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Do you try to avoid chemicals in products you use? If so, what are some natural alternatives to common products?

silvereyes 8 Feb 19
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10

I tried to completely avoid chemicals once; however, living in a total vacuum didn't suit me.

Jnei Level 8 Feb 19, 2018

@silvereyes Brewdog, a Scottish brewer of rather faddy beers with self-consciously crazy names, advertises some of its products as containing no chemicals - which is rather odd, I like there to be at least alcohol and a few others in my beer.

@Wafflestomp there is literally a religion that calls themselves "breatharians" who say they get all the nutrition they need from simply breathing. They do however eat, because you know, it's a "choice". And no, I'm not shitting you I swear.

@silvereyes I think it's about the processing and amount of synthetic materials that are used.

@Jnei, with beer yeast, being a living organism, does the job of producing the alcohol in collaboration with hops & malt. so in matters of processing & concentrating nothing chemical actually should have happened in a good beer - but biochemically everything!

not all chemicals are created equal, some are inert and some are rather dangerous

8

Vinegar is great for everything. Rids smells and is a natural anti bacterial. Great for cutting through grease and cleaning windows.

Tiffanny Level 6 Feb 19, 2018

Add some baking soda and you can clean a lot of things!

It takes the sting out of my rash

@Donna_I agreed, I pour baking soda in my kitchen sink drain followed by vinegar. In nearly 30 years in my home I have never had a clogged drain

6

I have such a hard time finding anything without chemicals. I think I find something and sure enough ingredients are riddled with things like C12H22O11, or nearly 80% nitrogen. I can't get a break.

5

When I use fresh citrus I put the peels in vinegar, After they infuse for a while I use the citrus infused vinegar for a cleaning solution. When it needs more oomph I use baking soda. I use baking soda with coconut oil for cutting through sticky stuff. I make my own soap, lip balm, lotions, toothpaste, deodorant. I use wool balls in my dryer to help the clothes dry faster and soften the clothes. Today I freshened some drains by first pouring baking soda down them, followed by vinegar, followed by boiling water. DIYNatural.com has some great info, just ignore the christian slant.

@silvereyes My cats like to play with them

5

liquid soap instead of drano.

hankster Level 9 Feb 19, 2018
5

I use a lot of vinegar and elbow grease. Also coarse salt and baking soda.

Spinliesel Level 9 Feb 19, 2018
5

I try and avoid products with Palm oil in them, unfortunately that is damn near impossible 😟 I have my body wash and shampoo sorted with that though just makeup and foods and other products, everything these days seems to have it.

Sacha Level 7 Feb 19, 2018

I get tired of seeing Palm oil on the labels of foods and I don't buy them. Palm plantations just for palm oil are destroying habitat for endangered orangutans.

4

Some chemicals I try to avoid. Others are fine. I research as much as I can natural doesn't always mean safe for use. I have a friend that swore off chemicals when she was pregnant until her mother-in-law, who is an RN, told her to quit using a 'natural' product. When she did her research, she found out what she was using was on the DO NOT USE WHEN PREGNANT list.

PhoebeCat Level 7 Feb 19, 2018
4

White vinegar & water for disinfectant, cleaner, vegetable cleaner, static reducer, fabric softener, carpet cleaner & odor reducing. Add a couple drops of soap for cleaning/mopping floors. Add baking soda as abrasive when needed. Coconut oil & baking soda for toothpaste.

Most recently, vinegar and water, to spray on engine and around the front tires to discourage critters to make a nest and chew your wiring. Photo wouldn't load.

BeeHappy Level 9 Feb 19, 2018

@silvereyes as a fabric softener, straight vinegar in the softener cup of washer(disclaimer, I'm in Nevada and it is VERY dry, so for here I use it for cotton and cotton mix items but for nylon or polyester, I have to use a regular softener. For static reducer, again, I'm in NV so everything is dry, spray vinegar water mix on carpet and bedding. I've never tried it on my clothes, but should work.

2

I only avoid the most dangerous as too often I find the "safe" alternative product just as bad. Overall preference however is totally natural products, minimal processing, locally grown

Rugglesby Level 8 Feb 19, 2018
2

I am all for natural healing. Nature provides brilliant solutions when we choose to use them. I don't use Neosporin or any product like it in my first aid kit. Tea tree oil works better, and costs less. I treated a brown recluse bite with nothing but tea tree oil. It healed quickly and left a scar, but it was less of a scar than what was expected. Coconut oil can do wonders for lots of things, cleaning, moisturizing, cooking, and it is good in coffee, too.

I also use REAL butter instead of margarine. It is healthier for your body and it tastes better, too.

Meep70 Level 7 Feb 19, 2018

@silvereyes I do oil pulling with coconut oil occasionally, too. Butter is also good in coffee if you haven't given that a try.

@silvereyes Of course! That's why I do it! Sometimes butter, sometimes coconut oil, sometimes both, occasionally, neither. Vanilla? Rarely, but I will agree that it is good, too.

2

Vegan whole food.

Lysistrata Level 7 Feb 19, 2018

@Fanburger It's in almonds and lima beans too.

@Fanburger I think you have an irrational fear of marijuana. I'm going to recommend you smoke a bowl, relax, and see if you don't feel better about the whole thing.

@Fanburger I only have home grown local product, and the oil prepared at home, so no chemicals.

@birdingnut Fanburger blocked me over weed. lol

2

I am not easily swayed by marketing that uses scare tactics.
But if they tried telling me "chemical-free" products would make me pretty, I would buy even though I know there's no such thing.

JimG Level 8 Feb 19, 2018
2

For me it's not so much that I avoid them but that I make sure to read the directions, especially as to the amount to use. For instance, do I use bleach? Yes. Do I just tip up the jug and guess as to how much to pour? No.

2

I remember getting sick one day and one taking some sort of cold medicine. My coworker, annoyed at me, said, "You always go for the chemical option." I was a bit surprised by her response. "It's all chemicals. I'm just chemicals..." So it was the weirdest thing to be reprimanded fur using chemicals.

Benthoven Level 8 Feb 19, 2018
2

I am one of those Dummies that do not read the ingredients.

1

Toxic chemicals are different than chemicals that just are from nature. I try to use products that have the fewest ingredients, toxic perfumes and dyes, parabens, phthalates, sodium laureates etc. are not good for a body. Coconut oil, vitamin e oil, companies that use Shea butter and are few in ingredients, animal.cruelty free are what I gravitate to. Cleaning products-same thing.

Melind Level 6 Feb 20, 2018
1

my daughter in law has advised me about palm oil so I look out for that in the ingredients but I'm vegan and tend to cook with fresh ingredients every day eat plus rice and bananas I must say I am not a great foodie person.

jacpod Level 8 Feb 20, 2018
1

I buy white vinegar by the gallon and use it for cleaning toilets, sinks, for pouring into water for soaking fresh vegetables to remove pesticides. I use baking soda to clean sinks also.

birdingnut Level 8 Feb 20, 2018

I like baking soda too for cleaning will try the while vinegar trick - thanks!

1

I like sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

MikeJ Level 5 Feb 20, 2018
1

Vinegar is a great bathroom cleaner!

jeffy Level 7 Feb 19, 2018
1

Sure. I use batteries. I definitely avoid sulfuric acid. Alternatives? None.

Gatovicolo Level 8 Feb 19, 2018
1

Rather than trying to avoid all synthetic chemicals in your food and drinks, just research the chemicals listed in the ingredients. You may be surprised how many of them have been researched and are benign. If you do find something questionable, look for alternatives. But with some of my favorite food products, I may reduce my use of them, but probably still going to buy it from time to time.

Benbmp Level 2 Feb 19, 2018
1

We are working at reducing the additives in the food we eat. My wife and I wanted to change the way we had been eating, and see if we could lose some weight. She looked at several "diet" boot, looking for some with some scientific research involved. Liked the Ludwig book. One of the first steps was to get rid of, or reduce the deadly whites. The whites include white flour, white sugar, white rice, and white potatoes. Removing them from your diet was supposed to reduce inflammations. Within a couple of weeks, was sleeping better that I had in years. We are actively staying away from highly processed foods. Mostly cook from scratch to keep out sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, plus a bunch of preservatives. It may be futile, but think we are eating better, and we have both lost a fair amount of weight. In addition to the eating thing, we do exercise regularly, and try to be active. And yes, it is all chemicals.

1

I developed severe eczema because my body developed an allergy to the chemicals I work with so on the hunt for a new job and working hard to heal my skin. I was using a commercially available liquid soap but have since returned to my handmade soaps made in my kitchen. I was selling them but have been too mbusy as of late to make them but I think I will start back making and selling them. I make goats milk and mares milk soaps.
The reason these are better than commercially made soaps is very simple: Mass produced soaps have had the naturally occuring glycerin removed so they can use it in moisturizers that you will need to counter the drying effects of their soaps. Glycerin does not moisturize but rather creates a se al that prevents your skin from drying out.

misstuffy Level 7 Feb 19, 2018

@silvereyes not really, I can make a couple of batches in a day and let them cure over a week or two. Im headed to the doctor in a couple or hours and hope she will refer me to a dermatologist as the eczema is new to me

@silvereyes I may just cut back and rely on my income from the farm

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