Heal Hormonal Imbalance With Holistic Toxic-Free Living

Women experience hormonal imbalance throughout their lives, and are guided to products that aren’t toxic free, and contribute to the cycle of imbalance.

Experiencing the vast physiological and physical changes within a woman’s body from pregnancy, birth and beyond is a transformation which comes with a natural amount of hormonal imbalance, as her body adapts to the creation of life. 

A woman’s hormones become even more sensitive to disruption, due to her lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and sometimes lack of sunlight and a balanced diet, which links to the cycle of exhaustion and hormonal imbalance – especially within those early postpartum moments. To read more about holistic healing in postpartum, click here.

If a woman is breastfeeding, her hormones don’t begin to settle back to normal levels until she’s stopped breastfeeding for 18 months. It’s very common for mothers to have a second baby within this time, so of course this would start the transformation once again!

It may be clear to us the sensitivity of our hormones when we experience the journey of carrying, birthing and nurturing new life into our world, but I wonder how clear it is that everything we use on a daily basis on our skin, our hair, in our kitchen and as we clean also contributes to our hormones, and much worse. 

As I’ve started my journey to attempt to balance my own hormones, I have learnt that there are an array of ingredients within our skincare, hair care, cooking ware, and cleaning products that are toxic to our bodies. The more ‘danger’ and ‘caution’ signs on the packaging, the more concerning it is, even more so that it’s normalised.

Hormonal Imbalance 

I have struggled my whole life with intense hormonal conditions, that led me to feel depressed, anxious and suicidal for half of the month – 10 days prior to my cycle starting, and about 4 days after. I realise now, that this is called PMDD – a severe form of premenstrual syndrome. You can read more about this condition here.  

You may have a similar experience, struggle with PCOS, or be on the same journey of balancing your hormones after having a baby. Wherever you are on your journey, here is where you can learn about the ingredients which affect your hormones and holistic health, so you can learn to limit these for your natural healing.

Due to my difficulty with my hormones, I knew my nervous system and whole body was sensitive to anything that disrupted this further, like hormonal contraception, too much sugar, alcohol or even antidepressants. This became even more true for me when I became pregnant with my child, leading me to struggle with extreme hormonal dysregulation in the prenatal and postpartum period. You can read more about why a mother’s nervous system is so sensitive, and how you can regulate yourself within the sacred work of motherhood, here.

Throughout my journey, I have learnt that it’s not only what’s occurring within my body as a woman and mother that leads to hormonal imbalance, but it’s also what we’re putting onto our body and using within our homes that aren’t toxic free, with an adverse affect on our holistic health.

Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors are natural or synthetic chemicals that block, or mirror your body’s hormones. This means that they either act as if they are a hormone within your body, or mould with the receptor, which inhibits your true hormones from flowing as they should. 

This has been linked to hormonal, nervous system, immune system, neurological, metabolic and developmental conditions. Within our modern day, it can be nearly impossible to limit these entirely (unless you decided to purely live off of the land with no toxic material, packaging, foods, and made everything from scratch!)

Although this is my dream one day, it’s not everyones, and isn’t realistic. 

Reducing Exposure to Balance Hormonal Health with Toxic-Free Living

This blog post contains affiliate links, but I’ll only ever share links to products that I personally use within my own life, so I know that they are of a high quality and are suitable for me. Always advocate for yourself with your own research 💚

1. BPA (Bisphenol A) – Plastics, aluminium can lining, store receipts.

Gentle Switch: Utilise glass or stainless steel to store your food, like this one. Try and limit putting any warm food into the microwave with plastic or polystyrene. Try not to put food that’s still warm into any plastic containers. You could replace any single-use plastic wrap for reusable food wrap, like the beeswax wrap, here. Drinking out of stainless steel bottles is a good idea, as even those who purchase the BPA free plastic bottles, have been found to still have high traces within their bodies. This is the one I use.  Another important side note is limiting the amount of cans you’re eating, due to the toxic aluminium lining. 

This also includes using cast iron pans or stainless steel, like this one.–

2. Bathroom products which include body wash, soap, moisturiser, shampoo, conditioner, hair products, deodorant and cleaning products should all have extra care when looking at the ingredient list. These tend to include toxins like Parabens, Phthalates and synthetic fragrances which all contribute to hormonal imbalance. Ensure you mindfully do your research, by using products that are toxic free and have your holistic health as its priority. Use certified organic, natural ingredients where possible. 

The best natural deodorant I’m using (which is also the one I use which literally never makes me smell, it’s incredible!) is here.

Within my home, we use alot of Dr Organic products which are organic, parabens, SLS or synthetic ingredients. They sell products for skin care, body care and hair care and are budget friendly! You can find out more on these products and find ones similar here.

My favourite product I’ve used for my Eczema, as well as a barrier cream and lip balm, is this one here. 

3. Pesticides and industrial waste have toxins which directly affect our health, including within our water supply and within farming practices. You can support your hormonal growth by ensuring you’re drinking filtered water, and buying organic foods, or ensuring you thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables, and eating grass fed, organic where you can. Better yet, you can grow your own! You can buy water filters online which are affordable, like the one I have here. 

4. Phthalates – Plastics, food packaging, toys, cosmetics and cleaning products. Do what you can to limit plastic (I know it’s almost impossible to do so entirely within the day and age we’re living in) buying sustainable, natural toys like those made from wood, and ensuring that you search for cosmetics that are natural and organic. Most importantly, checking the ingredient list and ensuring you are happy with the natural ingredients and non-toxic products available to you. 

5. Triclosan – Body wash and soap that’s antibacterial, as well as some toothpastes like certain Colgate ones and cleaning products. There are some amazing natural toothpastes out there – I’m using this one, which my whole family uses (toddler too!) so it not only saves money, lasts longer because it’s a smooth paste, and has incredible ingredients. This has a natural cleaning agent in it, rather than fluoride, but if you’d rather one that still has fluoride, ensure you do your research on fluoride, as well as the natural alternatives. Knowledge is power, only you can make your decision when considering your holistic health.

6. Hormonal Contraceptives – These are literally designed to morph your hormones, to stop your ability to get pregnant, but also come with a whole array of symptoms which wreck havoc on our bodies. This is a very individual, complex choice, of course. Ensure you do your research and advocate for yourself. And remember, living toxxic-free is a long process, and can be overwhelming. Start small. Start with one or two things, and go from there. 

7. Tea Tree and Lavender Oil – this is a new lesson for me too! Both of these essential oils are endocrine disruptors, which contribute to hormonal imbalance and factors of ill health. You can read more into this here. Although it can be hard to believe, as lavender and tea tree have been recommended religiously for natural health care, but ensure you empower yourself with research, and change up your essential oil choices. Remember this also includes any products which have the oils in the ingredients too.

8. Phytoestrogens – These are found in soy foods that are processed.

9. Perflurochemicals – New clothing, teflon pans and popcorn bags (the microwaveable ones) 

10.  Sunscreen – This is another that may surprise you – we’ve been told for so long about the importance of suncream, but not the risks of using the general ones that are filled with avobenzone and oxybenzone, which disrupt hormones. Switch to a natural, organic choice to protect you in the sunshine, like this one.

To support you on your journey to balancing your hormones, ensure you look into the symptoms of hormonal balance, and if it’s possible for you, you could seek out support from a naturopath, herbalist or have a hormone blood test. 

Above all, it’s important to not overwhelm yourself with an unattainable idea of perfection. It’s not your fault that we’ve been given the wrong information over the years, leading us to digest, wear and utilise products that are toxic for us in our everyday lives. 

Living toxic-free is a long journey, so start small. Focus on one type of product at a time. For example, begin with cleaning products, and then move on to cosmetics. You can also make your own products! I make my own cleaning products at home with vinegar, water, essential oils (not lavender or tea tree) and bicarbonate of soda.

The Foundation of Holistic Hormonal Balance

To support your body to holistically thrive, honour your body with drinking enough water, eating a diet rich in whole foods, trying to get enough sleep (of course not always possible if you are a mother, student or struggle with your hormones at all.) and ensuring your lifestyle includes movement and nutrients which support you with a healthy gut. 

To learn more about holistic living, along with the honest truths of pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond, consider signing up to my newsletter, where you’ll be the first to hear about my books, courses and tracks to regulate your emotions as a family. 

You can also sign up to my free nervous system regulation guide that you can do with your children here.