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Things change too quickly to be using an outdated list of toxic ingredients to avoid!

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the brand new 2025 update to my most popular freebie – the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid guide. After a year of feedback from my Toxin Free in Three students and watching new trends emerge in the beauty industry, I’ve made crucial updates that every clean living enthusiast needs to know about.

The biggest changes include a new UV sunscreen ingredient that’s sneakily appearing in “all mineral” products, an expanded “use with caution” list that addresses bio-individual needs, and a completely new section on microplastics and liquid plastics!

But this isn’t just about adding more ingredients to avoid. It’s about creating a more nuanced, practical approach to clean living that doesn’t rely on fear-mongering or clickbait. Most importantly, I’m addressing the core issue plaguing the non-toxic space: the lack of clear standards and informed consent.

In today’s episode, we’re chatting about:

• The new UV sunscreen ingredient appearing in “clean” products (and why it matters)
• Why some ingredients deserve caution but not complete avoidance
• The truth about microplastics in cosmetics and their real impact
• How to practice discernment in the fear-based clean beauty space
• Why informed consent should be the foundation of your clean living journey

Why I Created the Toxic Ingredients to Avoid Guide

When I first started talking about toxins on the internet and teaching about reading labels, I thought that people just needed something they could quickly look at and start to learn what ingredients look like and know what to avoid.

But I want it to be relevant. There were lists out there that were a hundred ingredients long. To be fair, while those can be great, they’re not very useful if you’re standing in the aisles at Target and you’re wondering if something is clean and non-toxic.

There is no clear definition of clean, so I wanted to create something simple, user-friendly, and clear. I wanted something you could screenshot, have on your phone, and use as a very quick resource.

Discernment is so important right now with all the fear-mongering that’s happening. Click bait is real! I know that if I were to create content that was really scary or clickbait, I would get a ton of engagement and reach, but I think that’s wrong.

I think that adding stress and fear to something that is already complicated and overwhelming for people is not the right thing to do. It’s not helpful for anybody. 

I wanted this resource to be very clear, simple, and easy to use, but I also wanted it to convey what my standards were. 

Why I Updated My Toxins to Avoid Guide

Things change all the time. Companies are constantly making changes to their ingredients and products. 

New trends will come into the beauty industry, and I really want my Top 25 Toxins to Avoid to be something that is current and relevant and updated. 

All of these updates came from requests from my Toxin Free in Three students. I teach a course once a year. In the membership, we do a weekly Q&A and I get a ton of feedback from them.  Every single one of these updates came from people just like you who are trying to learn about ingredients and non-toxic living.

I also recently went full time in my business so I have more time to keep this guide updated. This is my #1 downloaded freebie! You can download the current version right here.

3 Significant Updates to My Toxic Ingredients to Avoid List

I actually added a new ingredient to the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid list. A new UV sunscreen ingredient was added. The sunscreen industry sneakily is getting this into mineral sunscreens and then labeling them as minerals.

I expanded my ‘use with caution’ list. In addition to my top 25 toxins to avoid, I also have a section that I call ‘use with caution.’ In my course and with my students, I talk about conscious use or maybe limited use for these types of ingredients.

I added a section on liquid microplastics used in skincare, cosmetics, dishwashing detergents, and laundry detergents. We know there is a huge environmental problem with these microplastics because they eventually end up in our water supply and bodies. In this section, I give my opinion, but leave the decision up to you.

These 25 toxic ingredients to avoid are not every single toxin out there that you should avoid, but they are the ones being used most often.

Informed Consent

Informed  consent is a core value that needs to be talked about more in this non-toxic living space. Too many people are just listening to whoever on the internet and believing their advice. 

I totally get that. We all have different levels of capacity to take in information and learn new things. If you’re somebody who needs that guide to just tell you what to buy, that’s totally okay. It’s an appropriate way to approach this, especially if you’re somebody who’s just really overwhelmed with other things in your life and you just don’t have the capacity to learn.

But if you are somebody who has an interest in learning how to read labels and understand why these ingredients are harmful to your health, I really encourage you to use discernment and learn for yourself. 

My hope with this freebie is that it’s the beginning of you learning how to make better choices for you. Download the resource, share it on Instagram, tag me, and let me know what you think!

FAQs About Toxic Ingredients to Avoid

What is the most toxic thing in a household?

Fragrance is one of them! Remove all synthetic fragrances from your home, such as candles and room sprays. 

What toxic chemicals are in everyday products?

Every ingredient in my Top 25 Toxins to Avoid list are in everyday products. That’s why it’s so important that you download the guide and start to remove these ingredients from your home.

Are “green” or “eco-friendly” labels trustworthy?

Unfortunately, no. Greenwashing is a huge problem, which means brands use eco-sounding language to appear clean or safe. You still have to read labels to determine if a product is clean.

How can I make the switch to toxin-free products easier?

Start small! You don’t have to throw away every product in your home all at once. Here are five steps that make the biggest impact!

Related Episodes:

Episode 41: How to Create a Holistic Lifestyle You Actually Love

Episode 106: The Liquid Plastic Problem: What’s Really in Your Clean Beauty Products

Episode 116: Is the “Clean Living” Space Too Judgy? with Suzy Dean