In the bathroom, we often find large amounts of harmful chemicals.Mainly in all the products many people use daily, such as shampoo, conditioner, skin creams, shower gels, soaps, styling products, fragrances, and deodorants.
Skincare & Beauty Products
Many people feel confused and perhaps a bit lost when they try to decipher the contents of the shampoo bottle or face cream.There are quite a few bad chemicals hiding in conventional skincare and haircare products.Here we mention some that you can keep an extra eye out for and avoid. Parabens, silicones, PEG, SLS, phthalates (fragrance), and mineral oil (paraffin).
Fragrance
Many products are fragranced. In addition to fragrance being highly allergenic, fragranced products often contain the same plasticizers found in plastic, called phthalates, which have been shown to affect our hormonal system. Other problematic substances that often occur in these types of products are parabens, surfactants/sulfates, microplastics (here too, plastic is used), antibacterial agents, and mineral oil. Feel free to check the ingredient list on the products you use and you'll quickly become aware of the enormous amounts of foreign substances you wash yourself with, apply to your skin, and so on.What we apply to our skin is absorbed by the body and eventually ends up in our bloodstream. Foreign substances that are not made for our bodies and that can cause problems. A good rule of thumb when it comes to skincare is that what you use on your skin and body should be so pure that you could just as well eat it. Choose eco-certified and fragrance-free products first. The shorter the ingredient list, the better.
Bathroom Accessories
Preferably choose toothbrushes that are not made of plastic. The same applies to hairbrushes - preferably choose one made of wood and natural rubber instead of a plastic hairbrush. Buy organic GOTS-certified towels or alternatively second hand to reduce all the harmful chemicals found in new textiles.
Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener
Avoid conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners as these are highly allergenic and contain large amounts of hormone-disrupting substances. Wash your laundry with an organic/eco-friendly detergent, preferably fragrance-free, and use an organic/eco-friendly fabric softener when needed. A tip is to use a few tablespoons of regular vinegar in the fabric softener compartment. It makes the laundry softer and less static. It also helps remove bad odors and makes your washing machine sparkling clean.
At Glimja, we have good alternatives to the conventional products available on the market. We have done and continue to do our best to find the cleanest alternatives so that you can use safe and non-toxic products in your bathroom.
Original post written by Sara Mårtensson, founder of Lapland Eco Store which has been part of Glimja since 2021.
