Monday 27 April 2015

Ditching chemicals

for me this is a big one. I have long felt it is not good to consume or cover ourselves with chemicals. The problem was it felt like I would be going back to the dark ages. I started googling different things and was amazed at what I found. The biggest surprise was that most of the ideas came from Americans. I had not thought of them being very green. I bought a book, the naturally clean house, and so it began. It took some time to gather what I needed and I still have a long way to go. The first thing I changed was no more bubble bath, something I was addicted to. Then I stopped using the dishwasher. Chemicals and expense. Then fabric softener went along with the tumble dryer. If I cannot dry things outside it goes in front of the Esse. I have what I need to make cleaners but haven't got around to it yet.
Next came the biggest revolution of all....Eileen54 mentioned 'no poo'. Back to google and I read all about going without hair products. I washed my hair every other day and had it coloured every five weeks. What a lot of chemicals. I am now over two weeks with no shampoo. I have also done my first rinse with black walnut hull powder to cover the grey. I plan to wash my hair with water and rinse with the walnut powder twice a week. Watch this space.
Then I found a great site..wellnessmama...how to make natural beauty products. She also has a section about colouring hair. I have what I need now to make moisturiser, foundation powder and lip colour. I just need a quiet day to try making it all.
The final thing so far is soap. The liquid soap has gone as have the makeup remover wipes. I currently use dove soap to remove makeup and wash me but will swap to castille soap asap. I have bought ceramic soap dishes and put bars of soap by all sinks. A fraction of the cost and no chemicals. With castille soap I can remelt the ends to make new bars.
There are many more things I can do and I will get there. It suits my ethos not to line the pockets of big corporations, saves money and is better for the environment....a bit of card and paper rather than a plastic bottle.
So that is where I am now. I will update as I start new things.

5 comments:

  1. I don't use bubble bath, hair conditioner or fabric softener or any make up. We've never had a dish washer and the tumble dryer is out in a shed and rarely used. I only use bars of Pure soap on a ceramic dish with holes to drain for washing hands etc and Ecover products for clothes and washing up. My best cleaning products are Bi-carb bought in bulk and Washing soda - brilliant for grease on the cooker shelves.
    We have a septic tank so have always been careful with what we put down the drain

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  2. We have a micro station here put in a couple of years ago when we realised we were emptying into a field below us all our waste water. Ecover is too expensive here which is why I am moving over to natural products like bicarb.

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  3. Sodium laureth sulfate is used in soap to increase its lathering potential. This is a chemical surfactant proven to cause skin irritation, even when used in very low quantities. If you have sensitive skin or skin problems such as eczema, using soap that contains this ingredient may be harmful to your skin's health. Researchers believe that severe skin irritation can occur with concentrations as low as .05 percent; some soaps contain up to 30 percent of this chemical.
    Suggest you visit :
    http://chem.answers.com/compounds/five-common-chemicals-in-soap

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  4. It's really quite worrying, the amount of chemicals we are unknowingly using every day. Shocking in fact, when you start to look into it. Makes you wonder how the developers ever thought it would be a good idea to make products using these chemicals that are potentially so harmful.

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  5. Reading your post and all these replies makes one realise how very many chemicals are involved in our everyday lives. Mand of the things you mention I don't do - I don't wear make up, I shower with the minimum of soap - and always non perfumed soap. I do use a tumble drier because I am not particularly mobile and have trouble pegging out the washing on the line - drying it round the Aga would make meal times a bit difficult. I use an Eco washing up liquid - but really the more one looks into it the more there is to work on in the field.

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