What is the natural home?

This is an important question to ask. As we all try to improve the quality of our lives, sometimes we have to step back in order to move forward. This applies as one considers making improvements towards a more natural way of living. When it comes to home cleaning products and personal products, more (chemicals) is less (quality of life) particularly as we consider all the chemicals that we come into contact with on a daily basis.

How many of us ever really step back and think about exactly what that means to us. To me, every time that I hear a commercial on TV that makes the statement ”new and improved”, all I can think of is “more chemicals or more toxicity”, because whether we know it or not, that is typically the case. Improved whitening usually means increased chemicals in that particular product. Increased cleaning power usually means stronger chemicals, and so on. The same is true with our personal products. There are more chemicals and less natural ingredients in most off-the-shelf products. As a result, we are bringing more and more chemicals and toxins into our home at an alarming rate, without really even knowing it. The path of less chemicals is better!

One of my goals is to help educate people on how to make their home a healthier place to live. It’s all about making incremental improvements, going one step at a time.

The natural home is one that incorporates:

natural cleaning
natural personal products (family, baby and pet)
natural laundry
natural aromatherapy (smells and scents) within the confines of its four walls

It has as few chemically based products as possible.

When I speak on this topic people always ask, "Where should I begin in making changes?" All the information and options can seem overwhelming. Simply put, I break it down into steps, going after the biggest impact things first:

Step 1

Since our skin is our largest organ on our body and 60% of what touches the skin get absorbed directly into the bloodstream, I start with items that impact this the most.

Change out your laundry products:

You wear your clothes all day long and sleep in your sheets all night long...as a result you are absorbing and breathing the chemicals from your laundry products 24 hours a day. Don't be fooled by products that that state they are fragrance free...they still contain phthalates and petroleum based products.
Change out your laundry soap, dryer sheets, fabric softener, chlorine bleach and stain remover.
From the information that I've gathered over time, my personal belief is that our laundry products may well be at the root of many of our health issues (allergies, asthma, weakened immune system, Alzheimer's, etc.) due to the fact that we are continuously absorbing the toxins through our clothes, which means that our body has to constantly work to try to process those toxins out of our system. Our body is not getting a break and while it's busy trying to filter toxins, it isn't working on other things. Something has to give. And remember, all those toxins don't exit our system; they store in our fat cells and build up over time.

just naturals laundry solutions:

Step 2

Change out your front-line cleaning products and use a fruit and veggie wash.

Your front-line cleaning products are those products that you use with the most regularity.

Cleaning products are known neurotoxins, affecting the brain and spine (children's developing cells are more easily damaged and their immune system is less developed). Why take any chance with your family?

Toxins from the products you use don't just exit the home. They remain for a period of time, filtering down to the lowest level, the floor (the place that young children play and our pets reside)...the air inside your home is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside.

Dish detergent is the number one cause of household poisonings!

As for using a fruit and veggie wash think of this...pesticides are water insoluble. They don't wash off in water so that farmers don't have to reapply every time it rains. Recently pesticides have been linked to infertility and Parkinson's disease. Just as important, our food has been handled and mishandled by many people and may harbor harmful bacteria. Whether you buy organic or not, it is always important to wash your fruits and vegetables

just naturals front-line cleaning solutions:

Step 3

Change out your primary body products, especially your soaps and shampoos.

As previously mentioned, your skin is your largest organ and, after laundry products this is the next most significant item to be absorbed by your skin. You typically shower every day using soap and shampoo, then apply moisturizers, lotions and body sprays or perfumes.

Ingredients in commercial soaps are synthetic fragrances (made from crude petroleum oil), animal fat, dyes, and isopropyl alcohol and chemical preservatives. Most body washes and shampoos contain sodium laurel sulfate. All of these items are among the most unwanted ingredients in your personal care products.

Products such as bug spray, shaving cream, deodorant, toothpaste, perfume, hair sprays and make-up all contain harmful chemicals. Some of these products are made with known carcinogens that are prohibited in other countries. Just naturals carries many of these products. If you don't see what you need on this website, come into our shop or call us for more information at 603-672-6900.

just naturals personal care solutions:

just faces face products
just babies baby products

Step 4

Change out your air fresheners, candles and fragrances.

There has been a lot of information in the news recently regarding the toxic affects of candles due to the petroleum products and artificial fragrances they contain. Some studies showed that burning candles and using certain air fresheners can be as harmful as, or more harmful than smoking.

Artificial fragrances are the number one respiratory irritant and all have one thing in common; they are made from crude petroleum oil. Artificial fragrances are one of the most common allergy and lung irritants. Asthma is now the number one reason for missed school days for children.

just naturals aromatherapy solutions*:

*active ingredients are pure essential oils which freshen, deodorize & disinfect...naturally!

Step 5

Replace your secondary line of cleaners.

These are the cleaners that you may not use as frequently, but can be some of the most toxic products that you use in your home. They include your toilet bowl cleaner, furniture polish, calcium and rust remover, carpet stain remover and mold and mildew remover.

Many of these products can have a direct affect on your central nervous system, liver and lungs (within 26 seconds of being exposed to a chemical, traces of that chemical can be found in every organ of your body).

just naturals secondary line cleaning solutions:

Step 6

Change out traditional pet products.

Our pets are very affected by chemicals. Since they are smaller and closer to the floor they often get more of the harmful affects. Pets ingest harmful chemicals when they lick their paws and fur after coming into contact with toxic floor cleaners. Unfortunately, this frequently leads to liver failure and death.

Pets are affected just as we are by shampoos, deodorizers and sprays. Cancers and tumors in pets have increased dramatically over the last 10 years. Changing out their chemically based products will help to ensure them of a longer, healthier life.