Hacking Forever Chemicals for Highly Sensitives – A Detoxing Journey

The skill of adapting is a muscle; if we fail to adapt, we lose out.

Adapting not only allows us to navigate changes but also brings us a host of personal benefits.

One of the gifts Highly Sensitive people have is the natural ability to adapt.

However, the first step is to be aware of what you’re adapting to, and then be open.

Open to taking the steps required to adapt, to embrace change, and to foster personal growth and environmental health.

Adapting is a tool we can use to navigate changes we know are good for us.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging, because change is challenging.

After I learned about the many negative effects of PFAS, I felt empowered to adapt for my health and well-being, a step towards self-protection and strength.

So I began by looking at where I could adapt and started breaking things down into smaller steps.

First, the things I have the most control over are in my home environment.

Hang on, let me open a window and get a breath of fresh air before we dive in.

Alright, so first, I started with my daily habits, like brushing my teeth.

Now, I used to use a plastic battery-operated toothbrush that beeps when the two minutes are up.

Convenient?

Sure, but when I first get up, the last thing I need to do is put a piece of toxic plastic in my mouth for two minutes.

So I bought a wooden toothbrush with natural fibres.  

It took me a few days to get used to timing myself for two minutes of brushing, but now it’s a habit.

Do I feel better? Yes, I do.

Next, I looked at my skin care lotion, since skin is the largest organ of the human body, and I use it daily.

I gathered the natural ingredients (beeswax and coconut oil being the primary ingredients) and tin containers (also suitable for travel) and cooked up a few batches.  

Making the lotion took ten minutes.

Do I feel a positive difference? Most definitely.

Then I looked at my shampoo and conditioner sitting menacingly in their toxic plastic containers in my shower.  

How do I replace them? Turns out there’s a shampoo bar replacement.

Just by being open to adapting in the above ways, I also saved myself time and money; I don’t need to buy batteries (or keep extras handy in the junk drawer) for my toothbrush now, it’s much cheaper and healthier to make your lotion than buy it, and using a nourishing shampoo bar means I’ll save money, plus I don’t need to worry about my shampoo and conditioner leaking and making a mess in my suitcase when I travel.

Plus, I’m not contributing to the addition of more toxic forever chemicals to the environment.

Here’s where the magic kicks in.

Making the above changes, which I achieved through conscious effort and persistence, filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment.

This momentum inspired me to keep making positive changes, creating a ripple effect of personal growth and well-being.

So I moved into the kitchen area.

I replaced the toxic plastic containers with tin containers, which made me laugh because it’s a throwback to when kids’ lunch boxes were made of tin.

Also suitable for travel.  

Since I like adding beef bone broth to my food, I started using mason jars to store it in the freezer.

I replaced Saran Wrap with parchment paper, which gave me a strange feeling when I first began to use it, because you can’t see what’s in the paper.  

But it also caused me to be more mindful of not wasting food in my fridge.

I removed and replaced any pans with a non-stick coating and replaced cooking utensils made of toxic plastic material with steel utensils.

It’s not a linear path, though.

When I was looking for a replacement for my shampoo and conditioner, I stumbled on a dish soap bar, which I can use to replace the dish soap sitting in a toxic plastic container next to my kitchen sink.

Next, I looked at my bed, where I spend a third of my life sleeping.

Now, because I’m recovering from a back injury, I use non-chemically treated wood pallets (I got these for free) that give my back the support it needs, and the air openings allow my bedding to breathe.  

Out of the ordinary? Yup, but it works for me; I have very restful sleeps.

As far as clothing goes, most of my clothes are 100% cotton; I’ve found that it always feels better on my skin.

What have I learned so far?

I’ve learned that continuing to adapt to new information in ways that are beneficial for me and support my growth is not just important, it’s essential.

The cherry on top? It simplifies my life.

Now, I’m not sure if removing toxic chemicals from my home environment helped me kick-start working my “adapting” muscle.

Still, funnily, it caused me to re-create the HSP World website and the HSP World Mastery Program.

So by opening up to try new ways to both increase my health and at the same time benefit the natural environment, a momentum began, and re-creation began unfolding in other areas.

Pretty cool how this all started with loving the creator, loving our natural, wild environment, and wanting to honour my relationship with both.

Don’t let the “sensitive” part of our Trait fool you; some of our gifts, like empathy and being adaptable, are muscles that, when we use them, we can benefit from and use to continue to learn and grow.

What about you? Have you made any changes to remove toxic chemicals from your home? I’d love to hear about your journey.