Two weeks ago, I published a post entitled “Beauty Products: Are They Toxic?”. That post talked about why I began the journey of “cleaning” up my routine and the common toxic ingredients to avoid. In this article, I will give you ideas on how to get started on your clean-up journey, how I find healthy products, where I buy my products and why I love these vendors. Let’s get started.
You might be thinking that this sounds very overwhelming. I get it! When I started, I too felt overwhelmed and would spend hours reading ingredient labels to decipher the words included on the product label. It also can become very daunting if you try to replace everything at once. I don’t know about you, but I have a ton of products and cosmetics. I’ll be the first to say that I haven’t replaced everything in my bathroom cabinets with clean, eco-friendly products. Remember that this is a journey and it’s important to make educated decisions and adjust your habits over time.
I recommend starting with a few key products and working your way through as you need to replace items. The first items that I focused on replacing were things that I put directly on my skin, eyes or mouth. If you read my post from two weeks ago, I talk about the skin being the largest organ in the body. This was the driving force as to why I began cleaning up my routine with items directly applied to my skin. Here are the six products that I recommend swapping.
Deodorant
This was the first product that I replaced with a clean option. Using a natural deodorant is important because it doesn’t clog your pores allowing your body to sweat and release toxins. It will take time for your body to adjust to natural deodorant and it will probably take you trying a few different brands to find what works for you. Be patient with the process.
Body Lotion
I use lotion daily when I get out of the shower. Some people opt to use coconut oil on damp skin; however, that didn’t work for me. So, I chose to look for a body lotion that was unscented and produced by a vendor that meets clean standards.
Sunscreen
As I’ve gotten older, I make it a priority to protect my skin from the sun damage. Natural sunscreen is mineral based and blocks the sun with zinc oxide, titanium oxide, or a combination of both to. In comparison, most sunscreens sold at grocery stores are chemical based. If you want to learn more about why it’s important to choose a natural sunscreen, I recommend you read the article entitled, “What’s the best natural sunscreen? Our guide to natural sun protection.”, published by our affiliate partner, Grove Collaborative.
Face moisturizer
Most of us use moisturizer every morning and night, so it’s important to use a clean option that is good for us and the planet. In the morning, I use a moisturizer that has sunscreen. This way my face is always protected from sun damage. At night, I opt for a heavier moisturizer that is oil based. My skin soaks up the oils overnight helping keep my skin clear and free of fine lines.
Mascara
Mascara is my one go-to make-up item that I use every day, so I decided to make a clean swap. Natural mascaras can be less aggravating for the eyes and can help the lashes grow. I will tell you from personal experience that finding the perfect mascara is going to take some time. There are so many options on the market and its very personal as to what works for each of us. Take the time to find what works for you, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Lip Treatments
Using natural and organic lip treatments are very important because there is a good chance of what I put on my lips will get into my mouth. Many common lip treatments contain some of the toxic chemicals I reviewed in my previous post. Choose natural lip treatments to protect your lips from the elements and soothe dryness, while feeling good about what is going into your body.
You might be wondering how I find products that fit the “clean” category. I use two phone applications to scan product bar codes or search for options. EWG’s HealthyLiving app or Think Dirty can be downloaded from the App store on your phone and are great tools to use in your product search. I find these apps particularly helpful when I’m at a store and want to investigate an item on the fly.
I have also found that there are online stores that only carry clean products. I have made it a practice to search for products on these sites when it’s time for a replacement. You can check out our Affiliate Page to see the vendors we recommend, and I’ll talk about a few here.
The first is Credo Beauty, the largest clean beauty store. The website has a section called, “Why Clean?” and its dedicated to giving ideas on items to swap, provides access to consultants to help with questions or recommendations, and there are articles on Credo’s Clean Standards including sustainability and ingredients that may be of concern. I highly recommend checking out their site. I’ve used their consultants to help me make decisions on products. They are very helpful and stand behind the products they recommend. If the product doesn’t work, they will give you options for a replacement or refund.
Another online store that I love is The Detox Market. This site has an About Us section that gives an overview of the The Founder, The Standards and The Process used in choosing products. The Detox Market tests 1000’s of products annually and they only sell the best of the best.
Both Credo Beauty and The Detox Market have retail stores that you can visit in person for a more personal interaction with their beauty consultants. Based on the principles that these stores were founded and the understanding of how they choose the products offered; it gave me peace of mind in deciding on the products I use daily.
I’ll say it again, this is a journey. There are new products coming to market all the time that are clean and sustainable. I’ve noticed in the past few years that there are more options today than ever before. Keep an open mind and explore these new products. I know that I have found many that I love and make me feel good about what I’m doing for my body and for the earth. It’s time that we take a stand and buy products from companies that care about our health and the planet. In the coming months, the Insightful Girls will share some of our favorite products with you.