How to Create a Toxin-Free Shower or Bath

It seems pretty silly to be telling you how to take a bath or a shower as I can safely assume you have already taken quite a few in your lifetime and have done very well with the task already.  But, it doesn't hurt to improve on something, right?  My point here today is those showers, those baths can add to your toxicity level in several ways.  Allow me to point out that some of those bottles, bars, jars, sprays and lotions, and even your bathroom decor could be adding to your toxic load.

We don't need that. Why turn a good thing (taking a shower or bath) into a bad thing (increasing your chemical load)? There are a few simple ways you can adopt to avoid doing just that.  We certainly can't control everything we come in contact with living in our world today, but here at The Health-Minded, we try to lessen it where we can.

So let's begin with that shower and bath . . .

Easy Ways to Decrease Toxins in Your Bathroom

Clean up your act before taking your next shower or bath with these easy suggestions on lessening your toxicity load in your bathroom:

Looks aren't everything.  That darling shower curtain and no slip bath mat may have other designs besides prettying up your bathroom.  Some of them contain chemicals that when heated up in the shower or bath leach some stuff you don't need.  Here is why you should consider replacing those plastic items with a cloth curtain and 100 percent rubber mat.



Blow the whistle on unnecessary cleaners.  Go ahead and whistle while you work as you clean your bathroom as it can make the dreaded task go by quicker.  However, don't cave in and use those hefty chemicals like bleach (discussed here) to do so.  Here are many suggestions on how to thoroughly clean your bathroom without toxic chemicals or cleaners.

Brush your way to smoother skin.  Most everyone wants smoother, softer skin, but there is no need for chemicals to do it.  The process of dry brushing which I talked in detail about here, is a great step to take to do just that.  Another way to gently and safely remove dead skin cells is with baking soda.  It is incredibly inexpensive and makes a great exfoliant.  I keep a small container of baking soda in my shower and use it daily by mixing a bit of it with my facial soap.  And, by the way, so does Emma Stone and Giada De Laurentils (discussed here). And, last time I checked their skin looked pretty good!

Dig up some dirt.  Keeping a nail brush in your shower is a good reminder to clean those hands and under your nails regularly.  So much bacteria can collect under your nails and breed a lot of not so good things.  Just make sure you sanitize your brush regularly and let it air dry.

Stop by your pantry before taking a shower.  Yes, that is correct. Your pantry is stocked with cooking oils like coconut oil and olive oil that make great moisturizers after the shower or even as a hair mask for dry hair.  And, they contain zero chemicals to get the job done. I personally use both just like this lady here that lived to 122 (no, not a typo!)

Filter your water.  Depending on where you live, your shower water could be spraying a lot of chlorine and other harmful chemicals all over you.  But, it is easy to adjust that with a shower filter that is discussed at length here and here.

Keep the list short.  When purchasing shower and bath products, read the labels.  Buy products with USDA Organic seals or products that at least have an ingredients list with words you don't stumble over.

Here is a short list of ingredients (but not an exhaustive one) to avoid when purchasing bath and shower items and here is how to check on the toxic levels of products you already have.  Same of these ingredients are not so bad by themselves but some break down the skin's moisture barrier allowing for more penetration of the other harmful chemicals.

• Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS/SLES)

• Dioxane: Common in a wide range of products as part of PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, and ethoxylated alcohols.

• Ethoxylation

• Parabens

• Propylene glycol

• Diethanolamine 

• Synthetic fragrances

• Triclosan

Clearing your bathroom of toxins is all pretty doable, right?  Pick a few tips off the list this week and some more the next and you will soon be on your way to a toxin-free bathroom. Do you have any favorite products to share that you use when showering or bathing?  Any special methods of cleaning your bathroom toxin-free? Please share in the comments!

shower:  photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/2047183582/">kevin dooley</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
shovel: photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16210667@N02/13913379285/">CJS*64</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
list: photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/2994617747/">Robert S. Donovan</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>