The Dirty Dozen

Y'all. First off, there is a lot of info out there so you may be wondering - "how the heck do I keep up with all of this?"

SOLUTION - well, you can always come here! I'll try to have some good info for ya.

One of my favorite apps that I reference regularly, however, is Think Dirty. It rates over a million products in regard to its ingredients and toxicity level. That's pretty impressive! It lists all the ingredients for each product, tells you if and why they are toxic and what health concerns are related to the chemicals. If something isn't as "green" as you were led to believe, Think Dirty offers alternatives for you to check out. You can even review products and submit info on products that haven't been rated yet.

What, what! It's my jam.

You can download the app here: http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/

All that aside, I am going to give you a quick guide to reference what environmentalists call the Dirty Dozen. These are 12 common chemicals and compounds found in home and body care products, which researchers have determined can cause short and long term health effects.

1. Parabens: This is a popular preservative found in cosmetics and personal care products. It's linked to endocrine disorders and potentially breast cancer. On top of that - it can lead to increased aging!

2. Formaldehyde releasing preservatives: These are found in many different cosmetics and when inhaled, can increase cancer risks.

3. Coal tar dyes: Watch out for these nasty chemicals in hair dyes. It is a human carcinogen and can cause cancer.

4. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): These chemicals have been known to cause cancer and affect both male and female reproduction. Look for them in moisturizers and lip sticks. They are also sometimes used in foods as a preservative!

5. Dibutyl phthalate or DBP: This nasty chemical has been blamed for developmental defects, interferes with hormone function, and can harm fertility chances. DBP is the reason nail polish stays liquefied inside its bottle.

6. Fragrance (aka parfume): This makes product smell lovely, right?! Just make sure you get it from all natural sources like 100% pure essential oils or fruit extract because inhaling fake chemical fragrances can cause allergies and asthma attacks.

7. Sodium laureth sulfate (or Sulfates in general): When you combine sulfates with other chemicals it can harm your nervous system and prevent human development.

8. Petrolatum (also known as petroleum or Vaseline): Petroleum based products have been associated with cancer, along with allergies and skin irritations.

9. Triclosan: Look for this in antibacterial products and toothpaste. It can actually attract bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

10. Diethanolamine (DEA), cocamide DEA, and lauramide DEA: This makes certain products like hair conditioner creamy or sudsy, like shampoo and conditioner. It's used in oil refineries so it definitely has no place in your shower!

11. Polyethylene glycol (PEG Compounds): These compounds stick around for a while after you think you've washed them away. Look for this in creams and lotions.

12. Siloxanes: Certain silicone formulas of this nasty chemical can actually impair fertility! Even scarier - it can cause uterine tumors.

I mean, one in eight of the approximate 82,000 ingredients in personal care products are industrial chemicals.

Queue wide, worried eyes.

From pesticides, to carcinogens, to hormone and endocrine disruptors and cancer causing agents, aren't you afraid of how this could affect you, your babies, and your fam? I know it sounds daunting, but take it one step at a time momma. I went through our house at one point and scanned every cleaning, bath, body, and make-up product in my house. I ended up with a kitchen counter full of product to throw away and a large bill of new, less toxic product at my local Target. I was a little bit cray.

Maybe try switching out 1-2 products at a time!