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Everyday Toxins: Unmasking Chemical Threats in Your Home and How to Detox Your Life
I recently listened to Gary Brecka’s The Ultimate Human Podcast episode #170, “Top 5 Ways to Eliminate Toxins from Your Daily Life.”
He highlights the most common man-made chemicals we encounter daily—many hiding in plain sight as everyday toxins within plastics, processed foods, cleaning agents, personal care products, and even in the air we breathe.
These toxins enter our bodies through the skin, lungs, and digestive system. Over time, they silently accumulate. While our bodies are designed to detox through the liver, kidneys, gut, the skin, and sweat, current exposure levels can overwhelm these systems, leading to inflammation, hormonal balances, fatigue, and even chronic disease.
But the impact doesn’t stop with us. Every time we use a product containing these synthetic chemicals, we’re also contributing to chemical pollution that affects our planet. More than 350,000 chemicals are in use globally, with only a small fraction fully assessed for safety. Their production is based on fossil fuels, consumes vast natural resources, and generates greenhouse gases and toxic waste that threaten ecosystems and future generations. In fact, more than 99% of the most widely produced chemicals are not sustainable, consuming resources at a rate the Earth simply can’t keep up with.
When you choose to avoid these chemicals, you’re taking a sustainable step – not just for your own health, but for the health of the planet. If enough of us stop buying products laden with toxic ingredients, companies will be forced to change what they make and how they make it. Every swap you make is a vote for a cleaner, healthier world for everyone.
The Four Main Types of Common Toxins
- Endocrine Disruptors: Interfere with our hormones
- Neurotoxins: Harm the brain and the nervous system
- Carcinogens: Linked to cancer
- Immunotoxins: Weaken the immune system
What to Look For On Labels
Gary’s advice? “Always scan the labels.” Avoid products listing fragrances, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, or PFAs.
This sounds simple, but knowing how these substances appear on labels is crucial.
This sounds simple but knowing how these substances appear on labels is crucial.
Back when I was battling and recovering from my severe gut damage, I had to avoid as many toxins as possible to give my body the best chance of healing. Even with that urgency, I found it really hard to know what to avoid – there were so many hidden chemicals in everyday products.
To make it easier for you, here’s a breakdown of common names and related compounds you might see.
Ready to make toxin-free living easier?
Download our printable checklist to help you identify and avoid harmful chemicals in your home. Take it with you as you go through your kitchen, bathroom, and cleaning cupboard—spot the ingredients you want to avoid and make safer swaps with confdence.
1. Fragrances:
Look for: “Fragrance,” “Parfum,” or “Perfume.”
These terms can mask dozens or hundreds of synthetic chemicals, many of which are endocrine disruptors, neurotoxic, or irritants to skin and respiratory systems.
Related compounds: synthetic musks, phthalate esters, isothiazolinones (linked to allergies and toxicity).
2. Parabens:
Look for: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, and benzylparaben.
These known to disrupt hormone function by mimicking estrogen, contributing to many reproductive concerns.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES):
Look for: “Sodium lauryl sulfate,” “Sodium laureth sulfate,” or simply “SLS/SLES.”
Used for their foaming and cleaning properties but can irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
4. Phthalates:
Look for: – Diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).
Often hidden in fragrances, these are linked to hormone disruption, lowered IQ, DNA damage, and allergic reactions.
5. PFAs (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances):
Look For:– PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, or simply “PFAs.”
Used for water and stain resistance, these “forever chemicals” persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in the body, causing endocrine disruption, immune suppression, and lipid metabolism issues leading to insulin resistance.
Additional Toxic Ingredients to Watch For
– Formaldehyde releasers: Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, and bronopol (release formaldehyde, a carcinogen and irritant).
– Synthetic musks: Galaxolide and tonalide (often part of fragrance blends, linked to hormone disruption.)
– Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds: petroleum-based potentially contaminated with carcinogens.
– Triclosan and triclocarban: Antibacterial agents linked to hormone disruption and antibiotic resistance.
– Isothiazolinones: Methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone (preservatives causing allergic and neurotoxic reactions).
– BHT and BHA: Butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole (synthetic antioxidants/preservatives linked to carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption)_.
Extra Tips:
Use Tools: The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep database can also help vet products for safety
Check Everything: Go through your kitchen, cleaning cupboard, bathroom and bedroom. If you spot any of these ingredients, bin it and replace them.
Every Swap Counts: If we can stop buying toxic products, we support our health and the planet.
Supporting Your Body’s Detox Pathways
Even after reducing exposure, it’s wise to support your body’s natural detox systems, Here are Gary’s – and my – top five ways to do that:
- Water Quality: filter your water using a reverse osmosis system that remmineralizes your water to remove heavy metals and microplastics.
- Sweat: Sauna, hot yoga, running, boxing, walking – whatever way you like – get your sweat on. One of the best ways to flush toxins is through sweat and through your lymphatic system. Remember, your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like your heart; it relies on muscle contraction to move waste out of your body. So keep moving – your body will thank you for it.
- Nutrition: Load your meals cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts), herbs like cilantro, and parsley (which bind heavy metals) , and probiotic rich foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, fermented vegetables) Eat plenty of fibre to help eliminate toxins.
- Liver Support: Consider activated charcoal, corella, or milk thistle to support your liver’s detoxification and help bind and remove toxic chemicals.
- Safe Cookware: Cook with cast iron, ceramic, or surgical-grade stainless steel. Avoid non-stick pans, which can leach chemical into your food.
A Sustainable Step for Everyone
As Gary wisely says
“You don’t have to live in a bubble, but you do need to live with intention. The truth is, while toxins are everywhere, so are your choices! By becoming more aware and making smarter swaps, you’re not just protecting your health, you’re investing in your energy, your longevity, and your future. Every small change adds up.”
This is the heart of the Sustainable Steps approach. Every time you choose a cleaner, safer product, you’re not just protecting your own wellbeing, you’re helping to reduce the demand for harmful chemicals in the environment. Together, we can shift the market towards safer, more sustainable options and create a healthier planet for future generations.