Happy Springtime! Even though winter in San Diego isn’t exactly winter-y, the time change makes the short days sooo depressing. You know, that “all I need is soup, a blanket, and a good book” season.

So as soon as the time change hits in early March it is just spring vibes all around!

Maybe it’s those long days of extra sunshine that makes you look around your house and think, “ew”. Is that mildew on the window sill? Gross. Or, why is that sweater that I didn’t wear all winter taking up space in my drawer?

Thus we arrive at the same solution every year… SPRING CLEANING!

If you’re like me, Spring Cleaning consists of two parts:

1) Getting Rid of Stuff

2) Actual Cleaning

For getting rid of stuff I use the Konmari process. If you’ve read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” you know just what I’m talking about! Simply put all like items together (clothes, books, you name it) and hold up each individual item. If the item sparks joy in your heart then keep it. If no, then get rid of it! Easy peasy.

Actual cleaning may seem straight forward, until you begin to ask yourself, “what’s IN these cleaning products?” Do you know how many toxic chemicals are lurking in our cleaning products, lotions, and plastics? ALOT. 

Parabens and phthalates are just two of the chemicals we should try to avoid. Let's break it down to what they are and why you should steer clear of them.

Parabens are preservatives found in food and cosmetics.  Parabens are endocrine disruptors that are linked to breast cancer, skin cancer, and infertility. They include Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, and Sodium Butylparaben.

Phthalates are plasticizers found in everything from plastics to cosmetics. They increase risk of breast cancer, disrupt hormones, increase cell proliferation and tumor formation, male and female infertility, earlier puberty in girls, and abnormalities in male offspring. Phthlates include di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP),  diisononyl phthalate (DINP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethylphthalate (DMP).

Visit the Environmental Working Group’s Website to learn about more toxins to avoid.

So what can you do to avoid these toxic chemicals? 

1) Well, first of all you can look at the label for the chemicals above. Pro tip: if a hair or skin care product DOESN'T contain parabens and phthalates they will probably brag about it on the container.

2) Another big one is trading out your plastic tupperware containers for glass. This is especially essential if you put hot things (like soup) in it or microwave your tupperware. Heat and plastic are not friends. BPA (Bisphenol-A) will leach out of the plastic and into your body where it can bind to estrogen receptors and influence bodily processes, such as growth, cell repair, fetal development, energy levels, and reproduction. Not good.

After purging lotions, shampoos, and cleaning products I was searching for replacements when a friend introduced me to Shaklee. 

I first became obsessed with their Meology personalized vitamins and Collagen and then their cleaning products and skin care regimen! I loved Shaklee's commitment to non-toxic, biodegradable health products so much that I signed up to be an ambassador! Plus my skin looks GREAT. win win. 

Enjoy your Spring Cleaning and be well!

-Melanie