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As a health journalist, I’ve spent years researching and sharing how we can all live better: avoid fast food, exercise regularly and keep up with doctors visits.
I thought I was doing everything right, until I started reporting on cancer-causing chemicals and microplastics – tiny toxins that are accumulating in your body as you read this (studies suggest 99 percent of us have detectable levels).
While we can’t see any of these substances, research is increasingly showing they have a big impact on our health.
These toxins are estimated to cost the US healthcare system about $290 million per year, as they have been linked to everything from birth defects to cancer, dementia to asthma, and infertility to children’s behavioral and learning difficulties.
Curious and a bit skeptical, I took a urine test to see how many of these toxins were inside me.
The results were shocking: I had dangerously high levels of the substances.
It was the wakeup call I didn’t know I needed, and so I began my detox journey.
I teamed up with Sophia Ruan Gushée, an expert on toxic exposures and creator of the Ruan Living 40-day detox program
Ruan Gushée’s detox program comes with a binder outlining what to do on each day, along with a reusable tote and a safe, stainless steel water bottle. I was also lucky enough to get copies of her detox books to help me on my journey
Detoxing my home, room by room
The urinalysis tested for nine types of common chemicals, including seven phthalates and two bisphenols.
My levels of phthalates were considered ‘high’ and bisphenols ‘very high.’
Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to plastics to make them softer and more flexible. Common products containing phthalates include shower curtains, nail polish, perfume, shampoo, lotions, vinyl flooring, medical supplies, food packaging and air fresheners, among hundreds of others.
Meanwhile, bisphenols – including bisphenol A (BPA) and S (BPS) – are a group of chemicals used to make certain types of plastics and resins. They can be found in food containers, water bottles and receipt paper.
As someone with a family history of breast, lung and colon cancer, as well as diabetes, I know I have to be vigilant about my health, and for the past six months, I’ve been on a mission to limit my exposure to toxins.
At first, I was overwhelmed with information and didn’t know where to start. Then, I met Sophia Ruan Gushée, an expert on toxic exposures and creator of the Ruan Living 40-Day Home Detox program.
She held my hand throughout the program as I purged my life of harmful toxins.
Each day focused on a different room of the house, helping me identify toxic products and swap them for safer alternatives.
This was eye opening.
I went on scavenger hunts to round up all the products I use. Then, I used the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to look them up.
The EWG is an organization that researches harmful chemicals and maintains a database of the products that contain them.
It assigns ‘hazard scores,’ ranging from A to F or zero to 10, to the products, with F and 10 being the most harmful.
The detox kit came with stickers to label household products with their ‘hazard score.’ Scores range from A to F, with F being the most harmful, and zero through 10, with 10 being the most harmful.
I used Ruan Gushée’s stickers to indicate which products I could keep using, like my laundry detergent, and which I should find a safer swap for, like my stain remover
As part of the detox, I searched my apartment for products and graded them based on their ingredients
I started in the laundry room and discovered my dryer sheets scored a D on the hazard scale and my laundry scent boosters were an F. My stain remover was packed with ingredients linked to liver damage and cancer in animal studies.
My dishwasher drying product was a D because it contained chemicals associated with cancer, vision loss and nervous system toxicity.
After swapping out key items in the kitchen and laundry room, my exposure to toxic chemicals dropped by 53 percent.
The hardest part: personal care products
Days eight through 12 focused on beauty and hygiene – by far the most overwhelming part of the detox because of the sheer number of products I use.
I combed through everything – makeup, lotions, body wash, shampoo, nail polish, perfumes, shaving cream, hairspray and tampons.
My bronzer, though labeled ‘paraben- and phthalate-free,’ contained titanium dioxide, a compound banned in Europe due to links to lung cancer and neurotoxicity.
Ruan Gushée has helped hundreds of people detox their lives of harmful substances
One favorite nail polish contained aluminum powder, which has been associated with nervous system toxicity.
Some products were easy to replace with EWG-approved versions. Others, like my favorite face mask or dry shampoo, were harder to give up.
But Ruan Gushée reassured me it’s okay to hold onto things that ‘bring you joy,’ as long as I balance them with safer choices elsewhere.
All told, I cut my personal care-related chemical exposure by 51 percent.
Clearing the Air
Next up: fragrance.
Perfumes, candles, diffusers, air fresheners – I had them all, scattered throughout my apartment.
It hadn’t occurred to me that I was directly inhaling chemicals with every breath, but there are more than 3,000 individual fragrance ingredients used in popular scented products, some of which have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive harm.
I found seven air-freshening products and whittled them down to three, replacing them with cleaner versions or natural alternatives like essential oils and baking soda.
I also swapped out one perfume for a vegan oil, which gets its scent from an essential oil rather than toxic chemicals.
This one category alone cut my exposure by 65 percent.
I discovered I needed to swap my hand cream and bronzer, but my blush and body cream were okay
Day 14 of the 40-day detox program was dedicated to fragrances, including air fresheners, candles and perfumes
I made a lot of changes when it came to fragrances in my home, reducing my exposure to harmful chemicals by 65 percent
The invisible threats: forever chemicals
An entire week of the detox was dedicated to forever chemicals, including PFAS, which are pervasive and in nearly everything Americans come into contact with.
They are present in non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics, oil-resistant food packaging and plastic containers.
The chemicals have been linked to everything from cancer and chronic diseases to infertility and hormone disruption.
Before the detox, I had already replaced my cookware and plastic food storage, but Ruan Gushée pushed me further. I investigated furniture, clothing, and even my fire-retardant mattress.
Replacing these big-ticket items is expensive, so I focused on what I could do now: I skip paper receipts (which are coated in BPA), avoid flame-retardant bedding and I’ve stopped buying water-resistant clothes unless truly necessary.
It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.
An unexpected source of toxins
Several days were dedicated to something I hadn’t given much thought to: colors.
Color additives and artificial dyes in foods like Red 40 and Yellow 5 have been linked to behavioral issues and cancer. So, I tossed my favorite hot sauce, some candy and even a pain reliever, all of which contained problematic dyes.
However, Ruan Gushée also had me look at colored textiles, glassware and décor.
I learned even white-colored products can be bleached, and colorful kitchenware may contain heavy metals like lead and cadmium, which have been linked to autism and cancer.
I parted with a bright purple mug and some black cooking utensils, but I kept my beloved blue casserole dish.
My first round of testing revealed my levels of phthalates and bisphenols were 61 percent higher and 88 percent higher, respectively, than those measured by the CDC in the general public
My test after the detox showed my phthalates went up but my levels of parabens and bisphenols were so low the chemicals were undetectable in my body
The results
A few weeks after my detox journey ended, I sent in a new urinalysis. I was elated to see that my hard work paid off.
The Million Marker’s Detect & Detox Kit works by having people fill out a survey with what products they use and any potential sources of chemicals. Then, you pee in a cup and ship the sample to a lab.
This rendition of the analysis tested for 13 types of common chemicals, including five different phthalates, four parabens (used as preservatives in cosmetics and food) three bisphenols and oxybenzone (a potential carcinogen in sunscreen).
Million Marker then compares the levels of these substances in urine to US population data collected by the CDC.
Before my detox, my levels of BPS were higher than 88 percent of others tested and my BPA levels were not detected.
In my second testing, I had undetectable levels of BPA, BPF and BPS.
The first round of testing didn’t look for parabens, but the second round did, and I had undetectable levels of all four parabens analyzed.
My first round of testing showed dangerously high levels of bisphenols
My second round of testing showed my bisphenols levels dropped dramatically
I also had no detectable levels of oxybenzone the second time around.
The only chemicals that actually increased were phthalates.
Despite all the improvements, my phthalate levels jumped from the 61st to the 94th percentile.
The likely culprits: a new ‘intense repair’ shampoo and a stronger deodorant I’d recently switched to.
Still, I’m not discouraged. I know more now, and I’ll make smarter swaps and test again.
The detox program was the perfect way to not only learn about toxins but also take baby steps to ridding my life of them, and I feel really good knowing my body has fewer chemicals in it.
Ruan Gushée taught me that detoxing isn’t about fear or perfection, it’s about awareness and balance.
It’s okay to keep things you love, as long as you’re mindful of everything else you put on, in and around your body.
