On my quest to replace all the toxic products I’ve been using in household and beauty, I thought I’d share with you the healthy product swaps that I’ve made personally, to hopefully save people some time and money. Sometimes it wasn’t always the first product I tried that made it into my “keeper” pile.  It takes quite a bit of trial and error to get to a place where I’m happy with my selection of clean products and how well they work as compared to the chemical-filled stuff.

Swap #1 – Laundry Detergent

This was one of the first product I started trying to switch out, as it is actually one of the most toxic products in our homes. Not only is it full of chemical cleaning agents that then sit on our skin and we absorb all day every day, they are also chock-full of artificial fragrance which we then breath in all day every day.  Double dose of toxic goodness!  The first “clean” product I tried was the Whole Foods Organic Unscented detergent.  This was extremely reasonably priced and gets a great number on the Think Dirty app and EWG.  However, I noticed that my clothes were not getting clean.  Like AT ALL.  I’d pull shirts out of the washer that still had makeup on the collars from when I took them off.  ICK!  Also around this time I had been getting these weird dark spots on our white clothing, and after researching this I determined it was buildup of liquid detergent in our front-load washing machine, so I also decided to switch to a powder detergent.  I tried this powder, Biokleen, that I got at Natural Grocers for 11.99 and so far it’s been great!  Clothes are getting appropriately cleaned, and it has a super light citrus scent from natural sources.   I think I’m on my 4^th  box and am still very happy with it.

 

Swap #2 – Multi-Surface Cleaner

You may think you are doing your family a good service by wiping down your home’s surfaces with Clorox wipes or 409….but guess where that product ends up?  On you skin (or your baby’s skin for that matter), in your lungs, and even in your food.

This swap is a biggie because I have been able to swap SO MANY PRODUCTS and replace with basically just one.   I cannot speak highly enough of the Thieves Household Cleaner from Young Living.  It’s a bottle of concentrated (plant-based) product, and you only need one or two capfuls to make an entire, large spray bottle of multi-surface cleaner.  I have had my one bottle for a year and a half now, and still have at least 1/3 of the bottle left.  So not only is this a healthy swap, but it’s a money saver as well!  Lysol, Clorox Wipes, carpet cleaner, bath tub cleaner….It can all go at once!  I’d say if you decided to sign up for a membership with Young Living, the very first product you should purchase AFTER the Premium Starter Kit would be this cleaner .  Hands-down.   And in fact, you can actually get an entire starter kit just of the Thieves products if you want to start with some healthy household products before oils.  Here  is what the Thieves starter kit looks like (see the About Me page for how to sign up).   This would be a fantastic way to take a huge leap towards having a chemical-free home.  This kit also comes with Thieves toothpaste and mouthwash – 2 more great swaps!

 

Swap #3 – Face Cleanser AND Moisturizer

Did you know that women apply an average of 168 chemicals to their skin every. single. day.  Oh but don’t worry, most products contain too small an amount of chemicals to actually cause any problems…..or do they?  How about if you take that small amount of chemical in one product and multiply it by 168.  Is that still such a small amount?

I have oily/sensitive/acne-prone skin. I know, I won the skin lottery.   Anyway, it’s very important for me to find a product that cleans well, but is still gentle and not over-drying.   See my previous post on my thoughts about oily skin and my homemade skin serum recipe.  I had been using this brand, Neutrogena Naturals for forever.   Which as you might guess, I was SHOCKED to discover rates a 9 on the Think Dirty App!  BUT IT SAYS NATURALS IN THE NAME!!  Yep.  Sure does.   Marketing these days is AWESOME.  Very important to do your homework on a product as opposed to just reading the front label.  I tried quite a few cleansers in hopes of replacing this tried and true product.  I used the Honest Beauty Gel Cleanser, which I liked ok, but it seemed like I had to use quite a bit of product in order to get my face as clean as I wanted and so it ran out very quickly especially considering the price (about 17.50 in a bundle of 3 products).  I then tried an Equate Brand dupe for Burt’s Bees Skin Cleanser.  I know, that just sounds like a bad move right off the bat, and as you can guess…It was TERRIBLE.  Didn’t clean my face at all.  When I would go to dry my face on the towel all this makeup would still come off.  GROSS!.   So after much trial and error I’ve found a product I really love!  The Acure Gel Cleanser which I found at Whole Foods for $9.99, also on Amazon for around the same price.  Way cheaper than Honest Beauty and really goes a long way with not too much product.  Leaves my skin feeling clean and makeup-free, without drying out my skin.

For moisturizers, I had been using Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for YEARS, and I really loved it.  Or I thought I did before finding out it ranked at 8/10 on Think Dirty.  This one has been even tougher to replace, but I’ve finally found a product that doesn’t cause me to product more oil, that wears well under makeup and adequately moisturizes my skin, and it’s the Simple Ultra Light Gel Moisturizer.  You can find this one on Amazon for around $20 which is basically the same price as the Clinique version.

 

Swap #4 – Plug-in Air Fresheners/Candles for an Essential Oil Diffuser.

Plug-ins, sprays, scented candles….the market is saturated with different ways to make your home smell good. But you know what?  All of those products lead to a pretty extreme amount of air pollution INSIDE YOUR HOME.  The kind of air pollution that causes respiratory irritation, asthma, and even cancer.  Since having a child that has some chronic respiratory issues, I have started paying way more attention to the air quality in our home, and everywhere else for that matter.   If you are using these types of products, you are subjecting yourself to breathing in toxic fumes all day long.  Even while you are sleeping.   So here’s a thought…why not swap this out for something that makes your home smell great and ALSO boosts your health AT THE SAME TIME?!?!  A truly novel idea, if you ask me.

An ultrasonic diffuser uses water and essential oils and disburses the mixture into the air in a super fine mist.  The oils not only smell amazing, but they can boost your mood, calm you down, support your immune system, or do about a million other wonderful things for our bodies.  One word of caution, lots of essential oils that are being sold are not pure and can contain quite a bit of artificial fragrance, which makes the swap pointless.  Be sure you are using a high quality, therapeutic grade oil, such as Young Living.  You must research the company itself in order to find out about the quality.  The FDA requires that for a label to say “therapeutic grade” it only has to contain 5% oil.  Just let that simmer for a bit…

 

Swap #5 – Shampoo and conditioner.  

Today’s shampoos contain a host of artificial ingredients including artificial fragrance and Sodium Lauryl Sulfates.  Sulfates are responsible for the “foam factor” in the shampoo.  And most of us are used to the squeaky clean feeling we get after lathering up.  However, continuous use of these products can lead to hair damage, skin damage, eye damage, and even liver toxicity.

I have tried several drug store brand “clean” alternatives and most of them left my hair feeling sticky and gross.  However, I’ve come across a few products now that still have decent lather and leave my hair feeling clean.  Also, I’ve noticed after a few months that my hair is looking much healthier and is growing even faster.  The two brands that I’ve really liked are Honest Beauty and Acure.  The Honest Beauty shampoo and conditioner lathered much like your typical shampoo, but without all the poo…  However, they are rather pricey at 17.50 per bottle in a bundle of 3 products, and I was very disappointed in their size.   I tried the Acure brand that I got at Whole foods and their bottles are only $10 each.   They don’t lather quite as much as the Honest, but they still leave my hair feeling clean, and I actually think my hair looks healthier with the Acure product.  I used the volume mint shampoo with the argan oil conditioner.

 

 

I hope this post helps you all to make some healthy swaps in your own routines! See my previous post on My Holy Grail Baby Products to see some of my favorite clean products in that category.