How many of us take toilet paper and paper towels for granted? I mean, besides which one is the softest or the most absorbent, have you ever thought about how they are made or how safe they are for you? HE Yo I never really thought about the dangers that might lurk in my toilet paper roll, but after speaking with my trusted doctor, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, I did a quick Google search… YIKES! I threw out most of my paper towels, toilet paper, and napkins. Why do you ask? Chlorine and bleach!
Like me, you’ve probably never given much thought to what goes into making all those paper products so white. They may look clean and fresh, but products made with chlorine and bleach are full of toxins. After reading this blog, you will definitely have information to think about.
Like most people my age, I grew up with the smell of bleach lingering on my father’s white work shirts and even on our white sheets. You can even clean your bathroom and kitchen with bleach to disinfect them from all the harmful germs that roam those rooms. If your children swim, they are also in chlorine. So what is the problem you ask? Plenty.
One thing we have to overcome, as we live healthier lives and become more health conscious, is that just because it’s available doesn’t make it right. Let’s take chlorine as an example, one of its biggest uses is in the paper industry. It is used to break down wood fibers and whiten paper. This causes a chain reaction because it not only contaminates our streams and waterways, but also contaminates the fish and the people who eat them.
In paper products, chlorine causes the formation of dioxin, an extremely toxic chemical known to cause cancer and disrupt the endocrine system. As a byproduct of chlorine-bleached paper manufacturing, it is believed to be the most carcinogenic chemical known to science. It’s just not on paper either, but all around us. Due to chlorine contamination, the average American ingests 300 to 600 times more dioxin than the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe! It has been found to be over 300,000 times more potent than DDT, one of the best known toxic synthetic pesticides! Chlorine has been linked to endometriosis, immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, and reproductive dysfunction in both men and women. Chlorine is in coffee filters, paper milk cartons, and even disposable diapers – our poor babies! THESE TOXINS ARE EASILY ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN! That’s right, and did you know that chlorine is found in the blood of almost everyone? Although our bodies can metabolize and get rid of many contaminants, the dioxins found in chlorine are not as easily removed. So the use of chlorine and chlorine products can end up compromising your health.
Which brings me to a HUGE downside to using chlorine bleach toilet paper. Our private parts are sensitive in many ways. Lots of women experience vaginal discomfort thinking it’s a yeast infection and use over-the-counter antifungal medications (don’t even tell me why I think we shouldn’t use them, that’s for another day, another blog). These topical lotions may give women initial relief, but not in the long term. Because? Since it’s not a yeast infection, the creams are most likely just providing a barrier between your skin and the toxic bleached toilet paper (which probably also contains formaldehyde, another highly toxic substance). Once the cream comes off after a few wipes, it’s back to square one: irritation from toilet paper containing chlorine/bleach. You’re not solving the problem, just masking it. So if you use thick, absorbent, strong, bleached, expensive brands of toilet paper (or any bleached toilet paper), you may think you’re protecting and pampering your private parts, but in reality, with every wipe, you’re increasing your risk of infections. And absorption of toxins. I hear myself telling my kids when they were little, “Make sure you clean yourself up.” (Ha ha) What was I thinking? You’re just cleaning up toxic chemicals! And if you think cleaning with wet wipes will be better, think again. Unless they are chlorine, bleach, and fragrance free, you will have the same problems!
Can you believe that over 100,000 chemicals are used in commercial paper products? Do you know that many have been tested for possible health risks? Not many. We also have so many colors and fragrances to choose from which just adds another layer of problems/toxins. Also keep in mind that most tampons also contain bleach, and some even have added fragrances. All the bad things!
While researching this I came across a video of a woman making her own reusable toilet paper out of cloth. This sounded interesting (crazy actually) until she talked about cleaning them. I guess this goes with the cloth diaper vs. disposable diaper debate. What is she using to clean her cloth wipes? Bleach? She mentioned hot water, but I wonder how well it will clean the reusable cloths. Hmm, maybe we all need to use a bidet, a toilet accessory originating from France that cleanses your private parts with water! Those Frenchies can eat chocolate and not get fat and rinse instead of cleaning! They caught us in that too!
Since that may not be realistic and we can’t all go out and buy a bidet, so what’s our plan now?
Well, as Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy says, there are are unbleached paper products. I want to show you the comparisons between paper products that have chlorine and bleach versus eco-friendly paper products that do not contain toxins. I used Amazon to find these products so the comparison was in the same place, but you may find even better prices elsewhere, as well as more options. This is just to let you know that it is not always more expensive to be healthy and sometimes even cheaper!
seventh generation toilet paper 417 sheets/$1
Charmin Toilet Paper 96 sheets/$1
Green Forest Paper Towels 27 sheets/$1
Bounty Paper Towels 31 sheets/$1
Emerald Tree Face Scarf 69 sheets/$1
Charmin Face Scarf 50 sheets/$1
I’m not trying to scare you with this information, but I want to keep you informed. The next time you shop for any kind of paper products, look for those that are chlorine-free, unbleached, dye-free, and fragrance-free—especially toilet paper—for your health and the health of your family!
Eat well. be good and now clean up good Elegant!!!
tams