The Hippocratic Oath tells doctors to “first, do no harm.” But no such rule applies to the products in your home medicine cabinet, and that’s a shame. Many everyday “health” products contain chemicals that interfere with the production, release, transport, metabolism, and/or elimination of your body’s natural hormones.
Called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), these toxins negatively affect the body’s highly sensitive hormone system. All hormones suffer at the hands EDCs, but research suggests that they are particularly damaging to estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones. EDCs are known to affect female (and male) reproduction, thyroid function, metabolism, and obesity.
EDCs are found in a wide range of everyday products, from conventional laundry detergents to perfume to plastic Tupperware containers…. and, of course, in the first aid products many of us keep in our medicine cabinet.
The main takeaway? EDCs can trigger (or worsen) hormonal health issues, including endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts, infertility issues, PMS, heavy or irregular periods, thyroid issues, and more. You should avoid these terrible toxins whenever and wherever you can.
As I mentioned, EDCs turn up around every corner—they hide in upholstery fabric, turn up in lotions and lipsticks, hang out in household cleaning products and lawn chemicals—but they also lurk inside products marketed to help you heal. They’re hanging out, and doing harm, in products that are meant to make you feel better.
It’s time to say goodbye to these not-so-great-for-your-hormones products, and replace them with some easy, inexpensive, and effective natural alternatives.
Your All Natural First Aid Kit
I like to keep my natural remedies simple, quick, and easy. Here’s a look inside my medicine cabinet:
Natural Rx for Cuts, Scrapes, Cramps, Bug Bites, and Bruises
- Product: Neosporin (for small cuts and scrapes, etc.)
- Try this instead: ¼ tsp of Coconut oil with 2 drops each of lavender and tea tree oil. This combination is antimicrobial—without the antibiotics—and will help improve your skin’s immune response so that you heal faster.
- Product: Benadryl anti-itch cream (for bug bites)
- Try this instead: Mix baking soda and water until it forms a paste. Smear the bite or itchy patch of skin. This remedy is also great for dry skin and rashes.
- Product: Noxema (for sunburn)
- Try this instead: Aloe vera gel in its purest form is cooling and healing. And, as much as you can, avoid getting burned in the first place!
- Product: IcyHot cream (for muscle and joint pain)
- Try this instead: Arnica gel works well on unbroken skin for pain and also bruising.
- Product: Mucinex or Vick’s medicine (for cough, cold, or sore throat)
- Try this instead: Nature’s Way Umcka ColdCare range and Zarbee’s Naturals range support the body’s own immune responses.
- Product: Monistat (for yeast infections)
- Try this instead: Vitanica Yeast Arrest Vaginal Suppositories will give relief and help support your vagina flora and Jarrow Femdophilous is clinically shown to restore vaginal microbiome. Check out this post for more natural remedies for UTIs and bacterial vaginosis.
- Product: Advil, Midol or Aleve (for period pain and cramps)
- Try this instead: Clary sage essential oil rubbed into the skin above the pubic bone and below the belly button, where your uterus is, can help relieve cramps. You can also diffuse this oil or add a few drops to an Epsom salt bath. I have a lot more short-term and long-term natural solutions for period pain and cramps just here.
Natural Rx for fatigue, anxiety, period problems, and more
Some “healthy” products don’t contain EDCs per se, but they can come with their health-compromising side effects. Next time you reach for one of these pills or supplements, consider an alternative that is better for your hormones and has fewer side effects.
And unlike the salves, creams, and sprays that you use occasionally (for bug bites or sunburn or sore muscles), the supplements and suggestions aren’t spot treatments. They work best when you make them a regular part of your health prevention and maintenance.
- Product: 5-hour energy, coffee, or other caffeinated drinks (for an energy pick-me-up)
- Try this instead: Take a high-quality B-complex vitamin to help prevent and treat low energy and fatigue. B vitamins also help boost progesterone production, which is critical for balancing with estrogen and easing period problems like severe PMS, bloating, cramps, heavy or irregular periods, and menstrual migraines. Progesterone also helps promote the synthesis of GABA, a calming chemical produced by the brain. This makes B vitamins a good choice for easing anxiety.
Coffee has made headlines in recent years as a “health food,” touted for its anti-aging, cell-health-boosting, mood-lifting abilities, but if you suffer from hormonal imbalances (and even if you don’t!) coffee can be problematic. Skip this faux pick-me-ups in lieu of vitamin D, which supports a whole bunch of health-boosting functions in the body, like robust immune health, healthy aging, healthy metabolism, and healthy mood.
- Product: Over-the-counter diet pills (for weight loss support)
- Try this instead: A high-quality liver support supplement. Optimal liver health is critical for estrogen-progesterone balance (and for avoiding all the gnarly symptoms that come along with estrogen being too high relative to progesterone). Liver health is essential for overcoming weight loss resistance and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Product: Prescription anti-anxiety meds or sleep aids (to help with anxiety and sleep)
- Try this instead: If you work with a trusted healthcare practitioner to find the prescription medications that are right for you, always, always, always, consult that person when considering coming off those medications. But if experience anxiety or trouble sleeping, you may find that taking a specially formulated magnesium supplement can help. Bonus! Magnesium helps support the healthy production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. And then there’s the amazing, mood-improving potential of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Product: Antacids (to help with heartburn and other digestive distress)
- Try this instead: Again, always follow the advice of your trusted healthcare practitioner when it comes to digestive distress. Some GI issues require working with a provider and figuring out what will work for your unique system. But you may be able to improve your symptoms by improving the health of your microbiome. Try a high-quality probiotic. (If your symptoms persist, though, consult a doctor).
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
BALANCE by FLO Living Hormone Supplement Kit
Because you’ve asked for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, I created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:
Balance by FLO Living Supplements are a complete package that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy. They include a 2 month(2 cycle) supply of the following formulations so you’re never caught short in any phase of your cycle.
When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.
Click here to learn more about the BALANCE Bio-Hacking Supplement Kit.
Thanks for this info – I would love to know what to use for headaches which is get regularly – I try to just rest and sleep them off but sometimes they just don’t budge so would love a non chemical based/pill based remedy.
Thank you
Leanne
Thank you Alisa! I plan on making these changes immediately. I have been looking for natural alternatives for my medicine cabinet. I usually just suffer in silence because I know how the store bought pain relievers can mess with your magnesium levels upon many other functions. You are amazing, thanks for your knowledge and dedication to functional health!!
My period cramps have been mostly at my back since having my son almost 14 years ago. Would I still apply the clary sage oil to the front for relief?
I have been dealing with a mad yeast infection for just under a week, I have been living a chemical free lifestyle for about two years now and went immediately to the acv to help with this infection (I rarely ever get any issues but have been a little more stressed lately), acv only gave relief not a solution. So after three days of it not making a significant improvement I looked online for more ideas. I have been using coconut oil and oregano oil for three days now and I am completely symptom free but will continue using it for another two days just to be sure. I use an oregano oil from eBay, “wild turkey oregano oil” is the search term. This is the most powerful stuff we have found.. and we looked a lot. I add ten drops to a tbs of coconut oil and mix it well, and every time I use the bathroom I reapply. At first use I knew it was the answer, it was so soothing and immediately took away the itch and the oregano oil doesn’t burn at that level but you can still smell it in the mixture which was a good enough measure for me. Hope this helps someone in the future. We also just take that oregano oil if we are feeling any kind of yucky, its really strong so take it slow at first but it works, we got the flu last year really badly and this stuff always perked us up and knocked the flu down to one week of terribleness where the rest of my family was in it for two weeks or more. Namaste dear ones!
Also I have been eating a lot of Nancy’s cultured cottage cheese (not big on yogurt..) And making fresh dandelion “tea” (really a decoction, dig one or two true dandelion plants *make sure you identify them correctly* clean them thoroughly, cut them up and boil them for 20 minutes or let them steep for three hours in hot water) makes a delicious and sweet drink that contains large amounts of PRE biotics, the food that proboitics feed on. You could also get the tea in the store if you don’t have access to fresh plants. So that with the cottage cheese has been very helpful for many aliments in my body. (Of course do your own research!!)
Love this article. Thank you Alisa. I have recently found my love for using the essential oils as home remedies but didnt know about period pains. My next venture is the hunt out for clary sage 🙂
it’s important to note that anyone pregnant should NOT use clary sage. it can help relieve cramps because it increases contractions…therefore expelling there period faster, but it can also induce contractions for someone pregnant. If you’re actively laboring it’s helpful to relieve and progress contractions, but even it should be used with caution.
Love this article thanks… I’m totally all for the natural alternatives and have some of these in the mix, but will definitely be adding your suggestions in… I also use organic Manuka honey for a sore throat and tea tree oil for bites and cuts.
A couple of things I wanted to ask? What are your thoughts on charcoal tablets for fertility to help with detoxing? And are they ok to take when trying to conceive?
Also what do you think of rubbing alcohol for bites, cuts, etc. my hubby also likes to use instead of deodorant as it stops too much perspiration?
Many thanks for your wealth of information – love your work xox
Bach’s Rescue Cream: I use it on rashes, cuts, burns (if I don’t have Aloe handy) and anything else where my skin is suffering. It’s made with 7 flower essences, and together with Arnica are my two favorite go-to remedies.
I started “cleaning” my system a few months ago – it too a while. But finally seeing results after around 8 months. Thank you for your advice!
The book is super helpful – although it could use some editing: too much self promotion can turn readers off.
Thank you for all the advice.
Hi Alisa,
Do you have any recommendation for Seasonal Allergy instead of using claritin or other medication?
And, Is there any relationship between Allergy and hormonal imbalance?
Regards,
I use Hyland’s homeopathic allergy tablets. They work so well!! I get them from Vitacost.
Thank you for the suggestions on yeast infection remedies. I notice that a lot of suggestions given by the FLO team tend to suggest things that are not so budget-friendly though. In these times, we all have to watch our money and when we have to purchase items for our health in my opinion they should be as close to budget-friendly as possible…
Hey Alissa. I have read before that lavender oil is a endocrine disruptor and that people who have cancer are told not to use it. Do you know anything about lavender oil as an endocrine disruptor? Thanks.
Lavender, mint and tea tree are all hormonal disuptors, so is aloe and it’s recommended here. EO’s are super concentrated and if you’re trying to get pregnant or have any female issues (cysts, cancer or hot flashes), I’d stay away from them. Aloe was making my hot flashes worse. There are cases of mother’s using lavender and tea tree on young boy and it was feminizing them.
hi thank you for the information
Great great great info thanks!
I’ve found coconut oil is also really good/healing for sunburn.