11 Non-Toxic Swaps You Need To Make Immediately

These days we are inundated with toxic everything. Whether it's the food we're eating, water we're drinking, air we're breathing, products we're using or items we're bringing into our home, chances are they're toxic on some level. Not only can certain products, foods and other items cause tons of health issues, but they also drastically deplete our quality of life. In our opinion, it's worth it to take the little extra time to swap out the bad for the better, or the better for the great. You have to do what you're able to do right now, and know that every little change makes a difference!

Luckily, not all hope is lost and there are still quite a few companies that we can put our trust in. Below we're going to dive into the 11 items we would encourage you to swap out ASAP. And watch how you slowly start to feel better and better as you change each one!

*Disclaimer: None of the information below is intended to be medical advice. Should you act on any of the advice below, you do so at your own risk. Please always contact your medical provider before changing or implementing anything new.*

1. Candles

Candles are something most of us can't live without. The ambiance is amazing, and it just sets the mood. However, once you realize candles contain toxic chemicals like fragrance, lead, paraffin wax, and BHT, you start to feel a little differently. These chemicals have been linked to issues like headaches, central nervous system depression, cancer, hormone disruption, and neural disturbances. You can read more about the dangers of candles at our other blog here.

Swap: We have two favorite candle lines that we both love and use in our homes! Rowe Casa Organics and Fontana Candle Co. They both use coconut oil, beeswax and therapeutic grade essential oils! That's it!

2. Shampoo/Conditioner

Shampoo and Conditioner contain chemicals that aren't only bad for your body, but also for your hair. Doesn't make sense does it? Things like formaldehyde, sulfates, parabens and phthalates that have been linked to issues like dry and damaged hair, skin irritation, cancer, endocrine disruption, infertility, and thyroid and liver issues. While we're on the topic, dry shampoo could be considered even more dangerous as many different brands contain benzene, which is linked to harmful effects on your red blood cells and bone marrow, tremors, unconsciousness and even death.

Swap: We have two favorite shampoo and conditioner lines that we love and use!

1. Rowe Casa Organics

-They also have a great dry shampoo!

2. Pura D'or

3. Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies contain harsh chemicals like fragrance, ammonium hydroxide, dioxane, surfactants, butane and ethylene oxide. Some of them do a really great job at cleaning certain areas of your home, but at what cost? These have been linked to health issues like endocrine disruption, cancer, respiratory issues, infertility, kidney failure, congenital conditions, liver damage...the list goes on and on...and on.

Swap: We use Rowe Casa Organics for MANY of our cleaning supplies (Can you tell we love them? And we aren't even affiliated!) But we also like to make homemade cleaning supplies too! You can check out some of our recipes here.

4. Room Fresheners

Where do we even begin with these toxic plug ins, room sprays or potpourri. If you use these, take this as a sign to stop TODAY. These are also so harmful to your kids and pets, and they are helpless to the choices you make, so if not for you, make good ones for them! These room fresheners contain harmful chemicals like fragrance, sodium polyacrylate, BHT, and deodorizing agents which have been linked to issues like endocrine disruption, cancer, infertility, neurotoxicity, skin irritation, organ damage and respiratory issues to name a few.

Swaps: We recommend diffusing therapeutic grade essential oils or making your own room spray! Rowe Casa has great EO's and they actually have their own room sprays as well, and they're wonderful!!

5. Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent adheres to your clothes, and then you put it directly on your body to be worn all day. This is problematic because laundry detergent contains chemicals like fragrance, surfactants, 4-dioxane, and phthalates, which then absorbs into your skin and into your blood stream. These have been linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, infertility, neurotoxicity, skin irritation, respiratory issues, organ failure and even death.

Swaps: Rowe Casa Organics has a wonderful laundry line. They have a powder detergent and a brand new liquid detergent. We also love Truly Free. It's not easy to find "good" detergents that actually work. But we stand by these! You can also make your own homemade detergent with baking soda, vinegar and therapeutic grade essential oils.

6. Deodorant

This one can be tricky, because some natural deodorants work for some people, and others just..well, don't. However, "normal" deodorants contain things like aluminum, parabens, triclosan, DEA and fragrance. These have been linked to respiratory issues, infertility, cancer, organ damage, memory loss, neurotoxicity...shall we go on? Are you seeing a trend here? These items just are NOT worth the risk to our bodies. And the risks are not small.

Swaps: You guessed it, our top choice is Rowe Casa Organics. They have great scents and the deodorant really works. We also like Just Ingredients and Earthley if you find that one of them don't work for you.

7. OTC Pain Medications

I think we can all guess which pain medications we're referring to here. In fact, one of them is even in a lawsuit as we speak. These OTC pain medications have been linked to liver damage, kidney damage, blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, stomach ulcers and risk of overdose. As always, we encourage you to do what feels best for you. However, we believe it's important to be aware of the fact that these medications do not come without risks. And there are options that do! It doesn't hurt to try an alternative option first.

Swaps: We love Prana by Leefy or Relief by RCO. They are both turmeric and ginger supplements that pack a punch!

8. Perfume

We certainly understand the desire to smell good. Who wouldn't?! But let's just run through a few of the chemicals and what they are linked to. Perfumes contain fragrance, aluminum, phthalates, aldehydes and parabens to name a few. These are linked to endocrine disruption, infertility, neurotoxicity, cancer, respiratory issues, organ damage, skin irritation and migraines. So, now you tell us- is smelling good more important than your health? Hard decisions sometimes have to be made, and it's unfortunate but it's true.

Swap: We recommend creating your own roller bottle of therapueutic grade essential oils to apply as often as needed! Not only will you smell good, but there are SO many benefits to this too!

9. Dish Detergent

Here we're referring to both the dish soap that you use by hand, and the detergent you put into your dishwasher. Both matter because we quite literally eat our food off of the chemicals that are left behind. Dish soap and detergents contain harsh chemicals like phosphates, chlorine, DEA, triclosan, fragrance, formaldehyde and dyes. These have been linked to digestive issues, headaches, tumors, hormone disruption, cancer, and is awful for the environment. And that residue left on your dishes after they're washed? It's actually carcinogenic.

Swaps: We know we sound like a broken record, but Rowe Casa really does have everything, and we love it all. Their dish soap takes a little getting used to because it isn't as sudsy..but it WORKS! And their dishwasher detergent will make you wonder why you ever used anything else before!

10. Lip Balm

This one may seem silly, but you'd be surprised what is actually in typical lip balms. Scary. And this is such an easy swap that you can do today! Most lip balms contain chemicals like parabens, fragrances, and PFAS. Did you know that some of them are actually designed to create a dependence on that specific lip balm rather than soothing your lips? Wild. The chemicals in these lips balms have been linked to things like endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, organ damage, cancer and infertility to name a few. Why take the risk?

Swaps: Rowe Casa Organics, Sister Bee's, and Earthley are some of our favorites to use!

11. Dryer Sheets

Last but certainly not least are dryer sheets. Please, please, please stop using these! Dryer sheets contain chemicals like fragrance, chloroform (Yeah, we gasped too), acetaldehyde, benzene, formaldehyde and ethyl acetate...there are SO many more but those are some of the major ones. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, organ damage, skin irritation, respiratory issues, migraines, and so many other horrible issues.

Swaps: We highly recommend using therapeutic grade essential oils on wool dryer balls! It works SO well. And if you're looking to diminish the static..try Rowe Casa Organics Dryer Spray! It's amazing.

In Closing

Listen, we totally understand it's impossible to change everything over night. But like we said before, small changes lead to big changes. Start where you can. You will be able to tell a difference when you remove the harsh chemicals and give your body a break from the toxic load. Let us know your thoughts, if you'd like us to expand on any of the above swaps, or if you'd like us to do more blogs like this one! Thanks for being here. We really appreciate you. See you next week!