It is no news that as time goes by, our bodies are bombarded with chemicals that not only affect our health but also affect our hormones, especially when we have an autoimmune disease. These chemicals are everywhere; in your food, skin care and household cleaning products, etc. If you suffer from psoriasis or other skin conditions, you know how your skin can react to harsh chemicals.
Although they might be cheaper than natural options, when you look at the big picture, they’re only creating more problems in the long run for your overall wellness. So, today, I will show you why removing toxic chemicals from both your environment and your skin is so important. And we’re going to delve into how to avoid and identify these chemicals to create a healthy environment with chemical-free products to take care of your skin.
The word “Toxin” comes from Greek and means “poison.” Toxins are a type of poison created by living organisms. Experts estimate that there are more than 100,000 chemical products in commercial use found in food, medications, cleaning supplies, and beauty products.
Unfortunately, most of the substances we consume are not properly analyzed to detect the damages they may cause. For instance, it is increasingly complex to avoid getting exposed to toxins daily.
A build-up of toxins in the body may affect physical and mental health, causing or contributing to hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, body odor, restlessness, and food or skin sensitivities. This occurs because toxins are intrusive, and as such, they cause an inflammatory response.
If you’ve been around here, you know that inflammation is linked to the development of conditions such as psoriasis, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases, among others.
The whole outside world affects our skin, but research shows that air and water pollution, pesticides, hand sanitizers, makeup, and skincare residues absorbed by our skin are our worst enemies.
Fortunately, our skin and our gastrointestinal tract offer various toxin-eliminating mechanisms. Yet, this can be compromised when exposed to toxins daily, which is why removing as many from our diet and lifestyle is key for our health. Skin reactions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis are prevalent in people with excessive toxins in their bodies.
And now that you know what is causing all that toxin build-up in your body, let’s see how to minimize toxins.
#1 Remove non-natural products
To get rid of toxins in your skin, start from the inside out. Make sure that your diet is as healthy and balanced as possible. Stay away from refined and ultra-processed foods, like packaged foods, sweets, fried food, unhealthy snacks, and non-natural foods.
Additionally, try to consume more probiotics and whole foods, and if possible, choose organic options, such as grass-fed beef, organic and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables, and pasture-raised eggs.
You can learn more about adjusting your diet to improve your skin if you download my free eBook.
#2 Eliminate toxins from your life
Few things affect our skin as much as toxins, especially those touching your skin, such as the air you breathe, the water you drink and bathe in, and the products you use. Such products include skincare, makeup, your clothes, and cleaning supplies. All of these factors irritate the skin, which may cause or worsen skin conditions.
Top tips to remove skin stressors
- Purify the air, open your windows every morning.
- Add interior plants to your home.
- Vacuum and dust your house at least three times a week.
- Swap toxic beauty products for natural alternatives.
- Stop using chemical-loaded house cleaning products and swap them for cleaner versions.
- Stop wearing toxic clothing, such as nylon and acrylic. Instead, choose 100% cotton or linen.
#3 Load up on antioxidants
Antioxidants help the skin defend itself; they are found in fruits and vegetables, green tea, dark chocolate, and spices such as clove, cinnamon, sage, rosemary, and peppermint.
Your skin is one of the main detox organs. So, anything that makes you sweat will help your skin get rid of unwanted toxins, whether that’s exercising, jumping into a sauna, or taking a hot bath.
#5 Swap your beauty and cleaning products for natural alternatives
Clean beauty and household products are becoming popular for a good reason! Maintaining a healthy environment, both at home and in your skin, is key to minimizing the toxins we’re exposed to. The first step is learning how to identify where toxic chemicals are hiding.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Check out Environmental Working Group, a website dedicated to helping individuals understand what’s in the foods and products people use, help them make informed choices, and promote a healthy environment. Here you can find in-depth research on thousands of topics and products.
- Download the Think Dirty App, an app that will help you find ethical and healthy brands, free from toxins and chemicals, plastics, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors. Here you’ll find hundreds of beauty products, ranging from skincare to hair care and much more.
Here are my favorite skincare brands to help calm and heal your skin, and not irritate it:
Beauty Counter: a brand that carefully restricts 1800 harmful ingredients, compared to the US, which only restricts 30! Beauty Counter is a one-stop shop offering great-quality natural and safer alternatives to conventional beauty products, offering a vast collection of products from makeup to skincare, and hair care.
Araza Natural Beauty: is a paleo-certified makeup and natural beauty, food-based brand. Their products are gluten and dairy-free and free from artificial and toxic ingredients, based on probiotics, natural and organic ingredients that are sustainably and ethically sourced. I personally use and love their products.
Branch Basics: is my go-to brand for cleaning and laundry. It offers unparalleled standards, and is dedicated to using organic, non-GMO, fragrance-free, and food-grade ingredients, so you can clean your home without toxic chemicals,and not giving up efficacy, as their products clean all surfaces like any other unhealthy cleaners would.
Your local Farmer’s Market: Local clean and healthy stores never fail. Local markets are loaded with chemical-free and natural foods and beauty products, and they usually offer affordable prices so you can stay healthy and debt-free!