Your Last-Minute Holiday Gift Checklist (Tox-Free!)

Running a little behind this year? But you do not want to be gifting things that inadvertently burdens your loved ones with toxins.

After some years of hunting for presents and tackling different needs, I’ve learnt some things about the materials or ingredients that go into products.

I've compiled some of my favorite last-minute gift ideas here. This list will be short and sweet to inspire you as you will likely be brimming with your own ideas after reading it.

Keeping in mind the tox-free factor also works for those on your list who “have it all”. I bet it will end up being the best gift they ever received! You can bet it will end up being one of the most thoughtful gifts that they ever received.

I try to refer to brands that are committed to toxin-free products and/or ecological lifestyles. . As always, do your own research and happy shopping!

Beeswax Candles

Candles as a holiday gift is a cosy classic that can work for anyone. Make it beeswax and phthalate-free fragrance oils and premium essential oils, so your loved one can claim the benefits of its natural air-cleaning properties, zero chemicals. These candles will not trigger allergies or irritate airways.

Beeswax candles in particular conjures up notions of craftsmanship, quality materials, and sustainable practices that are kind to our earth.

What you want:

✔ no hardeners or stabilisers

✔ beeswax

✔ phthalate-free fragrance oils

✔ premium essential oils

These items are usually very easy to find in stores, so they're great last minute gifts. Just try to stick with neutral colors to up your chances of them actually being well-loved.

These 100% beeswax candles are smokeless: Decorative Beeswax Smokeless & Unscented Candle

Bath salts

Emotional Detox Bath Soak. I received this as a gift last Christmas, and there is something truly magical about it! $35.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

One of the earliest presents I started getting for my family were these bottles from Klean Kanteen (Stainless Steel Water Bottle). It’s clean, it’s safe, the water is only touching stainless. This is what my whole family drinks from on the go!

What you want:

✔ no exposed lead fasteners / seals

✔ food-grade quality stainless steel

✔ water only touching steel; no plastics

Cleaning supplies

Swedish Dishcloths

Reuseable, washable, and biodegradable, these make simple and fun gifts. Get them in cute patterns that your little ones will enjoy helping out in the kitchen with.

Bees Wrap– Plastic and Silicone free, reuseable beeswax food wraps. Always a great gift!

Silk night cap

For those with luscious locks, 100% organic silk goes a long way in maintaining tangle-free shiniest hair, and prevent breakage. 100% natural, unadulterated and organic. You don't have to settle for substandard materials or synthetics. The price is higher for silk; but with the right care, your silk pillowcase will last for years without losing quality.

https://masa.organic/

What you want:

✔ natural and organic, certified if possible

✔ OEKO-TEX® Certified (Standard 100) to be free of chemicals

✔ no synthetic materials

Kitchen Appliances in tox-free materials

Sometimes accidents happen and we need a new blender/kettle/crock… For example, this retro tea kettle is handcrafted of pure ceramic, our tea kettle is safe, non-toxic, and never made with metals or other harmful chemicals.

HEPA Air Filters

We spend about 90% of our time indoors, where the air is up to 5 times more polluted than outdoors. HEPA Vacuum– A high quality HEPA filter vacuum can be pricey; however it goes a long way for breathing sweet clean air if you are living in an area of pollution. Choose one that can filter pollutants that are 2.5 microns or less in size, that is about 30 times smaller than that of a human hair. Common types are smoke, pet dander, bacteria and viruses. It should trap Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are gases and chemicals released from paint, furniture, and the use of cleaning products.

If your loved one doesn’t have one already, this is a great gift to help them suck up dust that may have accumulated toxins.

You can find high quality air filter from Blueair.

What you want:

✔ high CADR — how well the filter can clean amounts of air

✔ low noise and high energy efficiency

✔ filter pollutants that are 2.5 microns or less in size.

I hope this low toxic gift guide has been a help, whether picking something out for a friend or as a gift to yourself. Follow along here, on Instagram. Did you find any toxin-free gifts for your loved ones?

Must-Watch Documentaries About Toxic Chemicals

Updated 23 July 2024

Embarking on a toxin-free life can be an overwhelming and transformative experience. To help navigate this road, I have found in-depth documentaries to be particularly helpful to understand how these pollutants affect us, including: Documentary films, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity research and lectures, and related eBooks. 

This page is a resource that will help you become an informed consumer.

Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Toxic chemicals have infiltrated all aspects of modern living — household items, consumer products, electronics, food, food packaging, personal care products, soaps, pharmaceuticals, toys and play mats, and even our water supply.

Imagine having a home that makes you sick. You may make the connections much later to discover how common household items and materials like paint, carpeting, new building materials and insecticides are now your worst enemies. Your bones ache, you’re feverish, you suffer from extreme headaches, disabling fatigue, mental confusion, asthma and nausea.

You realise you are dealing with something called “MCS”, also known as environmental illness, chemical intolerance, and toxicant induced loss of tolerance or TILT.

Are you ill? Or is it your environment that is poisoned?

The longer you stay in your house, the sicker you get but you can’t imagine how or where you’re going to find a safe home. You begin to wonder if you will ever get back to feeling well, and how others respond to your “invisible illness”.

If you have imagined a stronger, more vibrant and happier you, a calm and peaceful home, you are tackling the tasks of living free of toxins. I hope this list is helpful to you and your loved ones to understand the world of MCS.

The Poison in Us All - 2023 (full documentary)

“The Poison in Us All,” a documentary by Bloomberg Investigates, explores the origins of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) or “forever chemicals,” and how they are putting our lives and the lives of future generations at risk.

Rates of cancer diagnosis in children are increasing in Minnesota, USA, which is where chemical company 3M’s global headquarters are located. As far back as the 1960s, the company has been dumping PFAS chemicals in the surrounding areas.

Minnesota sued 3M for the damage that it has caused to the state’s natural resources, and in 2018, the company was ordered to pay $850 million for contaminating the state’s water supply for decades.

The US EPA now recognizes more than 14,000 different chemical structures as PFAS.

Homesick - 2013 (full documentary)

Director Susan Abod hits the road to learn whether other people with MCS are finding safe housing. On her journey to the Southwestern United States, Susan meets people from all walks of life. Their living quarters range from a house on stilts to tents and a teepee.

Funny, You Don't Look Sick: An Autobiography of an Illness

Director Susan Abod also made another film about MCS.

I made a film, the first documentary I made. called "Funny, You Don't Look Sick: An Autobiography of an Illness" was basically about the, you know, having this illness. And--and I took people on a tour through my house and said, 'Well, it looks like a normal place. But you know, there's no carpeting, there's radiant heat, there's no gas stove, there's no paint, nobody smokes in the building. So when I was done with that film, and you know, this was before email, it showed in 1995. And we-- it wound up going to a lot of support groups. And it was by word of mouth or newsletter or something like that. Then it dawned on me that I had this access to--in Boston, there was the American with Disabilities Act, had an arts mini grant available, and I was starting to have trouble with my housing.

I came up with the idea, how to meet others. I mean, simply what you said. And the--a film would be a great way to do it since I didn't have the resources, if I could get money in order to make my van accessible, money to hire a camera woman. So that's what I did. And we only had paper newsletters. And that's how I did it, from phone contact to phone contact to build up a tour of people to talk to. And that's how I did it. — Susan Abod, from podcast interview https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/11732992

stink! - 2015 (Full Documentary)

STINK! a 2015 American documentary film directed by Jon J. Whelan. The film explores why there are toxins and carcinogens legally hidden in American consumer products.Award-winning film on dangerous chemical ingredients hidden in everyday products. The New York Times says, "Jon Stewart...would probably approve of ‘Stink!’” Entertaining, enlightening, witty, and at times absurd, you’ll never smell the same after Stink!”.

Addicted to Plastic - 2018 (Full Documentary)

ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a point-of-view style documentary that encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability.

Your space is your sanctuary

These documentaries expose the harms of toxic chemicals, offering insights from science, healthcare providers, and people suffering with its related health problems.

There are building biologists who have walked this path of recovery — attaining a higher level of calm to their environment and to themselves, and you can take advantage of this knowledge and guidance in creating a healthier and less stressful living and working environment.