Finding Non-toxic Laundry Detergent

Over the years as I've been around different people who use different laundry detergents, I've noticed that some detergents are much worse than others. Some detergents have caused severe symptoms for me, such as trouble breathing, sinus infections, headaches, rashes, etc. Other detergents may have a strong smell, but not bother me severely. And then there are a few that don't have much smell and don't bother me.

I know which brands are the worst for me. However, for people who don't have allergic reactions, sometimes it's hard for them to believe that their laundry soap is highly toxic.

So here is a good resource that has an objective scoring system for laundry detergents, based on the known ingredients in them (not all products disclose all of their ingredients, which is also concerning). The scores are on an A - F scale (A being the best and F being the worst).

I wasn't surprised that many Tide products had an F score. And I was thankful to see that the Charlie's Soap (available on Amazon*) had an A score. (That's the brand I've used for several years now.) I was surprised that there are so many laundry products and brands (hundreds).

Here is the link to the list of general laundry detergents. You can search for a specific brand, or view the products listed for each grade.
https://www.ewg.org/guides/subcategories/47-LaundryDetergentGeneralPurpose

I hope this resource will be helpful for your own shopping choices, as well as for when you want to share facts with others about certain ingredients and the known dangers of toxins.

Laundry products are potentially so harmful because they get in and stay in our clothes that we wear 24/7, in our sheets, towels, etc. That's why it's very important to use products that are as non-toxic as possible.

By the way, out of 180 fabric softener products reviewed, only 13 had an A or B score. Here's the link to see the information about those:
https://www.ewg.org/guides/subcategories/53-FabricSoftener 

Let's keep up the good work of making healthy choices and encouraging others to as well. =)

(*FYI - For some products that I recommend, I use my affiliate link to Amazon. If you purchase through those links, I will receive a small percentage in affiliate income. My goal is to recommend quality products. Wherever you choose to purchase them, I hope you will find them helpful.) =)

Support Your Health

I apologize for missing a post earlier this month. I've been dealing with a lot of changes and challenges, but I'm so thankful that God continues to provide, to heal, and to work out His plans for me. I hope you're encouraged by His faithfulness in your life as well.

As I was talking with a friend recently, I realized something about a lot of health programs or health professionals. Sometimes they have an attitude of "no pain, no gain." And so they end up pushing the body or causing stress.

But our bodies are intricately designed and an amazing creation. God equipped our bodies with the ability to heal and repair themselves through many different processes.

When we face health challenges, instead of "pushing" the body to try to get better faster, what we need to do is "support" the body so it can heal in the best way.

Pushing vs supporting may seem like a small distinction, but it's actually very important.

When we do therapies or programs that push the body, it causes stress. Stress causes a negative response in the body, which actually can lead to more harm than good. You may have noticed in certain exercise programs, that if you push your body too hard, it will "push back" at you, because it's trying to send you a message.

In contrast, when we support the body, we are giving it what it needs to do its job. We are working with the body, not causing stress.

When it comes to various health regimes or remedies that you are considering trying, it might be helpful to start asking yourself this question:

Will doing this ___ push my body, or support my body?

If something seems like it would push instead of support, it might be better to look for a different program or therapy.*

There are many ways you can support your body to help it do what it's created to do. Some basic things you can do are -
- deep breathing
- gentle stretching
- good nutrition
- adequate rest
- healthy water
- laughter
etc.

Sometimes supplements, probiotics, herbs, essential oils, etc. can also be helpful in supporting your body. As long as you're paying attention and not letting it become something that pushes the body.

What do you think? Can you identify things you've tried before that were actually pushing your body instead of supporting it?

What things can you do this week to help support your body?


*Yes, there is a time for physical therapy, which can feel uncomfortable or even painful. But a good therapist knows what the body needs to help it heal vs what would push it too far and cause more damage. So in essence, even PT is designed to support the body's healing process, not to push it.