More and more people are into personal wellness. I love this!  

I am all about eating well & including organic food grown without the use of harmful chemicals.
I love people who get their sweat on—on a yoga mat, in a spin class, running, in bed.
Whatever floats your boat and gets you healthy and strong!

I love that there is a growing awareness that what we put on our skin can and does get into our bodies. And I am super pumped that the current wellness dialogue has as much room for studies that prove teenage girls who switched to non-toxic cosmetics show a big drop in the levels of hormone disrupting chemicals in their urine as the increased level of antioxidants in organically grown produce vs. conventionally grown food.  

I am over the moon that more people are talking about periods, and why organic cotton tampons are a must because they’re the healthiest option for your vagina.
And I am all for healthy vaginas!! 

“If your health fails, it can overshadow everything else that’s going on in your life. Health can really affect happiness and stress levels.
Making a commitment to taking on healthier habits this year can have a far-reaching payoff: you’ll feel better in everything you do!! ”

Often people who commit to living a healthier life start by buying natural and organic products that they eat and drink - food and beverages.  After all, these are the most readily available and what we normally think of as the most important products to use in their natural state.

However, the body care products we put on our skin, the cleaning products that we smell and touch, and the sexual wellness products we use on and in our bodies are equally important in our overall health and well-being! 

Today I am going to dive into a sexual wellness products that are imperative to our sexual health and wellness. 

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Body Care Products That We Put On Our Skin

The skin is a living, breathing tissue that covers and protects our body, but also absorbs things that come into contact with it. Just as prescription drugs can be delivered through our skin via a patch, lotions, soaps, shampoos, and other body care products are absorbed by our skin.  If we use shampoo made of petrochemicals and other chemical preservatives, we absorb it into our body. If we use natural shampoo made of natural oils and herbs, we absorb those botanical ingredients instead. Which would you rather have in your body?

The more we reduce the amount of toxins we introduce to our body, whether it comes via the food we eat, the water we drink, or the body care products we put on our skin, the more we give our bodies the opportunity to be healthier, and the easier it will be for our body to get rid of the toxins we do come into contact with. 

Sexual Wellness Products That We Put In & On Our Bodies

1. Condoms

Here’s a bit of pillow talk I wish we could skip: Some condoms sold in the U.S. contain carcinogens called nitrosamines.

I know—it’s hardly the kind of news that puts you in the mood. But in 2010, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund recommended that manufacturers minimize the presence of nitrosamines, a class of carcinogenic chemicals often found in latex condoms.

Unfortunately,  I am not sure the condom industry has gotten message!  In September 2014, the Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP) released independent test results of latex condoms sold in the United States. The tests found that only two major brands were free of detectable nitrosamines across their entire product line.

My favorite brand and what I happen to use these days is: SUSTAIN.
A company producing all natural condoms, lubricants and wipes for a happy, healthy vagina + sex life! 
Sustain has taken the concerns about nitrosamines in condoms to heart and has produced condoms without them. They have even lowered the protein levels in the latex to reduce the chances of an allergic reaction.
BONUS: Sustain is a father-daughter run company that is all about responsibility—not just personal, but corporate. They want the world to be a better place which is why 10% of their profits support women’s reproductive health care. All that and recycled packaging, too!
** I am not sponsored by this company, I just love the product. I am passionate about total well-being. Inside and out. 

The RHTP study noted that “concern about exposure to nitrosamines is not limited to users of condoms. Condom factory workers may also be exposed, and at much higher levels.”

Nitrosamines aren’t the only toxins to beware of.  When it comes to condoms, a variety of other chemicals can slip between us and our partners. Some are formed during manufacturing. Others are found in the fragrances, odor masking agents, flavors, and spermicides many condoms contain.  Talking about nitrosamines should be part of that conversation but it should never stop anyone from using a condom.

Why all the fuss about the chemicals in a product we may only use for a few minutes a day a few times a week? Because in a modern world filled with hazardous toxins and pollutants, every exposure counts. And staying healthy means reducing or preventing every possible contact with every potential toxin every chance we can get! 

2. Lubrication

When it comes to lubricants, there’s a lot to know.

Heard of petrochemicals? You might not have, but if you’ve ever used most lotions, face lotions. or personal lubricants, chances are they have affected you. According to the World Health Organization, and a handful of other leading health organizations, these petrochemicals damage genital and rectal cell tissue when they enter your body.

Another thing you need to know about when it comes to lubricants is Bacterial Vagnosis (BV). If you’ve never heard of BV before, you’re not alone; most women haven’t!
Here’s what you need to know:

• BV occurs when the normal balance of good bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced with an overgrowth of certain types of harmful bacteria
• 2 in 5 women have it, but 84% don’t know they have it
• Women who have BV are 60% more likely to contract an STI
• They are also 3x more likely to infect their partners

So when you put things like petrochemicals in your vagina, your vaginal ‘ecosystem’ gets disrupted. The bacterial balance changes and you become more likely to contract BV.

Find a lubricant you love that doesn't have a single petrochemical!
Again, I love & use SUSTAIN. There is not a petrochemical in site and it is 95% organic, natural biocompatible, 100% vegan and gluten-free, not tested on animals.

Now onto the stuff that might sound a little more familiar: Parabens and Glycerin. Two things that – like petrochemicals — you definitely don’t want going inside your body.
Parabens, known mostly as toxins in personal care and cosmetics, cause many of the same health effects when found in personal lubricants.
And when high concentrations of glycerin enter the vagina, cellular damage can occur.
Once cells are damaged, they are less able to protect the body from contracting an STD or STI.

3. Tampons & Pads

Feminine care. Feminine hygiene. Personal cleansing products. Intimate care.
No matter what you call them, these consumer products are manufactured for and marketed exclusively to women. This is a $3 billion dollar industry advertising to women to help them “feel fresh,” “increase confidence,” and even enhance sex appeal.

This Chem Fatale report finds toxic chemicals commonly used in feminine care products like pads and tampons — and there’s nothing sexy or fresh about toxic chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive harm, hormone disruption, and allergic reactions in products that come into close contact with sensitive lady parts!!
Feminine wipes, for example, can contain preservatives that release toxic formaldehyde. And test results show dioxins, furans and pesticide residues in tampons, which have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and hormone disruption! 

I firmly believe that toxic chemicals have no place in products that come into contact with some of the most sensitive and absorptive skin on women’s bodies! 
The real kicker? Many of these chemicals are not required to be listed on the label, so women have no idea what they are being exposed to. Women deserve better.

#detoxthebox and avoid all  Hall of Shame ingredients in your tampons.
Toxic chemicals don't belong in feminine OR sexual wellness products. Period.  

Empower yourself & your loved ones by knowing what you are putting on and in your body. You derserve it!  

I would love to know if you have a favorite female or sexual wellness product and what you are doing to keep it clean between the sheets!! Share with us in the comments below!