5 Steps To Start Your Non-toxic Switch Over

I remember when I started learning about different toxic ingredients in my products, it was superrr easy for me to feel overwhelmed. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be. It just takes a small amount of effort, and the right resources, to keep it simple for you.

A GREAT place to start is with the EWG Skin Deep Database. You can simply scan or search your products to see what ingredients to look out for/avoid, and it has a guide on products that are verified super-clean. It is also important to be aware of greenwashing, aka where brands try to make their products look clean, even though they’re not. This is why I say referring to that database^ makes it so easy, because it takes the guess work out of figuring out what brands/products are actually clean.

PS. if you want to learn more about why you should be more mindful of the ingredients in your products, I would definitely watch Not So Pretty on HBO. It is EYE OPENING, especially if you don’t know much about the subject already.

From there, I would say to not stress! It can take time to switch your products over, and that’s okay! The easiest way to do it is by replacing something with a clean product once you run out of what you already have. No need to fear and rush the process, the point of it is to learn how to make better decisions about your health. I know it can be scary to hear words like cancer and hormone disruptors talked about surrounding your everyday products, but no need to panic or live in fear. This process can be one that is full of learning and taking your time to reacclimate! I just wanted to say that because it can be easy to feel fearful, but you got this. I only mention some of these warnings for ingredients to back up the importance of prioritizing switching, not to add fear. Each better choice for your beauty shelf is a WIN. SO, if you want a few tangible places to start as a goal, here are the 5 areas I would focus on.

change your household cleaner.

This does sooo much of the leg work up front. by replacing your cleaner, that’s the majority of non-beauty-products toxins that you’re exposed to each day. We use Thieves Cleaner for this… and by “this,” I mean that we used it to replace almost every one of our household cleaners. Yuppp, you read that right. It’s a concentrate household cleaner that you fill 2 capfuls with, and the rest of a spray bottle with water. We use it in every single room of the house, including the kitchen and bathrooms.

Other great things to add to your lineup? White vinegar and baking soda. You can make a scrub (hello stove tops and tubs) with baking soda + lemon essential oil + thieves cleaner, and white vinegar is a natural whitener and a magic cleaning agent. Don’t believe me? Check this out.

Not only does this get rid of so many of the toxins in your home, but it’s amazing having ONE bottle of cleaner under your sink, and to know you don’t need 10 bottles for every corner of your home. Oh, and it smells like fall!

ditch your candles.

This one is a biggie. I know it can be sad, but fear not! There’s always beeswax candles, if you love the aesthetic of candles (the vibes cannot be beat, let’s be honest). If you’re going to miss the smells, you can always get a diffuser and some quality essential oils that actually clean your air, not just make it smell good in your house! It’s no secret that candles disperse chemicals in the air, but they actually are filled with hormone disruptors. You’ll be shocked how many mystery headaches you won’t have anymore, not to mention that it’s just in general good to knock out any blockers to a healthy adrenal system. I was very hesitant to throw out my Bath & Body Works candles, but honestly, it’s sooo much fun mixing oils to make your own scents based on your mood. You end up finding ones you want to use every day, and some you want to mix up, which you can’t do with candles!

simplify your beauty shelf.

Like I was saying above about Not So Pretty, it’s pretty shocking to hear about the ingredients, in makeup especially, that are linked to cancer and other terrible things. The reality is, skin is our biggest, most absorbing organ, so any product you get with better ingredients, the better. Head back to that EWG database I talked about at the beginning to find other brands that are amazing. A few of my faves: Young Living (specifically their concealer and foundation), W3LL People, Beauty Counter, and Honest (we have a million baby Honest products, too). These brands actually have super good options, and ones that you don’t have to worry about every day.

Another part of the beauty routine: skincare. I would say the same thing about these! The brands I just mentioned have great options, and you can also DIY a great skincare routine (check out the blue tansy serum in the skincare section of this blog). I just use a toner, charcoal bar soap for my face (it actually works SO well and is sooo much cheaper??), and my DIY glowy skin serum. Same goes for the products you use in the shower and on a daily basis (like body lotion).

be mindful of how you wash your clothes.

Again: skin is your biggest organ, it’s important to pay attention to what you’re putting in and around it! I use Young Living’s laundry detergent, but there are some other great options, too. I actually want to check out Dropps, especially for dish pods, because they’re super low waste, anddd non-toxic. I would check them out, too! Here is a list of other great options for laundry.

Oh, and an easy replacement for dryer sheets is dryer balls! They’re super cheap, reusable foreverrrr, and all you have to do is put a few drops of essential oils on them and throw them in mid-dry. My favorite scents for this are lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, and/or lemon!

ditch the fragrances.

Last, but certainly not least, beware of fragrances! I don’t just mean perfumes, but the ingredient in any product that says “fragrance” is something to look out for. This is an umbrella term that companies use to “keep their secret recipes” for scents, but they can really load it with any ingredient they want. If you trust a brand, it might be okay (for instance, some Native deodorant says fragrance, but I feel okay about that because I’ve researched the company). But, for the sake of simplicity, I would just avoid it all together. There are still tons of perfume options out there, including what I do, which is that I make my own body spray with essential oils, water, and witch hazel. I just like it because, similar to what I said about diffusers, you can personalize it.

And there you have it! Like I said, feel free to take your time with this process, but boyyyy will you have done 90% of the work after slowly paying attention to these areas! I hope this made it simple for you. Again, relying on a resource like EWG helped me SO much, and took out so much of the time reading labels in the Target aisle, not to mention the simplicity of finding good companies you can trust. Take it slow and steady, and your body/health will thank you for the effort!