toxic – Chef V's Blog

How I Tamed my Gut – Gut Disruptors to Avoid

October 30, 2023 jean@oregon-wine.com

Certified nutritional therapist and founder of ChefV.com, Veronica Wheat has a warning if you’re trying to improve digestion and overall wellness: Avoid gut health disruptors! Veronica has avoided them for years with great success and now she’s dedicated to shielding her newborn from them. You’ll be surprised what’s on this gut-microbiome-wrecking list!

Antibiotics. Junk food. Stress. Nearly everybody knows they are major gut health disruptors. Gut disruptors destroy friendly bacteria and encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.

Before my son was born, I decided to inventory my family’s diet and remove the gut disruptors from our lives. I never suspected that some of the things I found can make a mess of your gut!

Here’s what I discovered…

Why Are Gut Disruptors Bad?

These gut health destroyers don’t just lead to chronic digestive problems. They negatively impact your well-being in every way. Here’s what can happen when gut disruptors significantly alter the ecosystem in your gut microbiome:

Weak immunity (infections and illnesses)
Chronic inflammation (allergies, autoimmune disorders)
Mood disorders (anxiety and depression caused by poor neurotransmitter activity)
Poor metabolism and weight gain (insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes)
Skin problems (Inflammatory skin breakouts like acne, eczema, psoriasis)
Cardiovascular stress (high blood pressure, hardening of arteries)
Sleep quality (lower melatonin production)
Hormonal imbalances (worsening of PMS or menopausal symptoms)

When you have too many harmful bacteria and not enough friendly ones in your gut, the medical term for this is gut dysbiosis. Think of your gut health like a house party. Everyone’s having a great time because all the guests are mellow, funny and enjoying stimulating conversation. This is the equivalent of great gut health.

But then a group of rowdy party crashers shows up and spoils the fun for everybody. This is what gut dysbiosis is like. Except with party crashers, the problem is resolved when the party crashers finally leave. But in your gut, harmful bacteria can stick around for a long time. And that can cause all the problems above.

Common Gut Disruptors

Skip ahead to the next section if you already know about the leading gut disruptors. Because not everybody knows about the connection between gut health and overall wellness and the things that can easily destroy gut health, here’s a recap:

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are necessary—and potentially life-saving—if you have a bacterial infection. But if you have a history of popping them like they’re Pez candy whenever you had the sniffles, your gut microbiome has likely taken a beating.

“Antibiotic use can have several negative effects on the gut microbiota, including reduced species diversity, altered metabolic activity, and the selection of antibiotic-resistant organisms, which in turn can lead to antibiotic-associated diarrhea and recurrent C. difficile infections.” —Environment International

If you have recently taken antibiotics, I recommend taking a high-quality probiotic supplement to repopulate the good bacteria in your gut.

Highly-processed, low-nutrient-density food (Junk Food)

“Foods and beverages provide nutrients and alter the gut microbiota, resulting in eubiosis or dysbiosis,” says the study I reference below. In other words, every bite and sip you take impacts your gut health. What you eat at your next meal will drive you further into a state of eubiosis (a healthier gut microbiome) or dysbiosis (you’ll have more unfriendly bacteria crashing the party in your gut).

“Chronic consumption of a diet that is high in saturated or trans fats, meat proteins, sugars, and salt and low in fiber induces dysbiosis.”

—Annual Review of Food Science and Technology

—-> Want the easiest way to get more green leafy veggies in your life? Drink them fresh and unpasteurized, which is great for your gut microbiome! Get on the Chef V Organic Green Drink Plan.

Stress

Got stress? Of course you do. Everybody does. Chronic stress can lead to junk food binging, which obviously disrupts your gut health. But never mind the consequences of negative behavior from dealing with stress like eating unhealthy or giving in to addictive behaviors. The inflammation caused by mental stress is itself a gut disruptor. In a study of frontline health workers during the pandemic, the researchers concluded:

“Stressful events … disrupted the gut microbiome; gut dysbiosis persisted for at least half a year.”

—Journal of Affective Disorders

I’ll also add insomnia here because chronic stress severely impacts sleep quality.

“Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with sleep-deprivation-induced human diseases.”

—International Journal of Molecular Sciences

So learn to manage your stress by meditating, doing yoga, gardening, journaling, breathing, or taking a big whiff of Rescue Remedy.

Lack of Exercise—And Too Much Exercise

Studies show that exercise has a beneficial impact on your gut microbiome, which is the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi in your GI tract. That’s why it’s important to move your body every day. (One reason why I love pickleball and yoga.)

But you don’t have to do crazy CrossFit workouts to support gut eubiosis. In fact, working out too hard can lead to gut dysbiosis.

“Exercise is associated with increased biodiversity and a beneficial metabolic function, while exhaustive exercise training might be associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, promoting negative metabolic effects and inflammation.”

—World Journal of Gastroenterology

12 Uncommon Gut Disruptors Chef V Avoids (And Baby Kaden, Too)

So now that we’ve covered these obvious gut disruptors let’s now take a look at some that you may least expect. I’ve avoided these for most of my adult life and plan to keep baby Kaden away from them. Hey, call me a helicopter parent, I don’t care. When it comes to my baby’s health, I’ll go all grizzly mama. After all, as the study I reference above about antibiotics says, “Early childhood exposure to antibiotics can lead to several gastrointestinal, immunologic, and neurocognitive conditions.”

And I bet the same goes for early exposure to junk food.

OK, so here we go. Ready to have your mind blown by these gut disruptors?

Chewing Gum

You’re not only what you eat, you’re what you chew. Pretty much the only time I’ll chew gum is when I’m on an airplane to prevent my ears from popping. Other than that, here’s why I avoid it:

For starters, sugarless gum is made with artificial sweeteners. Research (like this study) shows that artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol, and sucralose are major gut disruptors.

In addition, chewing gum not only disrupts your gut microbiome, it negatively impacts your oral microbiome. Your mouth, of course, is also a breeding ground for bacteria, both good and bad. Chewing gum is an oral disruptor. It prevents the growth of bacteria in your saliva.

That may seem like a good thing if you have bad breath. But you need enough good bacteria to prevent infections of the mouth—and dank breath. Also, your oral microbiome (and the “feminine microbiome”) directly impacts the health of your gut microbiome. (And vice versa.)

Now let’s move on to the next uncommon gut disruptor…

Mouthwash

Just like chewing gum, gargling with conventional mouthwash brands can be a huge oral health disruptor.

One common ingredient in major brands of mouthwash is chlorhexidine or CHX. CHX, says this study in Scientific Reports is “associated with a major shift in the salivary microbiome, leading to more acidic conditions and lower nitrite availability in healthy individuals.”

Now here’s why “nitrate availability” is important. Your mouth has bacteria that convert nitrate into beneficial compounds like nitric oxide (NO), which helps to open up your blood vessels, allowing for better circulation.

So what do I do after I eat healthy garlic bread (with cassava flour) and my breath is kicking? I use organic or natural mouthwash. It may cost a few bucks extra. But the health of my oral and gut microbiomes is worth it.

Next up seems like a random list:

Non-Stick Cookware
Microwave Popcorn Bags
Fast-food and Take-Out Wrappers
Stain-Resistant Carpet and Fabrics
Waterproofing Sprays

Why am I lumping these uncommon gut disruptors together?

They all contain “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances” or PFAS for short. PFAS substances are known as “forever chemicals” because, if not literally forever, they take a really long time to decompose. Like hundreds or thousands of years. Not only are PFAS chemicals terrible for the environment, they are deadly for your gut microbiome and health.

PFAS chemicals are added to products to make them fireproof, and resistant to grease. However, studies show that PFAS chemicals are major gut disruptors. I found one study from 2023 that especially hits home for me. It researches the effects of PFAS on a group of moms and their babies. PFAS compounds were shown to increase a specific type of unfriendly bacteria in the mommy’s stool and to a lesser extent (thank goodness), the babies’ poop.

Preservatives & Additives

I’m gonna revisit junk food. Besides the loads of sugar and salt, another reason highly processed food is horrible for the gut microbiome is that it contains preservatives and additives. One example of an additive is polysorbate 80. It’s an emulsifier. Emulsifiers mix ingredients together that don’t normally blend well. Like oil and water for instance.

Studies suggest polysorbate 80 causes low-grade inflammation in the colon (large intestine). It’s in the colon where the majority of your gut bacteria colonize. They live here rent-free in exchange for helping you digest your food and produce byproducts that contribute to health like short-chain fatty acids.

If you buy organic food, you don’t have to worry about ingredients like polysorbate 80. No need to panic if it’s not organic. But you should really start reading nutrition labels.

So what are some examples of foods that include gut disruptors like polysorbate 80?

Salad dressings
Processed cheese
Ice cream
Sauces
Baked goods
Non-dairy milk
Candy

Want to learn to make your own healthy version of these foods? Then check out my recipe archives!

Over-The-Counter Pain Relievers

Got a minor headache? Does your tummy feel a bit off? Is your boo-boo throbbing? When those things happen to me, I try to toughen it out instead of taking OTC pain-relief medicines. That’s because non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can destroy your gut lining when taken in excess. And when your gut lining erodes, harmful bacteria can move into your colon, acting like gut party crashers.

So take it easy on the ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), aspirin (Bayer) and naproxen (Aleve). Instead, use herbs, homeopathic remedies or essential oils to manage pain and swelling. Don’t worry, baby Kaden, I’ve got Rescue Remedy with me at all times.

Tap Water

If your home doesn’t have a whole house water filtration system, consider installing filters on your shower head and kitchen tap. That’s because chlorine is added to tap water as a disinfectant. You wouldn’t drink water from a swimming pool. So why drink water from the tap or let your skin be exposed to chlorine in the shower?

“Given the importance of the microbiome in health, persistent exposure to low levels of chlorine may be a hitherto unrecognized risk factor for gut dysbiosis, which has now been linked to virtually every chronic non-communicable disease of the modern era.”

—Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Household Cleaners and Personal Care Products

If you’re still using mainstream brands of hair care products, skincare products, laundry detergent, dryer sheets and household cleaners, I beg you to stop. And so does your gut microbiome.

Personal care and laundry products are severely unregulated and contain synthetic chemicals that can cause cancer and disrupt hormonal balance.

Take, for example, formaldehyde in hair relaxers, which are used primarily by African-American women. Formaldehyde was classified as a carcinogen in 2004 but because of a lack of regulations for cosmetic products, it’s one of the main chemicals in hair straighteners.

Thankfully, the FDA is considering banning dangerous gut-disrupting, cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde. And not a moment too soon after thousands of women, most of them African-American, have developed or are in danger of developing ovarian cancer and other reproductive cancers.

I’m not in the habit of calling out brands that use harmful chemicals. But stroll through any supermarket aisle and pretty much every single brand of shampoo, conditioner, hair straightener, cosmetics and laundry contains deadly gut disruptors!

And that’s not an exaggeration.

Bisphenols, phthalates, volatile organic compounds (fragrance), and not to mention heavy metals and pesticides literally kill your friendly bacteria.

Again, it may cost more to buy an organic or natural brand. But your gut health—which is your overall health—is worth it. Slash unnecessary spending so you can afford healthy brands. Research the toxicity levels of the cosmetics you use on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.

The Benefits of Avoiding Gut Disruptors

It’s pretty easy to avoid most of these gut disruptors by:

Eating real food at least 90% of the time. (Organic, non-GMO preferably.)
Drinking and using purified water. (That includes cooking.)
Using organic or natural oral health, household and beauty products.
Managing your stress.
Doing a periodic CLEANSE to reboot your digestive system.
Try Pickleball! (I love pickleball.) Or other regular exercise.

When you avoid gut disruptors and do other things to support your gut microbiome like having a GREEN DRINK every morning, good things happen. Here are the health benefits I’ve been enjoying for years.

Strong immune function (Knock on wood.)
Iron stomach digestion (Even when I’m on vacation in another country. Again, knock on wood haha.)
Balanced mood (Hubby, Brandon, may disagree with me on that one!)
Weight management and metabolism (Great gut health is way more than having a flat tummy, although that doesn’t hurt.)
Looking Great and Feeling Great (‘nuff said.)

These benefits, I hope, will be passed on to baby Kaden. I’m breastfeeding him and gave birth to him vaginally. So he’s got a great gut microbiome head start. Let’s hope he doesn’t turn into a rebellious teenager and use these gut disruptors…

To great gut health.

Love,

Veronica Wheat
ChefV.com Founder

Healthy Alternatives to Toxic Household Chemicals

October 24, 2023 jean@oregon-wine.com

There are four main pillars of wellness:

1) eating healthy,

2) exercising regularly,

3) managing stress and

4) minimizing exposure to toxic chemicals.

With the average person exposed to more than 100 toxic chemicals at home every day, certified nutritional therapist and ChefV.com founder Veronica Wheat focuses here on the fourth pillar.

“V” will show you how to reduce your toxic load by switching to natural alternatives for haircare and skincare products, household cleaners, and more.

I've always been careful about what I bring into my home, and now that baby Kaden is here, I'm re-evaluating everything.

How might toxic chemicals effect my family? Does this sound like you? You’re getting healthier by starting each morning with Organic Green Drink. You’re physically active, maybe doing a mini yoga routine a couple of times a day, and you meditate for 5-10 minutes before bed and in the morning. But you still don’t feel your best. You still have brain fog and you can’t get your ish together without coffee.

Could it be that the synthetic chemicals in the products you use to clean your home, wash your hair, use on your skin, and brush your teeth are the culprit?

woman cleaning window frame

The Dangers of Toxic Chemicals Found in Most American Homes

Chemicals could very well be to blame. You see, more than 100 types of common consumer products contain at least one, and often multiple, chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive and developmental problems, says research published May 2023 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Everyday items including soap, lotion, perfume, nail polish, laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid, and especially all-purpose cleaners are rife with this toxic brew of harsh chemicals.

If you’re thinking, “How can these products be sold if they have such dangerous chemicals?” that’s a great question. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals are

“mostly untested [for safety] and largely unregulated, with even known carcinogenic and endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals still found in some formulations,” explains Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

And if you’re wondering why rates of certain chronic diseases seem to be soaring, studies show that exposure to synthetic chemicals has been linked to, among other diseases:

Breast cancer
Autism
Asthma
Infertility and reproductive cancers

Why Your Cosmetics Aren’t Tested For Safety

Over 84,000 synthetic chemicals are used in the marketplace. But only 1% of them have been tested for safety, says Brigham Young University. Why is that? It’s because of a law that was written nearly 100 years ago. In 1938, Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This legislation brought cosmetics, under the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

So you’d think that cosmetics and other household products would be safe with the backing of federal law and an agency overseeing it. But the thing is that the FDA hasn’t done nearly enough to ensure the health of “We the People.” While it is against the law for a company to sell harmful products, the ingredients in cosmetics do not have to be approved before they reach the marketplace or undergo an FDA safety review, explains PBS News Hour.

This law really has not changed since 1938. In 2022, the law was finally “modernized”. But there are more loopholes in it than there are holes in a donut factory. And with the average people using 6 to 12 cosmetic products daily—makeup, nail polish, shaving cream, face and body cleansers, moisturizers, etc.—that’s why you need to take your health into your own hands. And I’ll show you how to do that right now.

Synthetic Chemicals To Avoid

But first, I want you to go through your home and check to see if any of the products you frequently use contain these chemical compounds that have been linked to health problems. Also, do the same when you’re shopping. Start reading ingredient labels! Here is the list of chemicals you should avoid:

Phthalates
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Parabens
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, like DMDM hydantoin and quaternium-15
Triclosan
Fragrance
PEG compounds (Polyethylene Glycols) and related chemicals (examples: Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol 1,4-Dioxane)
Toluene

I realize that it’s difficult to memorize this list. So there are two things you can do. First, print out this list or take a picture. Second, use an awesome website I’ll tell you about shortly.

Air Fresheners: Plug-ins And Sprays Release Toxic Chemicals Into The Air

Problem chemicals in them: Too many to name

Does your home (or a home you’re visiting) have an overwhelming artificial scent that causes your eyes to water or your throat to close up? Blame it on the harsh chemicals in plug-in air fresheners and aerosol sprays. A study from the University of Washington shows that plug-in air fresheners contain more than 20 compounds associated with health problems. What’s more shocking is that seven of these chemicals are regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.

A while ago, I wrote about how toxic commercial name-brand laundry detergents are. Like detergents and dryer sheets, air fresheners do not have to list the chemical compounds on their product. Air fresheners contain volatile chemicals that you should avoid just to be safe. (Why take the chance on your health?)

Alternative: Let in fresh air into your home. Use an essential oil diffuser. Sage your home or use all-natural Palo Santo spray.

woman and skin images

The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Skin Care Products

“No category of consumer products is subject to less government oversight than cosmetics and other personal care products.”
—Environmental Working Group (EWG)

The EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database currently contains over 97,000 products from over 3,400 brands. I highly encourage you to check out the skincare products you use to how the product or ingredient scores on the hazard range (1-10, with 10 being worst).

EWG reports that “Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm in more than 73,000 products.”

On its website, the EWG includes a list of the most toxic ingredients in cosmetics. These include:

Formaldehyde
Phthalate (Dibutyl-, Diethylhexyl-)
Mercury
Paraben (Isobutyl-, Isopropyl-, Butyl-, Propyl-)
Lead

Many chemicals in skin care products are derived from petroleum. You probably know that the gas that goes in your car is made with petroleum, too. But would you try to minimize and smooth your fine lines and wrinkles by rubbing your face with gasoline?

Of course not. But petroleum is prevalent in the everyday skin care products you’ve been using perhaps for decades.

These toxic chemicals, even at low doses, are scientifically proven to disrupt hormone levels. Chemicals like phthalates and phosphates are “xenoestrogens.” Xenoestrogens are synthetic hormones that disrupt the body’s natural hormone-control mechanism: the endocrine system. Xenoestrogens alter your hormone levels by mimicking natural estrogen.

Consequently, this can give rise to a condition known as estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can result in certain hormonal-related cancers such as breast and ovarian.

Safe Alternative: Replace your toxic cosmetics with one of the over 2,000 products listed as EWG-verified on the Skin Deep database.

Toxic Talc

Problem chemical: asbestos

Another product I want you to avoid even if you don’t use it often is talcum powder. Talc is a mineral that is located in close proximity in the earth to asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral. When you squeeze a bottle of talc powder, tiny asbestos crystals can be inhaled and lodge in your lungs. Some people have developed mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, allegedly because of talc powder. Using talc powder to keep things fresh below the belt may also cause ovarian cancer because the asbestos particles can migrate in the vaginal tract. In fact, nearly 40,000 people have filed talc cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson (J&J). In 2018, 22 women with ovarian cancer, some of whom have passed away because of their cancer since then, were awarded over $4 billion by a jury because of their exposure to J&J’s talc powder.

Safe Alternative: J&J stopped selling products with talc powder because of the lawsuits and negative publicity. But many people still have talc powder in their homes. J&J replaced talc with cornstarch, which is a safer alternative.

Household Cleaners Make Things Spic ‘N’ Span, But At What Cost?

Problem chemicals: VOCs, ammonia and several others

According to the American Lung Association, all-purpose household cleaners can irritate the eyes or throat and cause headaches, among other problems. Many mainstream cleaning products release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which vaporize at room temperature. When you purchase one of these products, they often contain “natural fragrances” such as citrus. But citrus fragrance is anything but natural. It’s actually a VOC that pollutes your indoor air!

Cleaning toilets is no fun. But inhaling toxic chemicals from harsh cleaners might be worse than seeing a dirty commode. The same goes for window cleaners, which contain harsh ammonia, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethylene Glycol or Methylene Chloride.

Safe Alternative: Expose your rooms to fresh air and sunlight, use essential oils with vinegar and water with baking soda for a truly “natural” clean home. For windows, mix equal parts water and white vinegar or combine water with a small amount of castile soap. For added scent or cleaning power, add a few drops of essential oils.

woman with essential oils

Bug Spray: How To Avoid “Skeeters” Without Chemicals

Problem chemical: DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide)

If I were on a multi-day backpacking trip deep in the Borneo jungle, I admit that I would consider using DEET because it’s an effective insect repellent. But DEET can also be toxic. That’s why for repelling mosquitoes, I use one of these:

Safer alternatives: Lemongrass, Neem Oil, and other essential oils. Lemon eucalyptus oil contains a natural repellent called p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), which has been found to be effective against mosquitoes. Studies show PMD reduced biting by 90–95% for up to 6-8 hours, which is similar to how well DEET works.

Laundry Detergents and Dishwashing Liquid

Problem chemicals: VOCs (surfactants) and more

If you want to know how crazy bad most laundry detergents and dryer sheets are, read this.

Dishwashing cleaners have a type of VOC called a surfactant, which makes the liquid foamy. The problem with surfactants is that they have “contaminated all surface water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the sea,” says a study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.

Safe Alternative: Instead of using toxic laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid, use natural brands like Seventh Generation or soft non-toxic pods that are free of plastic.

Dirty Antibacterial Soap

Problem chemical: Triclosan (also found in mouthwash, facial cleansers, and many other products)

Triclosan was banned in 2016. But only in antibacterial soaps. It might still be lurking in other products in your home. In fact, research says 75% of the US population is likely exposed to this readily-absorbable toxic chemical. Despite the FDA banning it from hand soap, the agency rule doesn’t apply to hand sanitizers, antibacterial wipes or antibacterial products used in health care settings.

Safer alternative: Don’t ruin your gut microbiome by using antibacterial cleaners. Use Castille soap or organic hand sanitizers. (Learn how to make your own with essential oils.)

Sweating the Chemicals in Antiperspirants/Deodorants

Problem chemical: aluminum

According to researcher Lucija Tomljenovic, a Ph.D in biochemistry and senior research fellow at the University of British Columbia School of Medicine in Vancouver, BC, aluminum is the most abundant neurotoxic metal on earth. To paraphrase her article in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Tomljenovic basically states that other research showing that aluminum cannot enter the brain in sufficient amounts to cause damage and be efficiently excreted from the body is basically a big load of B.S.

“The hypothesis that aluminum significantly contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease is built upon very solid experimental evidence and should not be dismissed,” Tomljenovic says, verbatim.

Safer alternative: Aluminum-free deodorant/antiperspirants

Nice Nails and Hair Without The Toxicity

Problem chemical: Toluene

Toulene, not to be confused with Tulane, the university in New Orleans, is found in nail polish and hair dyes. Exposure has been associated with neurological and developmental issues. Especially concerning is that pregnant women have been affected by these health problems.

As for hairspray, they contain those VOCs I mentioned earlier (especially butane, propane, and isobutane as well as compounds like PVP and PVA. Not only are PVP and PVA bad for the environment, they can also damage your hair follicles.

Safe alternatives: Do your research and purchase non-toxic shampoos and conditioners. Make your own natural hair spray with water, aloe vera gel, and essential oils. You can add natural holding agents like gum arabic or other plant-based resins. Choose non-toxic nail polish brands. (Check with EWG’s Skin Deep database.)

You Don’t Have To Stink Without Toxic Perfume

Problem chemicals: Fragrance

Have you ever walked by someone wearing a bit too much perfume or cologne? Don’t those people realize they’re laying it on a bit too thick? Well, if they aren’t conscious about what they’re putting on their body in the first place, maybe they don’t realize they’re using too much of it.

Body odor might not be the scent that’s taking the cosmetics industry by storm. But I’d rather have strong B.O. than expose my body to the dozens of chemicals in perfume. In fact, according to the awesome researchers at EWG, over 3,000 ingredients hide behind the word ‘fragrance.’ 25 of those chemicals ranked 10—the highest hazard score on EWG’s Skin Deep database.

Safer alternative: Don’t use perfume. Read labels. Avoid any product with fragrance. Use EWG’s Cosmetics Database. Make your own perfume with essential oils and carrier oils like coconut or jojoba.

Hey, if you have any DIY tips for making your own cosmetics or household cleaners, share them on the Chef V Life Facebook page.

To a happy, healthy, non-toxic life!

Love,

Veronica Wheat
ChefV.com Founder

Is Your Laundry Detergent Ruining Your Health?

October 23, 2023 Chef V

“I love when my clothes smell neutral and still have stains on them after I do the laundry.”

—Said nobody, ever.

We all love that aromatic, fresh-scent experience when our clothes come out of the dryer. But when it comes to doing your laundry, there are a shocking number of highly-toxic substances in standard detergents.

And it’s not just the clothes we wear that are exposing us to these harsh chemicals. It’s the sheets we sleep in, clinging to our body for several hours a night. And it’s the towels that we press deeply into our skin when drying off.

But if you want to reduce your toxic load (no pun intended), there’s a problem with going natural with laundry detergent…

Many brands of eco-friendly laundry cleaners just don’t work very well. They don’t remove stains effectively and they don’t really smell that good. Thankfully, there are some toxic-free laundry detergent brands that actually can get Green Drink and red wine stains out and have a pleasing scent. I’ll share with you one brand that has caught my eye, but first…

What’s In Your Laundry Detergent?

In 2021, Americans spent almost $6 billion on laundry detergent. Although sales of eco-friendly detergents are increasing, they still amount to a drop in the laundry basket. Mainstream brands like Tide still dominate. But if you’ve never given thought to what’s in your laundry detergent, it’s my hope that reading this will make you more aware of the chemicals you’re exposing yourself to.

It’s shocking how the government allows toxic chemicals in everyday household goods like laundry detergent. Consider this study in Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health. It concludes that scented laundry detergent and dryer sheets “contain carcinogens that waft through vents, potentially raising cancer risk.”

The researchers tested several brands of laundry detergent and dryer sheets. What they found was that there are more than 25 toxic chemicals released into the air by scented laundry detergent and dryer sheets. A couple of these chemicals are acetaldehyde and benzene, both of which are associated with higher cancer risks.

So it’s not just the risk of using conventional laundry detergent on your skin that poses a risk. It’s the breathing in of the chemicals, too. If you have kids, hopefully reading this will make you realize how important it is to limit synthetic chemical exposure in your home.

There was another study I came across published in Environmental Health Perspectives. It said that out of six best-selling laundry products, five of them polluted the air with at least one cancer-causing chemical.

folded clothing

No Safety Oversight In Laundry Detergent

Check out the irony here. When it comes to protecting our interests and welfare as consumers, the agency tasked with that job is the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Yet the Commission doesn’t require companies like Procter & Gamble (maker of Tide) to list all their ingredients that may cause cancer.

Sure, you might see an ingredient labeled as “fragrance.” But what the label doesn’t tell you is exactly what’s in that fragrance. The label would be much longer because “fragrance” can mean a toxic cauldron of a dozen or more synthetic chemicals. What’s even more troubling about fragrance is that the vast majority of them have not been properly tested for their effects on human health.

One “mystery” chemical in fragrance are phthalates. These are chemicals used to make fragrances last longer and to make plastic products more durable. Even mainstream WebMD says that daily contact with phthalates may lead to the early deaths of about 100,000 older Americans a year.

Commercial Detergent: Bad For The Lungs

Remember, when you do your laundry, the chemicals aren’t just making contact with your skin when you put your clothes on, dry off after showering and when you sleep. Your lungs are also being exposed.

In fact, according to a study in an allergy journal, even a full 24 hours after washing your clothes, the residue from your detergent can weaken the protective barrier in your lungs. This damage puts you at higher risk of developing asthma and allergic symptoms.

Laundry Sauce: Eco-Friendly Pods That Work

A friend of mine started a company called Laundry Sauce. Instead of liquid detergent, Laundry Sauce uses pods that are free of toxic chemicals. But does it work? Yes! Thanks to natural essential oils.

My friend and his collaborators say they were bored by the “mundane scents in the detergent aisle,” and that’s why Laundry Sauce was launched. For many people, the problem isn’t just that the scents of commercial detergents are mundane. It’s the fact that they are toxic.

Some people are so sensitive to these chemicals that they can’t even walk down the detergent aisle because the synthetic fragrance is overwhelming and triggers allergies.

Another reason I like Laundry Sauce is because they don’t use any artificial dyes. And instead of using harsh, abrasive stain removers, the company uses natural enzymes.

I don’t receive any financial compensation for endorsing this brand by the way. I just want to give them some props for making a safer laundry detergent. Give them a try.