Nowadays, we hear the term going green everywhere. It seems to be the “in” thing to do and for good reason. There are many reasons why we should choose to go green. From doing your part to help save our planet to reducing your exposure to chemicals that can have a major impact to your long term health, going green is a no brainer!
For the longest time, I didn’t pay much attention to ingredients and I wasn’t too concerned about them.. until I became a mother. It’s funny how that can make you become more aware and actually start caring about your own health and safety (as well as your littles). After giving birth to my daughter Valentina, I started really paying attention to labels and trying my best to avoid toxic ingredients. I started by buying organic food products for her and then slowly making the switch to organic products for my husband and I as well. A good starting point for which foods you should be buying organic is the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen.
Avoiding packaged and processed foods and going for non GMO products is also a good start.
What took me a little longer to open my eyes up to were the everyday household items we use daily such as deodorant, body lotion, and shampoo/conditioner that we lather ourselves up with day in day out that are filled with funny sounding ingredients such as phtaltates! If you can’t pronounce the word properly, that’s not a good sign!
Here are 9 daily household items you should consider swapping to an organic brand or eliminating all together!
1. Soap - Who would have thought that the innocent bar of soap or hand soap you pump into your hands daily is oozing with artificial dyes, fragrances and toxic foaming agents that can can irritate your skin.
2. Shampoo/Conditioner - From sulphites to phthaltates, you’ll find all sorts of chemicals in your shampoo and conditioner which can actually cause more damage to your hair and to your general health well being.
3. Sunscreen - The dangers of sunscreen have become well known. It’s no wonder most sunscreen brands have been banned from Hawaii because of the damage they are doing to the coral reefs. Can you imagine what they do to our bodies?
4. Deodorant - The big ingredient in deodorants and anti perspirants that we hear about which has been linked directly to cancer is aluminium. Always look for aluminum free deodorants.
5. Body lotion - Ever notice the heavy perfume scent in many lotions? Synthetic fragrances and dyes are not good for us! These chemicals can cause hormone disruption amongst many other health issues. Need I say more?
6. Toothpaste - Yes, even your toothpaste is filled with chemicals such as synthetic detergents, artificial dyes and sweeteners and chemical antibacterial agents to name a few.
7. Cleaning products - I’m sure you can tell by the smell alone that most cleaning products are full of dangerous ingredients. Do you really want your children and pets crawling around on the floor after you’ve just washed it with a cocktail of toxic chemicals!?
Other items you might want to consider eliminating all together that are full of dangerous ingredients are:
8. Dryer sheets/fabric softener - It's actually scary what goes into this stuff. Ingredients such as carcinogens like chloroform and limonene amongst many other highly toxic ingredients. I would stay away from these at all costs, especially when it comes to babies and children!
9. Air fresheners - Air fresheners including sprays and plug-ins, even those that claim to be organic or green, contain a long list of synthetic chemicals such as carcinogens than can cause asthma and allergies. Watch out for scented candles too!
I personally love essential oils which can be added to dryer balls or used in a diffuser to freshen up your home. They have been used for thousands of years and also provide many health benefits.
Many of the top brands claim to be better for you because they’re infused with oatmeal or whatever other health gimmicks they try throwing at you. However, if you do your research and actually read the ingredients listed and how they affect your body, you’d be shocked. Many of these soulless companies will remove one toxic ingredient that has increased popularity publicly such as parabens for example, only to be replaced with other toxic ingredients hidden in between the lines that they often try and cover up!
Now that we know we should aim to buy clean, chemical free, safe products not only for your own health and safety but also to protect the environment, where do we start? When searching for a company you can trust, it can get confusing. What is actually organic, free of chemicals and safe for our planet and animals? With so many products on the market, it can be hard to find the best, the cleanest and the safest!
You search ends with Green Beaver Company. This Canadian Company makes organic products that are biodegradable, non-animal-tested, GMO-free and vegan both you and your family can safely enjoy everyday. Green Beaver was founded on the belief that humans can live happily and healthily off of the goodness that Mother Nature provides. Simply put, Green Beaver’s philosophy is that healthy and happy is the best way to live.
They make everything from safe sunscreens to aluminum free deodorant and everything in between. I love their multi purpose Castile soap that can be used to clean pretty much anything from kitchen/bathrooms to floors. It can even be used a hand or body wash. I like to put a cap full into my laundry so it comes out smelling fresh (instead of using those lethal dryer sheets)!
They also make baby products such as lotions, soaps and diaper cream that are 100% safe and organic!
If you’re looking to start going green and making a difference for our planet and most importantly your health, I highly recommend you check out the Green Beaver Company. We love them so much over at Movecamp that we have made them our title partner for 2019!
MoveCamp is a free weekly fitness event in Canada whose vision is to make fitness simple, fun and accessible to everyone. Our goal is to fill the mandate of National Health and Fitness Day, to make Canada the fittest nation on earth! I am proud to the Managing Director and Head Coach of this amazing movement. If you live in Ottawa, join us for a free workout on the front lawn of Parliament Hill as well as other Canadian landmarks every Thursday at 12:15pm throughout the summer. We will also be moving our way across the country this year for the first time ever to Montreal and Toronto. For all the details and to get exclusive Green Beaver discounts as well as many other leading health and wellness brands, register at movecamp.ca
Let's go green together!