Spring. For some, this means the air is getting warmer and it's the first clue that summer is around the corner. It has been a tough winter for those who live in cold weather places because Covid has had its limits on you. Restaurants, museums, movies, shows, birthday parties and so on have been cancelled, confining you, your family and your friends to staying home. For others living in the warmer climates, Spring means that the last few weeks of gorgeous weather is coming to an end, and the hot summer is approaching. Either way, Spring is a beautiful time for almost everyone, so go out there any enjoy the season.
Let's talk about Spring Cleaning - running around your house like a crazy person trying to get rid of all the items you no longer need, no longer want or simple don't have the space for. You open your windows to allow the fresh air in, while putting on your favorite tunes and you suddenly fall in love with your home all over again. However, when doing all of this, do you stop to think about not only the clothes, toys and gadgets you no longer need or do you also think about all of the products sitting in your shelves and draws that are toxic and causing more harm than good for you and your family?
So, let me put it bluntly - the USA allows and approves thousands of cosmetic and household ingredients that Europe (for one) does not. Europe has banned over 1,300 dangerous ingredients while the United States has banned 11. ELEVEN. Read that again. So what does this mean? "In the European Union, they take more of a precautionary approach, so if an ingredient is presumed to be hazardous, or thought to cause health harm, they'll restrict or prohibit it," says Nneka Leiba, Vice President of Healthy Living Science at the Environmental Working Group. "That's not America's approach. Here in the U.S., the laws haven't been updated since 1938."
We need to start thinking for ourselves and educating ourselves and this can mean taking baby steps so you aren't overwhelmed. Maybe start with your cleaning products or your skincare/makeup or maybe the food you eat. Tackle one area at a time making sure that in the end, everything is clean.
Maybe this can be your Spring Cleaning this year.
xoxo,
Kate