Low-tox Summer Essentials
Summer is a great time to get outside and soak up that good Vitamin D. But how do you know if your sunscreen is free of toxic chemicals? And what about the toxins in bug spray? How can you make sure you are taking care of your skin while still enjoying plenty of time outdoors? Summer is the perfect time to embrace a more natural, holistic lifestyle. With warmer weather and longer days, there's an opportunity to make simple but effective changes that benefit your health and the environment. Unfortunately though, typical products we reach for like sunscreen, bug spray, and after sun products have loads of chemicals. In this ultimate summer guide, I'm sharing my favourite low-tox recipes and tips to help you enjoy a vibrant, healthy summer.
Longer days, early mornings listening to the birds, sandy toes, sun kissed skin, salty hair, and make-up-free days. The glow that your whole body feels as you step outside each day is one you want to carry with you throughout the year. Along with that sun-kissed glow, comes many summer products that we lather on our skin day in and day out. Sunscreen and bug spray, extra showers to remove it all at the end of the day, body butters, peels, and scrubs to keep skin hydrated. But do you ever wonder what is in all these products we are lathering on our skin to “protect our bodies”?
Summer is a great opportunity to swap out all of your summer products that contain toxic chemicals for safer products. Toxic chemicals are a part of our everyday lives, but we can reduce our exposure to harmful chemicals by choosing products that aren’t loaded with endocrine disrupters, carcinogens and other toxic chemicals.
The truth is our personal care products are not regulated by any legal entity. Manufacturers can pretty much put anything they want in our soaps, lotions, deodorants, etc - besides the 30 (only!) - that are banned ingredients in the US [currently, there is no single list of banned chemicals in Australia]. In fact, legislation has not been revisited since the 1930s and since we have introduced 80,000+ chemicals into commerce. Many of these chemicals are hormone disruptors linked to chronic disease, cancer, infertility, and allergies.
So what do we do?
We still need to use sunscreen to protect against the heat of the day, deodorant to stay smelling fresh and comfortable, lotions to hydrate our skin, and so forth, but we must be responsible and educated consumers. Consumers who read labels and know to avoid ingredients such as phthalates and fragrance. It can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and just not fair. But here is the good news…it is slowly getting easier. Manufacturers are listening. Social conscious brands are popping up and there are products that are not only safer, but they work.
Before you head out for some warm weather fun, take inventory of all of your favourite and most-used products for summer living. Read the ingredients and double check them in a clean living app or on the EWG website.
Below I’m sharing some of my favourite non-toxic DIY and low-tox products that are perfect for fun in the sun without the harmful chemicals!
Non-Toxic Summer Body Care
You’re applying lotion and deodorant directly to your skin, sometimes several times a day. Conventional body care products can be loaded with endocrine disrupters and other harmful chemicals. Take good care of your body and look for products
without ingredients like parabens, phthalates, fragrance and ethoxylated ingredients. Look for non-toxic deodorant and body lotions - or better yet, consider making these yourself! That way you know exactly what ingredients are in them and can take back control of the chemicals and toxins entering your home and your body: Here are some of my non-toxic body care favourites:
Non-Toxic Sun Protection
It’s important to pay attention to both active and inactive ingredients in your sunscreen. Chemical sunscreen ingredients like oxybenzone are readily absorbed through the skin, and behave like a hormone disruptors. Look for non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient in your sunscreen. There are lots of great mineral sunscreen brands on the market - are a few of my favourites:
Non-Toxic First Aid
You’d be surprised at how many harmful ingredients make their way into first aid products. Who needs synthetic fragrance in their aloe vera after-sun gel? Unfortunately, it happens all the time, but I’m sharing some non-toxic products that help you heal without the harmful chemicals.
DISCOUNT: Patch On-the-Go Bamboo Bandages - Patch band aids are designed with bamboo to help protect and repair minor cuts & abrasions, naturally. Free from known irritants, and toxins like PFAS and plastic. Patch also have some incredible little anti-itch bite patches that contain charcoal as a soothing agent. Use my exclusive code Gatekeepers20 for 20% off their incredible products.
NON-TOXIC BUG REPELLENT
Naturally repel mosquitoes and other pesky insects on your patio and in your outdoor space with the suggestions below:
Outdoor LED Yellow String Lights - Mosquitoes don’t gravitate toward warm yellow LED light bulbs since the yellow wavelengths are beyond the insect’s range of vision.
Make your own 100% pure beeswax, non-toxic candle that combines pure Lemon Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Lavender, Peppermint essential oils, each known to repel different insects.
Grab TerraArmour Spray from dōTERRA. Or grab some essential oils and make your own DIY Mosquito Repellent:
With these recipes, tips and tricks, you can now enjoy those long Summer days low-tox and care-free!