Stop Confusing Your Cells: The Hidden Hormone Hijackers in Your Home
What’s really inside your personal care, laundry, and cleaning products -and why it matters for your health, energy, and clarity.
You’re already doing so much right. The meditation. Breathwork. Movement. Clean-ish eating. Nervous system support. You’re intentional. Awake. Growing.
But what if your home environment is quietly hijacking your hormones?
I see it first hand… well-meaning, health and eco- conscious humans, who simply have no idea how deeply everyday products - like lotions, shampoos, laundry detergents, candles, air fresheners, and yes, even trash bags - can impact their health, energy, and emotional balance.
Even products labeled “eco-friendly” or “natural.” Heard of Greenwashing? A laundry detergent brand might use plastic-free packaging, show ocean turtles on the label, and claim to be eco-conscious - while still including fragrance allergens and endocrine disruptors in the formula.
That’s greenwashing: it looks safe, but it’s still confusing your cells.
Let’s talk about the elephant in your bathroom, your laundry room, and your shopping cart: fragrance. (This is not the same as the fragrance or aroma that comes from a pure essential oil of a plant.)
So to talk about this we gotta talk about endocrine disruptors.
🧬 What Are Endocrine Disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are synthetic chemicals that mimic or block hormone activities - such as estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormones (T3 + T4). These disruptors mess with natural hormone signals by interfering with receptors, production, transport, and breakdown mechanisms.
In other words - they are substances that confuse your cells. Your body has an incredible filtration system that helps protect you against toxins. But when the filtration system is overloaded, you start exceeding the toxin threshold your body can handle.
🧪 Common Endocrine Disruptors to Watch For:
These chemicals are often hidden in personal care, cleaning, laundry, and plastic products—even in items labeled “natural” or “green”:
1. Phthalates
Found in: Fragrance, soft plastics, lotions, deodorants
Why it matters: Disrupt estrogen and testosterone balance
Watch for: “Fragrance”, PVC, “vinyl,” DBP, DEP, DMP on labels
2. Parabens
Found in: Shampoos, conditioners, lotions, makeup, shaving gels
Why it matters: Mimic estrogen; linked to breast tissue changes
Watch for: Methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben
3. Triclosan
Found in: Antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, deodorants
Why it matters: Interferes with thyroid hormone metabolism
Watch for: Triclosan or “antibacterial” on labels
4. Synthetic “Fragrance”
(Fragrance Loophole)
Found in: Everything from laundry detergent to candles, hair spray, body wash
Why it matters: Can contain hundreds of unlisted chemicals, including phthalates
Watch for: The word “Fragrance” or “Parfum” on the label
5. BPA (Bisphenol A)
Found in: Plastic bottles, food cans, receipts, pacifiers
Why it matters: Mimics estrogen; linked to fertility and metabolism issues
Watch for: BPA, BPS, and avoid plastics labeled with #3 or #7
6. PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)
Found in: Nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant sprays
Why it matters: Disrupts thyroid hormones and immune function
Watch for: “Nonstick,” “Teflon,” “Gore-Tex,” or “stain-resistant”
7. Flame Retardants (PBDEs)
Found in: Furniture foam, mattresses, electronics
Why it matters: Disrupt thyroid hormones and neurodevelopment
Watch for: Older furniture (pre-2014), electronics, baby products
8. Heavy Metals (Lead, Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium)
Found in: Contaminated water, cosmetics, old paint, rice, some spices
Why it matters: Interfere with hormone signaling and brain development
Watch for: Lead-based products, untested cosmetics, contaminated supplements
The these substances interfere with feedback loops in the body that regulate your:
Mood and emotional resilience
Sleep cycles
Energy and metabolism
Detox and digestion
Nervous system response
Reproductive health
When the body’s feedback loops are disrupted, it starts sending confused signals. And over time, that confusion feels like:
Fatigue that rest doesn’t fix
Brain fog or mood instability
Irregular cycles or skin flare-ups
Weight fluctuations
That “off” feeling that nothing quite explains
And here’s the kicker: These disruptors are hidden in:
Personal care products (body wash, lotions, hair care)
Laundry detergent
Dryer sheets + softeners
Cleaning sprays and air fresheners
Trash bags and “odor-neutralizers”
Basically, anything labeled “scented” - yes even the ‘eco friendly’ brands as mentioned above.
🚨 The “Fragrance” Loophole & Common disruptors
I first learned about the Fragrance Loophole back in 2015 from the documentary Stink! - and once I saw how many harmful chemicals could legally hide behind that one word, I couldn’t unsee it. It cracked something open in me, and I started looking at everything differently. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a watch.
Flip over almost any mainstream product and you’ll see it: Fragrance.
That single word can legally contain dozens of unlisted chemicals, many of which are known hormone disruptors and allergens.
It’s worth repeating: Even brands that claim to be clean or sustainable aren’t exempt.
Those laundry detergent sheets I mentioned? I saw them at a friend’s house just yesterday (which prompted me to write this) turtles on the packaging - plastic-free, ocean-safe - and yet… the “Fresh Scent”still assaulted my senses. I immediately went to the ingredient list to see “fragrance allergens”, and the instruction “wash hands after touching”. Um how about no, just leave the fragrance allergens out? Thanks.
Same with trash bags.
Nothing annoys me more than having to decode 10 boxes at the store just to find one without synthetic scent. Totally unnecessary. Don’t get me started on the furniture store I walked into a few months ago. They have a system that pumps the most God awful synthetic scent through the store. I was blown away - I asked the guy how he could be in this space all day. He said he didn’t even notice it. Noseblind. I think most people are these days. It was rough. I didn’t make it 10 minutes in the store.
It shouldn’t be this hard to protect your body and energy from invisible harm.
There is good news: it doesn’t have to be.
🌿 So What Can You Do?
Let me be clear: Essential oils are not a cure-all. But they are pretty darn amazing for a lot of things when you learn how to use them properly. Their versatility has completely shifted my paradigm for how I think and take care of myself and the work I’m called to do in the world.
One thing they can do is help you take back control of your environment and reduce your toxic burden on your cells. While we can’t avoid every toxin in the world, we can stop inviting them into our homes, onto our skin, and into our nervous system. When you know better, you can do better.
Swapping synthetic fragrance for pure essential oils is one of the most impactful shifts you can make for your health, mood, clarity and hormone harmony.
Essential oils are more than beautiful scents. They are plant intelligence - offering emotional, energetic, and physiological support without disrupting your feedback loops.
They work with your body, not against it.
✨ Download my Green Cleaning ebook
If hormone harmony is important to you and you’re ready to make your home a place that supports your clarity and healing instead of weighing you down, download my 12-page ebook Goodby Toxins Hello Nature
Top essential oils and products for cleaning
Recipes for kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, personal care
Simple, powerful swaps you can start today
You can’t control everything you’re exposed to on a daily basis. But a lot of it? You actually can. You get to decide what enters your home, what goes on your skin, and what you allow into your energetic field. And these choices - though they may seem small - are anything but insignificant. Making your home healthier doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It starts with awareness. It moves with intention. And small shifts and daily habits build momentum that changes everything.
Walking with you,
Emily
Ways to work with me:
IN PERSON CLASSES 821 E 66th St.
Tuesday 6/10 4:30 pm $15
GoodBye Toxins, Hello Nature: Green Cleaning w/ doTERRA
Tuesday 6/24 4:30pm $15
Explore the Wisdom of the Plant Kingdom: A 5-Part In-Person Series to reconnect to the elements, regulate your energy, and experience essential oils as powerful allies for healing and transformation $225 for 5 classes or $55 per class. Tuesdasy: June 17, July 8, 22, Aug 5, 19 4:30pm
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Coming this Fall:
AromaPoint Mastery | A 9-Month Journey in Soulful Healing with Essential Oils (Begins October 11th. Waitlist & Early Bird/Founder’s Member Pricing $1111 now open.)
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Are you or someone you know interested in creating an extra $500+ monthly in residual income by sharing foundational wellness products & essential oils? I have mentorship spaces available for up 2 aligned people to pour my time, energy and attention into- to show the ropes- and how to do it YOUR WAY. Learn as you go! email: Emily@emilypolonus.com (subject Health&Income)
