Hidden Toxins
Once we understood how daily exposure adds up, we started looking closely at the places chemicals quietly enter the body.
Cleaning & Laundry
What touches your skin all day should never work against your health — yet many laundry products do. Detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets are engineered to leave fragrance behind, meaning chemical residues sit on your clothes, towels, and bedding 24 hours a day, absorbed through your skin and inhaled with every breath. Research has shown that fragranced laundry products can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including chemicals classified as hazardous air pollutants, some of which are known or probable carcinogens. Many fragrance ingredients are also endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with hormones that regulate metabolism, reproduction, and immune function. Over time, this constant exposure adds to toxic burden and has been linked to hormone imbalance, inflammation, respiratory issues, and increased disease risk — all from something most people assume is “clean.”
- Laundry Detergent
- Dryer Sheets replace with Dryer Balls and Essential Oils for your preferred scent
- Household Cleaners
- Fabric Softeners replace with Vinegar
Kitchen
The kitchen is where health is either protected or quietly compromised every single day. Cookware, food storage, and dishwashing products don’t just come into contact with food — they can become part of it. Heat and wear can increase chemical migration from materials into what you eat, while studies have raised concerns that residues from dish soaps and dishwasher detergents may remain on plates and utensils even after rinsing. Laboratory research has shown that certain detergent residues can damage intestinal barrier models, a mechanism linked to inflammation, immune dysfunction, and chronic disease. When chemicals repeatedly enter the body through food contact, they contribute to bioaccumulation — a process in which toxins build up faster than the body can eliminate them — increasing long-term risk for gut disorders, metabolic dysfunction, and disease, including cancer.
- Cookware replace with stainless steel
- Food Storage replace all plastics with glass
- Utensils replace with stainless steel or wood
- Cleaning (use chemical-free dish soap, dishwasher pods, cleaners)
Body, Beauty & Personal Care
Personal care products are among the most underestimated sources of toxic exposure because they feel harmless — yet they are applied daily, absorbed through the skin, and often left on for hours. Many cosmetics and skincare products contain ingredients or contaminants linked to endocrine disruption, including phthalates and parabens, which can interfere with hormone signaling. Independent testing has also identified PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” in a significant number of makeup products — chemicals associated with cancer risk, immune suppression, and hormone disruption. Because these products are used repeatedly over years and often applied near lymph-dense areas, the cumulative exposure has been linked to hormonal imbalance, fertility issues, thyroid dysfunction, and increased risk of hormone-related cancers. What you put on your body does not stay on the surface — it becomes part of your internal environment.
- Skincare
- Hair
- Makeup
- Feminine Care
- Oral Care (fluoride free toothpaste and floss, mouthwash)
- Sunscreen
Feminine Care
Feminine care products deserve special attention because they are used on highly absorbent, sensitive tissue, allowing chemicals direct access into the body. Research has detected metals such as lead and arsenic in tested tampons, raising serious concerns about long-term internal exposure. These substances are known to accumulate in the body and are associated with reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, and increased cancer risk. Because these products are used monthly for decades, even small amounts of exposure can add up over time. When it comes to feminine care, “just a little” exposure is not insignificant — it’s repeated, intimate, and biologically impactful.
- Pads
- Tampons
- Menstrual Cups
Air & Home Environment
If you can smell it, you are inhaling it — and inhalation is one of the fastest ways chemicals enter the bloodstream. Candles, air fresheners, plug-ins, and fragranced household products release VOCs and other airborne chemicals that bypass many of the body’s natural detox defenses. Studies have shown that fragranced products can emit hazardous air pollutants, including compounds classified as carcinogenic, and exposure has been linked to respiratory irritation, neurological symptoms, and hormone disruption. Fragrance chemicals are especially concerning because they are often undisclosed mixtures that can act as endocrine disruptors, altering hormone balance and increasing inflammation. Chronic exposure to polluted indoor air has been associated with increased risk of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer — all from products meant to make a home “smell clean.”
- Candles & Fragrance
- Diffusers and Essential Oils- Quality matters
- Bedding & Mattresses cotton and linen are best
Easy Swaps
Most people don’t realize how much their daily environment shapes their long-term health until something forces them to look closer. You don’t need to change everything at once — but reducing exposure where chemicals touch your skin, enter your lungs, and contact your food every day can meaningfully lower toxic burden and disease risk. Small swaps, made consistently, can protect your body in ways you may not feel immediately — but your future health will thank you for..
Awareness matters — but action is what creates change. These are some of the simplest, highest-impact swaps we started with.
This page focuses on practical swaps. The science and reasoning behind them is explained Here. Along with an easy button to get started.
