Healthy Hand Soap

Hand soap is one of those products that most people don't even think about. But it actually can have a big impact on health. If you think about how many times a day you wash your hands, you'll get an idea of how much toxic exposure that adds up to if you're using a chemical-laden hand soap.

First of all, beware of hand soap that is "antibacterial." That means it has some form of antibiotic in it. With the overuse of antibiotics today, many strains of bacteria are becoming resistant, and using "antibacterial" hand soap contributes to this problem. Not to mention it's yet another toxic chemical your body will have to detox.

Another thing to watch for is hand soap that is made in China! Almost every product made in China contains high levels of toxic chemicals. You definitely don't want to be washing your hands with toxic soap.

For the last several years I used baking soda exclusively for washing my hands. It's worked fine for me, though I realize many people prefer an actual soap. Several months ago I began looking for a natural bar or liquid soap that I could use instead of baking soda. I was shocked at some of the ingredients I found while reading soap labels. Here's just one example, a list of ingredients for a name brand hand soap (I didn't even include them all):

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Calcium Stearate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Isostearamidopropyl Morpholine Lactate, Peg-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocamide Mea, Polyquaternium-7, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dmdm Hydantoin, Tetrasodium Edta, Acrylates/Aminoacrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Peg-20 Itaconate Copolymer, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140), Blue 1 (Ci 42090).

I'm not sure what happened to the soap industry that they can't just make plain soap anymore. It's sad. Thankfully, after much research I finally found two options that are completely natural. One is Olivella fragrance-free bar soap. The other is Fiji Coconut Oil bar soap, fragrance-free. My local health food store carries both brands, or you can find them online.

There are some other natural companies now making soaps with various essential oils. Some of those might be ok for most people. Personally I try to stick with the fewest ingredients possible, which is why I selected the two soaps above.

For those who prefer a liquid soap, I found a recipe online where you can turn your natural bar soap into a liquid. It sounds fairly simple and is very cost-effective.
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-non-toxic-liquid-hand-soap-2

Keeping hands clean is important for good health. But so is using a non-toxic soap. I hope this info is helpful. Let me know any comments or questions you have, or any suggestions of a non-toxic soap you have found. =)

Miracle Trip

Last week I actually got on a plane and flew to TX! It was the first time I've been on a plane in about 10 years!

I stayed in a hotel and I did fine! I attended an amazing conference with other Christians in media and received so much inspiration and encouragement!

God blessed me with a roommate who understood my needs and was fragrance-free for me, praise God! The rest of the people weren't fragrance free, but I did really well with the various challenges that came up.

I praise God for how far He's brought me in the last 7 years since my health first started its slow recovery. Some days it felt like even though I was making progress, I'd never reach that goal of "well." But faithfully using all the good health tools I've found, and perseverance and prayer have indeed brought results, praise God!

I do hope that everyone who reads this has a faster recovery than I've had. But wherever you are, please be encouraged that recovery is possible! Keep doing what you can, one step at a time. Don't give up! Celebrate every victory and every step of progress. And know that God does hear and will answer your prayers - not always as we want or expect, but always what is ultimately for our good.

Thank you for your prayers for me through the years, and for celebrating this amazing moment in my journey!

Here are a few pics from my trip. :)

 at the airport

 

on the airplane, met a fellow Jesus-follower and encouraged each other

 with my roommate, an amazing lady from Ethiopia

 all dressed up for the fancy dinner =)

warming up for the evening session

After the conference I stayed two nights with a wonderful couple who's kids are missionaries. I wish I'd gotten a photo with them, but I didn't think of it until too late. I'm just not in the habit of using the camera on my phone. I met so many amazing people, but didn't think about getting pictures with them. But anyway, at least I had these few, to give you a little glimpse of my miracle trip! =)