I’ve gotten to the point where if I eat something that my body does not agree with, or if I apply anything onto my skin or hair that is not chemical-free, I will have an immediate reaction. Sometimes the reaction is subtle and other times it can be a nightmare. Regardless I feel blessed to know immediately that something is not good for me, and I do my best to avoid those things. I consider myself chemically sensitive so I avoid chemical household cleaners, processed foods, chemical laden cosmetics, and synthetic fragrance, and do my best to learn as much as possible about natural healthy alternatives to use and share here on Minimalist Beauty.
There are so many harmful chemicals that we can easily introduce into our lives without even thinking twice about it such as air freshener, perfume, household cleaners, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, makeup, nail polish, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, household paint, GMO foods, artificial sweeteners, food preservatives, PVC/BPA products, and flame retardent mattresses and furniture. Encountering chemicals in our daily life have become the norm, and it takes a conscious effort to eliminate them as much as possible. Unless we hear more stories about how harmful chemicals in cosmetics and other daily products are to our health, it is easy to label the toxic-free natural lifestyle as “too green” or “granola.”
A few years ago I again tried a popular curly hair product that I had used before, yet this time it gave me an immediate headache. This product contained synthetic fragrance and color plus other chemical ingredients. At first I decided to lay down and take a nap thinking that it would go away. It had been awhile since I had consistently used this product without any problems, yet why would I get a headache from it this time?
What I didn’t know was that I was becoming more sensitive to chemicals the more I detoxed these chemicals from my body. After laying down a few more minutes I got the notion to get back up and wash my hair reluctantly again. As soon as I washed the product from my hair the headache subsided. The next day I returned the curly hair product to the beauty supply store.
Chemical sensitivity isn’t a bad thing at all. It is actually a good thing because it is an innate chemical radar that we can use to avoid consistently putting toxins into and on our body. This same radar works for food that may not be the best for you too. This theory proved itself again once I removed gluten from my diet for a long time. Whenever I eat gluten now I feel awful and see extreme bloating soon after. The more we learn about the toxic chemicals used in cosmetics, household products, etc. as well as pay attention to how the food we eat individually affects us, the better choices we can make for our health and our families.
Have you become more sensitive to chemicals or certain foods? You can also see the chemicals that should definitely be avoided in cosmetics here.
(Image by amphomag.com)
Amber says
Great post! I noticed that when I stopped using synthetic fragrances I became more or less intolerant to the smells, they ended up giving me immediate headaches.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Amber,
I completely understand. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend!
Annabelle says
I am so grateful for this post. What a perfect timing!
With Easter came the usual amount of milk chocolate (although I did ask my family not to buy me any). With the conscious effort of eating better and more organic, I had given up on my daily (considerable) intake. I ate a few treats on Easter Monday and I did NOT expect the abominable stomach ache and heartburn that followed. I was really scared, thought my new “diet” was too much and was actually making my digestive system more vulnerable? But this post helped me see the problem in a different light. I’ll go back to the delicious fair trade organic 100% cocoa chocolate I tried last weekend.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Annabelle,
Thanks so much for your comment. It is so great that you are listening to your body and doing what’s best for you. I’m also glad this article was perfect timing! Have a beautiful day!
Janet Dart says
I, too, have become more sensitive to chemicals. I have been allergic to perfumes for many many years. Yesterday I was at CVS and accepted a free sample of face cream — I let the salesperson put it on my hand. I had sneezing fits until I washed it off. Imagine if I had tried it on my face! Our bodies are trying to tell us something!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Janet,
Your experience was definitely a major reaction. Thanks so much for sharing this and I hope that you’ve had an amazing weekend! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead <3
Chloe says
Thanks for sharing! I developed a sensitivity to nitrates after years of being a vegetarian. It keeps me from eating unhealthily and from putting bad preservatives into my body, so in a way, it’s a blessing in disguise! I’m in the process of converting my beauty routine into all natural products, so it will be interesting to see if that affects my sensitivities as well. Again, thanks for sharing your experience!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Chloe,
Thanks for your comment! I definitely noticed new sensitivities using natural beauty care, yet one of the biggest blessings has been weaning myself off of so many products. Wishing you the very best of everything!
Rose says
Hi, I love your website so much!
I need to share this with my friends, thanks!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Rose,
Thanks so much and yes please share! Have a beautiful day!
Hazel says
The same thing happene to me recently! I wanted to try a new curly hair product & looked at the ingredients which were clean. But when I got it & used it I soon got a massive headache. Soon as I washed it out of my hair I was fine.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Hazel,
There are a lot of hidden ingredients in even natural products. Sometimes the extracts have chemical preservatives. I’ve also heard of many people who are extremely sensitive to essential oils. We are all so unique so it really is about listening to your body and doing what’s best for you. I appreciate your comment too!
Ebun says
This is so relateable.
Lately I’ve been trying to cut down on the number of chemicals I use and ingest and detoxify my body of the ones taken previously.
I must say I love the results so far. I love the way my body is getting sensitive to this things.
Great post btw.
ebunoluwole.com
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Ebun,
This is great to here! It does take a conscious effort yet it is so important and wonderful for your body and the environment to eliminate as many chemicals as possible. Best wishes with everything!
Mcs GAl says
There are a lot of chemicals in our world. Your post is a good one that reminds people to pay attention to the chemicals they are exposing themselves to.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Mcs GAI,
Thanks so much and hope you are having a wonderful day!
Emma says
You’re so right, I can’t use any chemicals on my skin I can’t even wash up without gloves or break out in dermatitis. My family thinks I’m getting out of washing up but not worth the itches.
At 6mths old we diagnosed my oldest with wheat intolerance i.e. his behaviour is terrible ADHD like had we not have stumbled on this by accident he would have been labeled hard to handle and possibly medicated. I’m now a huge believer of diet affecting children’s (probably adults too) behaviour now we reduce the amount of wheat & processed food in his diet he goes from totally feral to an angel in a matter of days. I also follow a low whet diet now & amazed how much better I feel because of it.
I only use Moogoo skin care now that is made locally(for me & ships to USA) only of edible oils & I haven’t had a pimple in 18mths since I changed. Harsh cleansers are possibly creating more problems than they are solving?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Emma,
Thanks so much for sharing this! Some are extremely sensitive and I think it is amazing that you were able to pinpoint your oldest child’s behavior to food. Everyone can’t eat the same things or the same way. The same is definitely true which our sensitivities to chemicals. Yet even if you don’t have evident sensitivities to chemicals they aren’t good for you as you know. I’m not sure if you’ve seen this article that included natural body care but it may give you some more ideas.
Have a beautiful day!
Angela says
Hi,
So, can we talk about vaginal health for just a moment.
I just read that sometimes using soaps with a lots of foreign chemicals and perfumes can affect the PH balance and potentially create a non desirable scent. Do you have any suggestions of soaps for that specific area?
Thanks! A 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Angela,
Foreign chemicals and perfumes aren’t good for the body anywhere. If you are going to use soap, I personally like fragrance-free vegetable glycerin soaps. Have a beautiful day!
Zīle says
Yes! Finally I see someone reacting like me. Thanks for sharing, before I just thought that I’m weird 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Zīle,
I thought it was strange to react this way at first too. You are definitely not the only one. Thanks for your comment!
An says
Hi Dawn,
thanks for this post! I, too, have sensitive skin and I react to almost every product I’ve tried so far. So now I’m quitting everything. I wash my hair with natural aloe vera and apple cider vinegar and sometimes with rhassoul clay. I wash my face with raw honey, use aloe vera gel as toner and use sesame oil as moisturizer and have stable results so far.
I use to have good results with jojoba oil but the winter two years ago caused me a big breakout and since then jojoba oil hasn’t been effective for my acne prone skin any more. After that I had tried grapeseed oil but the positive result didn’t last long when I traveled to Nepal during winter and grapeseed oil was too light against the harsh winter there. I read about linoleic vs oleic oil on your site and try to use oils high in linoleic acid so I’m thinking about trying rosehip oil again (I tried it a couple of years ago during my break out phase and it irritated my skin so much, maybe because of the quality of the oil or I used to much of its). But I think the texture of the oils is also important. I found that oils high in linoleic acid is quite light and sometimes doesn’t moisturize well on my skin. These days the weather here changes to a bit dry so sometimes sesame oil isn’t enough for my skin. I happen to have a bottle of argan oil but never use on my skin because it’s a bit higher in oleic acid. I put it on my face for once and got bad allergy immediately even though it gave positive result for my friends. The journey looking for a perfect thing for my skin is hard but I’ve gained lots of knowledge on skin health and nutrition so it’s quite helpful. I’ve come to know more about my body and what I eat and what I put on my skin.
Your site is very inspiring and I’m also trying to live with less waste as much as I can 🙂
Best wishes,
An
Dawn Michelle says
Hi An,
Thanks so much for sharing this! You may like rosehip seed oil this second time around since it is very moisturizing. I do so much better when I keep my beauty regimen simple. I’ve learned so much about my skin and hair during this process. I’m really glad that you are also seeing the benefits since you have sensitive skin too. Yaaaa for the less waste consciousness! Best wishes!