Detoxing Your Home… Even On A Budget

By Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, Doctor of Natural Medicine and Courtney Schank, Interior Designer and Healthy Lifestyle Consultant 

We spend so much time, energy, money and attention detoxing our bodies, but what about our homes? There are hidden toxins all around us that negatively impact our health the same way that toxic foods do. This is why we teamed up to provide you a guide to detoxing your home both practically and aesthetically!

Below is our one hour talk on home detox and under that, all the details and links we discussed.

Within this guide you will find simple tips and tricks for detoxing your home, even on a budget, as well as some of our favorite brands and resources. We will provide links to recipes and products towards the end of this blog.

Let’s dive in…

Top 6 Tips For Detoxing Your Home:

  1. Clean air! Improper ventilation, mold, dust and toxins from candles, building materials, pets and off-gassing from your furniture and paint can cause your air to be damaging to you.
  2. Ditch toxic cleaning products – opt for non-toxic ones or even DIY’s 
  3. Replace toxic kitchen ware and cooking utensils
  4. Replace plastic with glass – from storing your water, to your food, eliminating plastic eliminates toxins and carcinogens
  5. Drink and bathe in clean, filtered water
  6. Begin replacing toxic furniture and bedding

Clean Air

While we both highly recommend air filters and purifiers, there are some additional things that should be done in order to keep the air in your home clean and safe. Here’s how to increase clean air in your home in addition to air purifiers:

  1. Dust and deep clean frequently
  2. Open your windows in order to air out and ventilate your home
  3. Diffuse essential oils – my favorites are lavender & geranium
  4. Make your own cleaning products
  5. Use plants to clean your air! They are beautiful and effective

Best plants to purify the air: English Ivy, Pothos, Snake Plants, Spider Plants, Bamboo, Chinese Evergreen, Weeping Fig, Dragon Tree, Aloe Vera, Gerbera Daisies

Check out this blog post to see all of our favorite plants for different areas of your home – click HERE

My 2 favorite home air filter systems are – 

  1. Dyson
  2. Air Doctor

But those are fairly pricey. If you are on a budget you can get a more cost-effective air filter system such as Germ Guardian or the IonB-1000.

Clean Water

Ditch the plastic – beginning with your filter and ending with the storage container – even the pitcher systems that are BPA free still have harmful toxins and carcinogens. Store water in glass containers once filtered.

My favorite filter systems are Aquatru and for more cost effective options try filtering your water with a Brita system (usually you can find one for around $20) and then immediately store the water in glass containers.

For more options and information take a read through this BLOG

Non-Toxic Cooking

Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, a chemical formerly used in the production of nonstick pans like Teflon was highly toxic. Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, Teflon’s generic name is still used and is just one of the many toxins your body can be exposed to through your cookware. That’s where stainless steel, ceramic, enameled, or cast iron pots and pans come in as non-toxic and  great non-stick alternatives 

Here are some of my favorites:

Non-Toxic Skin

Clean skin begins with the water you shower in! Our skin is the body’s largest microbiome and toxins absorbed through the skin negatively impacts your health and the visual quality of skin. Be sure to get a water filter for your shower that will protect your skin from drinking in heavy metals such as fluoride, mercury, PCB’s, chlorine, lead, arsenic and dioxin. 

Here are a few options for shower filters ranging in price:

Non-Toxic Home

Here are some of my favorite safe, non-toxic changes to make to your home. You can find more options and information at the blog post below.

  1. Mattress: Naturepedic, Avocado, Awara, cost effective option: Live and Sleep CLASSIC2020 you can get $50 off plus a free pillow 
  2. Sheets: Plover, SOL Organics, and Coyuchi
  3. Furniture: Medley Home, InMod, and The Futon Shop
  4. Paint: Clare and ECOS
  5. Towels: Towl, Coyuchi, and SOL Organics

Learn about all of the certifications companies work towards here as well as all of our favorite brands – click HERE

Looking to make some other healthy changes to your home? Read this BLOG 

Learn how to create a meditation space in your home – click HERE

Non-Toxic Cleaning

It’s time to up-level your cleaning products. Cleaning products are notorious for having harsh toxic chemicals that are dangerous to you, your family and your pets. To read more about toxic chemicals and a full list of DIY non-toxic cleaning recipes, read Dr. Rachel’s recent blog HERE

Here are a few simple home cleaning product staples –

  • Vodka
  • Lemons
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Castile soap
  • Baking soda
  • Lemon essential oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Pure unscented Castile soap
Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep: Natural Skin Beauty & Health

Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep: Natural Skin Beauty & Health

By Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, DNM

In this blog I am taking a deeper look (and comparing) skincare products. I know that many of us can easily get swept up into all of the promises of youth and perfect skin that many products out there offer. But guess what?!? Most of those products are completely counterproductive because they have harsh and toxic chemicals which have negative long-term effects on the skin and on your health. The toxins we encounter (and absorb) on our face and skin can disrupt hormones, decrease our immune system, inflame allergies and even cause the skin to age!! Guess what else… there are actually natural options that work much better.

STOP AND PAUSE.

Think about this… many people are spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars trying to have healthier looking skin while actually making their skin sicker, more worn and weathered AND throwing off their health such as their gut health and skin microbiome.

To be perfectly honest, drinking at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day would have a more positive impact on wrinkles than most $250 anti-aging creams, and water is FREE!

Your Skin Is Your Largest Microbiome. What’s Happening on The Outside Is A Reflection of The Inside

Skin problems are feedback and when we suppress feedback without healing the root problem, we can make the root problem even worse! When we have dry skin, increased appearance of aging, sun spots, melasma flair ups, eczema, breakouts or rashes we need to first look inward. Here is the real question we should each ask ourselves, ‘What is out of balance in my body? Then, we need to take steps to resolve and rebalance those.

The first places I look when it comes to skin issues are:

  • Hydration
  • Nutritional choices
  • Toxins (exposure through foods, skincare, beauty, home products and environment)
  • Hormones
  • Stress
  • Gut health
  • Sleep pattern

Healthy Skin from The Inside-Out & The Outside-In

When we address outer skin issues through taking steps towards increasing inside health at the same time as taking steps to support our skin health natural from the outs-side in we create a win-win situation. We get healthier, more youthful and vibrant looking skin while also getting healthier skin. Our skin is our largest organ as well as the body’s largest microbiome. Our skin serves many functions as an organ beyond being the attractive wrapping paper we come packaged in. Here are a few of the things your skin does (when it is healthy):

  • ‘Protection: against pathogens. Langerhans cells in the skin are part of the immune system.
  • Storage: stores lipids (fats) and water.
  • Sensation: nerve endings detect temperature, pressure, vibration, touch, and injury.
  • Control water loss: the skin prevents water from escaping by evaporation.
  • Water resistance: it prevents nutrients from being washed from the skin
  • Thermoregulation: by producing sweat and dilating blood vessels, the skin helps keep the body cool. “Goosebumps” and blood vessel constriction, help us retain heat’.

*Source Link 

5 Tips for Inner Care That Produces Healthier Skin

  • Drink more clean water (filtered & not stored in plastic), it’s the best antiaging and skincare thing you can do!
  • Dry brushing to remove trapped toxins
  • Going organic, clean & green with your skincare, beauty & home products
  • Focusing on creating more gut health (pre & probiotics are a great start) – check out my 3-part blog series on gut health for more tips, you can read the first blog HERE 
  • Try Abhyanga Ayurvedic self-massage for lymphatic drainage & increasing circulation (you can find some great how to videos on Youtube)
  • Remember that food is food for your skin as well! Making healthier nutritional choices will show on the outside as well as the inside.

My Top Natural Skincare Products Ranked

These are not products I am paid to endorse; they are actually what I use on my own skin every single day!

#1 Argan & Emu Oil:

Why this is my favorite: Pure organic Argan Oil mixed with organic pure Emu Oil (at a 50/50 ratio – buy each and then mix together) is all natural, no chemicals, cost effective, doesn’t clog pours and can usually be found in eco-friendly glass containers (this is also better for your health since there are no carcinogens leaching out of the plastic and into your skin care/beauty product). I have not found a better every day moisturizer than this!

#2 Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Mist:

Why I love it – Sun protection is CRITICAL and should be part of everyone’s daily skincare routine!! I always had a hard time getting my daughter to use sticky gooey sun protection. This one is the first non-toxic spray that I have found! Find it HERE

#3 Primal Derma –

Why I love it – A completely pure, natural and toxin free deep moisture support for eczema and extremely dry or chapped skin. Another reason I love it is that this small company is eco-friendly, low waste, animal conscious and packaged in glass. For a really good read on skin health, tallow (aka the magic ingredient) and how they are reducing animal product waste to be more sustainable and reduce their footprint check out their website. Find it HERE

#4 – Yarrow Palm Oil by Doterra –

Why I love it – Yarrow has powerful bioactive compounds and skin-protecting proteins that promote the appearance of firmer, smoother, younger-looking skin. Again, this oil does not clog pours and has a base of Jojoba and Argan oil. I use this on my whole body. Find it HERE

#5 – Araza Coconut Charcoal & Seagreens Treatment Mask –

Why I love it – This is a powerful treatment! My skin always looks completely revived after using it and the best thing is it is a woman owned company and feature not only toxin and chemical free ingredients but is also a paleo certified ingredient-based company. Find it HERE

#6 – Tambra Age Defying Stem Cell Line (Stem Cell Night Cream & Stem Cell Serum) –

Why I love it – Plant stem cells are so incredibly regenerative to the skin and I have not come across another non-toxic and chemical free line that has them within their ingredients along with other powerful anti-aging ingredients. I also love this line because it is woman owned, they are fully transparent about every single ingredient on their website, made in small batch and comes in glass containers! These two products also contain Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) which only the top end beauty and skin care products use. However, if you have a flushing reaction or allergy to Niacinamide be sure to patch test on your arm before applying to your face. Find it HERE

#7 Cellfood Oxygenating Skin Care –

Why I love it – This product is really a face supplement and restores the ph and skin microbiome. It hydrates and also renews. Another reason why I love it is that it is one of the more inexpensive non-toxic skin care products out there. Find it HERE 

#8 Haters Say It’s Photoshopped by Apothekary

Why I love it: Chocked full of antioxidants, adaptogens and collagen, this is a new approach to beauty from the inside out. This powder beauty supplement gets sprinkled into your morning juice or smoothie to help you optimize your butter beauty from the inside-out. Find it HERE

I am a big believer that wellness, natural beauty and optimal health should be more accessible to all! We are getting down a rabbit hole of privilege-only access with $150 yoga mats, spending thousands of dollars on a billion costly supplements and $200 anti-aging wrinkle creams. So, my commitment to you is to always try to offer a wide range of resources and information that is within your reach. This is why I will be including DIY home recipes for those of you who are cost conscious and/or trying to live more sustainable eco-friendly lives.

DIY Home Recipe for Healthy Skin: 

Here are two of the DIY skincare products I use at home –

Avo-Love Moisture Mask

1 whole avocado mashed up, 1 teaspoon of colloidal oatmeal mixed into 1 teaspoon of warm water, 1 teaspoon of raw unrefined coconut oil and 1 egg yolk. Mix well and then apply thick paste onto face. Allow to soak in and dry for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

DIY Age Defying Face & Body Moisture Serum

What you will need:

  • Argan oil (100% pure, unscented organic and if you can find it, in a glass bottle versus plastic) – Argan oil is beneficial to the skin by providing deep moisture without clogging pours. It is literally food for your face with vitamin A, vitamin E, antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid.
  • Emu oil (100% pure, unscented organic and if you can find it, in a glass bottle versus plastic) – Emu oil prevents the skin from prematurely aging. It Decrease inflammation, helps with scars, and sun damage. Emu oil is rich in DHEA.
  • Frankincense essential oil (100% pure, organic and if you can find it, in a glass bottle versus plastic) – this powerful essential oil has been known to combat certain types of cancers, including skin cancer. It is used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and skin discoloration. It stimulates the growth of new cells and therefore is beneficial in anti-aging.
  • Myrrh essential oil (100% pure, organic and if you can find it, in a glass bottle versus plastic) – Myrrh has been used for thousands of years for its healing and beautifying properties. It helps fade blemishes on the skin and can reduces symptoms of eczema.

Instructions:

 In a glass bottle mix 3 ounces of Argan oil, 3 ounces of Emu oil, 15 drops of Frankincense and 15 drops of Myrrh oil. Cap the bottle and shake well to thoroughly mix. Then apply a quarter size amount to your face and neck in upwards circular motions. You may also apply liberally to your entire body. Make sure to avoid your eyes and genitals.

Here’s to your skin health!

In Wellness,

Dr. Rachel

 

Should Armpit Detoxing Be the Next Fad?!?

DETOXING INFO Plus… Natural Deodorant Review & Detox

My top favorites AND a simple under arm detox and care routine that will boost your immune system!

But first, why consider armpit detoxing at all? Why is it INCREDIBLY important to both detox your under arm lymph nodes AND make a permanent switch to a natural and non-toxic form of under arm deodorants, like yesterday?

First you need to get to know your pits a bit… we have so many lymph nodes just under the surface of our arm pit area and these little lymph’s have the job of fighting off infections. Lymph nodes pull out toxins and secrete them out of the body. When our under arm lymph nodes are continually coated with toxins like aluminum or blocked from sweating out the toxins they can become blocked and the toxins build up.

‘The lymphatic system is one of the body’s primary tools for fighting infection. This system contains lymph fluid and lymph nodes, which occur in critical areas in the body. Cancer cells sometimes enter and build up in the lymph system.

Lymph nodes are responsible for filtering lymph fluid and detecting chemical changes that signal an infection is present. When these filter points are in the armpit, doctors call them axillary lymph nodes.

As axillary lymph nodes are near the breasts, they are often the first location to which breast cancer spreads if it moves beyond the breast tissue.

The number of axillary lymph nodes can vary from person to person, ranging from five nodes to more than 30.’ – Rachel Nall, RN, BSN, CCRN

Here are is my self-care routine to keep your under arm’s stink free while also stimulating your under arm lymph nodes to work optimally in order to increase your immune system, fight off illness and decrease the risk of cancer.

PIT-CARE & DETOX ROUTINE

#1 Go Non-Toxic – Switch to an organic, non-toxic deodorant (see my review and recommendations below)

#2 Exfoliate – A full body exfoliation is an amazing detoxer for all skin & helps with lymphatic drainage as well. Exfoliate in the shower 2-3 times per week – I like using exfoliating mits, find them HERE

#3 Dry Brush – Use a dry brush weekly to stimulate lymphatic drainage – don’t have a dry brush? Get my favorite one HERE

#4 Sweat It Out! Hit the gym and get your sweat on or sit in a steam room or dry sauna for 20-40 minutes

#5 Armpit Detox – Detoxing the lymph nodes is hugely important! I use this under arm detox with the built in roller for additional lymphatic massage, I call it Lymph Rescue and you can purchase it HERE or you can simply mix activated charcoal, bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar and coconut or Argan oil – coat your underarms with it and let it soak in for about 30-45 minute and then wipe with a moist HOT towel – be sure to use a dark towel to avoid the charcoal staining the towel.

#6 Massage – Get a lymphatic massage or try an Ayurvedic Abhyanga self-massage

#7 Switch Your Soap – Skip toxic deodorant soaps with chemicals and fragrances– Opt for organic and clean non-toxic soaps, this means you should recognize ALL the ingredients and they should be natural. Use an organic all natural non-toxic soap that does not have perfumes in it. If you like scented soaps make sure they are scented with 100% pure essential oils. You can find some good options at Whole Foods and check out the ones I use HERE or I love these ones infused with essential oils HERE

Ok, Drum roll please….

I have been testing natural deodorants for over 4 years, including homemade options. Yup, this long experiment has been a challenging one, but I feel so strongly about this that it was worth it in order to share my results with every single one of you! All in all, over the years I have tested over 100 different natural and non-toxic deodorant options. I am not going to list them all, only the winners and a review of a few popular ones on the market today.

DEODERANT REVIEW

Over the last few years I have tested and compared over 50 different types of natural, organic and non-toxic deodorants. I like to circle back around and re-test every once in a while to see if new and better cleaner options (for my body and for the environment) have been released. Here is my top reviewed deodorant products of 2019 along with the products pro’s and cons:

#1 – First Place Winner – Schmidt – Charcoal & Magnesium

In theory this one is my favorite because of all of the additional health and detox benefits that you get from the charcoal and magnesium. However, slight warning, it is a tad stickier then my #2 pick below so if slight stickiness really bugs you go with #2. This one smells great, works and helps detox you as well as give your body a much needed magnesium boost… for anyone who has ANY stress in life, this is very beneficial. You can buy it HERE

#2 – Second Place Winner – Milk & Honey – Coconut Lemongrass

Absolutely the best so far for performance. It gives dry pits and a non-sticky feeling. Excellent odor protection. Clean ingredients. Gentle on the skin. You can buy it HERE

#3 – Third Place Winner – Dottera

I absolutely love the Doterra products because of the non-toxic ingredients, ethical sourcing and plethora of research and transparency they provide on each product. The deodorants smell amazing since they are infused with high quality and locally sources essential oils. You can buy it HERE

Other deodorants tested…

Lume – Jasmine Rose

Somewhat stickier then others but worked for 24 hours and smells good! Buy it HERE

Love, Beauty & Planet – Argan Oil & Lavender

Sticky and stays sticky but works moderately. Leaves a coating on the skin – be sure to exfoliate after using this product. Buy it HERE

Crystal – unscented solid mineral stick

This is one that I REALLY wanted to work because I do not typically like stick deodorants because of the stickiness. I tried this product multiple times of a 2-year period. I kept circling back hoping it would work, it didn’t AT ALL L

Everyman Jack – Cedarwood

Do not recommend – thumbs down, to sticky and only hides the funk, aka covers it up.

The Healthy Deodorant – Vanilla Lavender (sold at Whole Foods)

Do not recommend. I SO wanted this one to be excellent, but it was less than excellent for sure. Did not keep odor away at all.

Native – Coconut & Vanilla (has some chemicals)

Moist but not sticky at first application. Nice scent but less clean ingredients than other competitors, still non-toxic. Worked somewhat well keeping odor away, however it did not stop me from sweating all day and getting my t-shirt wet. Buy it HERE

EO Organic Deodorant – French Lavender Spray

Love that it is a spray, excellent for delicate clothes that you can’t get sticky with a roll on or stick deodorant, and has a nice scent. Does not have strong coverage but works excellently if you wash your pits once and re-spray midday and after exercise. For those who hate any form of sticky or deodorant stick, this one is your winner. Buy it HERE

Nuud

Do not recommend. Sticky and did not keep odor away, so thumbs down but major points for the mindfulness to the environment!

Tips & Tricks Transitioning to Natural

Keep in mind that everyone’s body responds differently based on your unique body chemistry and Ph balance. Because of that you may have to try a few options before you find the right product and pit-care routine that works for you.

There is also a noteworthy detox period. So imagine that you have been creating layers and layers of toxins over time, these toxins will begin to release out but will take up to 1 month to full cleanse from your body. This may add to your odor. So if you think, ‘Oh these natural deodorants make me smell worse’, it’s most likely NOT the deodorant, it’s the previous gunk that is no longer being suppressed in your body finally beginning to escape.

The pit-care self-care tips I gave above will DRAMATICALLY reduce the detox time and help you pull those toxins out!

Please note: There is also a detox period so the first week or two you may need to shower more often. Stick with it, it gets better!

Copyright Dr. Rachel Dew 2019-2021. All Rights Reserved