where do I start? - Make the clean swap
A question I get asked often is “where do I start?” It can be an overwhelming task to start going through ALL of the products in your home, checking the contaminants in your water, getting an air purifier, etc. I get it. I was there and I’m here to simplify it for you. Start in the shower! Your skin is more absorbent when wet and your scalp specifically is very thin and penetrable making you more susceptible to those sneaky toxins that can be lurking in your products. This doesn’t mean you have to take all of the products in your shower and throw them away. The best way to get started is to check and see if your products are in the EWG database (environmental working group). They have an app called “HealthyLiving” and this database can help determine which products need to go first. They use a rating system from 1-10 and if any products are over a 6, I would throw it away and replace it immediately. If the product is 5 and under, just wait until you run out and purchase a better option. If the product is under a 3 then wahoo!! Keep using it. If you can’t find your product in the database, send me an email and I’m happy to build a report for you.
I love personal care products and I’ve tried so many. It was almost a hobby to try a new face wash, moisturizer or shampoo. I have a TON of product recommendations for you and there are a handful that I really love but I want to start with a quick list of ingredients to avoid. Definitely make sure your product is free of fragrance/parfum. Legally companies don’t have to disclose some of their ingredients due to it being a “trade secret” so the term “fragrance” can hide a lot of potentially harmful ingredients. Next avoid parabens. Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in all types of products and are known endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are known for messing with your hormones. Girls are getting menstrual periods sooner, more women are getting breast cancer, an alarming number of women struggle with infertility and more. There is a concerning correlation between exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals and various health issues. Thankfully parabens are easy to spot because you’ll see “paraben” in the ingredients like methylparaben. Next on the list are phthalates. Phthalates are not as easy to find because there are a few different types and it’s not obvious in your ingredients. These are known endocrine disruptors and should certainly be avoided. Some of the most common ones are BBP, DBP, DEHP and DEP. Avoiding these three ingredients are a great start so let's get into some products! A good rule is that if the product is fragrance free, it’s probably a good choice.
Let’s start with shampoo + conditioner. I’ve used SO MANY cleaner brands and the tough thing about them is that everyone has different hair and different preferences. My current favorite is Prose. What’s great about prose is that you can choose for them to make it fragrance free AND they customize to all hair types. Beautycounter has fantastic shampoo and conditioner and is not made for any specific hair type. I would say it’s best for normal, thin or oily hair. For my curly girls, Inahsi has an amazing co wash that I absolutely love. Rahua is a great clean brand that has a few different types of shampoo and conditioner. I’ve used their hydration shampoo and conditioner and it smells heavenly. It will most likely take a little time for you to find your favorite so spend some time reading reviews to see if people make references to the brands that you currently use and always double check the ingredients. If the product is fragrance free, it’s most likely on the cleaner list.
Next is body wash. My absolute favorite is Aleavia skin care which is a prebiotic body wash. Every year around Christmas I buy 3 bottles of the cranberry flavor because it’s the best! It’s safe to use on kids and babies and so good for your skin especially if you’re dry, struggle with eczema or have sensitive skin. Beautycounter (as always) has a great option for body wash. I LOVE the smell and texture of the Beautycounter body wash. I’ve tried a ton of cleaner brands for body wash and didn’t like most of them and narrowed it down to my two favorites.
I’m not one that uses a body scrub very frequently but I find myself grabbing it more in the winter to help exfoliate my dry skin and it really helps when I use one before I shave. My absolutely favorite body scrub is Beautycounter’s. I’m a sucker for anything lemon scented.
My favorite part of a shower is washing my face. I’ve used every single face wash Beautycounter has and they are all amazing! My favorite one to use in the shower is the Countercontrol face wash because of how exfoliating it is and it lasts FOREVER. It’s great for all skin types especially acne/blemish prone skin or oily skin. I don’t use it often because it can dry out my skin so the perfect amount for me is 3-4 times a week. Yes, I only shower about 3-4 times a week.
I was on a major hunt for a clean shaving cream and was seriously disappointed so I started using a body wash bar and it’s been the best. I use the Citrus Mimosa body bar from Beautycounter. It’s the perfect combination of lotiony and soapy. The two other options that came closest to being winners were Kiss My Face and Dr. Bronners. Both are great options with different scents, but I just decided to go with a body bar.
If you’re curious about other brands I’ve tried or if I have a recommendation that is similar to something you currently use, feel free to email me and I’m happy to give you my review of the product (if I’ve used it) or make another recommendation.
Now that I’ve covered the shower, I’ll continue to take you on a journey to make more clean swaps in your home in future blog posts. More importantly, I want to dive deeper and share why it’s so important to start detoxing the products in your home.
