Usually the word “detox” brings to mind clean eating regimes that eliminate toxins from our bodies — but the toxins we come into contact with on a daily basis go way beyond just food. From cleaning products to body care to the treatments we use on our gardens, the toxins potentially lurking around every corner of our homes can make us either throw up our hands in defeat… or get armed with a little knowledge and actually do something about it.
When I first started researching all the toxins in our lives that extend beyond our diets, I would get really overwhelmed and almost paralyzed. But as I started to learn more, my paralysis changed to curiosity, and I started taking baby steps that added up to big changes. I swapped out many of my daily beauty products to natural ones, made the switch at home to nontoxic cleaning products, and I’m about to get a water filtration system installed that ensures all the water coming into our home is toxin free.
Since it’s impossible to rid our homes of every toxin out there, I try to focus on the changes that will really move the needle: those products that I come into contact with on a daily basis and are an integral part of our lives.
And never is that more true than with our beds: this report shows that the average American will spend nearly half their lifetime in bed, and I don’t know about you, but for me that’s a pretty compelling reason to make sure that my bed is as toxin-free as possible.
I recently got a new nontoxic organic mattress and pillows from Avocado Mattress, so it felt like the perfect time to team up with them to talk about a few of the ways I’ve detoxed my nighttime routine for the most rejuvenating and restful sleep ahead. Scroll on for 5 reasons I’m feeling real good at bedtime lately…
1. Fill Your Space With Indoor Plants
Have you heard that indoor plants work to purify the air around them? They do this by absorbing the toxins released by synthetic materials commonly brought into our homes in the form of harmful cleaning products, plastics, and carpet. Since NASA explains that you actually need many plants in your space in order to enjoy their air-purifying effects — and the plants need to be organic and toxin free themselves! — more is more when it comes to indoor plants in our house!
2. Do an Epsom Salt Soak
Soaking in an epsom salt filled tub isn’t just a relaxing way to unwind at night, but the magnesium in epsom salt actually works to draw toxins out of our bodies. If you can, take your detox a step further by avoiding putting any products on your body after the shower. Lotions, oils and deodorants plug your pores and stop the detoxification process, so if you can wait until the morning to apply, give it a try!
3. Switch to Non Toxic Bedding
The easiest way to detox your space is by not bringing toxins into it in the first place. Since going natural with the Avocado Green Mattress, we’ve been sleeping better at night, and wake up feeling great knowing that we’ve spent the last 8 hours in bedding that’s free of VOC’s, formaldehyde and phthalates.
You can find the same organic materials in Avocado Green Mattress’s non-toxic pillows and mattress toppers. We spend nearly half of our lives in bed, so making this easy switch is one way I’m ensuring that that time is spent curled up in bedding that’s safe for our whole family, and totally luxurious.
4. Diffuse Essential Oils
Have you gotten on the essential oils train yet? Turning on my diffuser is one of my favorite ways to unwind before bed, and by choosing certain essential oils, the relaxing ritual works to detoxify the bedroom as well. A study found that the essential oils of cinnamon bark, lemongrass and thyme were found to have the highest antibacterial activity, and tee tree oil works to rapidly inactivate bacterial and fungal properties found in the air.
5. Stretch it Out
Did you know that you can physically stretch the toxins our of your body? By breathing through poses that twist and lengthen the body, your loosening muscles can release the tension and toxins that they’ve collected throughout the day. For years I’ve taken 5 to 10 minutes to stretch every night before bed, and it’s allowed me to feel my best as I crawl under the covers.
This post was in partnership with our friends at Avocado Mattress.
