I am not some sort of 'alternative lifestyler'. If I did not have MCS I would have a cupboard full of beauty products, a full face of makeup & a closet full of rayon. But here is the truth.
I brush my teeth with calcium powder. There are no toothpastes natural or other I can use anymore.
My skincare consists of soap made from olive & coconut oils and not much else. On my face I use a product that has 2 ingredients: 1 is water, the other I'm pretty sure if I remember right from my psych study is from eyeballs. It's expensive & commercial & I am happy to use it as my skin is so thin & dry. I then put a layer of moisturiser made only from vege oils on top. I often joke the moisturiser (which is also use for legs, hands, body) is "salad dressing - without the vinegar".
There is no makeup - though I keep 2 tubes of lippy on the off-chance that one day I will be able to tolerate these (they are all "natural").
I wash my hair in warm water. When I've had heavy fragrance exposure I wash it with a chemical free shampoo. This happens possibly twice a month.
My clothing is all cotton or wool. I don't know why, but when I wear synthetics I get a rash.
My food is organic. The chances of reacting to non organic produced foods is high (severe tummy pains that last days) & the chance of reacting to organics is much lower. Though I still react sometimes. My foods are limited to about a dozen or so. One of which is sugar :o).
Whenever I go out I carry or wear a mask.
Whenever I have someone in I wear a mask.
If you hug me I will need to change clothes and maybe take a bath.
Whenever I have someone in it takes 2 -3 hours to get rid of the 'chem trail' with an industrial strength air purifier, and requires washing of the throw rugs they have sat on & airing the sofa. I end up isolated in 1 room while this process is ongoing.
Cleaning of the house is done with water & elbow grease. Bicarb soda is the other product & occasionally vinegar (but not often).
I am not selling this lifestyle. It is not an 'ideal' I aspire to or think others should. I guess it kind of sucks. But to be honest I don't worry about it. It is just the way things are. Who cares what I brush my teeth with - if the dentist is happy & I am happy then all is good.
There's a few of us out there though, we have to live this way, we can't pick & choose. We're not the "virtuous green". We're this way because there is no other choice.
By the way, if you meet someone with a cold, run & don't walk the other way. The one going around is vicious :S.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Avoiding chemicals in everyday life
From one carbon based life form to another, avoiding chemicals in everyday life is pretty darn difficult.
Just in this last moment I've poured myself a 75% silica vessel of H2O. There's just no getting away from it.
Just to clarify, chemical minimalists don't think this way. For me it's mainly the ones marked "toxic" that I'm concerned about. If it should be kept out of reach of small children & animals I really don't think that cleaning your windows, clothing or dishes in it is a good idea. I would also be loathe to have it on my food or in my beverages - or in my air.
But that's just me. Of course having chemical sensitivities makes this a lot more of an issue for me. Someone else on the other hand might not notice any effect from the many products that would knock me flat.
That said, there are certain products out there that I really think we haven't thought through. Sure anything that shouldn't be used around your pet canary (fly sprays, teflon pans) is a worry, but who had the brilliant thought that we could develop products to spray cockroaches in our own homes while we pop out for a few hours & that it wouldn't cause us any problems.
Yep. Roaches are going to survive a nuclear holocaust, but bug bomb the house honey, that'll sort them. And then don't forget to pick the kiddies up from day care on the way home. Nervous system damage anyone?
Boy we are dumber than we look.
Meanwhile I've got ME/CFS & a cold. There definitely ought to be a rule about having more than one illness at a time. Make an orderly queue. Wait until I get over the other ones & then I'll do the colds.
Just in this last moment I've poured myself a 75% silica vessel of H2O. There's just no getting away from it.
Just to clarify, chemical minimalists don't think this way. For me it's mainly the ones marked "toxic" that I'm concerned about. If it should be kept out of reach of small children & animals I really don't think that cleaning your windows, clothing or dishes in it is a good idea. I would also be loathe to have it on my food or in my beverages - or in my air.
But that's just me. Of course having chemical sensitivities makes this a lot more of an issue for me. Someone else on the other hand might not notice any effect from the many products that would knock me flat.
That said, there are certain products out there that I really think we haven't thought through. Sure anything that shouldn't be used around your pet canary (fly sprays, teflon pans) is a worry, but who had the brilliant thought that we could develop products to spray cockroaches in our own homes while we pop out for a few hours & that it wouldn't cause us any problems.
Yep. Roaches are going to survive a nuclear holocaust, but bug bomb the house honey, that'll sort them. And then don't forget to pick the kiddies up from day care on the way home. Nervous system damage anyone?
Boy we are dumber than we look.
Meanwhile I've got ME/CFS & a cold. There definitely ought to be a rule about having more than one illness at a time. Make an orderly queue. Wait until I get over the other ones & then I'll do the colds.
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