Mission: Toxic Cleanout 2012
I watched this documentary on Netflix which reminded me and reconfirmed about the dangers of plastics and other petroleum-based products (I will be referring to them all as plastic). At one point he has people take the items in their house that have plastic out and lay them on the lawn...I started looking around and our house would be nearly empty. That crap is everywhere.
Since I recently took a sabbatical from school to de-stress and hopefully move this recovery along a bit more quickly, I decided that maybe I could help myself in other ways. Now, I'm not 100% certain that all the plastics and chemicals caused my situation, but I'm 100% certain they can't be helping any. I also have been trying to cut the unnecessary chemicals and processing from the food I consume (I've been cooking more and it actually tastes better than eating out most of the time). Now it is time to weed out the plastics and other chemicals.
Step 1: Replace plastic with glass, metal or wood if possible. Wow, it's expensive, so I have to replace here and there. Surprisingly, we have everything plastic...bottles, cups, utensils, plates and bowls, rubbermaid food storage containers, everything in my bathroom (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoos, the shower hose, the shower curtain and liner...it's endless!!!!), everything in my car, a large percentage of each pair of shoes, etc. Look around, are you much different? I doubt it. We really have become dependent upon plastics. Heck, even my cell phone and this laptop are 80%+ plastic.
Step 1a: I bought a few refillable glass bottles...they have plastic lids, but it was all I could find and at least it's replacing the 100% plastic refillable bottles and cups I have been using. I bought a few kitchen items like mixing bowls and measuring spoons & cups to replace the old plastic versions.
Step 2: I'm most concerned with the items used that I put on or in my body that are contaminated by the leaching process of plastics, ie: toothpaste, moisturizers, deodorants, etc. So the plan is to replace those as I go...but do you know how expensive that is? Holy crap!!!
Step 2a: I did some research and found I could make my own natural, organic products and put them in glass jars and containers. Whew! It's not cheap and it takes some effort, but it should be worth it.
Step 3: I shopped and shopped and shopped...Sprouts, Mother's Market and even online. I finally got all of the ingredients I need to make the replacement personal products I found recipes for.
Step 4: I made homemade toothpaste, deodorant and hand soap this week. I am waiting for the online orders to arrive to make the moisturizer and lotion...that should happen next week.
Step 4a: I made the toothpaste first. It really wasn't very hard...actually, it was quite easy. There are so many recipes for toothpaste (aka: toothsoap) that I just had to pick one and pray it wasn't too gross. I chose the one that used baking soda, since I've been addicted to Crest Baking Soda and Peroxide Toothpaste for over a decade now. After several adjustments to the recipe, I came up with a homemade peppermint baking soda toothpaste that is near perfection. I put it in a glass jar with a pump for easy usage. As an unintended upside: our teeth are so squeaky clean, plus they literally have a shine to them. Also, we have noticed that our teeth and mouths feel good for the entire day and we even noticed this morning we didn't wake up with morning breathe. Interesting and awesome!
Step 4b: I made hand soap next...but it takes a long while because it had to cool, so I worked on Step 4c while I was waiting to let it cool. I made 1/2 of the recipe using a nice lavender bar soap I already had from Trader Joe's...sometimes I buy bar soap because it smells good but I never use bar soap unless I'm desperate. Also, I should note that my mom and I decided we don't want to use anti-bacterial soap any longer...this should help build immune systems, but kill all germs. Anyway, it was too thick so I added more water, remixed and put them back in the Soft Soap pump containers we already have been using (I didn't buy any more jars with pumps...so we reused them for now). I like it. My hands feel very clean...I should note that while I like it, the consistency in a little slimy. I'll work on that for the next batch.
Step 4c: Finally I made my deodorant. I actually still had plenty of Secret deodorant, but since it's chocked full of aluminum and I'm always hearing about studies that say it's causing breast cancer, or at least adding to the problems, I decided to push the sticks up and out...cleaned it and reused the container. I poured my new mixture in, put it in the fridge to solidify and waited until this morning. It rolled on very nicely, smells pleasant and feels good. I won't really know until I give it a good run as to how well it actually works, but there is so much baking soda and corn starch it would be nearly impossible for it not to work. I'll have to get back to you on this product =)
Well, that's what I've been up to. I've not been feeling very well. I'm hoping that anything and everything I do can at least help me move in the right direction. I want to be a happy, healthy, productive member of society again as soon as possible...so I'm willing to do nearly anything at this point.
