Chemical-free Living
Avoiding synthetic chemical based products could be best for your health and the environment.
The progression of the Industrial Age has brought numerous conveniences to our daily lives. However, contamination of the environment by many synthetic chemicals with known toxic effects to humans and other life forms has been an undesirable side-effect.
This post is about how to buy the right products which are free from synthetic chemicals like sulphates, sodium benzoate and other universally recognized toxic chemicals. Many times even famous brands do not mention the harmful chemicals present in their products. Here is an example of this -https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/johnsonandjohnson-cancer/
For instance, even a quick check for the ingredients of the popular detergent Surf shows multiple sodium compounds, which have varying levels of toxicity. These may manifest in certain side-effects in the long-term for a person exposed to these chemicals.
It is not possible to perform sophisticated testing of the products at home but certain basic precautions can help us, which I have been following as well -
- Read the ingredients of the product. Do not place blind faith in a product if its ingredients are not clearly stated, even if it happens to be from a famous brand. Watch out for sodium compounds and sulphate or aluminium compounds and other toxic ingredients. When in doubt, check the safety of any ingredients through an online search.
- If you have a doubt about a particular ingredient, then explicitly enquire the same from the seller through email communication or the contact link on their Web-site.
- Prefer cleaning products that explicitly mention that they are skin-safe, non-allergic or safe for grey-water which is a thumbs-up for any product (though it is still important to have some idea of the ingredients).
- Prefer products which mention they are paraben-free, SLS-free, free of VOCs and free of harmful chemicals mentioned in the earlier section.
- Buy products which not just claim to be safe but also mention their natural ingredients.
- Burn test — you can take a small sample of the product and burn it to test. If it is truly organic, then it will burn to ashes. If there are other synthetic additives in it, it will not burn well and may have a foul smell. Prefer not to perform this test in a closed area or on substances that contain alcohol.
- Watch out for formaldehyde used in furniture or any kind of wood or other chemical products. Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable gas at room temperature and, as we know, has a strong odour. Read more here -
https://www.sylvane.com/blog/should-you-be-worried-about-formaldehyde/ - Petroleum derived products are best avoided too, as they are not sustainable in their production process (as petroleum is a finite natural resource and with a costly and resource-intensive extraction process).
- VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are another class of compounds which are a cause of indoor air pollution in homes and offices and are contained in many cleaning products too. There are some excellent references which elaborate on this -
Eco-friendly Products
Here is a bunch of products in different categories which I have personally tried and liked, after running through my usual decision-making process mentioned earlier in the post -
- Plants
Yes, plants top the list for multiple reasons -
i) Food & Health
If you have a terrace garden or lawn, you could grow your own organic food rather than rely on food grown with pesticides and other chemical input. You can generate your own compost from kitchen waste and plant vegetable plants in it. Also, remember to avoid any GMO seeds or chemically treated seeds. This might be an interesting video to learn about GMO — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxb0KTShHwY&t=18s
ii) Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor pollution levels are affected by outdoor air quality levels and also presence of VOCs (primarily) and other chemicals, as mentioned in the previous section. Succulents are among the best air-purifying plants, since they soak in typical air pollutants very effectively and are hardy and do not need much care. Spider Plant, Snake Plant and Jade are among those in this category that do not need watering more than once in 10–14 days usually.
Appropriate placement of plants in the home according to their light requirements is important. Also, it is best not to keep too many plants in your bedroom (particularly if windows are shut at night), as they exhale carbon-dioxide at night.
iii) Aesthetics
Plants definitely add to the beauty of your home :)
2. Food
It may not be possible to grow everything at home, particularly fruits can be a challenge. Therefore, it is important to try and source genuine organic food, in particular locally produced food is more easily verified for quality.
Here is a relevant article on contamination of fruit -
If you have constraints of time, space and knowledge in growing diverse and large quantities of food, you can definitely try your hand at growing microgreens even on your window sill or any small space. Microgreens are packed with nutrition and easy to grow. You can read about growing microgreens here.
3. Recyclable Paper
Recycling paper is far more efficient than producing paper from base ingredients.
Further, paper is a product derived after felling trees. A paper made from cow dung is far more sustainable and economical to produce because of easy availability of the ingredient. Here’s the link to a company which makes recyclable paper from cow dung -
4. Personal and Home care
Personal and home care products often use a lot of chemical ingredients which are not ecologically safe when released into water or soil. Some of these compounds may even result in allergic conditions for certain people. There are brands which sell pure organic products which do not suffer from these drawbacks. It is possible to derive certain products at home from organic ingredients too. Here is a mention of some relevant products -
iii) Neem oil of different brands can be purchased from offline stores or e-commerce sites. Flies and mosquitoes are kept away if 5 ml of it is diluted in 1L water and sprayed indoors or few drops of this solution can be mixed with water as floor cleaner.
iv) Bioenzyme Products
Bioenzymes are natural cleaning products like dish-wash, clothes-wash, surface cleaner and toilet cleaner. They are derived from fermentation of fruit and vegetable peels/leaves. You can make your own at home or check out the commercial products in this category which I was very satisfied with -
a) https://nativecircle.in/products
b) ThinkSafe Toilet Cleaner
5. Plastic-free Products
Plastics (which are polymers made of hydrocarbons) are one of the major pollutants in our oceans and landfills today. Burning plastics produces toxic gases like dioxins and furans. Plastics are non biodegradable and hard to recycle too. Hence, it is best to make a shift towards a low-plastic world. Here is an organization which helps you do that through its range of products -
6. Clothing
Even clothing in the modern era is not free of chemicals, which may not be well suited to the human body. Polyester and PVC clothing have become mainstream. These are petroleum derivatives which may cause skin allergies or expose the skin to toxic elements which leach from them. Hence, definitely not what is desirable for your body.
Furthermore, petroleum derivatives extract a heavy cost from the environment and petroleum is also a finite natural resource.
Here is more detailed information pertaining to plastic clothing -
7. Wood finishes
Wood finishes like varnish are in the class of high VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) petroleum derivatives, apart from their environmental cost. These are not considered appropriate for health. It is better to opt for something like linseed oil or tung oil. This is a short comparison of various wood finishes -
8. Decor
Organic decor is durable as well as better for your health, comfort and environment. Coir and Jute products lend a beautiful earthy look to your home. Curtains, screens, boxes and mattresses made of these material are very elegant and appropriate for most climates.
Here are couple of products I really liked for my home -
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07YN4H3KT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9. Building Material
Ancient building material included massive blocks of stone and elastic material like lime mortar which was more energy efficient to produce, more durable and less water guzzling than cement. I have had success using lime plaster on my balcony. Limestone cracks far less easily than cement when subjected to different temperature and atmospheric conditions. Here is an interesting building material I came across (though am yet to use it) -http://vedicplaster.com/
Hope this helps you in your journey of eliminating chemicals from your life and living more healthy!
Proof-reading by: Chhavi Choudhary
Disclaimer: There is no conflict of interest and no intention of promoting any product/brand/organization. Information presented is based on the author’s personal experience or from verified online information.
After 20 years in the software industry, Ashish is now exploring permaculture in a village in the Himalayan State of Uttarakhand.