I used to think health was all about food and exercise...

Of course that stuff is important, but I had NO IDEA that my personal care products were actually harming my health.

I came across this article, which showed how levels of parabens and phthalates increased substantially after just a few days of using conventional beauty products. Yikes!

There is very little regulation on the beauty industry, and the FDA only regulates 11 chemicals for use in cosmetics. There are no safety standards for beauty products, like testing for heavy metals or other contaminants. 

According to the Environmental Working Group, the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day! Some of these are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and many are endocrine disruptors (contribute to hormonal imbalance).

It can be overwhelming when you first learn about this stuff. I replaced makeup and skincare with safer options (from Beautycounter) as my old stuff ran out. I swapped out non-stick cookware for cast iron and stainless steel, plastic tupperware for glass and silicone, and found safer options for household items like laundry detergent and cleaning products. I invested in a high-quality water filter and air purifiers. 

Slowly, over time, my home and personal care products transformed into a safer environment. We can't control everything, but we can control some things. It's best not to stress, but simply be aware and improve wherever you can.