My Non Toxic Journey – September 2015

End of September

One Step At A Time

Join me each month as I share insights from my journey to non toxic living.

Looking for a Healthy Perfume Alternative

So, like many women, I like to smell fresh with a pretty fragrance. I’ve had great luck in finding non-toxic bath and shower products but I do admit, I miss adding spritzes of my favorite perfumes everyday. The few that I love contain chemicals and we know that anything you put on your body is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. And the body is our largest organ.

It’s now time to find a healthy perfume alternative. To be honest, it’s one area that I haven’t spent a lot of time researching. I’ve heard of places where you can go and have a professional “custom-mix” a scent for you, however I don’t know if these “mixes” are using non-toxic products. I think part of the reason I haven’t made healthy perfume hunting a priority is because I have enjoyed the healthy shower and bath washes, especially during the summer when the fragrances should be light and fresh.

It has come up on my radar as we are entering the fall and winter months that I’d like something a little heavier, though not overpowering and certainly using healthy ingredients, without parabens, phthalates, and other known toxins. If you didn’t catch my post last fall on the dangers of these chemicals, click here.

So, I throw this out to you, my intelligent and discerning readers! I would love to enjoy the coming seasons with some new and healthy fragrances. I look forward to hearing what you have found or may suggest. I’ll bet others of you may be looking too! Good health can smell pretty, too!

Peace and Good Health!

Fall Allergies – Dairy Apples, Honey and Neti Pots, Oh My!

While autumn signals the beginning of allergies for some folks, others tend to suffer year round. Ragweed is the main irritant for my husband during the fall, starting in early August and running through mid-October. I’m one of the lucky ones who have year round sensitivities to dust and mold. Either way, allergies can leave one feeling tired, and just plain miserable.

While many of us with allergies have used over the counter and prescription medicines I’ve personally experienced their side effects:

Dry mouth, flu like symptoms, drowsiness, heart palpitations and anxiety. It feels like I’ve had ten cups of extra strength coffee. I know others have spoken of stomach upset, insomnia, headaches, and low libido. One of the things I’ve learned is that over the counter antihistamines can actually increase one’s appetite, thus causing weight gain.

Following years of using those products, and enduring allergy shots for 2 years, I can honestly say I’ve had much better results with these natural alternatives.

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