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Tag: no nasty chemicals
FOCUS Essential Oil Blend
Focus Essential Oil Blend 
5 Suprising but Common Causes of Eczema
Anyone who has ever suffered from Eczema, Psoriasis or Dermatitis knows how quickly the cost of doctors, specialists, lotions and potions can add up to a small fortune. Here’re 5 triggers to eliminate from the home environment that can help you stop the rash before it starts:
- Bubbles and washes
Many body washes, hand washes, bubble baths, shampoos and dishwashing liquids contain soap and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS, a known skin irritant that is often used to make bubbles). Both soap and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) will de-grease your skin. This involves the removal of the fatty acid layer of protective oils on the skin (acid mantle), taking away the skin’s natural protection and leaving it exposed to other potentially harsh and toxic chemicals in these products, as well as the environment.
For a safe alternative to soap, click here.
For a skin friendly dishwashing liquid, click here.
For suitable alternatives for kids wash and bubble baths, click here.
- Greasy Moisturisers
I love a good moisturiser as much as the next person but I have never been a fan of feeling like an oil slick. Particularly where eczema is concerned, my experience has been that greasy moisturisers can make things worse. My skin likes to breathe and my eczema clears up when it can. Also, application of greasy moisturisers over an extended period, can lead eventually to skin deciding it doesn’t need to make its own protective oils anymore because that’s already covered (literally). So these oils can interfere with and potentially even break the skin’s own self defense system.
To see what I use, visit here.
- Antibacterial Gel
Personally, I am a big fan of germs. We live in a society where people are very concerned about getting rid of them. I think washing hands should be enough. However, there are times when I can’t get to a tap and there are also plenty of people out there who don’t agree with me. So anti-bac gels exist. The drying agent in these (so you don’t need a towel) is alcohol which also strips the skin and leaves it dry.
- Cleaning Products
If you bath, and you clean your bath with bleach, you are essentially bathing in bleach residue. If you shower, you may be standing in bleach residue or any other number of toxic chemical products (depending on what you use to clean with). Your babies and pets are touching your floor cleaner residue. Your hands and arms are touching your bench/table cleaner residue….you get the idea. And if you think stuff can’t be absorbed through your skin, check out how morphine can deliver a whole day’s worth of pain relief in one tiny, convenient wearable patch! Granted, not everything absorbs through your skin, but plenty of stuff does. And if you have just showered with soap you may have washed away your body’s first line of defence.
To see my favourite non-toxic cleaning products, click here.
- Laundry Powder
This is a biggie and the right products can make a MASSIVE difference. Supermarket laundry products are full of exciting things like chlorine, bleach, fillers & extenders. Fillers and extenders are included to dilute down the active ingredients, the laundry product equivalent of watering something down. They can be up to 60% of what you’re paying for and there’s no regulation around what’s used. Often it’s stuff that doesn’t dissolve.
These little undissolved particles get stuck in your fabrics and irritate. When you sweat (like in the creases of your elbows and knees) or wet any fabric you are touching, they crystallise and irritate even more. Consider that you are touching clothes, sheets, towels, pillow cases, and so on all the time. And if you have just showered with soap or SLS and washed away your skin’s first line of defence, you may particularly susceptible to irritation.
To see the only effective laundry power I have found without the nasties, click here.
If you want to learn more about external triggers of skin irritations, you may find my book helpful. You can download your copy here.
5 Reasons to give up Supermarket Laundry Detergents
My good friend and colleague, Kirsty Malone of Be Inspired Naturally, was stirred by a facebook post she saw where someone had asked for recommendations on what to use in the laundry. Being a mother and a lover of Mother Earth, Kirsty was concerned by the number of people recommending supermarket brands with toxic chemicals in them. So she wrote this post and I am very grateful to be able to share it with you here.
5 REASONS TO GIVE UP SUPERMARKET LAUNDRY DETERGENTS
So you have just walked into the laundry aisle at the supermarket, now which detergent do you choose? Liquid or powder? A concentrated formula or not? Top loader or front? What if I told you to stop wasting your time and ditch the supermarket brands for good? Yep, that’s right. Here are my top 5 reasons to stop using supermarket laundry detergents:
1) They have damaging effects on our environment.
Most supermarket brands contain phosphates and when they claim to be ‘phosphate free’ they contain zeolites. When phosphates and zeolites enter our waterways, they can cause foaming, mutated aquatic life and eutrophication which can lead to algae blooms. Zeolites are considered worse because, unlike phosphates, they cannot be removed from the water. Unfortunately even commercial brands that claim to be more eco friendly still contain one or the other.
2) They are not family safe!
Many brands do not disclose all their ingredients so sometimes it is hard to pin point exactly what makes them poisonous. Some contain artificial fragrances, caustics and bleaches which can be fatal if ingested by anyone, especially small children and pets. Not to mention the fact that we will be inhaling them and, if you use a dryer, you could also be polluting your own home.
3) You only get half, or less, of what you pay for!
You know that ripped off feeling when open a packet of chips and half the bag was full of air, well laundry detergents are exactly the same just not so blatantly obvious. Laundry liquids can be diluted with water and laundry powders with fillers and extenders. Fillers and extenders are designed to bulk out the active ingredients so they can be made and therefore sold cheaper. Some fillers are made up of salt and even crushed egg shells. Those little white marks you have seen on your clothes from the powder – are in fact the fillers and extenders because they don’t dissolve. They build up in your machine and stay in your clothes. The muck that makes it out into our waterways never breaks down.
For a visual demonstration, click here and watch my 10ish minute video showing you how to test your current powder.
4) They are not good for our skin.
Especially for those who are sensitive or have irritations already. Due to a combination of toxic ingredients and being filled with the fillers, your clothes, towels and bed linen are filled with toxic residue. This can cause flare ups of eczema and irritate sensitive skin, even when you choose the sensitive detergents, they still contain these nasty ingredients, just less of them.
5) They’re expensive!
Not only are you paying for a product that has all the above issues but it’s costing your hip pocket at the register every week. Not only is it expensive to buy, but they are harsh on you machines and fabrics and will shorten the lives of both. When you factor in your personal health, the safety of your family and the impact of our environment, the cost becomes higher.
So what should you choose instead? I personally use Tri Nature in all areas of my home because you can’t beat a laundry powder that has won best Eco Friendly Product Award twice at the Australian Business Awards.
Tri Nature laundry detergents are made from 100% natural ingredients that are free of phosphates, zeolites, fillers and extenders. They completely dissolve and rinse free meaning no residues left in your machine or clothes. Being plant based they are eco friendly , grey water and septic safe as well as being child safe if they were to be ingested or inhaled.
As for cost – a 2kg bag will last my family of 4 over four months, not to mention the peace of mind I have knowing I have a safe product in my home that is environmentally friendly. What about performance you ask? Did I mention the Laundry powder won best Eco product on the market at the Australian Business awards twice……
How to use your Tri Nature Trial Bag
How to use your Tri Nature Trial Bag
Your Trial Bag may have some combination or all of the products below in it. Read on to find out how to get the best from each of the products you try!
Alpha Plus Laundry Powder
Fillers and extenders from previous products can stay in your machine and come out during a wash cycle with Tri Nature’s powder. In order to get the best results from, I recommend you finish off whatever else you have, descale your machine before you start using Tri Nature and don’t use anything else once you start.
If you don’t have any descaler, you can run an empty hot wash with the recommended dose of Tri Nature’s laundry powder. This helps to clear out any build up of fillers and extenders from your machine from previous products but it won’t be as effective as a good descaler, such as Maxim.
Similarly, vinegar may have an impact on calcium and limescale, but it will not breakdown any build up on fillers and extenders. Additionally, many modern machines are made using plastic and rubber components and vinegar will, over time, break down and destroy these parts.
As the products were created and are made in the Hunter Valley in NSW, all directions are for hard water areas. So with the laundry powder, you only need to use half of the suggested amount on the back of the pack:
- In a top loader you need one full scoop per wash only.
- In a front loader you need half a scoop per wash only.
This may not seem like enough if you are used to supermarket brand quantities but Tri Nature powder is a 100% herbal concentrate with no fillers or extenders so every little grain is active and working to clean your clothes.
Supre Multipurpose Cleaner
This is your Spray N Wipe replacement. Spray it on, leave it for a few minutes and then wipe it off. It is safe for use on all surfaces, even caeser stone.
When you are ready to reorder Supre, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $1.07 per 500ml bottle!
Enhance Pre Wash Spray
This is your Preen replacement for spraying on spot stains before putting them in the wash. I spray my kids’ clothes as soon as they take them off and often leave them for up to a week before I get the chance to wash them. As there are no petrochemicals in Enhance, I have not had any issues with it ruining my clothes when doing this.
I find if I get the spray on the stains the day they happen, and rub it in a bit, most stains vanish before my eyes!
When you are ready to re-order Enhance, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $3.71 per 500ml bottle!
Sphagnum Moss Disinfectant
This is your Glen 20 replacement. It kills mould and inhibits regrowth so it is a great idea to spray it around the bathroom each day after a shower. It will slow the regrowth of mould which means less cleaning for you! You can also use this in the air and on surfaces to kill germs and odours.
When you are ready to reorder Sphag Moss, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $0.57 per 500ml bottle!
Moisturising Handwash
Tri Nature’s handwash is loaded with coconut oil so it is very moisturising. It is gentle enough to use as an overall body wash with a pH of only 7.5. You can put it on neat before gardening or working on the car and it acts as a barrier. Tri Nature’s handwash is ideal for people with dermatitis of the hands or dry skin. No soap or SLS means it won’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
Once you have finished your Handwash, keep the bottle and purchase a 1L, 5L or 20L refill and save!
Tri Nature’s dishwashing liquid is filled with chamomile and marshmallow extracts so it assists with actively healing broken skin and soothes your hands while still being tough on grease. You only need 4ml per sink load so 1 pump is enough.
As with all Tri Nature products, there is no soap or SLS in the dishwashing liquid. SLS is used in most supermarket brands to make bubbles and to make the bubbles last longer. Bubbles have no bearing on the effectiveness of a product, they are just bubbles.
You may find Chamomile dishwashing liquid does not bubble as much as you are used to but please be assured that it is still active and effective. Once residue from other products is removed from your sink, you will find it bubbles more.
Chamomile dishwashing liquid also makes a safe and gentle bubble bath for children with sensitive skin.
Once you have finished your Chamomile Dishwashing Liquid, keep the 500ml bottle and purchase a 1L, 5L or 20L refill and save!
Making the Switch
Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s Brian McLean, the Founder and Bio Chemist from Tri Nature talking about the wonderful range he has created and why they are so different from everything else!
How to use your Tri Nature Starter Pack
Alpha Plus Laundry Powder As the products were created and are made in the Hunter Valley in NSW, all directions are for hard water areas. So with the laundry powder, you only need to use half of the suggested amount on the back of the pack: - In a top loader you need one full scoop per wash only.
- In a front loader you need half a scoop per wash only.
This may not seem like enough if you are used to supermarket brand quantities but Tri Nature powder is a 100% herbal concentrate with no fillers or extenders so every little grain is active and working to clean your clothes.
Fillers and extenders from previous products can stay in your machine and come out during a wash cycle with Tri Nature’s powder. In order to get the best results from, I recommend you finish off whatever else you have, descale your machine before you start using Tri Nature and don’t use anything else once you start.
If you don’t have any descaler, you can run an empty hot wash with the recommended dose of Tri Nature’s laundry powder. This helps to clear out any build up of fillers and extenders from your machine from previous products but it won’t be as effective as a good descaler, such as Maxim.
Similarly, vinegar may have an impact on calcium and limescale, but it will not breakdown any build up on fillers and extenders. Additionally, many modern machines are made using plastic and rubber components and vinegar will, over time, break down and destroy these parts.
Supre Mulitpurpose Cleaner
This is your Spray N Wipe replacement. Spray it on, leave it for a few minutes and then wipe it off. It is safe for use on all surfaces, even caeser stone.
When you are ready to reorder Supre, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $1.07 per 500ml bottle!
Enhance Pre Wash Spray
This is your Preen replacement for spraying on spot stains before putting them in the wash. I spray my kids’ clothes as soon as they take them off and often leave them for up to a week before I get the chance to wash them. As there are no petrochemicals in Enhance, I have not had any issues with it ruining my clothes when doing this.
I find if I get the spray on the stains the day they happen, and rub it in a bit, most stains vanish before my eyes!
When you are ready to re-order Enhance, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $3.71 per 500ml bottle!
Sphagnum Moss Disinfectant
This is your Glen 20 replacement. It kills mould and inhibits regrowth so it is a great idea to spray it around the bathroom each day after a shower. It will slow the regrowth of mould which means less cleaning for you! You can also use this in the air and on surfaces to kill germs and odours.
When you are ready to reorder Sphag Moss, purchase the concentrate and a commercial grade polyspray bottle and dilute it down yourself. This makes it much more cost effective to use at only $0.57 per 500ml bottle!
Moisturising Handwash
Tri Nature’s handwash is loaded with coconut oil so it is very moisturising. It is gentle enough to use as an overall body wash with a pH of only 7.5. You can put it on neat before gardening or working on the car and it acts as a barrier. Tri Nature’s handwash is ideal for people with dermatitis of the hands or dry skin. No soap or SLS means it won’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
Once you have finished your Handwash, keep the bottle and purchase a 1L, 5L or 20L refill and save!
Chamomile Dishwashing Liquid
Tri Nature’s dishwashing liquid is filled with chamomile and marshmallow extracts so it assists with actively healing broken skin and soothes your hands while still being tough on grease. You only need 4ml per sink load so 1 pump is enough.
As with all Tri Nature products, there is no soap or SLS in the dishwashing liquid. SLS is used in most supermarket brands to make bubbles and to make the bubbles last longer. Bubbles have no bearing on the effectiveness of a product, they are just bubbles.
You may find Chamomile dishwashing liquid does not bubble as much as you are used to but please be assured that it is still active and effective. Once residue from other products is removed from your sink, you will find it bubbles more.
Chamomile dishwashing liquid also makes a safe and gentle bubble bath for children with sensitive skin.
Once you have finished your Chamomile Dishwashing Liquid, keep the 500ml bottle and purchase a 1L, 5L or 20L refill and save!
