You guys know that I could give an hour-long TED Talk on why I love non-toxic beauty and home products. I mean, honestly… just give me a stage and I could talk about clean products allllll day!
But… clean, non-toxic products were definitely not always super important to me.
I used to buy things based on the pretty packaging, and I’d fill up my home and medicine cabinet with products that I thought probably (?) worked well. Really, though, they were packed with nasty chemicals, fragrances, and fillers.
I didn’t really realize how much the products I sprayed on my counters and put on my face really even mattered until a few years ago. After my second miscarriage, I remember the doctor asking me about the kinds of products I used. I had barely even thought about it, much less the way that they could be affecting other pieces of my life.
Once I started thinking about it? There was no turning back.
These days, natural beauty and home products are a huge part of my life, my makeup bag, and my home. I give lower-toxin living all the snaps for helping me clear up some skin issues, balance out my hormones, and take the junk off of my shelves.
But, I also get that making the switch can seem like a big hassle.
Let me be the first one to tell you: it doesn’t have to be that way!
Easily Swap to Clean Products This Year
Whether you have a New Years Resolution to green up your house or you’ve been considering making the switch to natural skincare, you might be wondering how to get started.
I also know it’s natural (get it?) to want to do everything at once. But, you don’t need to throw out everything today (or ever). Instead, I’m all about taking it slow over here.
The thing is, those small, easy switches are what will get you on a greener path that you’ll actually stay on. When you start by looking up your ingredients and swapping out things one by one, you’re way more likely to stick with it. Instead of getting overwhelmed with what you feel like you have to do, be intentional about little fixes.
The little fixes work, my friend.
Take it slow to make it count
When I first started looking a little more into swapping in more clean products, I got super overwhelmed. And when I say overwhelmed, I mean… on my knees in the bathroom, about to chuck everything into the trash that wasn’t natural. Talk about… super unnecessary, Jenna.
Once I chilled out a little, I realized that the only way I was going to stick to it was like with most things in life—piece by piece. I started with switching to a natural oil cleanser, and then I switched to a natural body wash, and then to natural makeup, and then so on and so forth until I changed over most things in our home.
That took years, and tons of trial and error to find what I really liked. (And what worked.)
The thing is, you have to go slow with things like this… or you’ll just throw in the towel. Get an idea of what you want to start with when it comes to lower-toxin living (I recommend anything that goes on or in your body), and make a plan. For instance, maybe you can switch out your laundry detergent to something natural… once your Tide Pods are all used up. There’s no need to throw everything away.
In all honesty, that only creates extra waste.
Something else I got in the habit of? Starting to slowly look up my favorite products on apps like Think Dirty. It’s a really great way to figure out what you even need to switch over, and it can also be a rude awakening.
The key: slow and steady wins the race.
Start with what goes on your body
The biggest impact we get from toxins comes from what we put on (and in) our bodies. And, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably grown up thinking that harsher was better when it comes to skincare. You’ve reached for soaps full of microbeads, harsh zit-zappin’ creams, and alcohol-based cleansers to nix acne and make everything brighter.
Sound about right?
The thing is, those sorts of products just aren’t good for you. And, these days, there are SO MANY options for clean, natural, chemical-free skincare and makeup that actually work. There are some wonderful businesses that make the transition so much easier (and so much more effective) than you might think. When I first started my natural skincare and makeup journey, I was really hesitant to make some switches. I had moisturizers that you could have pried out of my dead, cold hands… until I saw the ingredients.
Take some time, look through your bathroom shelves and makeup bag, and keep an eye out for ingredients you can’t pronounce, anything artificially scented, and anything ending with -EA (think: MEA, DEA, and TEA). Those are the things you want out first, so switch those out slowly.
Once you’ve taken a little audit of your shelves, the fun part begins (i.e., finding new brands you love)! All-natural beauty brands are not made alike, let me tell ya… I’m really partial to Primally Pure, W3ll and People. They’re all brands I’ve personally used mannnnny times, and all brands I’ll use for many years to come.
Switch up your home products
One of the more overwhelming pieces of the whole green living puzzle was figuring out how to lower the toxins in my cleaning products. I can appreciate a clean home, but I always assumed that the only way to get things reeeeeallly clean was with some Windex, a bottle of bleach, and a sponge.
I was all about trading out makeup products, but I just wasn’t feeling it when it came to disinfecting my toilet with vinegar. That was just… not for me.
But, lucky for all of us, there are two companies I really love who play the clean game well, without the all-or-nothing. Enter: Branch Basics and Primally Pure.
You all know that I love singing the praises of Primally Pure whenever I can, and that also goes for their home collection. It only recently launched, it smells insanely delicious (#truth), and I love diffusing their oils and using the room spray whenever I can. I’m also obsessed with their hand soap, which actually cleans hands without smelling like a hospital. (Plus, you can take 10% off your order with the code JK10.)
When it comes to green cleaning, I don’t trust anyone more than Branch Basics. Their ingredients are completely natural and plant-based, and they actually WORK. Like, really work. Plus, instead of buying a different cleaner for every surface in your home (ugh, the worst), you buy one concentrate that does it all for you. Genius, really.
And, there you have it. With a more intentional focus, you can clean up your home and your skin… without feeling overwhelmed and stressed by the whole thing. Which clean swap are you going to make first?