As a conscious consumer you are probably well aware of the many chemicals that we get exposed to, but even as we are becoming more alert of manufacturers’ sins there are some products that still seem very innocent to most people. Many of us have switched to a healthy diet that includes organic ingredients, so it seems important to take a look at a product that you don’t eat directly, but that is closely related to every meal you’re having: dish soap.
In case you’re surprised, just keep on reading. Here’s the deal: most dish soaps include toxic substances like sodium lauryl sulphate and fragrances (this term is used to hide up to 3,000 chemicals). Such ingredients are used in most dish soap. Grab your dish soap from the kitchen and see for yourself. Even if you’re using a natural dish soap brand you will most likely find that the formulas used are very much the same as the ones of conventional brands. Congratulations, you have been fooled by greenwashers.
So how do you get truly natural dish soap? Here are some things to look out for when purchasing dish soap:
- Research the business you are purchasing products from. Check out their product line. Do they use 3rd party testing and certification of their items?
- Learn how to read labels. This can be a challenge because numerous ingredients are provided by their chemical name alone. Some great resources to assist you with getting started are EWG’s Skin Deep database as well as Ruth Winter’s publication: A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, both use a wide range of details.
- Simply because a brand claims to be all-natural this doesn’t guarantee it’s safe. Let’s be clear, the Food and Drug Administration does not define what “natural” or “hypoallergenic” means. The production of a natural product can include the addition of chemicals to enable formulation and usage.
- Just like with personal care products, you should be aware that checking the ingredients list only helps if you understand what you’re looking at. There are some brands out there though that make it super easy for you to know right away what you’re putting on your dishes. Look for their products if you want to avoid becoming a part-time chemist.
- According to the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), items with at least 70 per cent natural components can use the terminology “made with organic ingredients” on their labels. Products with less than 70{cea9c169044c2b14a98ceffc8b31b53fccca1faefcfb14c5304a1fc862280967} organic ingredients should provide those products on the label, and also cannot have a USDA organic label on their product. USDA natural accreditation means that 95{cea9c169044c2b14a98ceffc8b31b53fccca1faefcfb14c5304a1fc862280967} of the active ingredients are natural. NSF certification suggests that 70{cea9c169044c2b14a98ceffc8b31b53fccca1faefcfb14c5304a1fc862280967} organic active ingredients were utilized.
- Think about making your personal dish soap. You could pick the entire ingredients you deem as being safe. Doing an online search for homemade dish soaps will help you discover plenty of different recipes to choose from.
- Get an all-natural dish soap that has ingredients you can fully understand and that are natural and safe. This saves you the work of having to look for recipes, order ingredients, and make your own soap. Find out more in this smart video.
These steps will help you prevent chemicals from ending up in your and your family’s dishes and mix in with your food. Sounds like this is a much healthier choice than conventional dish soap. What do you think?
