ORIG SP Detox your life: products with fewer chemicals to help you lose weight and gain energy

Let us give you some quick info on the known chemicals we are ingesting every day, how they might affect our health, and how you can detox them from your life to feel your best! And at the end of the gallery, check out our favorite easy-to-use apps, which help you find cost-effective, low-chemical products today!

As much as we might not want to admit it, we really ARE what we eat... and drink and put on, in and around our bodies - and all the chemicals that come with it. Yikes. And because of this, what we consume greatly dictates how we end up living and feeling throughout our lifetime.

According to the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, endocrine disruptors are chemicals that are found in many everyday American products such as plastics, food containers, soaps, shampoos, foods, cosmetics and beauty products, and pesticides.

The United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that even low doses of endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be unsafe and cause health issues, but limited scientific information exists on potential health problems in humans.

As listed on endocrine.org, the health issues caused by endocrine disruptors can potentially be obesity, diabetes, cardiac problems, respiratory function, neurological and learning disabilities, immune function, and cancer, to name just a few.

A known endocrine disruptor is phthalates, a group of chemicals that make plastics more durable. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, they have been linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity and cancer.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics states that: "phthalates have been banned from cosmetics in the European Union, but still remain prevalent in U.S. products."

Phthalates are commonly found in US color cosmetics, fragranced lotions, body washes, hair care products, nail polishes, and nail treatments. And that's just in the cosmetic and beauty industry.

The best way to eliminate phthalates is to read your product labels and look for the following ingredients: Phthalates, DEP, DBP, DEHP, and most importantly 'fragrance.'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website says that cosmetics and their ingredients are not required premarket approval in America, except for their color additives. Individual cosmetic and beauty companies are solely responsible for regulating the health and safety of their products.

The FDA explains that while American cosmetic and beauty products don't have premarket approval, they are regulated through the 'Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act' (FDC Act) and the 'Fair Packaging and Labeling Act' (FPLA). Information can be found at www.fda.gov.

The National Institute of Environmental Health and Science reports that these current U.S. laws require companies to list phthalates as an ingredient. However, due to loopholes in the law, a company can simply label the chemical 'fragrance,' even though phthalates may make up 20% or more of the product.

Also known as the 'everywhere chemical,' they really are everywhere. Phthalates are also commonly found in plastics and in food (*cough* some eggs), and according to the Center for Disease Control, can even be found in our urine and passed via human milk.

Parabens, another endocrine disruptor, are a group of chemicals found in some cosmetics, body creams, hair products, and sunscreens. ChemTrust.org reports they have been linked to breast cancer. You can limit your exposure by choosing products labeled 'Paraben-Free.'

Triclosan, you guessed it, another endocrine disruptor, is used as an anti-bacterial agent and can be found mostly in toothpaste, but also in soaps, hand washes, sanitizers, kitchenware, furniture, and toys.

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), an additional endocrine disruptor, are added to some cosmetics, such as foundations and moisturizing creams, to help them penetrate the skin.

The easiest way to eliminate PFAs is to read your labels, eliminating products containing: PFAs, -flouros, and PTFE.

Dioxin, a chlorine by-product, is a known endocrine disruptor and found in the bleaching process of many feminine hygiene products. By searching for 'Totally Chlorine Free' (TCF) feminine hygiene products, you can eliminate this chemical.

For those who aren't big label readers, there are easier ways to eliminate chemicals from your lifestyle - apps! One example is the app 'Yuka,' with over 30 million users worldwide and a US database of over 1 million products. It is available in the US, French, and Spanish App Stores.

'Yuka' allows you to easily scan the barcodes of your everyday products - beauty, cosmetics, and food - and rates them bad, poor, good or excellent - depending on the level of chemical ingredients. It even gives detailed explanations and recommends chemical-free alternatives within different price ranges.

There are many other barcode scanning apps that are helping to make detoxing an easy task, such as 'Detox Me,' 'Think Dirty,' and 'Chemical Maze.' 'Cosmethics' is a popular app specializing in makeup, with over 140,000 products in its database. It is helping consumers search for and eliminate chemicals from their cosmetics, one compact at a time.

While it is a bit daunting to detox our lifestyles, small choices lead to big changes. The goal is to feel our best and live our fullest lives, one step at a time.