We’re in the heat of the summer now, and while I love summer, it also comes with bug bites and sunburn! That’s no reason to stay inside, however. Especially not when there are many ways to create your own non-toxic sunscreen and bug sprays at home! Why Natural Insect Repellent? Mosquitoes and ticks transmit a number of illnesses like West Nile virus, Zika, and Lyme Disease. But DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), which is found in most drugstore bug sprays has risks all its own! “We think that DEET and other chemical-based repellents should be used only if other, safer methods don’t work for you,” says Urvashi Rangan, director of Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center. (Source) DEET causes skin reactions, eye irritation, and if used several days in a row or ingested, serious side effects have occurred like seizures, slurred speech and coma. Canada’s federal health department even says children 6 months to 12 years old should avoid products with more than 10% DEET. No need to panic. There are many natural ways to create your own insect repellant! Bug Spray Recipe 1 cup water (or white vinegar if the smell doesn’t bother you) 1 cup witch hazel 1 TBSP vodka

I want to challenge you to think about your skin in a different way. After all, it is the biggest organ in your body. With that in mind, we need to think about what we put ON our skin as carefully as we think about what we put IN our bodies. Our personal care products are bombarding us on a daily basis with toxic chemicals that, over time, create hormonal and metabolic chaos. How could beauty items be so toxic? By the time the average woman has gotten ready for work each morning, she has unknowingly exposed herself to over 500 toxic chemicals. All in the name of beauty. So it’s not surprising that so many women are experiencing early hormonal changes, infertility, fatigue, weight gain, pain and depression. There are approximately 518 chemicals in makeup, beauty products, soaps, lotions, laundry detergents, deodorants, shampoos and bubble bath and about 125 of them are considered carcinogenic. Remember that when your cells become overloaded with toxins, they have two options. Die or mutate. We don’t want either of those things to happen to you! To top it off, cosmetic companies are not required to list all the chemicals that are in their products.

In order to live happy and healthy lives, we need to take a close look at our environment, especially our homes and what we are exposing ourselves to on a daily basis. The more toxins we accumulate at the deep, cellular level, the more disease we will trigger. Chronic digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, cancer, pain and fatigue are all too common but it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s take a look at some of the most toxic issues in our homes and start replacing them with natural and safe alternative solutions. How could household items be so toxic? I know how important it is to keep a clean house! Your home should be your sanctuary — a place you can rest and relax. However, even though it’s tempting to grab the strongest stuff off the shelf to wipe out all dirt in sight, we need to take into account what chemicals might be in our cleaning supplies. Most household cleaners contain highly toxic and neurotoxic chemicals. U.S. laws have little regulations when it comes to formulation of household supplies, meaning manufacturers can put almost anything in their products. We’re talking chemicals that trigger asthma attacks, allergic reactions, eye and skin