You don’t need to throw out your whole house. A few changes to what you use every day beat a weekend purge you give up on by March.
Affiliate disclosure: some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and many of them give you a discount. I only recommend products I use or trust with my own patients.
This post was inspired by Nathalie Niddam’s conversation on lowering your toxic load. Here’s how I explain it to patients and where I have them start.
Why this matters: your liver has a to-do list
Almost everything you put on your skin, drink, or breathe in while you clean ends up at your liver. From there it leaves the body through bile or your kidneys. That’s normal, and it’s what those organs are for.
The catch is that detox pathways run on nutrients and only have so much capacity. Every unnecessary synthetic compound gets in line next to your own hormones, any medications you take, and normal metabolic waste.
You can’t make your liver bigger,
but you can make the line shorter.
The 10-second label scan
The 5 swaps I’d make first
Pick two or three to start with, and replace everything else as it runs out. That keeps it affordable and makes it stick.
Laundry and cleaning: one fragrance-free system
This is the highest-impact swap. Whatever your detergent leaves behind sits on your skin 24/7 in your clothes, sheets and towels. Your cleaning sprays, meanwhile, are something you breathe in as much as touch. Scented detergents, dryer sheets and a cupboard full of sprays are some of the biggest hidden sources of fragrance, quats and harsh fumes.
Fragrance in the air: ditch plug-ins and scented candles
Air fresheners, plug-ins and most scented candles put “fragrance” straight into the air you breathe all day. That’s the same phthalate problem, just inhaled. Open a window, diffuse real essential oils, and filter the rooms you spend the most time in.
Filter your water
You drink, cook with and bathe in your water every day. Depending on where you live, it can carry chlorine or chloramines, disinfection byproducts, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and metals from old plumbing. Start with your drinking water, then work up to the whole house.
Ditch the plastic water bottle
Plastic bottles, especially ones left in a hot car, can leach BPA-type compounds and microplastics into what you drink. Get a glass, stainless steel or copper bottle you actually like carrying.
Personal care: deodorant, foundation and lipstick first
Deodorant goes on thin skin next to your lymph nodes every day. Foundation covers a big area all day long, and you end up swallowing some of your lipstick. Common offenders include fragrance, parabens, chemical UV filters in tinted SPF (oxybenzone, octinoxate), silicones, and PFAS in long-wear formulas.
Run the 10-second label scan on these three first, or look them up on EWG Skin Deep. When you switch deodorants, give your body 1–3 weeks to adjust. Replace mascara and eyeliner every three months, whatever brand you use.
Quick reference: what to watch for
| Ingredient family | On the label | Where it hides |
|---|---|---|
| Fragrance / parfum | “fragrance,” “parfum,” “aroma” | Detergent, dryer sheets, candles, lotion, shampoo |
| Parabens | methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethylparaben | Foundation, mascara, moisturizer, sunscreen |
| Phthalates | DEP, DBP, DEHP (usually hidden in “fragrance”) | Scented products, nail polish, hair spray, vinyl |
| Formaldehyde releasers | DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, -urea, bronopol | Shampoo, body wash, hair-smoothing products |
| Ethoxylated ingredients | PEG-, laureth, ceteareth, polysorbate | Anything that foams |
| Antimicrobials & quats | triclosan, benzalkonium chloride | Antibacterial soap, wipes, fabric softener |
| Chemical UV filters | oxybenzone, octinoxate, homosalate | Sunscreen, tinted SPF makeup |
| Silicones & PFAS | cyclopentasiloxane, D4/D5, “fluoro,” PTFE | Primers, long-wear foundation, waterproof mascara |
| Harsh cleaners | ammonia, bleach, 2-butoxyethanol | Glass cleaner, degreaser, oven cleaner |
Support the exit routes
Cutting exposure is half the job. The other half is making sure what your liver packages up actually leaves. The foundations come first:
The tools I use most with patients
- Queen of the Thrones castor oil packA gentle, traditional way to support the liver, used over the liver area in the evening.
- Artichoke extractSupports healthy bile flow.
- BodyBioPhosphatidylcholine for cell membranes and bile.
- CellCoreBinders and drainage support.HQ91SbRn
- LVLUP HealthLiver and recovery support. 15% off.HOLISTICDRBRIGHT
- Auro Wellness transdermal glutathioneYour body’s master antioxidant, in a form you apply to the skin.
- Bioray (for kids)Gentle detox formulas made for children.
Binders and detox supplements aren’t one-size-fits-all. Ask your practitioner before you start, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or on medication.
Curious what’s actually in your body?
Swapping products lowers your exposure going forward. If you want to know what you’re already carrying, you can test for it. Urine levels reflect recent exposure (days, not years), and they drop quickly once you remove a source. That makes testing a great way to see your swaps working.
Not sure where to start? Book a free discovery call or check out my Mold & Heavy Metal Detox program.
Don’t overhaul everything at once
Pick two or three swaps from this list. Replace everything else as it runs out. That keeps it affordable and makes it stick.
Free tools for checking what you already own:
- EWG Skin Deep: cosmetics scored 1–10, where lower is better
- EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning: cleaners graded A–F
- CDC National Biomonitoring Program
- Endocrine Society: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
A product that isn’t listed on EWG isn’t automatically unsafe. It just means you should read the label yourself.
Educational, not medical advice. This post is for general information and isn’t a substitute for individualized care. If you’re pregnant, have liver or kidney disease, or take medication, talk to your practitioner before changing supplements or your routine.
Affiliate disclosure: some links above are affiliate links, marked as sponsored. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Inspired by Nathalie Niddam’s conversation on lowering your toxic load.