Toxin Free Living for Busy Mamas

Where are the busy mamas at? 🙋‍♀️

As a busy mom, you have a lot on your plate, and it can be challenging to keep up with everything, including making sure your family is living in a toxin-free environment. However, protecting your family from toxic chemicals is essential for their health and well-being. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make toxin-free living a priority, even when you’re busy:

  1. Know your toxins

The first step to toxin-free living is to understand what toxins are present in your environment. Do some research on the chemicals commonly found in household products and learn how they affect your health. Be sure to also check for toxic chemicals in personal care and cleaning products. Use this blog as a resource! I also have a clean living group on Facebook and that search bar is gold. There’s over 4 years worth of content in there.

2. Swap out toxic products for safer alternatives

Once you know which products contain toxins, start replacing them with safer alternatives. Look for safe and organic products that are free of harsh chemicals. Swap out chemical-laden cleaners for vinegar and baking soda. You can also make your own cleaning products using natural ingredients like essential oils. When you’re ready to swap your makeup/skincare/body bar/little’s products, I’m your go to gal and can’t wait to help you!

    3. Check your food and drink

    Toxins can also be found in the food and drink we consume. Be sure to read labels and avoid foods with artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Choose organic produce and meats to avoid exposure to pesticides and hormones. You can also switch to a water filter to remove toxins like lead and chlorine from your drinking water.

    4. Limit plastic use

    Plastics can contain toxins like BPA and phthalates, which can leach into your food and drink. To limit your exposure, try to use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers instead of plastic. Use cloth bags instead of plastic bags when shopping, and avoid heating up food in plastic containers.

    5. Keep your home well-ventilated

    Indoor air can contain a variety of toxins, including chemicals from cleaning products, furniture, and paint. Keep your home well-ventilated by opening windows and using exhaust fans. You can also add plants that help purify the air, such as snake plants and spider plants.

    6. Reduce stress

    Stress can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to toxins. Take steps to reduce stress, such as practicing mindfulness and deep breathing, getting regular exercise, and getting enough sleep.

      Still feeling overwhelmed and needing help? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me ❤ Helping other women live healthier lives is my passion and I would love to help you any way I can!

      Some helpful links:

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      Mary Kay Review

      This company… Man. First thing that bothers me is that these products are given to breast cancer patients… These products contain ingredients that are LINKED TO CANCER. Yikes. So, it’s time to dig in and share what is lurking in these pretty pink products.

      Just SOME of the ingredients you will find in this brand that I would not personally use or recommend are (there’s legit too many to list here):

      • Fragrance ❌ this is a loophole that needs to be avoided. There are NO laws requiring the ingredients in fragrance to be disclosed to consumers and it’s always a toxic storm that compromises your health.

      • Loose titanium dioxide ❌ The health concern involving use of titanium dioxide involves inhalation of the loose powder form. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identifies inhalable titanium dioxide as possibly carcinogenic.

      • Methylparaben ❌ is in the parabens family of preservatives used in food, pharmaceuticals, and beauty products. There is some evidence that parabens can accumulate in human breast tissue. Clinical studies on animals have indicated that parabens may mimic estrogen and act as a potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptor.

      • PEGs ❌ While PEGs can be mild irritants, they’re less than desirable primarily because they help traffic funky chemicals across your epidermis, including a slug of impurities they’re often contaminated with. 😱According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, pollutants found in various PEG compounds include ethylene oxide (used to manufacture mustard gas), 1,4-dioxane, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and heavy metals (lead, iron, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, arsenic).”

      • Petrolatum ❌ The EU mandates that the full refining history of the petrolatum must be known and proven to be non-carcinogenic. The US however sets no requirements on refinement. Some of the ways this might appear on ingredients labels include: Mineral oil, Petrolatum, Liquid paraffin, Paraffin oil. There is strong evidence that mineral oil hydrocarbons are the greatest contaminant of the human body, amounting to approximately 1 g per person. There have been studies done on women post delivery and scientists have found these contaminants in breast milk as well! The scariest of these possible contaminants is called 1,4 dioxane, an impurity found in 22 percent of all petroleum-based cosmetics that is a known human and animal carcinogen.

      • Phenoxyethanol ❌ is used as a preservative in cosmetic products to limit bacterial growth. Skin exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to allergic reactions ranging from eczema and hives to anaphylaxis. Infants exposed to phenoxyethanol can experience a depressed central nervous system leading to a decreased appetite, difficulty waking, skin color change, damaged DNA, and limpness of extremities.

      • Talc ❌ is a mineral based ingredient Americans have been using in baby powder and cosmetics since 1894. Did you know Johnson & Johnson has paid out $17 million + in talcum-powder/ovarian cancer related lawsuits in 2016-17 alone with over 4,800 separate cases still pending? Past reports have made it clear – you should never use products containing talc on your skin.

      Talcum powder has been linked to the following:

      1. Ovarian Cancer

      2. Lung Cancer

      3. Lung Disease

      4. Respiratory Conditions in Infants/Children

      5. Granulomatosis

      Some additional things that I recommend taking into consideration when deciding to support a brand:

      – No certified organic ingredients are used  Certified organic cosmetic ingredients insure a higher level of purity and peace of mind. Many women with sensitive skin also prefer cosmetics made with as many organic ingredients as possible because the organic certification removes the risk of concentrated pesticide residue – a potential irritant that holds additional health concerns with repeat exposure. 

      – Unspecified if minerals used are non-nano  Non-Nano and EcoCert are the most pure and safe options that you can look for. One of the many scary things about nanoparticles is that the materials are small enough to penetrate the skin or get inside the body through inhalation. Just to list a few common nanoparticles they are: titanium dioxide, zinc, silver, and fullerene. When these nanoparticles are absorbed into the bloodstream and carried around the body it can cause DNA and cell function damage, brain damage, liver damage, and affects on the immune system. On top of all of that, titanium dioxide specifically has shown MAJOR potential repercussions in offspring.

      -Unspecified if plastics used are toxin free (majority of packaging)  Not only is plastic significantly worse for the environment, but not knowing if plastic packaging is toxin free means you risk toxins from the packaging leeching into your product. 

      All of this and MORE that I didn’t list from a company that claims to be about breast cancer prevention. It really fires me up and hurts my heart all at once. I hope this post makes you feel empowered to be a conscious consumer and vote with your dollars!

      If you’re ready to start detoxing your products and making the change to a more toxin free life, please head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/ where you will find tons of resources and support!

      Sharing the Love!

      I don’t share about the business side of what I do publicly very often. But let’s face it, having multiple streams of income right now is not only smart, it’s basically necessary. I am thankful every day that my friend Nicole called me one afternoon in June of 2018 to tell me about this company she stumbled upon through Instagram. If she hadn’t, I would probably be in a teaching job that wasn’t fulfilling me with my daughters in daycare and most of my paycheck going to pay for that daycare. I believe I owe it to everyone else to shout my story from the rooftops. Partnering with this company literally changed my life. Maybe it will change someone else’s.

      When I was introduced to Crunchi, Christopher and I had just moved back to my hometown in upstate New York from Phoenix, Arizona. We were living with my parents and I was four months pregnant. I was with a different direct sales company that had never been super lucrative for me. I was bringing in a couple hundred a month typically (which is amazing to support a two income family, but we were about to be a one income family and needed more). I wasn’t planning on going back to teaching as we both decided I would stay home with Addie after she was born. We knew living on one teacher salary would be difficult. Crunchi serendipitously fell into my lap at this time when I really needed it. The initial investment was honestly terrifying as we had just spent a ton of money moving across country, were preparing for a baby, looking for a place to live, and going from 2 incomes to 1. But, I talked to Chris about it and how I really saw some serious potential with this company. I decided to join as an advocate after only having tried a sample pack. My 4th month with Crunchi I made more than I had in a single month over 4 years with my previous company. I’ve been able to stay home since my daughter was born in November of 2018 thanks to the income I get from Crunchi. On top of that, I’ve learned so much about living a more toxin free lifestyle, knowledge that I now get to pass on to my daughters. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and truly changed my life!

      If you want to learn more in a short, fun, informative event drop a comment or shoot me a message! You can easily reach me here -> M.me/Jessie.rae.31 We’ll be sharing all kinds of different stories Today-Saturday and I’d be honored to have you as my guest 🥰

       𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨

      𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮, 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓼!

      By popular demand, I’m doing this rare pop up sample pack sale 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺!

      This is for those of you who are brand NEW to Crunchi.

      🤗 Here’s how it works…

      Sample packs will be only $8 including shipping and you can choose any combo of these 4 products…

      ✨ Beautifully Flawless Foundation (I’m happy to shade match you 😊 just need a selfie in natural light and your current foundation brand and shade)

      ✨ Daylight Moisturizer

      ✨ Sunlight SPF

      ✨ Nightlight Cream

      ✨ Clarilight Facial Essence

      ✨ Translucent Setting Powder

      ✨ Charcoal Facial Bar

      ✨ Gentle Facial Bar

      ✨ Charcoal Body Bar

      ✨ I am Polished Exfoliator/Mask

      ✨ I am the Balm Cleanser

      My supplies are limited so this is first come, first serve. Comment if you want one. Once I run out of supplies, they will be gone for this round.

      ▶︎ After you comment which four items you’d like, I will reach out to get your info and foundation shade if needed, so please keep an eye on that 🤗

      ▶︎ All payments will be exchanged via Venmo or PayPal, and I won’t be creating your pack until it is received –

      Venmo is Jessica-DeRico (must be via friends and family)

      PayPal is derico.jessica@gmail.com (must be via friends and family)

      ▶︎ You can 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 unless you’re snagging one for your bestie and then you can connect us in a 3 way chat. If you connect me to a friend for a sample pack, I’ll be sending you a surprise gift as a thank you! (Plus you can share a referral link with them and get $10 if they order)

      ▶︎ When you’re ready to convert your sample to a full size order, you’ll get $5 of your sample pack back 💚

      ▶︎ You must not be working with/learning from another Crunchi advocate already

      I absolutely love helping women detox all areas of their life, but makeup and skincare is especially FUN! I can’t wait for you ladies to fall in love with safe beauty ✌️🌿

      PinkWashing

      Have you heard of “pink-washing”?

      Pinkwashing: supporting the breast cancer cause or promoting a pink ribbon product while producing, manufacturing, and/or selling products linked to the disease. In recent years the definition has expanded to include any company or organization that exploits breast cancer for profit or public relations motivations.

      Sad, but true!

      Examples of Pink-Washing:

      – KFC teaming up with Susan G. Komen & selling pink buckets of chicken. Saturated fat can lead to cancer and that high fat consumption in teen girls increases the risk of breast cancer. Ironically, Susan G. Komen’s own website points this out! 🤔

      -Cambell’s soup cans adorned with pink ribbons. The cans are lined with BPA, a chemical KNOWN to change the mammary tissue and structure. BPA mimics estrogen and disrupts the hormones in the body. (scratch the head)

      -Cosmetics. Many cosmetic companies will slap a pink ribbon on their jar and/or partner with a cancer-research company, like, Susan G. Komen. Majority of these products are loaded with parabens, toluene, petroleum products and more, which are all linked to breast cancer. 😕

      -Pink plastic water bottles. Plastic water bottles are made with the known hormone disruptor, BPA (Bishenol-A). Smartwater has polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, which are just as harmful. Chemicals in PET plastics have the potential to interfere with estrogen and other reproductive hormones, just as BPA and phthalates. 😧

      ‼️ Breast cancer charities raise an estimated $6 BILLION each year. However, only about 16% of that is spent on research of the disease. That means the other $5 billion is being funneled into other areas, including marketing and more pink products.‼️

      Now, I absolutely love the color pink, and I believe awareness, action, and research are incredibly important on this topic! A wonderful resource for making sure your support is going where you intend for it to is www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

      Think Before You Pink®, a project of Breast Cancer ACTION, launched in 2002 in response to the growing concern about the number of pink ribbon products on the market. The campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions. Breast Cancer Action’s mission is to achieve health justice for all women at risk of and living with breast cancer. 💕

      I’m so proud to be partnered with a company that has an official partnership with the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP). Yes, breast cancer cure and treatment are very important as well, but this organization is dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer – Something that I feel very passionate about.

      Until midnight on Sunday 10/9, we are donating $5 from every purchase of $150+ to the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners plus you get a FREE Plum Kiss lip crayon!

      Please help me and BCPP in sharing this knowledge about how important it is to PREVENT breast cancer. You can shop for a cause here: Crunchi.com/jessicaderico/event/33360 –> you will get $10 off and entered to win half priced coupons!

      If you’re not social selling, you need to be.

      I know this isn’t my usual toxin free content but HEY, inflation is toxic too ❌🥴

      It’s nearly 2023. If you’re on social media & you’re not making money talking about products you love, you need to be.

      🤌🏼 I’m selling products I would be using & sharing about anyway, I’m not using products just to sell them. It’s that simple.

      With the current rate of inflation, you can never have too many income streams.

      4 years ago, I took a HUGE leap of faith & joined Crunchi because their foundation absolutely blew me away.

      Reasons why I love Crunchi –
      ✨ the products (the performance, packaging, ingredients, & standards are truly unmatched)
      ✨ no autoship, no purchase requirements, no inventory, & no mandatory team building
      ✨ incredible compensation plan where you start earning on your first $1 sold
      ✨ 20% discount, with up to 40% off skincare sets
      ✨ customer rewards & referral program

      If you want to build to a full time income like I have, I can show you how to do that. But if you want to earn –
      ▫️just enough to cover your own Crunchi products
      ▫️$300 a month to cover some organic groceries
      ▫️$500 a month to cover inflation
      ▫️$1000 to take some stress off bills
      🌟 I can show you how to do that too

      Network Marketing has the ability to change your life in all the best ways if you’re open to stepping out of your comfort zone & doing something new ♥️

      ➡️ if you’ve ever thought about joining me in the clean beauty movement, now is the PERFECT time!
      💰 advocate collections are an ADDITIONAL 20% off for the next 2 days (savings of up to $585!)!
      💬 comment ‘advocate’ below & I’ll send you a no pressure message with more info ♥️ Or you can shoot me a message (I’ll see this quicker) M.me/Jessie.rae.31

      Time to swap to toxin free!

      When you ditch the toxins in conventional makeup and switch to toxin free you won’t ever want to go back 💜
      .
      You may notice:
      ✨better skin
      ✨more confidence
      ✨improved health
      … and more
      .
      Are you happy with the ingredients in your makeup?
      Do you know what is in your makeup?

      Like what you see here and want to join a community of like-minded women with the same goal – living our best, healthiest, happiest lives? Hop over to the Raising Clean Facebook Community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean

      toxin free nursery

      Time to start diving into a mama and baby series as I have 7 weeks left in this pregnancy and I know it may be helpful for other mamas or soon to be mamas to see what kinds of things we’re buying and what things we are staying away from.

      So, I figured we’d start with a few quick tips when you’re doing your shopping.

      Here are some things I am looking for when I’m shopping for the nursery:

      ✅ Low/No VOCs for things such as the paint, crib, dresser, rocking chair, etc.

      ✅ BPA & Phthalate Free for anything with plastic parts

      ✅ Flame Retardant Free for anything with fabric

      have suggestions? drop them below!

      Like what you see here and want to join a community of like-minded women with the same goal – living our best, healthiest, happiest lives? Hop over to the Raising Clean Facebook Community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean

      Safe Swap – Exfoliator

      Because I’ve recently added this product to my skincare regimen, I decided to look into the conventional ones that a lot of women are using. As I scoured labels, I found a plethora of Exfoliators containing:

      ✖️Methylisothiazolinone: Lab studies suggest this may be neurotoxic. Additional studies have shown it to be toxic during neural developmental stages to fetus, increasing the risk of seizures and visual abnormalities. The EWG also states that MI is a skin sensitizer and irritant, which means that it can cause contact allergies such as eczema.

      ✖️Phenoxyethanol: The product of the reaction of highly corrosive phenol with carcinogenic ethylene oxide. Not worth the risk!

      ✖️EDTA: This ingredient, although not toxic, breaks down the outer layer of the skin to INCREASE penetration of other ingredients. This is of major concern when toxic ingredients are part of the rest of the formula.

      ✖️Parfum (Fragrance): A sketchy loophole which allows hundreds of additional ingredients to hide under that single word on a label.

      ✖️Japanese Honeysuckle: Sounds very natural and innocent, but it contains parahydroxy benzoic acid, which is found to behave in a very similar way (with very similar molecular structure) as a paraben in the body.

      ✖️Parabens: Possess significant estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk of breast cancer. These chemicals, directly implicated in breast tumors, are ABSORBED through the skin. 𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 99% 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 60% 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩.

      ☑️ Not to worry… I have a safe swap coming for you SOON!

      To be the first to hear when a safe, toxin free, insanely high performing Exfoliator is available, text raisingclean to (607) 662-7060

      Ditch & Switch – Lipstick

      There’s so much excitement this week as my favorite company (and the only truly toxin free, high performing, and eco-friendly company) launched its ✨𝙉𝙀𝙒✨ Everluxe Lip Crayons yesterday, so I figured a super fun Ditch & Switch post was in order!!

      I have read that women can end up eating a few pounds of lipstick over their lifetime. 🥴

      That’s pretty scary when you think about how lip products typically contain some ugly ingredient offenders like…

      ❌ Petroleum

      ❌ Synthetic Fragrances/Flavors

      ❌ Mineral Oil

      ❌ Phenoxyethanol

      ❌ Parabens

      ❌ BHT

      ❌ Artificial Dyes

      ❌ Heavy Metals (alongside mineral pigments)

      All of theses have links to being cancer causing carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, or organ system toxicants 👎🏼

      I’m beyond grateful to have SAFE, high performance, and eco-friendly options to share!

      CRUNCHI’S NEW EVERLUXE LIP CRAYON INGREDIENTS :

      Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax / Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax / Copernicia Cerifera Cera*, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Kaolin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, May Contain (-/+): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Iron Oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499), Manganese Violet (Cl 77742)

      *Certified Organic Ingredients

      These beauties launch to the public tomorrow, are available to Insiders now, and are free when you grab an enrollment collection this week!

      If you want to grab some, you’ll want to use this link to be entered to win tons of rewards and get $10 off your first order of $50+ : http://ltl.is/v5ps7ft

      I’m here to help you choose a shade, take advantage of the Insider freebie, and/or help you grab your lip crayons for free with our biggest and best bundles! Reach out -> M.me/Jessie.rae.31

      If you like what you see here, you’ll love the Raising Clean facebook community -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean