There's an app for that.

Have you ever been cleaning and felt like the fumes would give you the black lung? Wondered what in the world made that bread last so long or what your personal products were actually made of? If you were anything like me a few years ago you probably assumed that if it wasn't safe, it wouldn't be available to buy or that everyone who thought otherwise was just paranoid and thought everything will give you cancer?

Well, that was me...buying the cheapest item or whatever claimed to work the best until I started having weird health issues. Tons of doctors visits and blood tests followed and after finding out I had crazy off hormones I started to think...what could cause this? Of course, I am not a scientist and I cannot claim for sure that my issues were caused from a specific product or products over the years but what I did find is that so much of what we use is not regulated or the regulations haven't been updated in 80 years? YUP you read that right, the FDA has not updated regulations on cosmetics since 1938. Only 11 ingredients are banned in cosmetics in the US. The European Union bans over 1,300 ingredients!

Now I'm not trying to just scare everyone into throwing out everything they use now but I do urge you to pay attention, do your own research and think about what the products you use are made of, how they could harm you, your family or even just the environment.

Again, I'm not an expert so I can't just read a label and know what is best so I found that there are some organizations that can help guide consumers. The environmental working group is a great resource to use to help you decide what products to purchase. Their database provides info on possibly harmful ingredients in products and rates based on the data.

The first way you can search is their online consumer guides which cover everything from tap water to building products.

CONSUMER GUIDES

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Skin Deep

EWG's Skin Deep® cosmetic database gives people practical solutions to protect themselves and their families from everyday exposures to potentially toxic chemicals in personal care and beauty products. Skin Deep®, launched in 2004, lists easy-to-navigate hazard ratings for nearly 70,000 products and 9,000 ingredients on the market. The U.S. government doesn't review the toxicity of products before they're sold. Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish without regard for how safe they are. The aim of Skin Deep® is to fill in where industry and government leave off.​

Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™, updated every year since 2004, ranks pesticide contamination of 47 popular fruits and vegetables. The guide is based on results of more than 40,900 samples of produce tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. It is important to note that the samples are tested for pesticides after they have been prepared to be eaten. This means the produce has been thoroughly washed and, when applicable, peeled. After these preparations, pesticide residues are still detected on many of the fruits and veggies.

Tap Water Database

The EWG tap water database allows you to enter your zip code and see a breakdown of your water and an analysis of the state water records. It also provides ways to best filter out contaminants.

Healthy Cleaning

The EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning provides a database of products so you can search and see how your favorites rank. Looking for a new product? You can see the top ranked products to avoid searching the aisles aimlessly.

Food Scores

The EWG's food scores is yet another great database of items. I challenge you (and myself) to search your fridge and pantry and check out how some of your staple items rank. Of course, the less processed the better but lets be honest, we likely won't be keeping ONLY fresh food in our homes with our busy on the go lifestyles. You can use this resource to find the best options for your family.

EWG Verified

In addition, companies can now become EWG verified. A growing list of companies are starting to change their practices and you can find many products labeled with the verified seal making it quick and easy to shop.

There's an app for that

If you are on the go and need a resource while you are out shopping, be sure to download the free EWG Guide to Healthy Living App. This houses all the databases above at your fingertips. You can even scan the bar codes on products to find out how they rank.

I could go on and on about the resources they provide but I urge you to check our their website. I totally understand it can be overwhelming to make changes and I recommend not trying to do it all at once. As you need things try replacing them with a healthier/safer alternative. It takes time to learn what works for you and what products you like. I'm still working on it years later. It isn't about being perfect or stressing out, just trying to make informed decisions and shopping with purpose.

XOXO Michelle