School is amping up to go back soon here. We are hearing about all of the precautions that are going to be taking place. Obvious ones are masks, hand washing, and hand sanitizing. Today I’m going to talk with you about 3 back to school hygiene tips for safe and non-toxic use.
I used to work as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) when I lived in Wisconsin. My hands used to bleed and crack in the winter from washing my hands so frequently. I know a big contributor was the dry winter air, but the products I was using were SO drying. I wish at the time I had known more about how to read my ingredients and what to avoid.
You can watch this short video below or continue reading.
Ready to check your products to make sure they aren’t harmful? Grab your free list of Harmful Ingredients to Avoid in your beauty products here.
BACK TO SCHOOL HYGIENE TIP #1: HAND SANITIZER
Oye, hand sanitizer! This has become quite a hot commodity these days. Am I right?
Well, let’s just say that hand sanitizer is very drying. The majority of them contain Isopropyl Alcohol, which is a very drying ingredient. Oddly enough, not all alcohols are drying.
Many also contain fragrance, which is no good. Fragrance can cause asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, and environmental pollutants. Also, unless you call the company directly to ask if their fragrance is synthetic or nonsynthetic, they can put whatever they want behind that ‘name’ and not disclose due to being a ‘trade secret.’
I can always tell instantly if it is synthetic; it affects my sinuses and makes me feel queasy.
For a safe one, check out Pure Haven.
BACK TO SCHOOL HYGIENE TIP #2: HAND SOAP
Washing your hands is the most effective way of hygiene practice. You want to make sure that your hand soap doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients.
Common ingredients I have seen to avoid are:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate– both extremely drying and irritating.
DMDM Hydantoin– a form of formaldehyde which is a known carcinogenic.
Fragrance, as I had mentioned above.
You want to find products that have a small list of ingredients. You will be able to tell if it’s listing essential oils, and that’s why it is longer.
Some of my favorites are a bar soap from 100 Percent Pure and the one from Pure Haven.
If you have kids or even for yourself, check out this video on the effects of washing your hands with soap.
You may also be interested in reading these:
♦ What is Clean Beauty and why is it important to you?
♦ What do the symbols on your bottles mean?
♦ If it’s vegan or cruelty-free does that mean it’s non-toxic?
BACK TO SCHOOL HYGIENE TIP #3: HAND LOTION
This will be a staple in your household. With all of the extra washing and sanitizing, your skin will be thirsty. Try to apply lotion each time after you wash your hands.
A few ingredients you want to avoid in your lotion are:
PEG– drying and can speed up the aging process
MEA/DEA/TEA– they can contain cancer-causing nitrosamines
DMDM Hydantoin– a form of formaldehyde
Fragrance– asthma, allergies, respiratory issues
Parabens– linked to hormone disruptors and cancer-causing
I love 100 Percent Pure and Pure Haven for these as well.
It can be a lot to make sure that what we use on our body aren’t causing more harm than good. Lucky for us there are so many good options out there nowadays.
*BONUS* It is more cost effective to buy a larger bottle and get small refillable bottles to use at school and work.
Ready to check your products to make sure they aren’t harmful? Grab your free list of Harmful Ingredients to Avoid in your beauty products here.
