January Wellness Month Home Detox with Karen Bloom
As we continue with our January Wellness features, this week it’s all about detoxing your home environment, the products we use, and other external influences. No point in working on our healthy bodies with great food and exercise if there are external factors interfering with it.
With that, I interviewed Karen Bloom, who created her business in determining home environmental toxins in 2024. Bloom has a personal affinity for this area having dealt with home toxins affecting her health. In addition to her detox business, she is working on a networking group she calls, The Sustainable Living Business Network, that will cover businesses, information, and people in wellness.
With that, let’s dive into it:
Q.Share about what you do for homeowner and apartment renters to identify and understand about possible toxins in their living environment…
A. I founded Natural Haven SB to help families and individuals create healthy, non-toxic environments in their homes so they can have peace of mind and live vibrant, healthy lives. I share what I’ve learned on my own journey to help people create natural, low-tox living spaces that support their health without the anxiety and guesswork that could otherwise arise in the process. The typical home often contains a surprising variety of toxins, exposing people to harmful substances through air, food, water, and consumer products. These hidden toxins can be everywhere: from synthetic cleaners and artificial fragrances, to chemicals offgasing from rugs and couches – all of which can potentially cause respiratory issues, birth defects, hormonal imbalances, inflammation, and long-term health concerns like autoimmune disorders and cancers. In some cases, things like mold exposure, which is particularly rampant in Santa Barbara due to the high humidity, can further make it challenging for the human body to detox its already heavy daily toxic load. I understand the profound impact that a clean, low-tox living space has on overall health and well-being. Through personalized consultations, I guide homeowners through the process of identifying and eliminating these harmful substances, empowering families to create safe, healthy environments where everyone can flourish.
What is your personal experience with toxins?
My own personal health journey only amplified for me what a difference the products with which we surround ourselves can make to our health and development. What started as a broken ankle from a backpacking trip, became an inexplicable and debilitating illness that rendered me completely disabled, unable to work, and barely able to walk or drive. For almost a decade, I experienced multiple health symptoms, including crippling pain and overwhelming fatigue that made everyday life a challenge. It was only after I looked beyond traditional Western medicine to address the root causes of my symptoms – which included Lyme disease and mold toxicity – that I was able to return to a state of vibrant health. One of the ways that I maintain my health now is by exposing my body to a low toxic load which helps keep my inflammation down.
What is your background in wellness and environment?
I worked at the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, took numerous environmental courses in college and law school, participated in an Environmental Law Clinic, serving as a board member of the Sustainable Business Network of Washington. Of course, I also specialized in consumer products during my career as an attorney. My real education came from my personal stint in the School of Hard Knocks through my decade-long illness of being sensitive to and unable to detox toxins, chemicals, synthetics, and fragrances. I continue to educate myself through courses, such as those offered by the Building Biology Institute.
What other projects are you working on for health and wellness?
I am in the initial stages of building a community to support those businesses in SB and the Tri-Counties that are working toward a more sustainable future. The Sustainable Living Business Network will connect, share resources and referrals, and collaborate to broaden our individual reach and unite our efforts.
Businesses that promote sustainable living, whether through environmental protection, promoting health, or both – businesses such as non-toxic living, green tech, organic food and farming, non-toxic products, waste reduction, holistic health, etc. – are encouraged to join. Anyone interested in learning more about this forthcoming community can reach out to me at hello@naturalhavensb.com
Do you live in SB?
Yes, I do. I moved to Santa Barbara in 2020. I had been so sick for so long in DC… I needed a Big Change. I didn’t know where! So I sold my house in Virginia, rented a car in Seattle and drove down the coast to find my new home. The pandemic hit while I was on my journey which complicated things, but I eventually made it to Santa Barbara and Fell In Love. Not just with the incredible weather and the awe-inspiring views, but with the genuine, grounded people that live here – many of whom are working to make the world a better place.
Anything else?
Manufacturers need to do better and consumers need to demand better. As consumer demand for safer products grows, it is my hope that healthy, non-toxic options become more accessible and affordable through economies of scale, ultimately making it easier to find products that are safe, both for our families and the planet.
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