Chlorine is one of my worst offenders. I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until I started to avoid it, then I noticed some of my symptoms clearing up. I always thought I could tolerate it in small amounts, and that I wasn't actually around it all that often. I assumed that I wasn't exposed to it unless I was swimming or drinking too much unfiltered tap water. I've slowly come to realize just how wrong I was. Chlorine is something we're overexposed to, and it's in a lot more than I realized until recently.
Tap water:
You're probably aware that there is chlorine, fluoride, and arsenic in our tap water. The city you live in is required to tell you the tested levels of all water contaminates or additives in the tap water. They are not shy to say that there is chlorine in the water, because it is supposed to keep the water sanitary. In theory, that's a comforting thought. It's nice to know that all sorts of toxins, bacteria, parasites, fecal matter and other microscopic hazardous "things" are getting killed by an additive to our tap water, right? Well, the problem is that chlorine is also a toxin! And we don't just drink it. We shower in it, bathe in it, wash dishes with it, cook with it - we're exposed to chlorine every time we turn the tap water on.
Swimming pools:
I love to swim. It's my favorite way to work out - always has been. As a kid, I can't remember a year that I wasn't in swimming lessons, and earlier this year I bought a membership to the YMCA primarily due to their heated swimming pools, and started swimming at least once a week for a few months. That's when I started to figure out my sensitivity to chlorine.
Paper products, like toilet paper:
There are a couple methods of making paper stark white, but can you guess what the most popular method is? Bleach. Your basic printing paper or note paper isn't my main concern, though. Paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, and tissue paper are the worst offenders because we rub them against our skin several times throughout the day. The paper can be rough on our skin as it is, but the chlorine makes it even more harsh. It causes dryness, irritation, rashes, peeling skin, and itchiness that the paper alone can't do.
Feminine hygiene products:
This deserves a post of its own - it's a huge topic! It's also one of the scariest. It's easy to assume that a tampon or pad is just some formed cotton with a little bit of plastic - harmless and necessary for the job. The problem is, the cotton needs to be sanitized to be made safe. Tampons and pads are heavily treated in chlorine, because they're meant to be used in or near a woman's most sensitive, exposed skin. They need to be very sanitary to avoid infections. (There is an additional issue with these products: cotton is one of most heavily sprayed crops, meaning it's covered in pesticides. I'll get into this in a later post.)
Cotton balls and other cotton products:
When I look at a cotton ball these days all I see is a ball of bleach and pesticides that we routinely rub against our skin or cover a wound with. I cannot emphasis enough how many pesticides are in cotton.
Clothing:
Cotton clothing is often contaminated with bleach in the manufacturing process as a way to sanitize and whiten the clothes for sale. It's also very likely that you, or your mom (whoever does your laundry,) adds bleach to the detergent in order to fight stains and brighten the colors.
Cleaning detergents:
Because of chlorine's amazing ability to kill mold and mildew as well as sanitize anything, it's a very common ingredient in many household cleaners.
Dishes:
If you have ever worked in a place that serves food (in my case, I worked in a movie theater for about 4 years,) then you're probably familiar with the 3-sink dish washing method: soapy water, rinse water,
sanitizing water. We had to put a cap full of bleach in the 3rd sink, and all dishes had to go through that water before getting placed on the drying rack. In other words, the intent is to coat the dishes in bleach to keep it "sanitary."
An ingredient in other household products:
Did you know that chlorine is used to make pesticides and rubber? (Click for source.)
I'm sure I'm missing places where you can find chlorine, because it really is just that common. I still haven't explained the harm that chlorine causes, though. For me, personally, it cases a few noticeable issues. If I drink water with chlorine, I notice that I have to pee much more often in greater volume than what I drank. It irritates my bladder too, making me feel like I can't hold the tiny amount in my bladder and that that tiny amount is going to leak out. (There is a second cause for this problem, which I'll explain in another post.) When I shower or bathe in unfiltered tap water my skin and hair dry out. I feel brittle, and my skin is usually a bit red and irritated. I didn't realize this was an issue until I showered and bathed in filtered water. When I use bleached toilet paper, it leaves me feeling dry, rough, itchy, and sensitive. When I swim in chlorine, I struggle to breathe for the next day or two and it takes up to a week to repair my hair and skin. It also causes heart palpitations and headaches.
Don't just take my word for it. Even the CDC issues warnings about it. Studies have shown that too much chlorine exposure is linked to asthma. It is known to cause dental erosion. It's also linked to bladder cancer.
Detoxing from chlorine has made a great difference for me. I'm breathing better, have healthier skin, my bladder isn't irritated as easily, and dryness and skin irritation from paper products are no longer an issue. I am aware that I'm hyper sensitive to chemicals, but you're probably reading this because you are too.
My Suggestions
Water filter:
They really do work! I've personally only used the Brita pitchers and faucet filters. Both of these products have filtered chlorine out of tap water effectively. Tap water tastes much better and doesn't irritate me as much after it's filtered!
Shower filter:
I recently bought a Culligan shower head with a filter. It works very well! The shower water doesn't smell anymore, it's much softer, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed instead of irritated and dry. I highly recommend this!
Paper products:
I'm a big fan of Seventh Generation, because they specialize in unbleached paper and cotton household products. I really like their whitened toilet paper, but I love their brown toilet paper. I also love their paper towels. They are a little on the expensive side, but thankfully I've been able to find store brands that sell unbleached toilet paper and paper towels. Full Circle and Whole Food's 360 brand are both cheaper and just as good, but because they are store brands, you cannot buy them online (as far as I've seen, anyway.)
Feminine Hygiene:
There are a few of options here, and my favorite suggestion is to switch to menstrual cup. There are several brands out there, all a little different in their shapes and sizes, so I encourage you to shop around to find the brand that works best for you. I am madly in love with my Diva Cup. It is 100% silicone - the same material used in breast implants. I'll explain the benefits of the cup in another post that focuses on female issues (another huge topic for me,) but this is the ultimate solution to reduce chlorine.
Another option is to switch to unbleached organic cotton tampons and pads. This is the more expensive and more wasteful option, but if you're reliant on tampons or pads then you need to make the switch. There are a couple of brands that offer these products, but I'll link you to my favorites. I greatly prefer Seventh Generation pads and pantyliners over any other brand, because they actually stay in place and don't fall apart after a few hours like other brands I've tried. As for tampons, Seventh Generation is great because they offer a version with applicators, but I prefer Natracare.
The other option to to either make or buy reusable pads. I personally have never been able to get these to work well for me, simply because my cycles are too demanding. They also don't fit my underwear well. I know other women have had great success with them, though!
Household cleaning and mold killing:
White vinegar is just as effective at cleaning and killing mold as bleach. White vinegar might hurt your nose, but at least the fumes aren't toxic! Vinegar also sanitizes just as effectively. There is no reason to use bleach instead of vinegar. In fact, white vinegar is highly effective at most cleaning jobs, and can replace most of your cleaners. It will clean windows without streaking, kill germs on baby toys, sanitize the kitchen counter, soften and clean your clothes in washing machine, and clean the floor with your mop.
Swimming:
This one is the hardest. Ideally, I'd say go swim in a lake. Since that isn't a possibility for most people (or if it is, the water is too cold,) then the alternative is to seek out a salt water pool.
Cotton products:
There are a few brands these days that sell organic unbleached cotton balls. I personally like cotton rounds the best.
Clothing:
Where there are many organic cotton clothing companies out there, what I'm not sure about at this time is whether or not they use bleach. I cannot, at this time, offer advice on avoiding bleach in clothing, except that I recommend avoiding using bleach on your clothing when you wash.
That's it for my suggestions for now. I would LOVE to hear your chlorine story and your avoidance suggestions too!
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