Natural Body Care

Over the past five years I’ve been slowly, but surely, changing over my personal care products, to more natural versions. I started with changing over my toothpaste to a fluoride free version. It wasn’t until the past 9 or so months that I’ve become much more strict about only purchasing clean products. What inspired me to do so, was of my favorite You tubers got pregnant and began talking about having to change her beauty regimen to avoid ingredient that are hazardous to a developing baby. Which made me think, if the ingredients can cause severe defects in a baby, what sort of effect could they be having on me and my future reproductive system?

I did some research on the ingredients I felt strongly about avoiding and decided to cut them out of all future products I put on my skin. Now I know the haters are gonna say something along the lines of “What a terrible way to live, out of fear like that” “If it’s not one thing, it’s another that’s going to kill me, why waste my time worrying about it”. To that I would say: I don’t avoid various ingredients because of great fear- but from a place of being informed. We each make choices every day with the information we receive. I choose to take an active roll in my health and well-being. It’s something I value greatly, and find it’s not worth being passive about.

 The following ingredients are the main ones I avoid:

phthalates, fluoride, SLS, Dimethicone, Parabens, Synthetic Fragrance, Phosphates, Dyes, Bleaches.

I always read the ingredient list. Just because an item is labeled as “natural” does not mean all the ingredients are safe. If I’m still unsure about an ingredient (as each of the above mentioned ingredients can have a multitude of names) I run the list through the Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep page. One blogger/Youtuber that is a great resource for learning about ingredients is Lauras Natural Life. She has a course on teaching you about product ingredients that I hear is helpul-I have not taken the course personally. I discovered her after I began weeding out toxic products, and I return to her for product recommendations time and time again.

One thing that may surprise people is that truly natural products do not have to be more expensive than conventional products. Again ya’ll know this about me, I am a thrifty spender. I search for the least expensive price for every product, often a lot of my items come from TJMAXX. Otherwise I only shop natural products when they go on sale. Whole Foods is always having amazing sales! They recently had a skin care clearance and I stocked up on deeply discounted products! I’m not overly picky about one brand over another if they work just as well.

Body Wash & Natural Sponges

$15.99 Amazon $9.89 Costco

 Dr Bronners. My number one stunner. I’ve used this soap since I was in high school, it’s the only body wash I use. I use it for a thousand other things as well! I have almost always purchased the peppermint. This time I decided to get unscented, so that I could use essential oils to change the scent with the season. The large container lasts me about a year, and I use it every single day. See my other uses for Dr Bronners here.

$4 TjMaxx$12 Honest.com I got mine on sale for $8

I use these great Konjac sponges, I have one for my body, and one for my face. They work up a great lather, and are easy to clean. You need to hydrate them every time you use them because they’ll shrivel and harden when dry. The charcoal one is admittedly not very good quality from TJ MAXX, the peachy one is from the Honest company and amazing quality!

Body lotion

$4 TJ MAXX or $9.95 Honest.com

My current favorite lotion is this great one from the Honest Company, I chose the unscented formula, and use it every day, it’s hydrating and absorbs quickly so you don’t have that lingering icky film.

Hand Cream

$12.95 Honest.com

Okay this isn’t exactly a cream, but I use it in place of one. From working in a restaurant, I have to wash my hands so may times a day. It leaves them very, very dry. I received this sample from the Honest company, I use it almost every night before bed and it has lasted me for months! I will definitely be purchasing the full size when I run out.

Shampoo

$5.99 TJ MAXX

I’ve really been liking this Avalon Organics thickening shampoo, my hair is very fine, and I have so much of it, it get’s oily real quick. This get’s my hair the right kind of clean without stripping it of its natural softness.

Conditioner

$9 ish from the grocery store

I’ve been using Nature’s Gate. It’s a pretty decent conditioner, it leaves my hair very soft the day of, but a little extra greasy by day 2, so I only apply it to the bottom third of my head. I am looking to change this one when I run out. But It’s a solid backup when you need it.

Dry Shampoo

$8.99 sale at Whole Foods $13.64 Amazon

Acure Organics creates some awesome products! I have not disliked anything from this brand.

I really love this product. It should be noted that I go through a LOT of dry shampoo. I had been a big fan of Batiste- but the aerosol aggravated my asthma, and the amount of cans I had to go through without recycling didn’t sit well with me. The one I chose claims it’s for brunettes, however the color of the powder is just barely tinted tan. That being said, it doesn’t leave that powdery white sheen to my hair. AND I can recycle this little plastic bottle!

Toothbrush & Toothpaste

$5 TJMAXX $7.50 Whole Foods

One of the first changes I made was going fluoride free. There’s much debate over fluoride, I firmly stand in the camp that avoids it at all cost. They say it’s been proven ‘safe’. But I don’t believe that, we have a high exposure to it in our daily drinking water, I don’t feel comfortable brushing my teeth with it multiple times a day in addition to that. I encourage you to take a look at the back of your toothpaste container, it should have a warning citing that you should not swallow, if you consume more that a PEA sized amount you should contact poison control! Think about that for a minute.

This formulation is fluoride, sls, gluten, dye/bleach, and cruelty free! It’s also light brown. Which was admittedly, an adjustment. This really gives you nice clean teeth and long lasting fresh breath. It also foams nicely, which is something natural toothpastes tend to be lacking. It’s a concentrated formula, so the small bottle lasts much longer than you’d expect.

Completely natural and effective toothpaste is almost as difficult to find as natural effective deodorant. Or maybe Tony and I are just picky. Though really, let’s have a moment of silence for the challenge of finding a product both you and your spouse like….the struggle is real. And it SHOCKS me that Tony and I have agreed on this one! We actually ran out of toothpaste and needed a replacement, the store was out of this kind so I picked up another clay based product, and Tony asked if we could switch back to Auromere. He didn’t even mention a conventional brand like Crest. Major win!

$12 Amazon 4-pk

I’ve gone bamboo ya’ll! It occurred to me one day, that every single toothbrush I’ve ever used is sitting in a landfill. That really bugged me. I did some research and found these neat bamboo brushes! Bamboo is a very sustainable resource, and will break down in a compost. Plus aesthetically they look much more chic than a bright plastic one. Design win! They work just as well as conventional toothbrushes, and the bristles are naturally much softer.

Lips

$1.99 Whole Foods

$18 Honest.com I got mine for $11

 

My favorite chapstick of all time is the organic whole foods brand in peppermint. It’s the perfect chapstick, long-lasting, and two dollars!

The beauty balm is a great multi purpose scent free balm, but I mostly use it on my lips while getting ready, or before bed. Other than that I don’t like to carry it around with me since it has to be applied with your finger. The website says it has a multitude of skin uses.

Deodorant

3 ounce jar around $0.65

What a smelly challenge this has been. I have tried around a dozen natural deodorants that have not worked for me. Everyone is different so to give you an idea, I’d categorize my stank level as high, and a medium sweater, with sensitive under arms. I need something that can stand up to working in a hundred degree kitchen. The most effective formula I’ve used is surprisingly a DIY version. I put it in a little jar, and apply it with my hand. It’s a combination of coconut oil, arrowroot powder, a small amount of baking soda, lavender & tea tree essential oils. The scent is nice without being too strong!

The next best option found in the store is Schmidtts in Lavender…although using it too often would cause my underarms to become irritated, I think it’s the baking soda.

Menstrual Products

$25 Amazon

$6.25 Liners

Vaginal health is so important!

I made the change from tampons to a menstrual cup well over a year ago, and I am so glad I did! This product allows for a less disrupted and a more natural flow. You also aren’t subjecting such delicate tissue to bleached and pesticide sprayed cotton. You can wear the cup for up to 12 hours which is a huge bonus! The cup lasts for as long as you take care of it. I believe the general guideline is 5 years. That’s some major financial savings and positive body effects!

I also choose to use Organic cotton panty-liners, although I have my eye on some reusable organic cloth liners I’d like to get once I run out of my current stash of disposable liners.

 

There you have it! Those are all of my current favorite body products that I’ve been using lately! I hope you find these recommendations helpful!