Are Non-Stick Pans Safe? - Choosing Toxin-Free and Eco-Friendly When Buying New Pots and Pans

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

• Non-Stick Pots and Pans Cheat Sheet

• Stainless - how to make stainless non-stick

• Get started with toxin-free living with my free guide

• Join my Facebook group

• Follow me on Instagram

YYes, non-stick pans are convenient.

Unfortunately, conventional non-stick pans are made "non-stick" with some pretty harmful chemicals, like PFAS (Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances, including PFOA and PFOS).

PFAS are harmful to humans, animals, and the environment. They’ve been found in water sources, fertilizer, livestock and certain soils used to grow our food. Plus they’re often in food packaging in addition to the coating on non-stick pans.

At high temperatures, these chemicals can break down and release toxic fumes - harmful to both humans and pets. If you're cooking your food in a pan with non-stick coating then you're potentially double exposing yourself to these harmful chemicals.

PFAS take a very long time to break down and they stay in the air, soil, and water for a very long time. In animals, including humans, they bioaccumulate meaning that they accumulate in the body and stick around for a long time.

PFOS and PFAS (the PFAS used in Teflon) have mostly been phased out, but even products that say PFAS-free may have one of the other 3,000 PFAS still used within consumer goods.

Are Non-Stick Pans Safe? - Choosing Toxin-Free and Eco-Friendly When Buying New Pots and Pans

Not only are these compounds bad for the environment, they've also been linked with numerous health issues including cancer. California recently banned firefighting foams with PFAS because they are a significant form of water contamination and studies have shown high levels of these chemicals in firefighters' blood.

Prioritize replacing your oldest and scratched cookware, cook on low-medium heat, well-ventilate while cooking, and be careful when cooking, washing, and storing to avoid scratching.

If you’ve tried cooking in stainless and struggled, here’s the secret - you need to use more fat! Turns out, fat isn’t as bad as we were scared into believing in the 80’s.

I prefer to use my well seasoned cast iron pans for eggs and other items that will stick and we use stainless for the rest. There’s even a way to make stainless non-stick.

Ceramic pans are a better option but be sure to use a reputable brand because ceramic can contain heavy metals like cadmium and lead.

Ready to shop for safer options? Here are some choices from Amazon.

The perfect small pan for eggs

We love this wok!

Great everyday skillet

Great set of stainless steel cookware

(Yes, I’m an Amazon Affiliate and make a small commission from purchases from these links.)

Safe Makeup for Kids - Avoiding Lead and Toxic Ingredients in Halloween and Costume Makeup

Halloween 2019 when I dressed as Dr. Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. This look created with 100% safe makeup.

It’s October which means Halloween, costumes, and candy. This year might look a little different when it comes to usual Halloween fun, but I bet my kids will still want to go to the Halloween store. I love a homemade costume, but I often cave and let them get an overpriced one-time-wear. But, one thing I always put my foot down on is Halloween face paints and kids’ makeup.

Why?

They usually include harmful ingredients and have been found to be contaminated with harmful heavy metals like lead.

Lead??? Yep. Lead.

Plus endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, and neurotoxins.

Safe Makeup for Kids - Avoiding Lead and Toxic Ingredients in Halloween and Costume Makeup

In 2016, the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) released a report on costume makeup, cosmetics marketed to kids, and Halloween face paints. They found concerning ingredients in these products and through further independent lab testing found heavy metal contamination in almost half of the products tested. Some of the products had four heavy metals with the darker pigmented colors being the most contaminated.

Label analysis caused the researchers to suspect that the products could contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and further testing confirmed their suspicion - 20% of the products had at least one VOC. VOCs in products marketed to kids! Ugh!

Four of the VOCs found have the potential to cause long-term damage:

• Toluene, a reproductive toxicant

• Styrene, a probable carcinogen and endocrine disruption compound

• Ethylbenzene, a possible carcinogen

• Vinyl acetate, another possible carcinogen

What else did they find? These contaminants and chemicals:

Lead and Cadmium

• There is no safe level of lead - associated with learning disabilities and developmental problems

• 20% of Halloween face paints included lead.

• 30% of them contained cadmium - linked with breast, kidney, lung and prostate cancer

Toluene

• Found in nearly 11% of the products

• A hormone disruptor, and development and reproductive toxicant

Parabens

• At least one Paraben was found in 34% of products, two to three Parabens found in 3%

• Endocrine disrupting chemical

Formaldehyde

• Known carcinogen

• Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives found in 3% of products

Ethoxylated Ingredients

• Found in 28% of products

• Results from the manufacturing process and can result in toxic contaminants linked with breast and other cancers, ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane

Not only do these products contain some pretty harmful ingredients, kids developing bodies are more at risk that adults. A study focused on DDT (a pesticide) exposure and breast cancer found that girls who were younger when exposed had the highest increase risk of breast cancer. (reference below)

We also know that with endocrine disrupting chemicals, exposure during developmental stages like puberty can increase the level of risk for disease later in life.

Cosmetics companies say that these exposures are small and don’t impact our health, but these studies focus only on one product and don’t factor in the other products or exposures an individual experiences every day. Each of the toxins we are exposed to end up factoring in to our overall body burden - so we need to remove the toxins wherever we can.

Unfortunately, regulations in the US don’t protect us so we have to be vigilant consumers and pay attention to the products we bring into our home.

So how can you have a fun Halloween look without harmful chemicals?

Use safe makeup.

I’ve use my toxin-free makeup bag to make all sorts of fun looks for my kids. It may not come as a “kit” marketed for Halloween, but use your imagination, and you can create almost anything you can dream of.

Whiskers - eyeliner

Ghost face - white eyeshadow

Rosy cheeks - lipstick and blush

If you want more ideas, I’m sharing them in my Facebook Group Detox by Design Insiders. Come join the fun!

DDT research: Cohn, B., Wolff, M., Cirillo, P., & Sholtz, R. (2007). DDT and breast cancer in young women: New data on the significance of age at exposure. Environ Health Persp, 115, 1406–1414.

Ditch Harmful Home Fragrance - Why it’s Time to Ditch the Toxins and Choose Safer Options

It’s Fall and with it comes changing leaves, football (albeit a little different this year), and pumpkin spice everything. Just kidding, but isn’t it funny how when we think about fall, warm and cozy scents come to mind? Candles and wax warmers with names like warm vanilla, apple cider, or autumn leaves.

Ditch Harmful Home Fragrance - Why it’s Time to Ditch the Toxins and Choose Safer Options

Unfortunately, home fragrance doesn’t clean the air, it just covers up whatever is causing the bad smell. The chemicals in home fragrances make the air quality worse - that’s not what we want when we’re stuck inside more and not getting as much fresh air.

Home fragrance can also hide problems that are causing an offensive smell, for example mold. Instead of covering up the smell of our homes with a fragrance product we should be paying attention to the root cause of the smell.

Experts agree that home fragrances are a health risk. Dr. Stanley Feinman, President Elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology said

This is a much bigger problem than people realize. About 20% of the population and 34% of people with asthma, report health problems from air fresheners.

Unfortunately home fragrances are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety and Title 16, Section 1500.3 highlights what is considered toxic.

To require labeling a product must first be toxic, corrosive, flammable or combustible, an irritant, or a strong sensitizer, or it must generate pressure through decomposition, heat, or other means. Second, the product must have the potential to cause substantial personal injury or substantial illness during or as a result of any customary or reasonably foreseeable handling or use, including reasonably foreseeable ingestion by children. This act has a lot of specific language and confusing dosage and exposure info most of which is required to cause death or harm within 14 days.

The ingredient doesn’t just have to be ingested. It can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. The problem is that the great majority of chemicals we are exposed to daily don’t have short-term effects but instead are disruptive long-term.

Most conventional home fragrances have some yucky stuff, like fragrance, phthalates, and solvents.

Unfortunately, children are more at risk when it comes to home fragrance. They have higher breathing rates, spend more time on the floor, and chemicals can settle into dust and end up on the ground where young children crawl and play with toys. They can then be absorbed by the skin, inhaled, or ingested.

Yuck.

If I knew this when my girls were little then I would have been a lot better about vacuuming!

Candles are also not regulated and often don’t have an ingredient label. Plus conventional candle wicks can contain lead.

So what’s safe?

Toxin-free candles like unscented beeswax candles, essential oils with a diffuser, stovetop potpourri are some great options and I’ve included a recipe for stovetop potpourri below!

Cleaning, deodorizing using baking soda, and opening up the windows and letting in fresh air really helps too!

Stovetop Potpourri

• Lemon, sliced thin

• ½ an apple, sliced

• 4 cinnamon sticks, or ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

• Place a medium sized saucepan on the back burner, fill with ingredients and let it simmer on the lowest setting.  Start your potpourri about a half hour before you have guests come over…your home will smell amazing.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132316304334

https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/fairfresheners.pdf

Dirty dishes- it’s time to clean up your dishwashing act

You may be thinking “does how I wash my dishes really matter?”, but if you’ve started down the track of going toxin-free, you’ve probably thought…

Is my dish soap safe? or maybe…

Is dish soap bad for the environment?

Let’s think about it -

• Our plates, flatware, pots and pans, basically every item in our kitchen that touches food, is cleaned by some sort of dish soap or dish washing detergent.

• When we do the dishes, our hands come in contact with dish soap.

• And… everything we put down our sink and plumbing impacts the water and ecosystem.

Dirty Dishes- it’s time to clean up your dishwashing act

What should you look for when choosing a safe dish soap or dish washer detergent?

These are the red flag ingredients that I avoid and why:

• Fragrance

  • A proprietary term that kind hide up to 3,000 different chemicals

  • Analysis of the “fragrance” chemicals by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that one in 20 are rated as a “high hazard”

• Colorants

  • Not essential to the effectiveness of the product

  • Often contaminated by heavy metals

  • Often derived from petroleum which can be contaminated with carcinogens like

  • Can dry out and cause irritation to the skin

• Ethoxylated ingredients - ethoxylation happens when ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen, is combined with another ingredient to make it less harsh to the skin.

  • This process can create 1-4 dioxane as a bi-product. If not removed through a vacuum stripping process, the 1-4 dioxane will contaminate the product.

    • FDA studies show that 1-4 dioxane can penetrate the skin and while it can be removed there’s no way to know if it really is.

    • Even if 1-4 dioxane isn’t listed on the label it’s a potential contaminate within these ingredients:

      • PPG

      • PEGS, like PEG-40

      • Polysorbate

      • Word ending in -eth, like laureth, steareth, ceteareth

• Preservatives: can cause skin and respiratory irritation

  • Benzisothiazolinone

  • Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)

  • Methylisothiazolinone (MI)

• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers (the ingredient can produce formaldehyde over time)

  • Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and can cause contact dermatitis, allergic reactions, and suspected of causing genetic defects

  • Look for:

    • Methenamine

    • Quaternium-15

    • Diazolidinyl Urea

    • DMDM Hydantoin

    • Imidazolidinyl Urea

    • Sodium Hydroxylmethylglycinate

    • 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol

What about what we wash our dishes with? How eco-friendly is the typical kitchen sponge?

I’ve seen a statistic that the common green and yellow sponge can last up to 52,000 years in a landfill. I searched for a source for this number and couldn’t find one, but I do know that these sponges are made with synthetic fibers take a long time to break down and end up in our oceans and waterways. Cellulose sponges, loofahs, and natural fiber cloths are better options.

So what IS safe?

This question is exactly why I decided to create Detox by Design | The Box. To make it easier to go toxin-free without stressing about what is and isn’t safe.

The Dish Box will include everything you need to detox your dish washing routine: dishwashing detergent, dish soap, an eco-friendly dish washing cloth, and a beautiful towel to dry those dishes!

What else do you want to know about safe dishwashing? Put your questions in the comments!

Why It's Time to Detox Your Skincare Routine

Resources and links I mention in this episode:

Detox by Design | The Box

My favorite skincare products that have 100% safe and skin enhancing ingredients.

As a reminder, toxins are everywhere. In the air we breathe, in the food we eat, in our cleaning products, in our furniture and items we bring into our home…and in our skincare products.

Skin Care - Why it’s time to detox your routine!

My motto is that we need to reduce our exposure wherever we can.

Depending on the size of the molecule, the ingredients in our products can be absorbed through our skin and into our bloodstream. These ingredients can often be harmful, like endocrine disruptors or carcinogenic. We need to limit our exposure to harmful ingredients in order to limit our overall body burden.

Most people think that if something is sold in stores, then it must be safe. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. I’ve shared about the lack of regulations before and some ingredients to watch out for include parabens, sodium laurryl sulfate, mineral oil, phthalates, oxybenzone, and triclosan.

When I first switched to toxin-free living, skin care was lower on my list. But when you consider how often we use skincare, often multiple times per day, this should really be a priority.

Many people think we need harsh chemicals in our skincare for them to work. I disagree. There are some great products that have safe ingredients that do wonders for minimizing the effects of aging and protecting and moisturizing the skin. Many of the harmful ingredients in conventional skincare products aren’t even active ingredients that improve the skin. They are often just preservatives and fillers.

I get this question a lot, so I thought I’d share my personal routine.

Morning:

• Crunchi Gentle Facial Bar

• Clarilight Essence

• Daylight

• Sunlight SPF30

Evening;

• Charcoal Facial Bar

• Clarilight Essence

• Nightlight

If you’re curious about what kind of safe skincare routine would be perfect for you, I’m happy to answer any questions and recommend a routine specifically for your type of skin and daily routine. Just email me at megan@detox.design.

What Are Harmful Heavy Metals? And How to Avoid Them!

Resources and links I mention in this episode:

Detox by Design | The Box

Lead Safe Mama

My favorite products that third party test for heavy metals and pass with flying colors.

Heavy metal and I'm not talking music here - where heavy metals are found, how they affect our health, and how we can limit our exposure

You may be familiar with lead and mercury as heavy metals to avoid, but there are many other places to avoid heavy metals.

Heavy metals are found all around us. In the water we drink, in the food we eat, and in the products we put on our bodies. There are some that are essential to our health, like selenium and zinc, but at higher levels, some can cause acute toxicity or at lower levels, harm over time. Heavy metals can bioaccumulate, meaning they can build up within our bodies over time.

While we may not be able to remove all exposures to harmful heavy metals, we need to be careful in the products that we choose so we can reduce our exposure as much as possible.

Heavy metals have been linked with cancer, the toxicity of organs, and toxicity of the reproductive, immune, and nervous systems, and can cause developmental delay.

Unfortunately, US regulations of heavy metals is less strict than in most developed nations.

My interest in toxin-free living started with the knowledge that not all toys are safe, and some toys contain lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates toys, but unfortunately toys are proven safe before they are sold in stores.

Ceramic dishes and pottery often contain lead and other heavy metals. I’ve been concerned in the past about vintage dishes, like the “radioactive red” fiestware, but didn’t realize that even modern ceramics and dishes often contain unhealthy levels of heavy metals within the glaze. Check out Lead Safe Mama for more info.

Heavy metals are also often found in personal care products like:

• Lipstick and lipgloss

• Whitening toothpaste

• Eyeliner

• Nail polish

• Foundation

• Sunscreen

• Eyeshadow

• Blush

• Concealer

• Moisturizer

• Eye drops

Heavy metals won’t necessarily be listed on the product label, but are instead contaminants of the ingredients within the product. Ingredients to look out for include lead acetate, chromium, thimerosal, hydrogenated cotton seed oil, and sodium hexametaphosphate.

While we can absorb heavy metals through the skin, it is also important to limit the amount of heavy metals within the products we put on our lips because we in ingest those products as well.

My favorite skincare and makeup line is Crunchi because they third party test for heavy metals, their products perform fabulously, and they minimize their use of plastics and prioritize eco-friendly packaging. If you’d like guidance on which Crunchi products are my favorite, you can email me at megan@detox.design or learn more in my Facebook group Detox by Design Insiders.

Resources:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/lead-and-other-heavy-metals/

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health

Safe sunscreen - what ingredients are reef safe AND human safe?

I know I’ve posted about this before, but I wanted to include it in my podcast line-up so here it is again! I still feel passionate about wearing sunscreen every day.

Why?

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and I have family history too.

My dad has had several malignant melanomas (thankfully all 0 stage or pre-melanomas) and my mom has had one pre-cancer cell removed.

Safe sunscreen - what ingredients are reef safe AND human safe?

There ARE safe sunscreens that can prevent skin cancer! Plus, a daily SPF protects against aging, wrinkles, and sun spots.

Some reminders of why we need to wear sunscreen every day:

• UVA rays can penetrate through glass - you are exposed to damaging rays while driving. Plus you are exposed while walking into the office and during breaks.

• 95% of ultraviolet (UV) radiation comes from UVA rays which are 30-50% more damaging than UVB rays. UVA rays are also around year round and come through cloud coverage. On cloudy days 80% of the sun's rays pass through the cloud filled sky.

• It's true that exposing your skin to sunlight is a great way to get Vitamin D. HOWEVER, you don't need to tan or burn your skin to get Vitamin D, you only need about 15 minutes to get ALL the Vitamin D your body can produce in a single day. The paler your skin, the more easily your skin produces Vitamin D. The Vitamin D Council suggests only exposing your skin for 1/2 the time it takes to get burned. Then it is time to cover up, stay in the shade, and use sunscreen. You also get the most Vitamin D when you expose a large area of your skin, not your face. Exposure to UV light is one of the factors that leads to wrinkles, so we definitely don't want to skip sunscreen on your face, even when spending a few minutes outside getting that natural Vitamin D. 

  • You can get Vitamin D through the following foods:
    - Fatty fish
    - Beef liver
    - Egg yolks
    - Fortified milk and orange juice
    - Fortified cereals

  • You can also get Vitamin D through a supplement.

Safe SPF & My Favorite Sunscreens

Of course you also need to be aware of the ingredients in your sunscreen! There is a big difference between chemical sunscreen (one that absorbs into the skin) and mineral sunscreen (provides a physical barrier on top of the skin). I prefer mineral sunscreen because they work better and there are more mineral sunscreens with safe ingredients.

You know I’ve done my fair share of label analysis on sunscreens! And I’ve tried a ton! I’ve narrowed down my favorites to those that don’t leave my skin look white and ghostly.

My favorite face sunscreen is Crunchi Sunlight. It is broad-spectrum (blocking both UVA and UVB rays), and uses non-nano zinc oxide while also nourishing the skin with aloe, vitamin E, jojoba esters, açaí, and goji fruit antioxidants. It rubs in well and doesn’t leave the skin greasy or opaque like other mineral sunscreens.

For body my favorite right now is All Good. I have two different options in my shop. The sport sunscreen and the kid’s mineral sunscreen butter stick.

What other questions do you have about SPF? What are your favorite safe sunscreens and what do you like about them?Did you know that you can Ingredient deep dive

I hope I have convinced you to wear SPF every day.

Sanitizing vs. cleaning - toxin-free living during a pandemic

I’ve done a couple of blog posts about why I don’t use disinfecting wipes.

Well, here’s the podcast version.

If you’ve reverted back to using wipes because COVID-19, here are some great reminders why they aren’t as effective as you probably think.

Sanitizing vs. cleaning - toxin-free living during a pandemic

First of all, we don’t always need to sanitize, some times we just need to clean up dirt. You don’t need a harsh chemical for that, just a good cloth. I prefer to spray my counters down with a vinegar and water solution.

There are good and bad bacteria in our environment and by killing all bacteria we are creating super bugs and antibiotic resistant bacteria. No bueno!

Most people don’t read the instructions on a wipes container. Did you know you’re supposed to use enough wipes to keep the surface visibly wet for 15 seconds? Or, that it’s recommended to wipe down the surface with potable water and wash your hands after use? Using wipes may not seem as easy as you think if you actually follow the directions.

Plus, most conventional brands contain harmful ingredients.

This is why I created my FREE Safer Wipes Info Sheet. Go check it out and join the Safer Wipes Mission!

Want more help going toxin-free? Download my free guide, join my Facebook group, and follow me on Instagram.

How I analyze ingredient labels and "red flag" ingredients to avoid

If you’re ready to start detoxing your home and everyday routines, but you just don’t know where to start, then you’ll want to listen to this podcast episode. I shared my process for determining the safety of products and shared what I call “red flag” ingredients, the ingredients I scan for when analyzing a label.

How I analyze ingredient labels and "red flag" ingredients to avoid

The first thing I do when considering whether I want to buy a product is check the ingredient label. First I look for these ABSOLUTELY NOT, red-flag, ingredients:

• Parabens

• Fragrance/Parfum

• PEGs

• Grapefruit Seed Extract

• Methylisothiazolinone

• Phenoxyethanol

• Triclosan

Then I search the EWG Skin Deep Database to see if they have a rating for the product.  If they do have a rating, then I make sure it is the same version as the product currently on the market and determine if the product and the ingredients meet my personal safety standards.

And if the product isn’t in the EWG Skin Deep Database… then I enter every ingredient into the database and determine if the ingredients individually are up to my safety standards. 

Initially this will seem overwhelming, but as you practice and get familiar with the “red-flag” ingredients, you’ll get pretty good at it. I also suggest you take a screenshot of this list and keep it in your phone. That way you have a list to turn to when you’re deciding which project to buy and which to put back on the shelf.

Want more help going toxin-free? Download my free guide, join my Facebook group, and follow me on Instagram.

Switching to toxin-free deodorant - some tips and tricks

Have you tried toxin-free deodorant and then switched back to your old favorite? Here are some things you should know.

Switching to toxin-free deodorant - some tips and tricks

Why do we need to switch to toxin-free deodorant?

Our skin is our largest organ and what we put on our skin impacts our health. Underneath our armpits lies our lymphatic system and there are some studies that suggest that aluminum in antiperspirants could increase your risk for cancer, especially breast cancer.

Some tips to make the switch easier:

1. Wash with a charcoal soap. My favorite is here.

2. Spray or wipe pits down with alcohol.

3. Try an Armpit detox - it may sound weird, but a mask made of bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar can be quite helpful:

   1. Mix equal parts bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar in a non-metal bowl and apply a thin layer to each armpit. Leave on anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Wash off. 

   2. You can repeat this as often as needed until the rash is gone and you’ve successfully transitioned to safe deodorant.

Want more help going toxin-free? Download my free guide, join my Facebook group, and follow me on Instagram.

Toxins are everywhere - body burden, and your realm of control.

Yes, toxins are everywhere, but before you just give up and go eat some Cheetos, let’s talk about the ways we are exposed. What we can and can’t control.

Toxins are everywhere - body burden, and your realm of control.

We are exposed to toxins through air, water, food, and what we put on our bodies. Within those some we can control and others we can’t.

For example, think about the air we breathe. Yes, we can go for a hike out in the woods and breathe in fresh and healthy air, but on a daily basis, we can’t control the quality of the air outside. For water, we can use a water filter (my fav is a Berkey) or a whole-house water filtration system. And of course with food, you can choose organic, non-GMO, etc.

So I think about my realm control. What I can control and what I can’t.

Why?

Because our bodies can get overburdened by what it is exposed to.

As Rebecca Sutton, PhD, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), explains, “Our concern is daily, weekly, chronic exposure over a lifetime. Maybe if you’re exposed to a chemical a handful of times it wouldn’t cause harm, but some chemicals build up enough or cause enough harm in your body over time that it triggers some kind of disease outcome. The concept [of body burden] is that pollution is not just in our air and in our water — it’s also in us.”

Are you familiar with the term “body burden”? Toxic body burden is the cumulative amount of toxins in the body. These come from what we expose ourselves to every day, like air, water, food, and what we put on our skin.  

The level of a person's body burden depends on their age, gender, disease status, nutritional habits, and genetic makeup. Dose, time between exposures, duration of repeated exposures, and interaction with other chemicals also contribute to an individual's personal factors. I know that sounds like a lot to understand - but the key point is we ALL have multiple factors impacting our health. We need to understand how to control the ones we can.

Our bodies can process some toxins, but if overburdened, they accumulate in the organs and tissues of the body. 

In essence this is why paying attention to ingredients and choosing safe products is so important. We don’t want to overburden our bodies with unhealthy elements.

Want more help going toxin-free? Download my free guide, join my Facebook group, and follow me on Instagram.

Greenwashing - are you being tricked by marketing?

I don’t know about you, but I get pretty mad when I buy a product and it’s not exactly what I thought it was. Often, I realize that I bought a product simply because I was marketed to.

Greenwashing - are you being tricked by marketing?

Greenwashing is a marketing technique used by companies to imply that their products are green or safe, when they actually aren’t. Some greenwashing terms to look out for are:

• Natural

• Botanical

• Green

• Eco-friendly

• Non-toxic

• Organic

• Preservative-free

• Dermatologist-approved

Go check a label of a product you think is clean. Is it really?

This is the only way to truly know if what you’re buying lives up to the claims and pretty packaging.

Want more help going toxin-free? Download my free guide, join my Facebook group, and follow me on Instagram.

US Regulations don't protect us - we have to pay attention

Last week I launched my podcast, Toxin-Free Talk. You can find it here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

One of the first episodes focuses on the lack of regulation on the products we use and bring int our homes.  

Sadly, the US government isn’t protecting consumers. Just because it is sold on shelves doesn’t mean that it is safe. 

I think this quote from Rebecca Sutton, PhD, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, sums it up nicely:

“In terms of household cleaners, neither ingredients nor products must meet any sort of safety standard, nor is any testing data or notification required before bringing a product to market.”

US Regulations Don’t Protect Us - We Have to Pay Attention

Cleaning products are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and manufacturers are only required to disclose those chemicals listed on the "chemicals of known concern" list. This means that in some cases you can’t even find the list of ingredients on the label. The EPA doesn't test to see if the products are harmful and they don't require that manufacturers test them for safety. They are considered "Safe until proven dangerous."

Cosmetics are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act. The federal law that governs this 84 billion dollar domestic cosmetics industry is only 2.5 pages of the 829-page Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,  and has not been updated since 1938.

 If you’ve ever navigated the personal care product section of Target, you know that’s a LOT of products for only two pages of regulation.

Europe has much higher standards for product safety.

Many companies make the very same product for global distribution, but the ingredients are different based on where the product is sold!

There are also some major loopholes in our laws

When it comes to product labels, the Fair Package and Labeling Act of 1966 has a major loophole. The ingredient “fragrance, natural fragrance, or parfum” is considered a trade secret under this regulation, allowing companies to hide ingredients and not disclose the full ingredient list. That means, you really have no idea what is in a product if it includes “fragrance”.

The cosmetics industry is an $84 Billion industry with an estimated 12,500 chemicals used. Our cosmetics industry uses roughly 10,000 industrial chemical ingredients in personal care products, and the vast majority have never been assessed for safety by any publicly accountable body.

All of this info here is why I think it’s so important to read your ingredient labels! If you’ve found this info helpful, please comment below and share my post or podcast with a friend!

Switching to toxin-free living - this is my story

Photo Source: Google

I recently recorded my first podcast (to be released very soon). I decided to share my story and how I came to start Detox by Design.

You may be surprised to learn that I didn’t grow up super healthy. My parents definitely tried their best, but it was the 80s.

During a high school assembly, I learned about environmental impacts to communities surrounding a large cattle farm and the impact that beef production has on the local community and greenhouse gases. This first opened my eyes to the fact that the environment around us has a big impact on our health. I even became a vegetarian for a few years after that assembly.

Why I chose to Switch to Toxin-Free Living

I ended up studying sociology with a lot of the focus on health. Then after my undergrad I got my Masters of Public Health degree and after graduation I started working in public health building and implementing programs to help people make healthier choices and prevent disease.

Then I had my first daughter and after I learned about lead in toys and BPA in plastics my eyes were opened to the fact that just because something in sold in a store, doesn’t mean it is safe. I learned about the lack of regulations in the US and I started considering the types of cleaners and products we brought into our home.

So that’s how it all began.

I’ll share my podcast when it’s officially approved by iTunes. I hope you listen, comment, and share!

Let's Chat About Greenwashing Again!

Greenwashing really bugs me. Like to my core it annoys me.

I recently was watching a news story on the internet. The story was all about how toxins in our environment are linked with the obesity epidemic. Yep, you read that right. It’s not just poor food and lack of exercise, it’s also related to the endocrine disruptors that lurk in just about everything.

Well…back to my point about greenwashing… the ad before the story was for Grove Collaborative. While the mission for Grove may be good, their methods aren’t. They market themselves as a resource for natural and healthy living. But as we know, the term “natural” isn’t regulated. It just that…a marketing term.

And guess what… Grove Collaborative sells greenwashing products like Mrs. Meyers. Did you know Mrs. Meyers is owned by SC Johnson? Oh, and did you know that Grove Collaborative was created to fit a marketing niche - not necessarily as a method to distribute truly safe products into homes?

What’s greenwashing again?

 Greenwashing is a marketing technique used by companies to imply that their products are green or safe, when they actually aren’t. Some greenwashing terms to look out for are:

• Natural

• Botanical

• Green

• Eco-friendly

• Non-toxic

• Organic

• Preservative-free

• Dermatologist-approved

I don’t know about you, but I get pretty mad when I buy a product and it’s not exactly what I thought it was. Often, I realize that I bought a product simply because I was marketed to.

So what’s the lesson here? Ignore the pretty label and terms on the front of the product. Look on the back. Read the ingredients. This is the only way to truly know if what you’re buying lives up to the claims.

Don't Know Where to Start with Detoxing Your Home? Sign Up for My Masterclass “3 Secrets to Quickly and Easily Detox Your Home”

Imagine what it would feel like to confidently choose safe products while shopping.

Imagine how you’d feel about staying on budget and not worrying about the products you’re bringing into your home.

Imagine following a simple plan to finally get it done.

I started Detox by Design because I found that moms need a little more help with detoxing their homes. Even though I was providing free tips in my Facebook group, Detox by Design Insiders, I kept getting the same questions. I also found that although many knew they needed to do it, but they kept procrastinating because they were getting overwhelmed.

I decided to provide some extra help in a free webinar. In Three Secrets to Quickly and Easily Detoxing Your Home, I’m going to help you overcome procrastination and the immense feeling of overwhelm and finally detox your home. You’ll learn that it can be simple, easy, and affordable to find safe products to use in your home.

And if you want even more help, I’ve created a simple step by step process to make it all easy and achievable. I’ll be sharing all about my new program within the webinar. So go sign up now!

Our School District Banned Disinfectant Wipes! Will Yours Be Next?

Remember back in August when I shared my Safer Wipes sheet with you?

Well, I also shared it with my daughter’s teacher…and she shared it with the principal…and less than six months later, the district banned wipes from being used in the classroom.

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A post shared by Detox by Design by Megan, MPH (@detoxbydesign_meganmikkelsen) on Feb 25, 2020 at 5:16pm PST

I don’t know that my little Safer Wipes sheet actually impacted this change.

But what I do know is that now…

1. Fewer kids are exposed to allergens

2. Fewer kids are exposed to chemicals that can cause asthma

3. And fewer kids are exposed to “fragrance”, the loophole that can hide over 4,000 chemicals within that one term.

I’m a rule follower to my core (first born child, of course). As you can imagine balking the supply list and not buying EXACTLY what was on it was hard for me. I don’t like causing a scene or being different from the pack.

But I’m getting over that. Real change comes from pushing outside of our comfort zone. We need to stand up for what we know is right.

Thank you to the teachers and administrators who stand up for our kids every day!

Why You Should Get an Organic Mattress

Switching mattresses isn’t the first swap that people make when working towards a more toxin free life, but maybe it should be. 

On average we spend 8 hours a day in bed. That’s one-third of our day. Even scarier -  that’s one-third of our lives! 

With traditional mattresses, that time is spent laying on and breathing in:

• Chemical flame retardants - mattresses sold and made in the US must meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) flame retardant standards. By the way, organic wool is naturally flame resistant.

• Pesticides - The materials used in mattresses are grown with pesticides.

• Volatile organic compounds - often found in the polyurethane in mattresses. 

Tapping natural latex from a rubber tree.

So what should you look for when shopping for a healthier mattress? 

Look for the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or for mattresses that contain latex with the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) seal. 

Not quite as good GOTS or GOLS is the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. This standard sets limits for VOC emissions and prohibits the use of flame retardants and dyes but doesn’t require any organic materials to be used.

Watch out when you see claims that a mattress is “organic” or “natural” without a GOTS or GOLS seal. In many cases these mattresses may include some certified organic materials, but the rest of it is uses conventional materials. 
When choosing a mattress with these standards and made by companies with an earth-friendly focus, you're not only getting a healthy product for your family, you can also rest easy knowing your mattress was made with an eco-conscious focus that benefits the planet.

Where can you find an organic mattress?

The mattress I’ve been looking at getting is from Holy Lamb Organics. Nope, I haven’t bought it quite yet, because a mattress is a big investment. And, let’s be honest, I’ve had a new mattress on my list for quite some time and I keep prioritizing other expenses.

No, I’m not getting paid to promote Holy Lamb or their products, but here’s why I will buy our new mattress from them:

1. They are local company that makes hand-made products right here in Washington.

2. They use natural latex which is hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and resistant to water, dust mites, bacteria, fungus, mold, mildew, bedbugs and other allergens. 

3. Holy Lamb products are sustainable, biodegradable, and use materials grown without pesticides

Holy Lamb was kind enough to give my readers a special discount. You can get 15% off Holy Lamb products, including mattresses (excludes custom and clearance), with the code healthysleep15 at the flagship store in Olympia or at olympiabedstore.com

Thanks Holy Lamb!

Fake Scents? No Thank You!

My friend Elissa texted me the other day. She said

“OMG at the dentist and they have Glade plug-ins all over! Instant headache! WTF! A medical office shouldn’t smell like Yankee Candle.” 

Yep, that’s what she said word for word.

I’m proud of her because she actually complained.  She told them that after 20 minutes she felt nauseous, dizzy, her hands were shaking, and her head was pounding. They agreed to unplug them and get this THE STAFF COULDN’T EVEN SMELL THEM! Hmm...I wonder if they plugged them back in later. 

I thought this was the perfect time to address scents not only because of Elissa’s text, but also because as the holidays get closer, you’re more likely to be inundated with scented candles, potpourri, and perfume. Here’s some good data to share to kindly encourage others to just stop it already with the fake smells. They’re not good for us!

So what’s wrong with fragrance?

We’ve talked here before about the ingredient “fragrance” or “parfum” commonly found on product labels and why you should avoid it altogether. (Fragrance/parfum is a proprietary term meaning that cosmetics companies aren’t required to reveal the individual chemicals included within the term.) But here’s more fuel for the fire.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, together with other non-governmental organizations, commissioned independent lab testing of 32 beauty, personal care, and cleaning products and found three quarters of the toxic chemicals in the products were fragrance chemicals. One in four of the 338 fragrance chemicals detected were linked with serious, chronic health effects including cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption. No thank you!

These are the same chemicals found in many home fragrances. 

Women’s Voices for the Earth commissioned an independent lab test to find what chemicals could be hiding in air fresheners. While they only had enough funding to test for allergens, synthetic musks, and phthalates, they found ALL of them in the Glade products tested - despite the fact that Glad had committed to phasing out phthalates two years prior.

When you use something like a plug-in you’re constantly breathing in those chemicals. These intrusive fake smells not only have potential long term effects, some people have an almost immediate reaction. Alexander Mauskop, MD, director of the New York Headache Center, includes perfume as one of the most common smells that trigger migraines, and more than 2 million Americans are allergic to fragrance. 

Want to make the house smell amazing but don’t want the chemicals?

Here are a few suggestions for you -

1. Use a diffuser with essential oils. How about this recipe I found called “Crunching Leaves”:

   • 2 drops Frankincense

   • 2 drops Myrrh

   • 3 drops Wild Orange

   • 2 drops Cedarwood

2. Create an “old school” potpourri:

   • ½ lemon, sliced thin

   • ½ an apple, sliced

   • 4 cinnamon sticks, or ½ tsp ground cinnamon

   • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

   • Place a medium sized saucepan on the back burner, fill with ingredients and let it simmer on the lowest setting.  Start your potpourri about a half hour before you have guests come over…your home will smell amazing.

3. Deep clean your home so you don’t have to cover up lingering scents.

   • Open up your windows and bring fresh air in.

   • My favorite tip to help eliminate unpleasant smells - sprinkle baking soda on rugs, carpets, and furniture before vacuuming and toss throw pillows and other fabric items in the wash for a deeper clean.

So the next time you get into an Uber that smells like an entire bottle of Axe threw up, will you say something? Let’s be like Elissa and speak up!

It’s Time for Cosmetics Regulation Reform and You Can Help!

I don’t usually ask for you to take political action, I’m just not that overt about my politics.

But there’s an important bill that needs our support in DC.

When I heard about it I immediately sent my representative a letter. And you can too.

This link makes it quick and easy. 

Why you should care…

There are major gaps in the federal laws that govern beauty and personal care products. The current law is only 2.5 pages long and is over 80 years old. I’m pretty sure there have been some changes in the way cosmetics have been produced in those 80 years.

Representative Jan Schakowsky introduced the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2019 (H.R. 4296), finally adding stricter regulations including:

• Banning over a dozen of the worst chemicals from cosmetics

• Funding research into safer alternatives to toxic chemicals negatively impacting communities of color and salon workers

• Requiring full disclosure of fragrance ingredients*

• Banning most animal testing

*Fragrance/parfum is currently a proprietary term meaning that cosmetics companies aren’t required to reveal the individual chemicals included within the term

You can get more details about H.R. 4296 here. 

I’m asking you to please take a moment and support this bill. Show Congress that we care about the safety of our products.

Each of us is an advocate every day. How we choose to spend our money is advocacy. 

Buying organic vegetables -  you’re an advocate for farming practices with fewer pesticides. Bringing your reusable cup to the coffee shop - you’re an advocate for creating less waste. Choosing a local restaurant - you’re an advocate for local commerce and supporting a family business.

Thank you for voting with your dollar and making smart and conscious decisions about the products and causes you support.

If you want more suggestions how how to get involved, check out my quick to do list.