You’ve probably heard about radiation exposure—radiation that you may encounter through x-rays, or even as a part of your occupation. It’s not about radiation, necessarily, but about how much radiation your body is exposed to over your lifetime.

When you think about chemicals in personal-care products, you can think about them the same way. How much is your body exposed to over several decades of your life? Using shampoo on one day is probably not going to increase your risk for disease, but using it every day for 60+ years could. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the average adult uses about 9 personal-care products a day. A study by Bionsen, a product company in the United Kingdom, found that the average woman applies about 515 chemicals to her face everyday! Think about it. Your shampoo, conditioner, body wash (or soap), shaving cream, body moisturizer, face moisturizer (or after shave), hand soap you may use several times over in one day, perfume, cologne, and makeup—mascara, foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow, brow color, liptstick, etc.

Most of these products contain one or more of the dangerous, potentially carcinogenic ingredients we’ve been talking about, that can disrupt hormones, depress immune function, cause developmental problems, and even cause dangerous diseases like cancer. If we’re not careful about the products we choose, we could be exposing ourselves over and over again to chemicals that could ruin our health.

“The perpetual advent of new and innovative beauty products has led to a massive increase in product usage over the years,” writes E. Huff for “Natural News.” “What was once a basic cleansing protocol has turned into a lifestyle of trying the latest and greatest products in an effort to maintain youthful beauty. As a result, women are exposed to more toxic carcinogens from beauty products than ever.”

How do you reduce your overall exposure? First, learn about certain ingredients to avoid, and watch ingredient labels. You can also try a few of these steps:

• Reduce your use of nail polishes. When you do use them, choose the non-toxic variety.
• Use mild soaps. Choose organic and those with few chemical ingredients, and avoid anti-bacterial types (read labels and stay away from “triclosan”).
• Choose fragrance-free products, or those with essential oils and natural-source fragrance.
• Reduce your use of perfumes and colognes, and/or choose organic varieties.
• Switch to natural, organic products like Pangea Organics or Intelligent Nutrients.
• Take a break from your products! Choose one day a week where you will cut down to less than 4 products used.

How are you reducing your exposure to toxic personal-care chemicals? Please share your tips.

Photo courtesy slynnro via Flickr.com.

The same could be said of “toxic stains” in our bodies. Though our physiological systems are master detoxifiers—working to rid our bodies of damaging cells and chemicals through the intestines, kidneys, liver, and blood circulation—the best way to get rid of toxins is never to take them on in the first place.

Need confirmation that you probably have toxins in your body right now? According to studies performed by the Centers for Disease Control, a random sample of Americans showed that virtually all of them were carrying phthalates (associated with sperm damage in a Harvard study), and that 10% of American women carry mercury contaminations at levels considered damaging to fetal growth.

Here are seven ways to shut the door on toxins in your life.

Don’t smoke. Tobacco smoke contains more than 40 known carcinogens. If you’ve tried before and failed, try again!

Clean up the mold. Make sure your bathrooms and other moist areas are well ventilated, launder area rugs regularly, and thoroughly clean water-damaged carpets. Check behind dressers and in corners of closets to be sure mold isn’t collecting out of eye shot.

Buy organic. Organic produce has shown in studies to contain fewer pesticides. Check out the Environmental Working Guide’s (EWG) shopper’s guide to pesticides to guide your future purchases.

Ventilate your dry cleaning. Dry cleaners use a chemical called perc as a primary cleaning solvent—and short-term exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, and other negative side effects. If you get your clothes dry cleaned, consider leaving them outside their bags in the garage or in the trunk of your car before bringing them in. Better yet, consider wet cleaning (described in our post).

Be picky in your hairsprays. Hair sprays, deodorants, and even baby shampoos can contain phthalates. Often you won’t find them on the ingredient list, so buy from trusted manufacturers. For a list of phthalate-free cosmetic companies, check out this list at biggreenpurse.com.

Swap out your household cleaners. Household cleaners can be full of harmful chemicals. Look for greener versions or try some of these homemade recipes.

Carefully repel bugs. Bug repellants can contain powerful pesticides. Choose non-toxic versions like these listed on the eartheasy.com.

Have you made changes to reduce your toxic exposure? Please share your ideas.

Photo courtesy somber via Flickr.com.