What You Don’t Know About Personal Hygiene Might Make You Sick

(Photo : What You Don’t Know About Personal Hygiene Might Make You Sick)

Good personal hygiene isn't just to smell good or look good, although it's important for both. More importantly, it's a way of protecting ourselves against illnesses, the common cold, the flu, COVID, and a slew of other things. We use soap to remove the germs, shampoo to clean our hair, lotion to keep our skin hydrated, and the list goes on.

We aren't acutely aware that the chemicals inside of our hygiene products are being absorbed directly into our bloodstream and affecting your overall health. 

It is estimated that, on average, a woman will put nearly 168 different chemicals into their bodies on a daily basis, based on the number of products they use. Men use fewer products, and therefore they are putting only 85 different chemicals into their bodies daily. 

Europe has over 1,300 toxic chemicals banned from beauty products, but there are only 11 ingredients banned in the US. 

So while you might be taking good care of your personal hygiene, your good hygiene habits can be directly affecting your overall health, filling your body with toxic chemicals.

Good self-care and hygiene routines with a holistic approach have never been easier than it is today with many safe and natural alternatives to your personal hygiene products. 

Making these simple changes will limit the number of chemicals you put into your body dramatically and help keep you healthy. Plus, many of these natural products are environmentally friendly.

Ditch the Makeup Wipes

Makeup wipes are filled with chemicals and find their way into the landfill. Using reusable face and makeup remover cloths or the konjac sponge, there are no additives, preservatives, or dyes that are harmful to your skin or health. And no environmental damage is being done, which is always a plus!

Eliminate Plastic Oral Hygiene Products

It's not going to come as a shock to hear that plastic isn't good for our health or the environment. And toothbrushes and dental floss are plastic materials. Bamboo toothbrushes have become increasingly popular, and dental lace is made of silk. And let's not forget that toothpaste is filled with chemicals as well.

Natural Exfoliators Are Better

Beauty products are harmful to your health and your skin. There are a ton of natural exfoliators that you can use such as natural soaps with poppy seeds, coffee grounds, and exfoliator gloves are a great reusable option.

Natural Shampoos & Conditioners Work Just As Good

Switching your shampoo and conditioners can be tricky; after all, it's likely it took you a long time to find the one that doesn't dry out your hair, protects your color, and keeps your curls on point. But these products are filled with a ton of harmful chemicals, while many of the natural products will offer you the same results as the ones you are currently using. However, they just might be even better since they are free from parabens, silicone, phthalates, and sulfates, which hurt your color-treated hair. 

Chemical-free Makeup Alternatives

Don't worry; you don't have to ditch the makeup. With more and more people becoming aware of the harmful effects chemical products play on our health, companies such as Iila and Just Herbs are making healthy beauty products. 

Hair and skincare products are an essential part of our daily routine and are the biggest culprit when it comes to the number of chemicals that enter our bodies.  Eliminating them would never be an option, and thankfully it doesn't have to be with the many healthy, non-toxic, and chemical-free alternatives that we have.

It used to be that you could only find these products online or in specialty stores, but they are easier to find with the increased health concerns.  

Holistic self-care is about treating our bodies and the environment well. And there's no better way to do that than by avoiding or at the least reducing the number of harmful chemicals that we put in and on our bodies is the best place to begin.