I know you’ve all heard me talk a lot on here about “clean living” and what that means for me and my family.
For years, eating “organic” was about as far as my “clean living” efforts went. I assumed that focusing on what I put “in” my body, and my kid’s bodies, was “good enough”. That for the most part, we were healthy and living a clean life!
It never even dawned on me that the environment inside our home and the products we use on our bodies is just as important as the food we eat. It all affects our health.
Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly exposed to harmful chemicals and toxins – out in the world, and even in our own homes.
On average, women apply over 168 chemicals on their bodies. Daily. 168 chemicals. Without even realizing it.
And it comes from the most basic of products. Things you don’t even think twice about. Your toothpaste and hand soap. The laundry detergent you’ve used for years and what you clean your counter with. It all adds up. And it all affects our health.
Repeated exposure to these toxins is linked to everything from hormone imbalances, to infertility. learning disabilities and asthma. To skin irritations, certain types of cancer and of course inflammation (which we now understand to be the root of all disease).
I don’t say any of this to scare you, or be dramatic, but rather to empower you. Because the good news is – YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
You can make small choices, daily – that add up to real changes in your family’s health.
And it’s not hard. My advice – start small. Choose just ONE thing today to change. Maybe it’s your toothpaste or deodorant. Maybe it’s your hand soap or laundry detergent. Just choose ONE thing that you can focus on, and then let that awareness help guide you as you make other choices moving forward. Being aware is the first step, the rest will come…
Our family recently underwent a “clean swap”, where we tried our best to replace products we knew weren’t “clean”, with safer alternatives. Below is a list of some of our favorite new products. My hope is that our “clean swap” will help inspire some of you to make a small change too.
Our favorite “clean” products
CLEAN BEAUTY
Haircare
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- Prose (a line of clean, customized hair care)
- Act + Acre
- ACURE shampoo and conditioner
Skincare
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- Herbivore – this is a line I’ve shared with a lot on here. I love all of their products, but their Emerald deep glow oil my favorite product they make.
- Beautycounter, countermatch collection (I love all of the beautycounter skincare lines, but this is a great “go-to” line if you’re not sure where to begin)
- Beautycounter, counterman collection. We replaced all of JP’s old skincare (which was basically soap and water) with this line and he loves it.
Bodywash and lotions
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- Necessaire – body wash, scrub, and lotion
- Beautycounter, body wash in citrus mimosa
- Beautycounter, melting body balm
- Schmidt’s, natural body wash
- Weleda, skin food (my “go-to” for chapped faces in the winter – I use it on the kids every night before bed)
Deodorants/antiperspirant
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- Primally Pure, charcoal deodorant
- Routine, cream deodorant(my personal favorite)
- Native, deodorant
Oral care
Lip care
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- Herbivore, coco rose lip conditioner (what I keep next to my bed and use at night)
- Primally pure, lip balms (the lip balms I give to my kids instead of Vasoline or chapstick)
- All good, handcrafted healing balm (the thing we keep in our kitchen that I slather over everyone and everything. you moms know what I mean. haha)
CLEAN MAKEUP
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- Beautycounter, flawless in five – I just replaced ALL of my make-up with this
- Beautycounter, dew skin – If I was only going to replace one thing in my make-up bag, it would be this.
- Kosas, lipstick
- Ilia, limitless lash mascara
GREEN CLEANING
General cleaning
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- Dr. Bronners, pure castile liquid soap (great muli – purpose soap that can be used for any and everything)
- Seventh Generation, disinfecting multi-purpose cleaner
- White vinegar – my daily cleaner is this glass spray bottle filled with equal parts white vinegar and water with a few drops of lemon and lavender essential oils. An easy, and inexpensive alternative to traditional cleaners
- Ecos, free and clear dish soap
- Seventh Generation, Dishwasher pods
Laundry
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- Molly’s suds laundry detergent
- Molly’s suds dryer balls (we LOVE these – haven’t used dryer sheets in YEARS and don’t miss them at all. And these last for years)
- Ecos, laundry detergent
This list is just a start. There are so many great options our there now when it comes to “clean” products. I know it can feel overwhelming and confusing at times, so my advice again would be to just start small. Pick one thing to swap today, and then let it naturally grow from there.
There are also great tools out there to help you understand what’s “safe” and what isn’t. I use the EWG (Environmental Working Group) guide a lot when I’m unsure about a product. They are a not-for-profit organization that collects data on thousands of products – from cleaning supplies to beauty products. I also love the “Think Dirty” app, and use it a lot on my phone when I’m out shopping.
What about YOU?! What are some safe, clean products you love?
