Have you heard the term but you're not sure what it means?
We sat down with Alli our Global Head of Education, and asked all of the burning questions.
1. What is a toxic load?
Toxic load refers to the accumulation of toxins and chemicals in our bodies that are ingested or absorbed from a variety of sources; like pollution, food we eat, water we drink, personal care /skin care and household products we use.
Our body is a clever system and does a great job of removing toxins via crucial organs of the skin, digestive system, kidneys and liver, but if we constantly bombard our body with toxins, it can become overloaded. This is known as toxic load!
Think about this…
If the average person is using about 16 personal care products per day, each with an approximate ingredient listing of about 30 ingredients = 480 ingredients DAILY.
Let’s take it further with another addition:
480 ingredients per day x 7 days a week = 3360 per week or
3360 ingredients per week x 52 weeks of the year = 174,720 per year! And that is just personal care products.
2. Why is it important to reduce your toxic load?
Because it could potentially show in numerous ways like skin problems, persistent headaches, unpleasant odours like bad breath and even fatigue. We are not doctors and cannot make a diagnosis; however, if you think you may want to find out more, chat to your gp, naturopath or alternative medicine doctor for further advice about detoxification.
3. How can you reduce your toxic load?
Great question!
This is the time to become an ingredient reader and look closely at the ingredients in your skincare formulations, personal care and household cleaning products.
Simplify your personal care/skin care regime and make it clean & toxic free. For a great skincare regime you only need 3-4 products not 16. Cleanser, Serum/Moisturiser, Oil & SPF. Bring in a gentle exfoliant 1-2 a week or specialised products only as required. Be more intuitive with your skin with how you use your products rather than just going through the ‘motions’ or following a fad on tik tok.
Switch to natural, plant-based green cleaning products.
Say NO to plastics with BPA and avoid coated cooking utensils.
Drink more filtered H2o and detoxifying foods to filter toxins through your organs.
Increase antioxidant, prebiotic rich foods & limit alcohol.
Get adequate sleep & exercise.
Let fresh air into your home.
Invest in house plants as they help to reduce toxins.
4. How can I identify skincare products with ingredients that may contribute to my toxic load?
There are some common ingredients’ to look for in formulations. It is not exhaustive and we are not into scare tactics, it's more about understanding ingredients, their %, your exposure and then educating yourself on why to potentially avoid them. Remember, it’s not always about toxic dosage but rather toxic loading. Some common ones to watch out for: Fragrance (Parfum), BPA/BHT- butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene, Parabens, SLES - sodium laureth sulphate, Siloxanes, PEG compounds - polyethylene glycols, Phthalates, BHA - Bisphenol, DEA - diethanolamine, Propylene Glycol, Talc, PABA, F, D & C colours, Phenoxyethanol and nanoparticles.