Friends and family often ask me for recommendations on everything from personal
care items to kitchenware, cleaning supplies to shoes. I haven't blogged in almost four years, and I kept making lists in my head of things people frequently asked about in conversations.
I decided to dust off my blog and compile a list of my favorite things in several
categories and explain why I like each. In
general, I look for things that have a very clean and safe ingredient list, are free
from gluten, corn and soy, have glass packaging, eliminate single usage or
plastic, and are very effective. I’m
going to do several editions of my favorite things for each grouping of products
I use on a day-to-day basis. Hopefully
this will be helpful to you and serve as a reference in the future.
For the first edition of my favorite things, I'm going to start with personal care items, which is a big list! In general, my favorite personal care products come from Public Goods, Carina Organics,
Acure, Pacifica and Red Apple Lipstick.
Any and all of their products are well-made, free from chemical junk and
perform effectively. Vitacost, Thrive Market and
Public Goods are where I tend to buy most of the items below. Both Thrive Market (get 25% off your first order with this link) and Public Goods (get $20 off your first order with this link) require an
annual membership, but I have found them to be well worth the cost. I tried to link to as many items on Vitacost or Amazon below as I could, as they don't require a membership. Some of their prices are a little higher than Thrive Market or Public Goods, as they don't have discounts from a membership format.
Toothpaste
Why I like it: It’s fluoride-free,
xylitol-free, whitening and tastes good.
I do wish I could find an alternative toothpaste tab in a glass jar, but
I have yet to find one that doesn’t have xylitol in it, to which I am extremely
allergic! If and when I find one without
xylitol, I will update this item! If you are switching from a conventional toothpaste, such as Crest or Colgate, a natural toothpaste will take some adjustment. It's not going to taste as sweet or strong, but that's because you're used to the artificial flavors and sweeteners. It won't take long until you get used to the new toothpaste and enjoy the real mint flavor!
If you are currently using Colgate Total, please do me a favor. Go to your bathroom, pick up the tube, and put
it in your trash can. It has triclosan
in it, which is classified as a pesticide.
Triclosan used to be an ingredient in anti-bacterial hand soaps and gels but was banned by the FDA a few years ago and pulled out of all anti-bacterial hand products, due to causing
antibiotic resistant bacteria. Yet, for
some reason, Colgate Total still has that awful chemical in it. You do not want to be putting that in your
mouth, ever!
Toothbrushes
Why I like them: They are cheap, not made of plastic, and can be
composted once you’re ready for a new one. Just pull
out the bristles with some pliers before you put the bamboo handle in the
compost. If you have trouble keeping track
of who’s toothbrush is who’s, make some marks with dots or other designs on the
handle with a colored marker.
I also do use a Sonicare electric toothbrush. I love how clean my teeth feel from their toothbrushes. I don’t like having to throw the brush heads
away, but I don’t see much of an alternative at this time.
Tongue Scraper
The Dirt copper tongue scraper.
You can also get these on Amazon. There are cheaper brands available, but The Dirt ones
are the nicest I’ve tried.
Why I like it: Brushing your tongue with your toothbrush only goes
so far. Scraping it with a copper
scraper makes a huge difference. You
will be amazed and disgusted at the same time by what you can scrape out every day! It makes your mouth feel so much cleaner, I
swear!
Floss
Why I like it: It comes in
a refillable glass container. I used to
hate having to throw out the plastic floss container every other month. This floss container is refillable, and it just
looks cool. And there is no corn,
gluten, soy or chemicals in it. The silk floss can also be composted. By the
way, did you know Glide floss has Teflon in it?
That’s why it glides across your teeth.
Don’t be putting that in your mouth!
Sunscreen
Why I like it: It’s reef safe, non-nano, no chemical sunscreen, gluten-free, soy-free, for sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, and doesn’t make you look too white or make you feel too sticky. The only negative on this is that it’s too big for bringing in your carry-on luggage in your bag of liquids. When I need sunscreen in my carry-on, I just bring the Mineral Fusion below and use it on my body as well.
If you are currently using a sunscreen with avobenzone, oxybenzone or any other chemical sunscreen (typically found in Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Coppertone, etc.), please stop. It’s killing our coral reefs, and it’s killing you! The chemical has to be absorbed into your bloodstream to work. This is especially bad for anyone who is pregnant. Look for sun blocks with a physical SPF, which would be zinc and/or titanium dioxide. If you want to learn more about why chemical sunscreens are so bad, check out this article by Mamavation.
For Face: Mineral Fusion SPF 40 Facial Moisturizer
Why I like it: The ingredient list is very clean, it’s a mineral sunblock, it’s hypoallergenic, it doesn’t bother my face, and the zinc whiteness disappears after a few minutes once applied. You can find this at some Whole Foods as well.
Deodorant
Why I like it: It’s a natural deodorant that smells wonderful, but also eliminates the waste from single-use plastic containers. You just order a new cardboard insert for your reusable deodorant dispenser as needed, or sign up for their auto-ship program. It comes in eucalyptus scented and unscented.
Why I like it: It's made from bamboo and not paper. Bamboo is much more renewable than trees, and grows much faster. This paper is also very strong and thick, so you don't need as much. There is no plastic packaging with any of the Who Gives a Crap brand items, which is great. Everything is wrapped in paper, which is recyclable. Also, because it's made from 100% bamboo, there is no recycled paper content in it. While I love that paper gets recycled and reused, all recycled paper has BPA in it, which is a hormone disrupter. BPA gets into recycled paper from thermal receipt paper that people put in with their other paper recycling, which then ends up in the toilet paper. I don't want to be wiping my butt with BPA, thank you very much!
Hand Soap
Why I like it: It ranks very well on the EWG Skin Deep site. The lavender is the best-rated out of the scents. There is no corn, soy or gluten. Many of the ingredients are coconut-derived. I always get the refill-sized bottles and refill my dispensers at home.
Public Goods also has a nice hand soap that comes in a refill pouch.
Bar Facial Soap
Why I like it: Very clean ingredient list of things you can pronounce and no plastic packaging! Rose and pink clay are supposed to be calming and draw out impurities from your skin. This is very gentle and lasts forever! I actually cut the bar in half and have half in my shower and half in my travel kit and/or other bathroom, so it's very economical.
Hair Care and Body Care
Carina Organics for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, leave-in conditioner, body lotion, face lotion, hair gel, hair spray
Why I like it: Hands down, they make the safest hair and body care products you can find. They consistently rank as the safest in the Mamavation product testing, and they are free of any chemicals, gluten, soy, corn or artificial fragrances or colors. I have been using their products for about 5 years now, and I love them. My skin and hair love them as well. They are a Canadian company and they have wonderful customer service. I do wish I could get refills somehow, without having to get things in plastic, but that isn’t an option. I’ve been ordering their products in large jugs, and just refilling the smaller bottles to keep in my shower and bathroom vanity.
Runners up:
Acure & Public Goods – these are the brands I get for my husband for his shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream and soap. You can find Acure at Whole Foods.
Shower Scrubbers
Why I like it: It’s a natural material and not made out of plastic like most shower puffs. And it’s easy to periodically disinfect with vinegar and then compost when you’re done with it.
Why I like it: This seems like a pretty basic item, but it’s not. It exfoliates so well, it’s amazing. I had no idea I would like this thing so much! It makes my skin so much smoother. It’s almost like dry brushing, but you’re doing it while you’re in the shower and washing up! I also like that it’s made from just agave fibers and nothing plastic.
Clarisonic Mia Face Brush
I've been using one of these face brushes for close to a decade. They make a huge difference. If I travel and I don't bring my face brush with me, I can feel and see a difference in my skin. This little brush is gentle enough to use daily, and it gets all the dead, flakey skin off your face. I swear by it!
Clarisonic Mia Face Brush
I've been using one of these face brushes for close to a decade. They make a huge difference. If I travel and I don't bring my face brush with me, I can feel and see a difference in my skin. This little brush is gentle enough to use daily, and it gets all the dead, flakey skin off your face. I swear by it!
Lip Balm
Why I like it: The flavors are tasty, the ingredients are very clean, and I like to support small companies. I’ve tried a lot of lip balms, and this is the best. If you want one that you put on at night when you go to bed and wake up in the morning and still have some on your lips, this is the one to get. My dad even loves this lip balm. I get him several tubes to put in his stocking every Christmas, and he is always excited to get more, as he uses them all up. My favorites are the peppermint and cocoa, raspberry and pomegranate. I wish these came in cardboard tubes, but I have to pick my battles.
Facial Oils
Why I like it: It’s simple, it works well, and you can use it for
just about anything. On your face, dry
hair, dry cuticles, remove makeup, dry elbows and knees, and I’m sure there’s plenty of
other uses. I also like the fact that you
can get it in a glass bottle, which is recyclable. It’s a single-ingredient product, so there is
nothing to hide!
Facial Mist/Toner
Why I like it: To tie into the argan oil, I always mist my face first with
rosewater, and then put one squirt of argan oil on my face. The rosewater helps your face to absorb the
argan oil, so it doesn’t leave your face greasy. A lot of people are afraid to use oils on
their face, because they think it will leave them greasy. The rosewater makes all the difference. I’ve purchased several different brands of
rosewater off of Etsy. I try to find it
in a glass bottle if I can. The
selection always seems to change every time I go to buy some! I've also found the Heritage brand of rosewater at Marshalls and TJ Maxx for a cheap price as well!
Vitamin C Serum
Why I like it: My skin is very sensitive, and this vitamin C serum
does not bother me. It tingles a little
bit upon initial application, but my face isn’t a red, raw mess from it the next day like I’ve
experienced from others. It’s also very clean
and doesn’t have any junky chemicals in it and is free from gluten, soy and corn. It also comes in a glass bottle, which is recyclable. Vitamin C is great for clearing up uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation.
Makeup
Why I like it: This company
is amazing. They make wonderful-quality cosmetics that are free from gluten, dairy, soy, corn, harsh
chemicals and other junk that ruins your skin and your health. It’s a small company in TX run by a husband
and wife, and they truly care about making safe cosmetic products. I haven’t used anything but their cosmetic products
for the last 5 years.
Tinted Moisturizer
Why I like it: My skin
likes it a lot, it’s very light coverage (I can’t deal with heaviness of regular foundation),
has SFP 17, and just works well. Without
a lot of junk in it like other CC creams I’ve found. I use the light color, and it blends in well.
Hair Volumizer and Protector
Why I like it: As the name
implies, this stuff does a lot. It’s one
of those things when you don’t use it, you can tell the difference. If I’m rushing and I skip using it, my hair
seems to be either frizzier, flatter, or both!
It's a very clean product as well, without chemical junk in
it and rated with 0 bad ingredients in the recent Mamavation hair styling product investigation.
Mousse
Why I like it: This was one of the safest mousses in the recent
Mamavation hair styling products investigation I mentioned above, and I’ve been using their mousse
for several years and really like it. It’s
a natural product that’s effective, and gives my hair a lot of volume without feeling sticky or coated.
Perfume
Why I like them: They are nice little glass bottles with a roll-on
applicator that are great for travel or to pop in a handbag. They don’t have phthalates in them or other
junk like other perfumes. The Island Vanilla
and Indian Coconut Nectar are my favorite scents. You can find these at Whole Food and Target
as well, if you want to sniff all the scents in person!
Hair Color
Why I like it: This was the last chemical item I cut from my
life almost three years ago. It was a hard switch, but my hair
is so much healthier for it. It fades
out slightly after about 4 weeks. This won't work to bleach hair, and only deposits color. I mix a few colors together (red and medium brown) to get a custom color. It is
a bit of a messy process to apply, and you will smell a bit like wet hay for a day or
two and need to use an old towel to dry your hair for the first few washings, but it’s worth it to eliminate the chemicals and keep my hair healthy and
shiny. I usually buy this at Whole Foods.
Nail Polish
Why I like it: This is the safest nail polish I’ve found so
far. It’s free of 13 different chemicals
found in most nail polishes. It’s also
water and air permeable, so both water and air can get to your nails, keeping
them much healthier. The polish has a
base and top cost all-in-one, dries quickly and can last for close to a week if
you’re not doing anything too crazy with your nails. I usually buy this at Target or CVS.
Feminine Products
Why I like it: it’s just
made from organic cotton, and nothing else.
Most other brands have plastic, fragrances and other chemicals in them. The wrappers are paper and the applicators are cardboard, so they are completely plastic-free!
That's it for now for personal care items! I will update this list from time to time, as I find new products that pass my tests. Hope this list was helpful to you. Let me know if I missed anything.
