The scene is set for romance…perfume, candles, flowers, chocolate, and champagne. But wait…some of these products might contain toxic chemicals! Remember that what goes on your body also goes in your body and into your bloodstream, so be sure to choose products without a lot of added chemicals.
A spritz of most department store perfumes, for example, can contain over 100 different synthetic chemicals to make the scent, plus things like phthalates, and parabens. These are endocrine disrupters, that mess with your hormones. When shopping for perfume, look for those made from pure organic essential oils. They’re safe, non-toxic and more subtle than a synthetic perfume…your perfume won’t precede you when you enter a room and it won’t linger after you’ve gone!
What surrounds you can also get in your body. Artificially scented candles for example, contain chemicals that can trigger asthma and allergies. Instead, choose candles scented with essential oils. Look for soy or beeswax candles with cotton wicks (make sure it doesn’t contain a lead core which will release into the air), because most candles, unless otherwise labeled, are made from paraffin, a petroleum product, and fumes from paraffin wax have caused kidney and bladder tumors in lab animals.
How about roses…romantic right? Well, not if they’re sprayed with pesticides! These are toxic to our planet and to the growers. Look for organically grown flowers that use only natural repellants. When you choose something like that, you’re not only removing harmful chemicals from our environment, you’re also helping to improve the lives of flower growers, who are mostly women in developing nations.
What goes in your body can impact your health, well-being and mood. It’s well known that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, triggers feel-good chemical endorphins in our brain. The Aztecs believed that chocolate had aphrodisiac qualities, acting almost like a love potion. But most commercially made chocolate contains pesticides. So look for organic chocolates – they’re non toxic and delicious.
Before you sip that wine or champagne, did you know that conventionally grown grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops on the planet? So, again, look for organic wine and champagnes. You can find some amazing organic varieties that taste wonderful, are very high quality and are competitively priced to those made conventionally.
Try some green romance this Valentine’s Day. Using non-toxic products will surely enhance your health, vitality and in turn, your sensuality.
