There’s no denying that we live in a consumer-focused society. We love to buy new products and often keep using our favorite brands for years to come. While this may have the expected impact on our finances, few of us stop to think about the ingredients used in some of our everyday items.
From the fruit we buy to simple things like mouthwash and even the carpet we walk on, these products can cost us much more than just their ticket price. Believe it or not, they can have a lasting impact on our physical health – but few of us know it.
Plastic Food Containers
Tupperware comes in so many different shapes and sizes to fit our every need. Whether you want to store an army-sized amount of leftovers or just enough for your lunch break, there’s a plastic container out there for you. The trouble is, most plastic containers contain chemicals that end up seeping into our food. This is especially true if you microwave the container.
Antibacterial Soap
Antibacterial soap is a wonderful invention that changed the health industry for good. It’s hardly surprising that there’s been a boom in the market over the past couple of years. Even though it’s a product we couldn’t live without, antibacterial soaps can cause issues. For example, strong carbolic soap can lead to skin irritation and long-term issues like dermatitis and eczema.
Hot Sauce
Hot sauce has been popular for decades, but with more and more concoctions hitting the shelves, it’s more buyable than ever. There are different types to suit different tastes, but while adding some of the red stuff to your eggs may seem tasty and safe, there may be more to it. Consuming hot sauce is generally considered to be safe, but eating it too regularly can cause some digestive problems like reflux and irritation of the stomach lining.
Flea Treatments
Having a furry friend at home is a huge comfort to many people, but no one could ever say that being a pet owner is cheap. Anyone that’s ever had a cat or dog knows that keeping up with flea treatment is non-negotiable. The only trouble is, while these medicines help keep the little critters at bay, they aren’t exactly healthy.
Dryer Sheets
Popping a dryer sheet into your laundry as it dries is a great way to pick up any stray lint and keep clothes smelling fresh, but is that all these sheets do? The dryer sheets themselves aren’t necessarily problematic, but the chemicals used to fragrance them could be. While your laundry might smell great, it could cause you more problems than it’s worth.
Laundry Pods
Having fresh, clean clothes is something many of us take for granted, but the companies that produce the products know just how valuable the commodity is. Pods can be easily thrown into the machine for a no-mess, no-fuss solution. However, when they aren’t being used they should be stored safely away.
Children’s Bubble Bath
Parents want their little ones to be clean and smell lovely as possible, which is why there’s so much money to be made from baby bath products. However, it might surprise some to know that companies can call a product “natural” as long as it contains just 1% of natural ingredients. As a general guide, parents should try to avoid products that contain SLS, perfume, talcum powder, and colorants.
Candles
Scented candles can often be found decorating shelves and bathroom sides. Like many other scented products, candles can give off their own set of chemicals. What’s more, if the wick isn’t regularly trimmed then it can smoke when lit, giving off less-than-ideal fumes into the atmosphere. It’s always best to check what ingredients are in the candle you want before making the purchase.
Plastic Wrap
This causes issues not only when plastic wrap ends up in incinerators or landfills, but also potentially for your food. Though reformulated, newer plastic might not leach harmful chemicals into your food, you still want to get rid of any risks. Also, plastic wrap can only go in the oven at low temperatures, and you should ensure that no plastic is exposed. All of the wraps must be covered in foil.
Electric Toothbrushes
We’ve all seen information about why electric toothbrushes help clean your teeth better than manual ones, but make sure that you are using yours properly. Let the brush do the work. You don’t have to apply as much pressure as you do with a manual toothbrush—if you apply the same pressure, you could cause both soft and hard tissue irritation.
Cotton Swabs
Be careful cleaning your ears with cotton swabs. Cotton swabs, in severe cases, can even damage sensitive structures behind your ear canal, which can cause prolonged vertigo, nausea, vomiting, loss of taste, facial paralysis, and complete deafness. Chewing, jaw movements, and skin regenerating in your ear will push out earwax; you don’t have to.
Teething Gel
You should know that teething gel is never a good idea. Not only do these offer no benefits, but they also have serious risks to them. The active ingredient in these gels is benzocaine, and, if ingested in even a tiny amount, this can poison your baby. There is no evidence that this can even relieve teething pain. Rubbing your baby’s gums with wet gauze or a clean finger or using a clean, cool spoon can soothe the pain.
Anti-Aging Products
Anti-aging products attract a lot of attention because they are cheaper than surgery and Botox, and they promise to remove wrinkles, blotches, and other signs of aging. However, these products can often contain harsh chemicals. Even when they do produce results, they change the user’s skin texture over time, and often for the worse.
Breath Mints
Mints are, technically, hard candies and with sugar in them might even worsen your breath. While sugar-free mints, eaten sparingly, might be a good fit, you don’t want to chew on them daily. Also, remember that they only mask bad breath. They can’t replace flossing, brushing, and using mouthwash. If your breath smells, you need to take actual oral hygiene steps to remove the root cause.
Toilet Paper
There are a few reasons why toilet paper shouldn’t be your only go-to while you’re in the bathroom. First, toilet paper is processed using chlorine bleach, which creates dioxin and furans, both dangerous toxins that don’t belong in such a sensitive areas of our bodies.
Water Bottles
Almost everyone has some sort of reusable bottle in their possession, whether it’s used purely for the gym or as a handy way to measure water intake. In recent years, many people have been ditching plastic water bottles in favor of metal or bamboo…and for good reason.
Hand Sanitizer
Even before recent times, hand sanitizer has been heavily used in many settings to destroy any nasty bacteria that may lead to illnesses. There’s no arguing that it’s a worthy invention, but does it come without its own special set of risks? Hand sanitizers typically use an antimicrobial ingredient called triclosan, which can cause wide-ranging reproductive problems and even early puberty.
Bleach
Bleach is great for all sorts of different household chores, from cleaning the bathroom to making whites white again. There are obvious harmful properties to bleach if it gets ingested or if it comes into contact with your skin. However, what some people don’t realize is that repeated exposure to fumes can cause issues, too.
