Going Natural: Products I Love

Overwhelmed. Confused. Frustrated. This describes how I felt every time I went to the store to buy cleaning products, new shampoo or hand soap, but particularly a day like today. On this day, I went to the store to buy shampoo and conditioner. I walked down the aisle of the store that had a big green sign hanging from the ceiling that said “natural”. I found the shampoo and started reading the labels. I took out my phone, pulled up the Think Dirty app and started scanning the labels. I assumed that because these products had been neatly segregated form the mainstream brands that they were sure to get the green light from the app. I was wrong. The first three I grabbed were instantly rated as 9 or 10 for having fragrance added. Another one had at least 4 ingredients that were in the “red zone”. This was not only disappointing, but made me quite angry.

For people who don’t know about the effects of these toxic ingredients, they are trusting that the products in the “natural” location of the store are actually made from natural ingredients. Once you start looking into what’s in the products you use, it’s hard to ignore it.

By now I’m sure you are well aware of the benefits of switching to natural products. In the first post on this series I explained why it is important to make the switch and in my last one I shared what I experienced. Today I want to share with you some products that I use and trust. This is not a sponsored post. I have not been paid or perked in any way to give positive information about these products. I am sharing this information because I have had positive experiences using them and want to offer suggestions to anyone who may be looking for recommendations.

Personal Products

Live Clean: I love this company because it’s very easy to shop for products from this line. You can confidently purchase any product and know that it will be safe and effective. I currently use their Sensitive Hypoallergenic Shampoo and Conditioner and the Argan Oil Leave-in Conditioner. I also really like their Spa Therapy Moisturizing Foam Bath for a relaxing bubble bath.

Everyone Soap: This is my favourite brand for hand soap and body wash. There are a ton of great scents and they don’t dry out my skin. I noticed that they also make lotions and facial moisturizer, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Avalon Organics: This is another great brand that focuses on healthy products that actually work. I use their Vitamin C Cream. Vitamin C is great for keeping a youthful glow, plus the scent of natural orange essential oils is a great way to wake-up in the morning!

Tom’s of Maine: I tried their Simply White Toothpaste when I first decided to change to natural toothpaste and was so satisfied, I never bothered to change to a different brand. It is fluoride-free which makes me happy. My mouth feels clean and fresh, and I’ve been able to see a noticeable difference in how white my teeth are. All the other whitening toothpastes and at-home whitening kits I tried in the past always left my teeth feeling extremely sensitive. I also use their Long Lasting Deodorant in Wild Lavender when I want a fresh scent.

Crystal Body Deodorant Stick: This is my go-to deodorant. It is made from natural mineral salt and all it needs is a little bit of water to work. I put this on right after my shower and I stay dry all day long. If you’ve never heard about it, I would highly recommend it! It doesn’t get more natural than this!

Fractionated Coconut Oil: This is what I use as a daily moisturizer for my body. I didn’t recommend a specific company because in my experience, it’s all the same as long as you get 100% Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil. I put it on after my shower. It takes a couple of minutes for the oil to soak into to the skin, but it keeps you feeling moisturized all day long.

Argan Oil: I like this on my face instead of coconut oil. I notice that it feels a bit lighter which is nice on my face. I apply it at night on my face and wake-up feeling great! It’s great if your lips are chapped, too. I also like to use it in my hair, especially on the ends.

Saje Essential oils: I love essential oils and there are so many different brands out there, but my favourite is Saje. They have so many different varieties and their own blends. These days I like to use essential oils with aromatherapy bead bracelets from Sunstone Jewels. You can also buy  roll-on blends and body sprays which smell amazing as well as diffusing some oils to make your home smell great!

DIY Face Serum: About a year ago, my mom jumped head first into natural living just like I did. She bought books and did all kinds of research. Her goal was to replace every product in her bathroom vanity with something she could make herself. That’s when she gave me a bottle of an oil blend she whipped up. Since then, this oil concoction has been my daily facial moisturizer and I absolutely love it. It is a blend of camellia seed, black cumin seed and rosehip seed oils along with some essential oils like frankincense, lavender and geranium. I would strongly encourage you to do your own research! Pinterest has tons of recipes to try out. Just make sure your research is coming from reputable sources. When it comes to oils and safety, you really need to make sure you’re using the right dilutions and proportions.

Cleaning Products

I don’t buy a lot of cleaning products because I’ve found that I can make my own versions that work just as good as ones from the store. It’s amazing what you can do with some ingredients that you have in your own cupboard. But, there are some products that I buy.

Norwex Cloths: I first heard about Norwex cloths earlier this year and since trying them out, I love using them especially for washing windows and mirrors with no streaks. There are about a million different uses for them. They also sell laundry soap and a great cleaning paste that does wonders for any stuck on grime you might have around the house (like on my glass-top stove!)

Greenworks Natural Cleaners: I like this brand for their bathroom cleaner line. It’s great for cleaning the bathtub and walls in the shower and I like that their toilet bowl cleaner is safe for the environment.

Wool Dryer Balls: I’m not brand loyal for wool dryer balls because they are pretty much all the same. These help to decrease the amount of time your clothes need in the dryer and they soften the fabric, which is great because fabric softeners are full of toxic ingredients! Plus, you can add a few drops of essential oils to add some scents to your clothes. I love adding lavender when I wash my sheets.

Here are two of my favourite DIY recipes:

DIY Multi-Surface Cleaner
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
1 cup of water
8-10 drops of lemon essential oil
Mix ingredients together in a spray bottle (glass works best). That’s it!

DIY Dryer Sheets
Small container with a lid
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
2 cups of water
10-15 drops of essential oils
6 sponges
Place all liquid ingredients in the container with the sponges. Soak sponges well. Before each load in the dryer, ring out the liquid from the sponge into the container and place in the dryer.

Everyday more and more products are added to the market, which is great. It used to be the way that natural or green products cost a lot more than typical ones you could get in any store, but with more competition, the prices are becoming much more affordable. I have found that by switching to natural products that actually work well, I don’t have to buy products as often, so I’ve saved money in the long run.

What natural products do you like to use? Leave your recommendations in the comments below!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin