The health and nutrition center I go to recommended the company almost a year ago when I was asking for recommendations for a natural cleaner. I liked the DIY cleaners I made and use, but I am always interested to know what is available especially to recommend to those who have NO INTEREST in making their own natural cleaners.
The company? Branch Basics.
The women who started this company did so for the same reason I started making my own natural cleaners. They were finding the toxic chemicals in cleaners were impacting their health. You can read their stories here. For me, the chemicals and fragrances were giving me headaches (very often migraines) and making me feel weak and rundown.
Read their safety statement:
Branch Basics Cleaning Soap is human safe, meaning it is not irritating to eyes, skin, or lungs and it’s not harmful if accidentally ingested. We don’t have to include “Keep Out of Reach of Children” on our label. Our soap is comprised of all food-grade ingredients that are not only safe for the environment, but for humans and pets as well. Our fragrance-free soap contains absolutely no synthetic ingredients. This sets it above other “non-toxic”, “green” and “all-natural” cleaners, many of which contain ingredients that are not 100% safe for humans, especially babies and pregnant women. Even the extremely chemically sensitive and immune compromised are able to use Branch Basics soap with complete confidence. Our soap is safely packaged in BPA-free bottles.
Here’s a few ways of how to use it:
Branch Basics soap was intentionally formulated to replace all cleaning products in your home. This one soap can clean your countertops, dirty laundry, showers, floors, wine stains, puppy accidents, even your spaghetti-splattered ovens.
But does it work? (I’m feeling a déjà vu from my homemade deodorant post from last week!)
Our formula’s plant enzymes penetrate oil molecules and proteins that our pure soap washes away as soluble, biodegradable components. This enzymatic action allows Branch Basics to outperform many of the toxic solvents, detergents, and cleaning products it replaces. Save your strength – use enzymes instead of elbow grease!
Read more on their soap here.
I wanted to try this natural, enzyme cleaner, so I started out with the small starter kit:
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| Small Starter Kit $29 |
It has lasted me months, almost a year while using them with my other homemade cleaners.
If you do decide to order, please let them know you learned about them on our website!
Now for my other topic. It’s related. See, I have followed Branch Basics on Facebook pretty much since I first ordered from them. Recently, they posted an eye-opening blog post on the dangers of one of my soap boxes (literally and figuratively):
SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES!
It was titled, “Fragrance is the New Secondhand Smoke.”
Those can be strong words I’m feeling “punny”! to those who like to wear perfumed lotions or have fragranced foaming soaps in every bathroom or who have something burning or plugged in to emit a scent in their house or office all day long.
However, if you stopped to realize the harm is has on not just those who have sensitivities to those synthetic fragrances, but YOU, then I would daresay you’d unplug, you’d snuff out, you’d put on unscented lotions, and you’d replace your soaps with maybe something like the unscented, Branch Basics soap foamer.
What’s the big deal?
The intentions of the perfume industry has come a long way from the aromatic and therapeutic purpose when they started out using essential oils and incense beginning in Mesopotamia.
Today’s synthetic fragrances are a far cry from the healing balms treasured so much by the ancient world that some were worth more than gold. Instead of being medicinal, today’s fragranced products are associated with diabetes, obesity, autism, ADD/ADHD and hormone disruption. Sadly not only the one wearing the fragrance is affected, but also the indoor air quality and those sharing the space are impacted.I have a degree in English. (Please don’t judge me on how this Southern girl talks. lol) I love words. I like even learning the history (etymology) of how they developed and breaking them down into their roots, prefixes, suffixes, etc to find their meaning. (Yeah, I’m nerdy like that.) Let’s look at the word PERFUME. Break it down into two Latin words – “per” meaning “through” and “fumus” meaning “smoke”. “From pure to perverse, it is twisted irony that the word fragrance has now gained infamy as the new secondhand smoke...”*
We need to understand. Research on all these chemical fragrances is showing they are more pervasive and dangerous than tobacco smoke. People wash their clothes in perfumed clothes detergent; they add perfumed softeners, and perfumed dryer sheets. Their body soap and shampoos and hand soaps are all perfumed. “When people go to a public place, they are sharing what is now being called 'secondhand fragrance'. This is the combination of chemicals being released into the public air space from air fresheners, cleaning products, and scented candles plus all the products people are wearing (from hair spray, shampoo, clothes, to perfume, etc).”*
“What could be wrong with a beautiful fragrance? Nothing, if it is a genuine and authentic plant derived, organic or wildcrafted unadulterated essential oil or an organic flavor/scent oil. These oils have been used throughout history, but since World War II, with the advent and ease of production of inexpensive synthetic chemicals to create fragrances, a new era has dawned.”* Try creating your own NATURAL fragrance blends by using essential oils as I shared in my post, Essential Oil Perfume.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) study, 75% of products with the ingredient “fragrance” contained endocrine disruptors called phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to diabetes, obesity, liver and breast cancer, hormone disruption affecting fertility and development as well as linked to ADHD and Autism in first and third trimester prenatal exposure.
What to do? Ditch the chemicals. I know it may be hard for some. For me, I started with getting rid of the toxic cleaners, making my own foaming soaps, lotions, etc. Hey, I had to dump offending scented candles that gave me headaches even if they were not burning! (A couple of new ones I gave away making the recipient promise they would never burn it in my presence.) Then I got rid of my toxic cleaners, started making my own foaming soaps, etc. It can seem like a lot to do but you can slowly replace these items if it’s easier on you. Plus, if you are not one to make your own substitutes, there are plenty of green, toxin-free, human-safe replacements out there. Sure, it's MUCH cheaper to make your own, but I understand the lack of time and energy for some who have little ones, maybe work a full-time job, and can’t seem to even get motivated to prepare a healthy meal for your family each day.
Start small. Think of your family and your health when it comes to this. And just because you feel fine and maybe do not get headaches and do not seem to have any problems with fragranced items, give yourself a few weeks to see if it makes a difference. Also, please think of and be respectful of the individuals out there – like me and countless others – who truly do get physically sick when we are exposed to the fragrance you are wearing.
Do you realize there are people who cannot attend church anymore because it is like a chemical sensory assault when they enter the doors? I find that is so sad they have to miss out on worshipping with others but am also thankful I am not THAT sensitive. I do wish the general public realized this. I know some who could careless and will continue to do what they want, but if you have an inkling of compassion, please try for them. For us.
There have been so many testimonials of people who suffered from headaches, chronic fatigue, sinus and allergy issues, among other health issues that disappeared as quickly as they got rid of their chemically scented lotions and air fresheners and toxic cleaners. Again, give it a try. See for yourself.
Read more from this blog post on the link above. They also have an eye-opening article on Addicted to Dryer Sheets? 12 Toxic Chemicals in Dryer Sheets & Fabric Softeners That Will Make You Break the Habit.
WebMD has an article on Fragrance Allergies also that is informational.
NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine found how sensitive the general public is to synthetic fragrances in a study here.
I told you this was one of my “soap boxes”. lol I could go on and on, but I'll shut up now.
Is there a replacement you would like to know how to make that we haven’t shared yet on the blog? I’ll be sharing a SUPER EASY room spray next week that will not disrupt endocrines. ;) Let us know of any other homemade natural cleaners or health/beauty items you would like shared on the blog. Leave us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
P.S.
If you suffer from sensitivities to fragrances and work in a setting where you almost can see the cloud of fragrance coming from your co-worker (I’m envisioning Pepe Le Pew here),
* - Taken from the article, Fragrance is the New Secondhand Smoke: Join Us in Eliminating Fragrance to Improve Your Health!
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