Clean Beauty Swaps? Swap these First

So, you’ve read the science, you’ve picked your adventure, and you’ve got your list of the top 10 ingredients to avoid. And now you’re wondering what to do next? If you’re looking for clean beauty swaps you’re in the right place.

This is where many people begin to complicate transitioning to green beauty. But I’m here to tell you it does not have to be that complicated. Hopefully, as you read more on my blog and get to know me a bit better over on Instagram you will learn that I’m a no-nonsense kind of girl. I have three young children and I don’t have time for super complicated methodologies. Additionally, I think that deters most people from making the shift. So, let’s keep it simple. Swap these first.

A Quick Recap

Just in case you haven’t already read my previous post on green beauty basics; which I totally recommend because it really goes in depth on the top ingredients to avoid (the toxic ten) and how I got myself organized. Here is gist: Line these items up on your counter-top. Check the ingredients, and if they don’t measure up, swap them out first. Spoiler alert- most conventional products in these categories do not measure up.

**Note, some of the links below are affiliate links, but please know I never share anything I haven’t tried and loved (or heard hella good things about).**

Deodorant

First up, Deodorant. I mean, this is first for obvious reasons. We pretty much use this daily and it has a big job to do. Not to mention this is one area where harmful ingredients show up by the boatload. I’m talking aluminum, parabens, PPGs, fragrance — the whole toxic team is there. Need more reasons why this area should be cleaned up ASAP?

1. Sweat is not the devil. Sweat helps our bodies cool down and eliminate toxins. Blocking this process with traditional antiperspirants causes toxic buildup and can lead to health issues.
2. While the research is inconclusive as to whether the aluminum in antiperspirants causes cancer or negative health outcomes, Aluminium is known to have a genotoxic profile, which basically means it can alter and influence gene expression. Yeah, you read that right. Yeah…I’m choosing to air on the side of caution with this one.
3. And, if you need another reason (I don’t!) aluminum stops you from perspiring by physically clogging the pores.  These pores happen to be major exit channels for the lymph nodes found under your arms and stopping them from doing their job is not in the best interest of your health. Our armpits have a story to tell, and those stories can often alert us to underlying health issues (like thyroid problems!) but they can’t do that if we are constantly silencing them.

So… let’s let our pits be free to tell their story. And don’t worry, You DO NOT have to stink through this process. Detoxing from conventional antiperspirants warrants a whole post to itself, so stay tuned because I have a post about that coming at you later this week. In the meantime, try these:

1- Agent Nateur holi(Rose)– I love this deodorant but if you are sensitive to baking soda you might not be able to use this one daily. I got the holi(Man) one for my husband and he loves it.

2- Vapour Beauty AER– This one also uses baking soda but in a smaller concentration and I have not run into any problems with this one. I love all three scents, but it’s hard to beat Lavender Myrrh.

Toothpaste

This one is low hanging fruit if you ask me. It’s another item we use multiple times a day and it’s one that people tend to feel a lot of trepidation about. We want something that is nontoxic but we also want something makes our mouths feel clean. Unfortunately, this is another daily use product that is typically riddled with no-no ingredients: PEG’s, aspartame, SLS, and fluoride, to name a few. And I don’t even want to get into the brands that still have triclosan, despite it being heavily researched and all but banned by the FDA. The long and short of it is, the main brand that still uses triclosan argues the good outweighs the bad. I call bullshit.

Why say bye-bye to triclosan? For starters, research has associated it with both being an endocrine disruptor and as putting us at a higher risk of cancer. But more importantly, it really is not necessary to get clean teeth and fresh breath.

I tried a few brands and without naming any names I now know why some people feel like non-toxic toothpaste isn’t for them. There are certainly some brands that feel like they aren’t doing anything. They literally feel like nothing in your mouth. So, once I found a toothpaste that worked I stopped the search. But if you guys would be interested hit me up on Instagram and I may try out a few other brands on request.

My only recommendation (based on personal use):

1- Davids Toothpaste – I tried 3 different natural kinds of toothpaste before giving this one a try. All the others tasted like “nothing”. I liked the mouthfeel of this one and I felt like I’d actually brushed afterward.

*bonus: I like to put a drop or two of this healthy mouth blend to kick it up a notch.

2- Weleda salt toothpaste – I heard really great things about this toothpaste and so I decided to give it a try. I’ll just say this… its an acquired taste. It tastes very salty (because, duh), but it left my teeth feeling very clean.

Lotion

See a trend? Yup, that’s intentional. I think the items that warrant the most immediate attention are the ones that we use every day. And lotion is right up there at the top of the list. My husband on the other hand almost never wears lotion unless it’s the winter. But for me? I reapply it to my hands several times throughout the day, I slather it on after every shower, and I give myself a final hit from my nightstand staple just before turning in for the night. Needless to say, I need it to be clean.

And just as you might imagine this is another area that can be ridiculously riddled with questionable ingredients. PEGs, Parabens, DEA/MEA/TEA, synthetic dyes, and Fragrances… basically, all the big baddies hang out on the lotion aisle. This is also one area that is particularly important because our skin is our largest organ and it takes less than a minute for the things we slather onto our skin to be absorbed into our skin and into our bloodstream. One example of how this works is the use of the nicotine patch or topical cortisone. These products work through skin absorption.

Another reason this type of product requires a little more prudence is that there is no FDA regulation of cosmetics, and companies do not have to disclose all ingredients on the label. Want to learn more about how to find the best clean cosmetics? The skin deep cosmetics database on Environmental Working Group (EWG) page is a really great resource, and I really like the ThinkDirty App.

I’m very particular about my body “lotion” category. It has got to be either super thick and creamy or a body oil. I cannot get on board with the watery lotions that never quite feel like they’ve absorbed. Here are some of my faves.

1- Tubby Todd Dream Cream – This one stays on the nightstand & in my diaper bag/purse. I put this shit on everything. This is that good-good. It’s thick, soothing and works on the whole family. CLUTCH during winter months. Get you some.

2- Earth Realm: “Darling” Body Butter  – I found this super new company on Instagram and it’s a small shop on Etsy. I like that its simple ingredients that I could probably make in my own kitchen if I weren’t lazy (hint hint- I have THREE kids, so it ain’t happening) and that it’s packaged in glass. I also like to shop small where I can.

3- Osmia Organics Body Mousse – I recently got the limited edition Rose Geranium body mousse and it is absolutely game-changing. Seriously, get your hands on this stuff asap. The Rose Geranium was a limited run that sold out in two-hours, it’s that’ good, but the Lavender is probably heavenly and is on my list to purchase once I run out of the RG.

Shampoo/Co-wash

Last but definitely not least on the “swap these first” list is shampoo. I will offer a caveat– this one may take a while depending on your hair type/needs. I’m a curly girl with hair that is prone to dryness and I haven’t used traditional shampoo for over a decade. In order to make sure my curls were healthy and happy I’ve been silicone free for as long as I can remember and many of the other big bad ingredients had also fallen off; it’s a blessing and a curse that curly hair will let you know when a product is harsh and stripping. That being said, there are more ingredients to look out for than just silicones and parabens when it comes to hair products. Fragrance, sulfates, and mineral oils all show up in this category and often.

I was incredibly lucky because the co-wash I was using already stood up against an incredibly discerning ingredient list, but if yours does not here are ones that I’m using and loving.

1. Briogeo BE GENTLE, BE KIND avocado + quinoa co-wash – I love this product. My caveat is this: check each product from the Briogeo line. I am doing my research but there are some products in their lineup that do use 100% natural fragrance (The BGBK-Cowash uses no chemical fragrance). I’ve reached out to the brand about the ingredients and got a great response. But ya girl is still checking + double checking. I’ll report back on this later.

2.  Innersense Hydrating Cream Conditioner -This whole line is fantastic. It’s nourishing and smells amazing. Also, it feels very hydrating and I have great shine after using it. Win-Win.

And if you are a girl who absolutely needs to shampoo daily I’m hearing RAVE reviews about the true botanicals line of Shampoo + Conditioner.

Fin.

There you have it. I told you it wouldn’t be that complicated. Now get out there and play around a little and if you find new favorites be sure to let me know because sharing is caring and we have to stick together.

Do you have a product you can’t stop raving about? I wanna know! Leave a comment down below, or find me Instagram and let’s get social.

Xo, Kimberly Fe'Lix