Who We Are
Why We Pay Attention
Most of us can feel that something has changed. There are more ingredients we cannot pronounce, more materials we cannot identify, more products in our homes, and more questions about what all of it means for our health.
We do not believe the answer is to fear everything around us. We believe it is worth paying closer attention.
What we’re paying attention to
These numbers do not all point to one cause, and we would never suggest that they do. They are simply some of the reasons we keep asking questions about the world we live in, what surrounds us every day, and what we can reasonably choose differently.
2 in 5
About 2 in 5 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime.
Cancer is complex. Genetics, age, infections, lifestyle, environmental exposures and many other factors can influence risk. This number does not tell us why any one person develops cancer. It reminds us that understanding preventable risk factors is worth our attention.
Source: American Cancer Society(opens in a new tab)62 of 62
In a 2024 study, microplastics were found in every one of the 62 human placentas tested.
Finding microplastics in the placenta does not yet tell us what their presence means for pregnancy or long-term health. That research is still unfolding. What it does tell us is that plastic exposure has become intimate enough to reach an organ created to support new life.
Source: Toxicological Sciences, 2024(opens in a new tab)1 in 31
About 1 in 31 eight-year-olds in the U.S. was identified with autism in 2022, according to the CDC.
The increase in autism identification is complex. Changes in diagnostic criteria, awareness, screening and access to evaluation all matter, and researchers continue to study genetic and environmental influences. We include this number because children’s health deserves careful questions, not easy conclusions.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(opens in a new tab)11% to 16%
A common marker of autoimmunity rose from about 11% to nearly 16% of people in the U.S. between 1988 and 2012.
This marker is not the same thing as an autoimmune disease diagnosis. It is one signal researchers use to study changes in immune activity over time. Women also carry a disproportionate burden of autoimmune disease, which makes understanding the forces shaping women’s health especially important to us.
Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences(opens in a new tab)
Why it matters to us
I started asking these questions long before SacredLee had a name.
At first, I was simply trying to make better choices for the people I loved. I read labels. I researched ingredients. I changed the water we drank, the products under the sink, what touched our skin and what came into our home. The more I learned, the more I realized how difficult it could be to get a straight answer. Sometimes the information simply was not there. Sometimes a brand I trusted changed ownership or formulation, and I was back at the beginning.
Eventually, I understood that the goal could not be to control everything. It had to be to know enough to recognize what mattered.
That is still why SacredLee exists.
Not to tell you everything is dangerous. Not to give you another impossible list of things to avoid. But to keep asking the questions, follow the evidence as it evolves, and make it easier for you to decide what deserves your attention and what does not.
What we do about it
Start with the basics
Before adding another product, we look at what can simply be removed, reduced or replaced. Fewer synthetic fragrances. Fewer unnecessary coatings. Fewer products under the sink. Sometimes the most meaningful swap is not buying something better. It is realizing you never needed it in the first place.
Vet before we recommend
A clean label is not enough. We look beyond the front of the package at ingredients, materials, manufacturing, certifications, company transparency and the questions a brand is willing to answer. When we cannot get enough information to feel good about a recommendation, we keep looking.
See how we vetNarrow it down
There are thousands of products marketed as cleaner, safer or better. You should not have to research all of them. The Sacred Edit is where we narrow the field to the products and changes we believe are most worth considering, with a clear explanation of why each one earned its place.
Explore The Sacred Edit
Stay curious.
One thoughtful note each week on what we’re noticing, what matters, and where we’d start.