Endocrine Disruptors & Hormone Balance (+safer beauty and home swaps)

When I set out to support hormone balance after coming off the birth control pill years ago and seeing crazy symptoms and fluctuations… I was truly overwhelmed by all the ways to do this. I recently posted on my 5 tips for fertility which is a great article to check out when thinking about where to start for more balanced hormones. I talk about really going back to basics instead of doing #allthethings and getting so stressed out over it (been there). One major component is looking at your environmental stressors such as the everyday products you use, and slowly but surely making safer swaps to reduce the toxins and endocrine disruptors you’re subjecting your body to. We simply can’t get away from it all in our modern life filled with technology and chemicals, however, we can reduce what we directly use in our homes and on our skin to lessen the load.

What is an Endocrine Disruptor?

Your endocrine system houses any glands that make hormones like your adrenals (cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline), your thyroid (T3, T4), your ovaries (progesterone, estrogen), etc. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in humans. A wide range of substances, both natural and man-made, are thought to cause endocrine disruption, including very commonplace items we use daily (source). According to EWG, people come into contact with over 500 synthetic chemicals daily in their homes (source)! Various foods, topical products, and environmental stressors can disrupt your system when they mimic our very hormones (especially estrogen mimicked by certain plastics or chemicals for example), throwing off the delicate balance and amounts we have/need in our bodies. The constant accidental dosing of this day after day, year after year, it really adds up. Anyone at all can benefit from wising up on this, but especially anyone with hormonal issues like painful/irregular periods, PCOS, Endometriosis, Autoimmunity, Digestive issues, and so much more.

I always recommend running a product by the EWG app to see how the ingredients are rated for a quick confirmation, instead of feeling overwhelmed and just giving up. We don’t realize the harm our everyday cleaning supplies, skincare/beauty products, etc. really do affect us. After I slowly but surely started making cleaner swaps and then being around the more toxic ones again… I’d clearly see and feel a difference. I’d be offended by certain smells and my skin would break out immediately after I had purged them all.

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Favorite Product swaps that actually work :

• Branch Basics – Home cleaning & Laundry – Learn More on why I love them so much & shop my favorites >>
• Safer Skincare: I love Indie Lee and Beautycounter (for makeup, too!)
• Clearly Filtered – Great water filter pitchers, shower filters, and filtration systems – Learn More here >>

Remember to take your time swapping out products so you don’t spend a fortune! Check that EWG app to first see what you own that needs to be tossed. Then, discern what you can right off the bat throw away and replace, what is running out soon anyway, and what you might not be ready to swap just yet. There is your order of priority right there!

If you know your hormones could use a tune-up… apply for coaching with me to get your personalized plan and symptom analysis.

To read more about safer swaps and avoiding EDCs (endocrine disruptors), check out this article.