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If your idea of a detox involves skipping the Bellini with brunch or choosing takeout from the organic restaurant rather than your usual dinner order, then you’re probably doing it all wrong. The dangerous toxins you should actually be avoiding are found in everything from cleaning products to your beauty cabinet, so it might be worth shifting your attention.
There are a few simple things you can switch up to avoid overexposure to toxic chemicals every day, and to find out how, we spoke with Sophia Ruan Gushee, who spent the last nine years researching household toxins and just released a new book: A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures. Here’s what we learned.
Watch out for toxins and toxicants. When you talk about detoxing your life, what you really mean is cutting out exposure to man-made “toxicants” as well as toxins that come from nature and can be dangerous. The word toxins usually refers to naturally occurring exposures that can cause harm, like lead. Toxicants are man-made toxic exposures, such as phthalates, which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in things such as plastics and personal care products. “I use the term toxicants to include both man-made toxic exposures and naturally occurring ones that exist at unnaturally high levels due to human activities,” Gushee said. For example, while lead is found naturally in the environment, you could experience unnatural exposure...