5 Surprising Everyday Things That Are Toxic

Given the times that we live in these days we have to be conscious about the things that we use because even the products that are deemed to be ‘all-natural’ or ‘non-toxic’ are actually quite dangerous and contain harmful compounds. Given below is a list of five common things, in random order that we use on a daily basis and are surprisingly highly toxic in nature -

Lipstick

Cosmetics have always been accused of containing harmful substances and amongst them the one with the worst reputation is lipstick. Modern lipsticks are believed to contain lead and a lot of potentially toxic items. Exposure to these harmful substances present in lipsticks can affect the brain development in case of children. So, always use lead-free or natural lipsticks.

Fragrance Or Perfume

Sure, the fragrance bottle or the perfume bottle may look lovely and smell heavenly but there is more to it than just the aroma. The perfumes manufactured these days generally contain synthetic chemicals which are obtained from petroleum distillates. Thus, that lovely rose fragrance that you have actually contains harmful chemicals instead of actual rose petals.

As many as 95% of the modern perfumes contain toxic materials derived from petroleum. Apart from this, they also contain harmful chemicals like acetone, limonene, ethyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, linalool and benzaldehyde. If you notice any of these in the ingredients list of your perfume bottle then it is time to stop using it.

Nail Polish Or Nail Varnishes

Another cosmetic item that is said to have a bad reputation for being toxic. A majority of the nail polished manufactured today contains the ‘deadly trio’, i.e. formaldehyde, DBP or Dibutyl Pthalate and toluene. These chemicals cause illnesses, asthma and developmental problems. Even non-toxic or toluene-free nail polishes have failed to clear the test of them being safe for use.

‘Unscented’ or ‘100% Natural’ Air Fresheners

These are just like perfumes because they are made from an amalgamation of toxic compounds like ammonia, toluene, benzene, terpenes, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellant, chlorine beach and many more. Thus, air fresheners do not actually freshen up your room but fill it with toxins that are potentially hazardous to humans. Some of these even contain a chemical known as phthalate that can disrupt human hormones. Surprising isn’t it? If you want fresh air then step out of the house or use natural air fresheners to do the trick.

Canned ‘Organic’ Food Items or Regular Canned Food

This one may come across as less surprising because we are all well aware of the fact that fresh food is best. While canned food may be very convenient to use, they contain some of the most controversial chemicals like bisphenol A or BPA in order to line the cans. BPA can be toxic even when it is present in small amounts - it causes obesity, breast cancer, genital abnormalities in both the genders and attention deficit disorder to name a few. Thus, instead of consuming canned beans, soups, tuna or juice, even if it is organic, it is best to consume their fresh versions instead.