How I’ve Started My Switch to Low Toxic Living
Without Turning My Life Upside Down
I’ll be honest, I don’t believe that for most of us a perfectly toxin-free home is achievable. Like 100% non toxic would mean switching out almost everything in your home. The worry that you aren’t doing enough, and stressing over every little thing, would drive most of us insane.
I agree that would be an amazing thing to do, but here’s the honest truth: I didn’t change everything at once, and you don’t need to either. Low toxic living became doable for me when I stopped trying to be perfect and started making small, realistic swaps as products ran out.
Are you are a busy mom who wants a healthier home but doesn’t have the time, energy, or desire to overhaul her entire life? Does the idea of non toxic living sounds good in theory but unachievable in practice? Then this story is for you. It’s meant to motivate you to just start, even if starting means making only one small change.
How My Low Toxic Living Journey Actually Started
Here’s my big secret, I LOVE the smell of bleach! haha. I don’t know why, it’s just one of those things that smells so clean to me, and I love it.
And I didn’t think I’d never be one of those people—thinking about plastic, stressing over making all my own natural products so they are ‘safe’, or scanning ingredient lists like my life depended on it.
Yet, in 2025, nothing excites me more than to learn a new way to remove toxins from my home and telling my friends and family all about it.
So what changed?!
I started paying attention. And what I learned?
I’m not going to bore you with a list of harmful chemicals found in almost everything around us. But what we all should be aware of is the terrible affects they will have on our health.
The biggest “secrets” about everyday toxins is that they accumulate in the body over time, often causing vague, chronic symptoms that are hard to trace, and are prevalent in products marketed for convenience and comfort, such as “fragranced” items, plastic containers and stain-resistant fabrics.
Here’s just one example:
Phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Hidden in: Plastic food containers, the lining of canned foods, personal care products (shampoos, lotions), and synthetic fragrances.
- The Secret: These act as endocrine disruptors, mimicking or blocking natural hormones. Exposure is extremely common, with studies finding BPA in over 90% of Americans’ urine.
- Health Effects: Linked to reproductive issues, hormone imbalances, reduced sperm quality, developmental problems in children (including ADHD and lower IQ), and an increased risk of certain cancers.
YIKES!!!!
The biggest secret of all is that while the body has natural detoxification systems (like the liver), chronic exposure to multiple synthetic chemicals can overwhelm these pathways, leading to a “toxic burden” and a wide range of seemingly unrelated chronic health problems.
I was dealing with constant skin irritation, auto-immune flare-ups, and that nagging feeling that my home, the place that was supposed to feel safe, might actually be contributing to how run down I felt. When I began researching non toxic living, I quickly found myself drowning in advice. Lists of chemicals to avoid, expensive product recommendations, and messaging that made it feel like if I didn’t do everything immediately, I was failing my family.
I almost quit before I even began.
What changed everything for me was realizing that low toxic living didn’t have to be extreme. I didn’t have to be that crazy women everyone wanted to avoid. It could be slow. It could be practical. And it could fit into real life.
The One Rule That Made a Low Tox Home Possible for Me
Instead of throwing everything away, I made one simple rule: when a product ran out, I would replace it with a lower tox option if I could.
That was it.
No massive purge. No guilt. No panic shopping.
I also spent a lot of my free time researching ways to slowly remove toxins from my home. And educating myself on the reasons why I should do this, to keep me motivated.
The first place I started was cleaning products and hand soap, simply because I was using them every single day. I remember making my first foaming hand soap with castile soap, water, and essential oils. It felt almost too simple to matter, but that small swap was a turning point. The harsh fragrance disappeared, which very quickly started healing my hands, and I stopped getting a headache everytime I cleaned the bathroom.
Once I saw the difference, I realized a low tox home wasn’t about doing everything. It was about doing something. There is still improvement to be made, and each month a set a goal for myself to make one new swap.
How to go “Toxin-Free” without losing your mind
The biggest lesson I learned is that non toxic living should make your life feel lighter, not heavier. The moment it feels stressful, something is off.
I also learned that there is no finish line. Low toxic living is about adding one more swap to your life on a regular basis.
Here’s a few tips for getting started and staying motivated:
1. Pick one place to start
Overwhelm is real. I had plastic containers galore, fragrance-filled everything, and the every harsh cleaning product out there (the stronger the better I thought).
So, I started small: bathroom soaps and cleaning products. Once I found a swap I liked, I moved on to body wash, all-purpose cleaner, then dish soap, then floor cleaner… one step at a time.
There’s no right order—just what works for you.
2. LESS IS MORE
Reading labels made me realize we buy so much we don’t need.
Example: Scented body wash. My skin smells perfectly fine without “Coconut Breeze” soap, okay?! Soap messes with our skin’s pH—so overusing it makes us need lotion. (Which, surprise! Also has unnecessary chemicals.)
3. ON A BUDGET? MAKE IT AT HOME.
Fun fact: People cleaned their houses before Costco and Amazon existed.
Many DIY swaps are easy and cheap (especially cleaning products) —worth trying!
4. BEWARE OF GREENWASHING
Marketing is sneaky. Some brands look toxin-free but aren’t.
That’s why I prefer to make most of the products I use myself, with the exception of a few (eg. laundry detergent).
5. TRUST THE HYPE (SOMETIMES)
If every ingredient-conscious influencer swears by non toxic living, that’s a clue it might be worth trying.
Listening to real experiences has helped me find better swaps—without trial-and-error exhaustion.
If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed, Read This
If you are standing at the beginning of your non toxic living journey and feeling paralyzed, I want you to hear this: you are not alone.
Reducing exposure a little is still helpful and better than nothing. And stressing over every toxin? That’s probably more toxic.
As I mentioned at the start, in my opinion this lifestyle can be taken to an extreme (which is fine for those we can maintain that and not get stressed out). But you don’t need to replace everything to feel good about yourself. You don’t need to know exactly what every ingredient on a label. And you definitely don’t need to feel guilty for using what you already have.
Low toxic living works best when it fits into your real life, your budget, and your season.
Helpful Resources That Supported My Journey
As I went along, I leaned on simple guides and recipes rather than complicated rules. Below are some helpful resources and some of the first swaps that I made, that I think might help you too:
- How to Make Foaming Hand Soap
- 10 Low-Tox Swaps to Instantly Safer DIY Beauty & Home Products
- DIY All-Purpose Cleaner (without vinegar)
Don’t Feel Bad if You’re Going Slow
Non toxic living doesn’t need to start with fear. It can start with curiosity.
If you make just one small swap. One informed choice. One habit that supports your home instead of stressing you out, that’s progress.
That’s how I’ve been switching my life to a low tox home, quietly and imperfectly, and that’s how yours can too.
Want Help Taking the First Step?
If you want a simple, step-by-step plan that tells you exactly what to focus on first, I created a free Low-Tox Home Starter Guide that walks you through the easiest swaps without overwhelm.
👉 Download the free guide here
Slow changes. Real life. A healthier home that lasts. 🌿
