to first learn about what contaminants are in your water. A fast way to start is by visiting the Environmental Working Group’s water database. This free resource allows you to look up contaminant levels by entering your zip code. Another way is to read your annual water quality report that your water district is obligated to provide. Most commonly, these are available online so it’s a lot easier to find what is in your water than it sounds at first.
A more comprehensive solution is to test the water in your home.
In my blog post How To Test Your Water Quality At Home, I walk you through available options and also share my own results and experiences. In fact, I have used a testing service before and after installing water filtration systems to ensure that the systems removed contaminants properly.
That said, a quick internet search will bring up dozens of water filtration companies – how do you pick the best one? My blog post What Is Filtered Water? provides a great overview of various filtration options. Likewise, my SHOP page shows you different filters that I have personally used and currently recommend.
To learn how to select the best type of filter for your needs, please read my Best Water Filter System For You blog post. By doing so, you will know the right questions to ask and learn about additional factors that may be important to you.
I can confidently say that your drinking water is worth investing in. There are many options available for renters, travelers as well as homeowners. The more you learn, the better prepared you will be to select the perfect option for your family.
Summary Of The List Of Toxic Chemicals In Everyday Products
Toxins Are Everywhere, But That Doesn’t Mean We Should Live In Fear. Simple Everyday Changes You Can Gradually Make In Your Life, Can Have A Tremendous Positive Impact.
To conclude, today we reviewed common areas in which we can take steps to reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals.
First, we discussed fragrance, and how this group of undisclosed chemicals can contain thousands of undisclosed toxic substances.
Second, we covered the careful balance that is needed with preservatives.
Third, we explored chemical flame retardants’ health effects, and why they are not necessary in non-toxic mattresses.
Fourth, we uncovered plastic toxicity, such as when leaching or microplastic consumption is most likely.
Next, we reviewed common areas of exposure to toxins in personal care products, hair dye, and nail polish, along with tips to avoid them.
Lastly, we learned about contaminants in drinking water and how to easily protect your family from them.
Finally, please remember that you don’t need to tackle these steps all at once! You are already doing an incredible job increasing your awareness today. Be sure to receive my helpful tips, encouragement, and discounts by signing up for my newsletter. Thank you for being here and striving to make your home and this planet a safer place!
Download The Free Guide!
5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home
Join our informed consumer community and get our free guide the “5 Powerful Steps To A Non-Toxic Home”.
Before commenting, please read our Comment Policy.