I’m Emma, Founder of Pure Earth Collection and a passionate non-toxic living advocate. My parenting journey started nine years ago. Before then, I’d always lived a healthy life, aware of the common toxins in our products, food and environments, and trying my best to avoid these. So it hit me hard when I had a newborn and started to notice just how many chemicals and microplastics were in conventional baby products. It became my mission to spread awareness about these toxins, empowering families to make better and more informed choices about what their children are surrounded by.
Harmful chemicals and microplastics in our everyday lives are at an all-time high, and human health is suffering. Chronic illness, autoimmune diseases and endocrine disorders are escalating at an alarming rate.
These environmental toxins are now prevalent in our food, our air, our water and our homes. And the saddest part – children’s products are where the majority of the harmful chemicals are found.
And it’s babies, children and pregnant women most at risk – due to underdeveloped or suppressed immunity and less efficient detox pathways. Children breathe in more air per second, are more exposed to harmful household dust, and their skin is more porous than adults.
A baby’s first 1,000 days since conception are crucial to setting the foundations for their lifelong health and brain development. Even right up through adolescence, children continue to be more susceptible to the harmful effects of environmental toxins due to high neuroplasticity, carefully balancing hormones and huge leaps through key developmental phases. These are extremely delicate processes which can be easily disrupted. Anything which interferes with their bodies during these important stages of growth could be causing a multitude of risks in both the short and long term.
“But we all did that, and we were fine”
Now here’s the part when you’re probably starting to think, ‘well, I’ve never worried too much about these things, and I’m fine’. That’s because if you’re an ’80s or ’90s baby, these things weren’t such a concern.
The levels of toxins in our lives were not nearly as prevalent. Back then, synthetic fabrics made up around 20% of the textile market. Today, that figure stands at nearly 70%. Meaning over two-thirds of all the fabrics made and used around the world now are made from plastics with nasty chemicals added to create certain structures and ‘useful’ characteristics.
The use of harmful PFAS, formaldehyde and phthalates has boomed over the last four decades, especially in the baby and kids market and in homewares. Ultra-processed foods have also now taken centre stage, with the UK consuming around 60% of their daily calories from UPFs, up from 26% in the 80s. Many of these processed convenience foods are disproportionately found in the infant and children’s market.
And for a bit of context: For 80s and 90s babies, it was predicted that 1 in 4 of us would get cancer at some point in our lifetime. For babies born today, that figure now stands at 1 in 2. They’re scary stats, directly linked to the environmental toxins in our everyday lives. And I’m not willing to stand by and do nothing about it. The life expectancy of babies being born now has recently been reduced by a huge five years since estimates from 2012. Change needs to happen, and fast.
Raising healthy kids in a low-tox household
Of course, we all want healthy kids. And as parents, we do everything in our power to support a lifestyle which allows our children to thrive. But there are critical and worrying levels of missing information for consumers. For the most part, consumers are not made aware of the chemicals in their products or the risks associated with microplastics entering their little ones’ bodies.
I’m certain that if clothing and household products had ingredient lists and disclaimers on their potential health effects, the vast majority of parents would be making different choices.
And that’s what I’m so passionate about changing. It’s not about fear, it’s about awareness. More awareness is needed in order for parents to make informed decisions about the products they buy for their children and their households. And it’s not about sales. You don’t have to buy from us. We do create a range of non-toxic, natural and organic family products to give people the choice of buying better, but we also support all other brands doing the same, even if they’re our direct competitors. You can check out our Conscious Brands Directory for our top recommendations on lovely, clean brands wanting to make a change.
And, it’s equally important not to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. It’s impossible to do it perfectly, and impossible to make all the changes at once (trust me, I’ve been trying for nearly 20 years, and I still find things in my life which I wish I’d switched out years ago). We need to acknowledge that every small change we make has a massive impact in helping to protect the next generation, and cumulatively, this adds up to real change.
Key toxins to avoid and where they commonly hide
| Toxins | Used For | Commonly Found In | Health Implications |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFAS | Makes products water repellent, stain resistent and non-stick | Coats, waterproofs and outerware Swimwear Bugges and baby car seats Carpet stain resistant treatments Non-stick cookware Food packaging (particularly card or paper packaging) Cosmetics Cleaning products Electronics | Hormonal imbalance Thyroid problems Fertility and reproductive harm Early puberty and early menopause Cancer Featal developmental issues |
| Formaldehyde | A preservative. Antifungus and anti mould. Used to keep clothes looking fresh and wrinke free. | New clothes Cosmetics Perfumes and home fragrance Paints, glues and MDF boards Cleaning products | Carcinogenic Hormonal disruption Fertility and reproductive harm Early puberty and early menopause |
| Pthalates | Used as a solvent or placticiser to make things soft | PVC clothing Buggy rain covers Baby blackout blinds Baby play mats and yoga mats Perfume and home fragrance Plastic food containers and kitchenware Vinyl flooring | Hormonal disruption Early puberty and early menopause Low birth weight Obesity and diabetes Neurological issues Cancer |
| BPA (and all other bisphenol like BPS and BPF, acting as BPA replacements) | Adds durability and resilience to products, primarily plastics | Baby bottles Plastic food containers and kitchware Water bottles Canned food Receipts and thermal paper (train tickets, kid’s ‘polaroid’ camera rolls etc) Clothing, especially recycled polyester | Hormonal imbalance Ferfility and reproductive harm Obesity and diabetes Neurological issues Cancer Cardiovascular problems |
| Azo dyes | Synthetic colourants for fabrics, paper, cosmetics and food | Nappies and sanitary items Sleeping bags Non-organic textiles and leather Soft toys Paints and inks (including finger paints) | Carcionogenic DNA damage Allergies and skin sensitivities Neurological issues Liver and kidney damage |
| Heavy metals | Add durabillity and vibrancy, preservatives and stabalisers and as catalysts and conductors in eletronics | Cosmetics and personal care Toys Cookware Pesticides Paints Electronics Keys | Neurological issues Cardiovascular disease Developmental problems in children Infertility Cancer Organ failure |
| Microplastics | Synthetic fabrics are used as a cheap alternative to natural materials. Most synthetic fabrics are known as primary microplastics due to their structure and their constant shedding | All synthetic fabrics (polyseter, acrylic, nylon) Over 98% of soft toys Ultra processed foods Carpets Makeup and cosmetics Food and water Plastic kitchen appliances Household dust | Hormone disruptors Early puberty and early menapause Infertility and reproductive harm Neurlogical issues Cancer Obesity and diabetes Cardiovasular disease All cause mortality |
It’s a lot to remember! But you don’t need to memorise it all. Just change some fundamental lifestyle habits, and focus on just one at a time, to create a healthier home.
Here are some simple tips to help your family live a cleaner, low-tox lifestyle with minimal effort:
- Hoover and dust your homes regularly (dust is where many of these harmful chemicals accumulate) and open windows to clear out household air.
- Look for items which are specifically labelled as being free from these things. Many coats are now labelled PFAS free.
- Buy organic clothing, natural fabrics and organic food as much as you can, prioritising those worn next to the skin, around the airways or in heat (summer or gym etc).
- Avoid synthetic materials, especially those labelled as ‘water-repellent’, ‘stain resistant’, ‘easy iron’ or similar.
- Make as much food as you can from scratch. Homemade food contains significantly less chemicals and microplastics than read-made or processed foods.
- Have a water filter fitted for all drinking water in your home
- Swap out as many plastics as possible from the kitchen in favour of stainless steel and wood.
- Natural and organic cosmetics, and avoid all synthetic fragrances for body and home
- Use non-toxic cleaning products
- Take off your shoes inside. Yes, this one is super easy and also free! But has a huge impact as many environmental toxins, especially lead and heavy metals, are on the bottom of our shoes.