I have had many questions and comments on Chemistry Cachet the past few months about this topic, so today I want to address the subject: are all chemicals bad? This is my chemist perspective on eliminating chemicals in the home.

There are thousands of articles out there on the internet about eliminating chemicals! Many of these internet articles scare people using phrases like cancer and disease causing! Sadly, the majority of these chemicals are not backed by any real science or they are written by people who aren’t even experts in the field.

It makes people scared to use anything today. I get comments all the time about this.

Readers are asking: are all chemicals bad?

The truth? Everything is a chemical, so this isn’t a yes or no question.

That’s right. Everything we use, including our own bodies, are chemical based.

Our bodies have hundreds of chemicals and chemical processes happening right this very moment. If you were to study biochemistry and learn the terminology of the chemicals, it would blow your mind! It blew my mind when I studied it.

The thing is, there is a difference between chemicals, harsh chemicals, and toxic chemicals.

Chemistry cachet is built around chemistry. We share the chemistry of everything from cleaning your home to the flowers in your garden, and even taking care of your skin. All of the tips we share rely on chemistry and chemicals.

Today’s post is my personal and professional opinion on the subject! Please remember to always (always) discuss things with your healthcare professional when it comes to things like skincare, health, or anything that might impact you. Everyone has different health needs!

Chemicals in Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning your home, I try to eliminate harsh chemicals. I like to use things that are more gentle on my families breathing, but also WORK. That being said, we still rely on chemicals to clean our home properly. For instance, baking soda is a natural product that is used in dozens of homemade cleaners because it is gentle, but also works. Technically it is known as sodium bicarbonate because it is absolutely a chemical. Even though it is natural and safe, some people can have a sensitivity to it on the skin or breathing in the powder. You have to be careful with it, as with anything you use.

I talk often about dawn dish soap because I enjoy using it, as do all of my readers. It is the base for so many homemade cleaners, and I have tested out so many dish soaps. It always comes back to dawn being the most effective at cleaning. I have had some people ask why I use dawn even though it has “chemicals” in it? Well, I use it because it works the best at cleaning. It is also formulated to be gentle and safe. It has a very low toxicity rating. I have tried “green” dish soaps, and I didn’t like the cleaning results as well. Believe it or not, many things labeled organic or green still contain chemicals so they work properly.

However, readers are always welcome to swap out something organic in place if they want to! 

Using Bleach

One chemical I never use in my home is bleach. Why? Bleach is highly toxic especially for young children, pets, and those with breathing issues. Instead, I use tea tree oil for things like mold. It is a way I eliminate an necessary harsh chemical in my home.

The keyword here is HARSH.

I use my mom as an example for cleaning. She is the inspiration to most of my homemade cleaners. She has very severe asthma, so she can’t use many commercial cleaning products or any fragrance. She has an asthma attack almost immediately. However, she also has to be careful about natural chemicals like essential oils. Many essential oils will also trigger her asthma. The cleaners I create on Chemistry Cachet are meant to be safe and gentle for people which means we are eliminating the harsh chemical aspect (although we are still using chemicals).

What about skincare?

Here is a topic I get asked about often, and it is important to address when you ask the question: are all chemicals bad?

There are certain chemicals in skincare known to cause irritation and other possible side effects. The important word here is possible. I prefer to use skin products that are natural or organic because they are less harsh. However, many skincare products have been perfected and formulated over the decades to be highly effective at anti-aging and acne prevention among other things. They contain chemicals to help achieve this, so a few products I use and recommend do contain a little more potent components compared to the natural homemade ones I use.

When it comes to skincare products, I try to use the most affordable and effective products while incorporating as much organic and natural aspects as possible. This still leaves a few products thrown in there that aren’t organic or natural, but they work really good.

Food and Health

When it comes to ingesting chemicals, there is more PROVEN data and research on certain chemicals causing cancers, digestive issues, and other diseases. I try to avoid these types of chemicals in our home. Although we try to eat healthy, there are times when we still eat things on occasion that aren’t the best for us. Like on a road trip or vacation. The keyword here is on occasion!

I had an organic professor in college who had been a pHd chemist for 45 years. We had a lesson one day, and the subject of aspartame came up. He mentioned aspartame was a synthetic derivative of sugar, so the body didn’t have the ability to break it down like sugar. This is why it has no calories. He said yes aspartame is artificial, and the body won’t digest it. It accumulates in the body….long story short, his professional opinion was it would take A LOT of aspartame over the course of MANY MANY years to impact your body. Short term things like digestive issues were more possible.  Either way, it took an excessive amount of the chemical over long periods of time to cause serious irreversible issues (if any).

This is just an example of a chemical in food, but the point on this is limiting the chemicals we ingest is best. It’s okay to occasionally have things!

The Bottom Line

To answer the question are all chemicals bad? Absolutely not. I think there are many different classifications of chemicals out there. Trying to eliminate as many in your home and life as you can is great especially when it comes to food.

I think it is also important to take into consideration your health. Like breathing issues when it comes to cleaning or diseases when it comes to food.

It’s ALL about BALANCE!

Things impact people differently too! One thing might not bother you, but it can really hinder someone else. ALWAYS talk with your doctor about trying new diets, foods, supplements, or anything else if you have a history of skin sensitivity, breathing issues, or something similar.

Here at chemistry cachet, we try to share things that help everyone, and you can enjoy!

But don’t be too hard on yourself if you still have areas to clean up in the chemical department!

This was a very lengthy article, but I wanted to make sure I addressed things to help you get a good perspective 🙂

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