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Tell me if this sounds familiar… 🙋♀️
You’re interested in the idea of swapping out your household products with more natural options, but you’re not sure what’s legit and you’re overwhelmed by where to start.
Maybe you’ve got people DMing you about products they think you should use and you don’t know how to tell which products are trustworthy.
And let’s be real – who’s got the time to spend hours upon hours researching different products?
It can be hard to sift through all the information and conflicting options. It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin!
A GRACE-BASED APPROACH TO CLEANER PRODUCTS
Before your head does spin off, take a sec to breathe.
I’ve got some great resources and suggestions that I think will really help ya out, but first, it’s important to show yourself some grace.
The point isn’t to be perfect or have a flawlessly clean home and living environment. In fact, no product is perfect, although some are better than others.
The best you can do is your best.
There were times when I thought I was using a safe product only to find out that there was a bad ingredient in it I didn’t know about or the company wasn’t fully honest about something.
Do your best – one better decision at a time.
Growth requires grace.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU FIND CLEANER PRODUCTS
The best way to find non-toxic products that are trustworthy and free of harmful ingredients is to empower yourself through education.
Don’t rely on marketing labels that say “all-natural,” “green,” or “plant-based.” (BTW, those terms don’t mean anything. You can learn more about greenwashing labels in this episode).
Of course, chances are you probably don’t have the time (or the desire) to spend hours researching every ingredient and company out there. I mean, yikes.
So learn from the people who HAVE done the research and understand the labels.
Here are some books that will help you learn more about lifestyle and environmental changes you can make to support your health – and how those decisions affect your body, especially your hormones.
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- Woman Code by Alisa Vitti
- Align Your Health by Dr. B.J. Hardick
- It Starts with the Egg by Rebecca Fett (this one is more focused on fertility)
Another GREAT resource is the blog and Instagram account, I Read Labels For You, with Irina Webb, a non-toxic consumer product researcher.
Irina does tons of research on the many ingredients found in products, and she emails companies to get extra information that’s not on the labels.
She compiles all of that information and creates guides and suggestions for the safest products.
Of course, no product is perfect, but she does lay out which is best, better, bad, and the worst to make it easy for you to decide what you might like to try.
She’s a great resource to find non-toxic brands and products that you can trust.
PRODUCTS I USE AT HOME
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about which products I use at home, so I thought it would be helpful to share my favorites here, in case you wanna try them too.
Now, a quick disclaimer – these are the products I’m using at the time I wrote this article. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that companies can change ingredients, so you have to be aware of that.
Some companies that start out small are very transparent and have clean ingredients. But as they grow, they get bought out by a bigger company and may change their ingredients or policies, becoming less transparent.
Also, everyone’s experiences and preferences are different. These aren’t the only good clean products out there. These are just the ones that I’ve personally tried and really like. But you may prefer something different!
Try these and see how you like them, but ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for you.
Skincare
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- Primally Pure – I love everything about this brand and its products. I especially love their cleansing oil for oily skin, the everything spray, and the clarifying serum. (FYI, oil may seem counterintuitive if you have skin problems or oily skin, but it’s actually really helpful for your skin. Check out this episode with Dani Ferguson to learn more).
Hair Care
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- Carina Organics – I’m really liking their shampoo and conditioner. They have a super moisturizing conditioner that comes in an amber bottle that I especially like. It keeps my hair soft but doesn’t make it feel waxy.
- Primally Pure – They have a great powder dry shampoo that’s my go-to for that second-day hair.
Makeup
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- Crunchi – This is hands down my favorite makeup! I especially love their foundation, but I get all my makeup from them.
Deodorant
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- Primally Pure – Deodorant was the first product that I switched when I started wanting to use cleaner non-toxic products. I tried a ton of different natural deodorants before I landed on Primally Pure, which is definitely my favorite. They have a lot of options for scents, and Matt even uses their charcoal deodorant. Just a head’s up – it’s not an antiperspirant, because it’s actually important for your body to sweat, so keep that in mind when switching your deodorant.
Soap
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- Dr. Bronner’s – These are usually my go-to soap bars at home. You can find them all over, on Amazon, at Whole Foods, or many other places. They have bars of soap, or you can use their castile soap to make homemade hand soap – you can hear how I did that here.
- Primally Pure – They did it again! Primally Pure’s baby bar is a great option for washing your face or body.
- Crunchi – Crunchi has a charcoal bar that Matt and I have used, that’s another great option.
All-Purpose Cleaner
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- Branch Basics – Branch Basics is my go-to for all my cleaning, dishes, and laundry. They sell a concentrate that you can use to make all-purpose cleaner and a bunch of other products like floor cleaner, laundry detergent, and more. All you have to do is add water.
- Thieves – I’ve used Thieves before to make my own all-purpose cleaner, and I love the smell of it. If you’re interested in making your own all-purpose cleaner, either for yourself or as a fun gift, you can get my “recipe” here.
- Pure Haven – This is a good brand that always gets top reviews for safety. I’ve tried a few of their products and they’re a good option to try.
Dish Detergent
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- Branch Basics – You can use Branch Basics’ concentrate along with their oxygen booster for a great dish detergent option.
- Thieves – I’ve used Thieves as well, and they’re another great option.
Laundry Detergent
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- Branch Basics – This is definitely my favorite for laundry, and I love that you can use the same concentrate for all your cleaning needs (all-purpose cleaner, floor cleaner, dish detergent, laundry detergent, etc.)
- Thieves – This is another good option for laundry. I know quite a few people who regularly use Thieves for all their cleaning needs.
- Pure Haven – As I mentioned before, this is another good brand to try if you’re looking for a company that offers a lot of different cleaning and personal care products, so you can order from one place.
Another brand that I’ve heard really good things about, but haven’t tried myself, is True Botanicals. They have a lot of options for skin care and hair care products. (If you’ve tried them, let me know in the comments!)
And another great mascara is from ILIA Beauty.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SWITCHING TO CLEANER PRODUCTS
At the end of the day, it comes down to doing your best, learning which ingredients can act as endocrine and hormone disruptors, and taking small steps to reduce those.
Don’t dump everything you own into the trash and try to get all new products at once. That’s just gonna leave you overwhelmed.
Focus on small improvements, one product at a time.
This isn’t about perfection. You can still use bleach or take an Advil when you need it. You’re a human!
If nothing else, try one of the products I mentioned and see how you like it.
And if you want some practical tools and suggestions to help you choose some non-toxic products, then tune in to the full episode to learn:
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- How to take a grace-based approach to clean living
- Why there’s no perfect product
- Resources to help you find cleaner products (so you don’t have to spend hours researching)
- The importance of regularly checking the brands you’re using
- What products Jordan uses at home
Once you’ve taken a listen, let me know in the comments: have you tried any of these products before, or are there different ones that you like? I’d love to hear from you!
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