Gatekeeper of the Home
BY: ALLI WHITE
Freed & Flourishing Co., I am so honored to write for the blog! I’m Alli, a pastor’s wife and mama to two little boys…a 3.5 year old and 1 year old. I live in Tennessee, but I wish I lived on Hilton Head Island. I’m a year-round iced coffee kind of girl, and I love all things home!
Which is what brings me here. But first , let’s travel back in time a bit…back to Summer 2020. I was a new mom, and my little guy was just beginning to crawl and teeter around our house. During this time I had a floor cleaner I used regularly. I know, I know, sounds odd, but stick with me! So I had this floor cleaner that gave me a headache every time I cleaned my floors with it. I refused to mop while my little guy was around (I would only mop during his naptime), and I would open my doors and windows while I cleaned. Similarly, I was a candle lover. You know those glorious candle sales? Yep, I was all about them! But again…they always gave me a headache. I just assumed it was the “scent.”
With a baby beginning to crawl all over my floors, these things really started to bring up some questions…if my floor cleaner gave me a nasty headache, did I really want my baby crawling on the floor then putting his hands in his mouth? If my candles gave me a headache and were potentially releasing chemicals into my home, did I really want to be burning them with him around? And let’s not even talk about the open flame factor with a little one toddling around the house!
These two things really made me start to ask questions about what I was using around my house. I began doing some research. I found Clean Mama on Instagram and started using her recipes to make my own DIY cleaners. I also closely followed a friend on Instagram who was going through a similar process in her own home. I watched her share how she started switching out products for less toxic ones. My mission became simple: ditch candles and cleaners for essential oils and safer cleaning agents.
And that my friend is how I got started on my low tox journey. The more I learned, the more passionate I became about ditching toxins around my house. I really leaned into the fact that I am the “gate keeper” of our home. As time went on, I became more and more passionate about educating and sharing with others all I had learned. I’m 3 years in and so glad I started making better choices for my own health and the health of my family.
So now that you know a little about why I started this journey, let’s dig into some of the facts that have encouraged me along the way.
We’re going to start with toxins because that’s really what all this goes back to. I could talk about this stuff for days, but here’s a quick 30,000 foot view…a toxin by definition is a substance, chemical, by-product, etc. that is toxic/harmful to the human body. And unfortunately, many products (not just candles and cleaners but personal care products, laundry detergent, etc.) on the market today contain toxins that are harmful to our health and well-being. For a quick reference, in Europe there’s around 1400 chemicals that are banned from being used in their products. On the contrary, in the US that number is around 30. And while our bodies were designed to filter out toxins and harmful things, they are often overwhelmed because of the toxic load we are exposing ourselves to! Think about it…sure, you probably don’t clean all day every day, but you wash your hands throughout the day, you wear clothes washed in laundry detergent, sleep on sheets, use body wash/lotion, wear makeup…you get the point! Even if some of these products only have small amounts toxins in them, all of that load eventually adds up.
And here’s another unfortunate thing…the product market really doesn’t help us out here. When I first started on this journey, I had a hard time believing that something at Target could be harmful to my health. Why would they sell it if it was known to be harmful? Here are a few things to be aware of :
I know, it’s kind of a lot to digest. But I think it’s so important. These things aren’t commonly talked about, and I think if they were, we would be so much better for it! Is there one specific illness that some of these toxins are going to cause? Maybe, but most likely not. It’s more about the bigger picture. Exposure to toxins and toxic load/build up can contribute to a wide range of issues such as headaches, eczema, respiratory issues, infertility struggles, weakened immune systems, increased anxiety, hormone imbalances…and the list goes on.
So, what now? Do we live in a bubble to protect ourselves from these things? Spoiler alert – no! We don’t! But I will say this is why I’ve become so passionate about this and share easy swaps and simple changes with others! It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are two things that I personally believe to be true :
Alright so practically, what are we talking about here? Well, I told you back in the beginning that I started with candles and cleaners. I swapped my candles for diffusers and quality essential oils that I trusted, and I swapped my cleaners for DIY ones using natural products like vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, etc. When I first started using essential oils, I ordered a starter kit from Young Living. That’s when I fell in love both with oils and Young Living as a whole! And subsequently, it didn’t take me long to give their natural, plant-based cleaning line – Thieves – a try. And now, that’s all I use in my house…literally to clean everything!
From there, I moved to my laundry room (this is a huuuge toxin culprit!!) and then finally to personal care products (the hardest in my opinion!).
Is all of this sounding overwhelming? Trust me, I know that it can be – I’ve been there! But here’s what I want you to know…it really doesn’t have to be hard. And if you want, I’d be more than happy and honored to walk alongside you!
Here’s a few of my tips and tricks:
If this is something that resonates with you, whether it’s a completely new concept or it’s been on your mind for a while, I’d love to connect! I love sharing with other women and helping to empower them to ask questions and make small shifts in their own homes.
I also have a few resources for you! First and foremost, if you want a step-by-step guide on how to start ditching toxins around your home, download my free “4 Steps to Reduce Toxins Guide” here! This will take a deeper dive into the four areas that I feel are most practical to start ditching toxins and product swapping (home fragrances, cleaners, the laundry room, and personal products). I also have a “Ditch and Switch” series on my blog, so if you’d like to go deeper, feel free to head over to wellspringhomeco.com, look around, and check those out!
Second, come hang out with me on Instagram! I love to share parts of my story, low tox swaps, tips and tricks, things I’m loving, etc. You might even see some sneaks of some new resources I have coming soon (a hint: it has to do with essential oils and laundry)… anyway, let’s be friends!
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a couple other resources from two people who I really trust and look to all the time for education purposes. First is @scienceofessentials. She is an RN by trade but also a certified aroma therapist and is an essential oil guru! She’s all about the science behind how oils work. Give her a follow! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and I guarantee you’ll learn something new!
Second is @JustIngredients. She has an incredible story of healing her body and turning her life around through food and real ingredients. She does focus a lot on food (in which I’ll take all the tips I can get!), but having such a holistic perspective, she also has a big focus on toxins. She really breaks things down into easy to understand concepts and posts a lot of great ingredient information and product swaps. Think sunscreen – that’s a tough one! She will break down sunscreens and give you a list of companies that create clean ingredient sunscreen. Seriously SUCH a helpful account!
I know it’s a lot to take in, but please don’t feel overwhelmed. And remember, it’s a process. It won’t happen overnight, but my advice is to slowly start making swaps and educate yourself along the way. And don’t be surprised if/when you start to see positive changes in your life. I’ve witnessed it first hand and believe it makes such a difference. If you have any questions or want to connect, send me a message over on Instagram. I’d love to chat!
One small change at a time, friend.
