In the bathroom, we often find large amounts of harmful chemicals. Primarily in products many 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 trying to decipher the contents on shampoo bottles or facial creams. There are quite a few harmful chemicals hiding in conventional skincare and hair care products. Here we mention some that you should be especially vigilant about and avoid. Parabens, silicones, PEG, SLS, phthalates (fragrance), and mineral oil (paraffin).
Fragrance
Many products are fragranced. Besides fragrance being highly allergenic, fragranced products often contain the same plasticizers found in plastic, called phthalates, which have been shown to potentially affect our hormonal system. Other problematic substances frequently found in these types of products are parabens, surfactants/sulfates, microplastics (here too, plastic is being used), antibacterial agents, and mineral oil. Take a look at the ingredient list on the products you use and you'll quickly become aware of the enormous amounts of foreign substances you're washing with, applying 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 aren't made for our bodies and 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 it could just as well be eaten. Choose eco-labeled and fragrance-free products as your first option. The shorter the ingredient list, the better.
Bathroom Items
Choose toothbrushes that aren't made of plastic when possible. 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 ones to reduce the harmful chemicals found in new textiles.
Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener
Avoid conventional laundry detergents and fabric softeners as they are highly allergenic and contain large amounts of hormone-disrupting substances. Wash your laundry with an ecological/environmentally friendly detergent, preferably fragrance-free, and use an ecological/environmentally friendly fabric softener when needed. A tip is to use a few tablespoons of regular vinegar in the fabric softener compartment. This makes the laundry softer and less static. It also helps to remove bad odors and makes your washing machine sparkling clean.
At Glimja, we offer good alternatives to the conventional products available on the market. We have done and continue to do our best to find the purest 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 since 2021 is part of Glimja.
