MINUS THE SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES AND TRICLOSAN

Wash your hands frequently (avoiding fragranced and antibacterial soaps), and always before eating. You’ll rinse a substantial amount of chemical residue down the drain. There are even significant amounts of chemicals on things like receipts when you pay for your food.

The key here is what is in your soap. If you're putting chemicals right back on (you know that lingering really strong fragrance after you wash your hands with that pink public bathroom soap), you're not helping yourself out here.

Antibacterial soaps (which you will find almost everywhere) include an ingredient called Triclosan. Triclosan is a known endocrine disruptor and a suspected carcinogen. There is good reason to believe that the over use of products with triclosan has contributed to bacterial resistance in the same way we are cautioned against the use of antibiotics. The persistent nature that is connected to the use of triclosan being washed down our drains daily and affecting water life.

Triclosan is also lipophilic, which means it can bioaccumulate in your fat for long periods of time, and as reported by Scientific American, triclosan is now detectable in human breast milk, blood, and urine samples. Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found the chemical in 75% of urine samples tested for a study focused on triclosan. And furthermore, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention detected triclosan in 58% of US waterways. According to the FDA, "Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. In light of these studies, the FDA is engaged in an ongoing scientific and regulatory review of this ingredient."

We have good bacteria as well as bad on our skin and as our largest organ, it can serve to keep our immune systems strong if we don't completely break them down and leave ourselves unprotected.

SWAP: Thieves Foaming Hand Soap

You can't get more easy button than this. Buy a 3-pack or get your own foaming containers and buy the refills. Pour it in and wash those hands! Or, you can have all kinds of fun adding scents to your foaming soap like pine, geranium, orange, or lemon. The sky is the limit to your creativity to combine your oils with this ready to go product! You'll love how soft and moisturized your hands stay even with all that washing due to the absence of sulfates, dyes, synthetic fragrances, and harsh chemicals.

• Thieves Foaming Hand Soap 3pk 3643
• Thieves Foaming Hand Soap 8oz 3674
• Thieves Foaming Hand Soap Refill 32 oz 3594 They even make these tiny containers you can keep in your purse for using your foaming soap on the go! https://tinyurl.com/vx8yzg4

And don't forget your Thieves Hand Sanitizer!

• Thieves Hand Sanitizer - 7.6oz 7.6oz 5142
• Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer 1 oz 3621
• Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer 3 pk 3622

Have you already made this swap? Have you made sure the soap you and your children are using isn't full of harmful fragrances, toxins, and antibacterial chemicals?