It is estimated that every day the average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals directly onto her body. Over 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies, giving all of this poison full access to our entire internal operating system.
There are over 1,300 toxic chemicals already banned from beauty products in Europe. At this time in the US, there are only 11 ingredients banned from beauty products, but we are starting to make headway!
The thing is, the more us consumers buy natural products, the more there will be available. The time is now and we are trending in the right direction!
I think it’s safe to assume that these days we all want safe, natural products. Lucky for us, the wellness trends in beauty will be here to stay, and will only continue to get better with time (and are growing exponentially.)
Natural hygiene: what does it mean?
In scientific terms, hygiene is the biological preservation and restoration of our state of health. Things are taken to a whole new level when we are talking about natural hygiene, which involves using products that come straight from Mother Nature herself. (Or at least as much as possible!) You would think that natural self-care would just be the norm, and it’s insane to think that things would be any other way.
When it comes to my own personal self-care and hygiene routines, I like to take a completely holistic approach, and focus on limiting the amount of chemicals I let my body consume.
Better options are becoming more available, and for most hygiene routines you can find a variety of trustworthy products in every price range.
Not all products will be successful for everyone, but I’ve tried several different products over the last few years and came up with a list of some of my hygiene go-to’s.
My seven favorite natural products for hygiene:
Schmidt’s Naturals Deodorant
Photo by: @schmidtsnaturalsFinding a good deodorant has got to be the biggest struggle I’ve encountered in natural hygiene care. There are so many options, and they all seem to create a different result. I’ve had the skin in my pits BURN OFF from bad deodorant options. I’ve also had deodorant MELT under my arms, dripping down my sides…
I’ve used homemade deodorants, which are super great and allow you to directly control what ingredients are absorbed by your lymphatic system (hello, aluminum and breast cancer anyone…), but it can be difficult to make/time-consuming, and honestly the final product is just too inconsistent for me.
Without one doubt, Schmidt’s Naturals is the answer to your pit nightmares. Made with natural plant and mineral ingredients, it’s safe and still super (surprisingly) effective.
I don’t know what they did over there at Schmidt’s Naturals, but they sure got their ingredients right. Plus they have enjoyable options like Charcoal Magnesium, and Rose Vanilla.
Their deodorants smell wonderful, don’t leave you smelly, and definitely don’t burn your skin or drip down your sides. The product is soft and goes on perfectly without leaving any clumps.
It’s widely available too, you can pick it up at Target or on Amazon, or even order directly from their website with free shipping codes.
Bonus: You should check out a cool episode on the Almost 30 podcast, featuring Schmidt’s founder Jame Schmidt, and how she got to where she is today. Almost 30 also offers a discount code!
Lola Tampons
Photo by: @lola#RealTalk, I don’t know about you, but I definitely do not want to insert any harsh and dangerous chemicals directly into my ‘gina during my menstrual cycle.
Pretty much every single product on store shelves is going to have chemicals in the cotton, such as glyphosate, used as a weed killer and linked to Monsanto and cancer. Keep in mind, you would literally be forcing your body to absorb these chemicals for multiple days each month. #NotTodaySatan
Aside from feeling so many other feels about how difficult it is to have safe product care for women, I refuse to let this be the norm in my menstrual care.
Personally, I try to limit my use of tampons in general, and still also want to explore the world of period panties and other alternatives, but when I do go for a tampon I always choose Lola.
This all women founded company is dedicated to giving you the safest products for your personal needs, and being transparent on every aspect of the process.
The best part about Lola is that I don’t even have to leave my couch to buy it, with online subscriptions you can tailor towards your womanly needs.
I like to edit my box to provide more of a super hold, as I only use tampons on my toughest days, and I also edit my subscription to every other month because I don’t go through them as quickly.
Lola still makes plastic applicators, as we all know the struggle with cardboard, but they do also have the cardboard applicators, tampons without any applicator, and all of their products are 100% organic cotton. Plus, the plastic that they do use for their applicators is BPA free.
Saving money is always a good thing, so check out the discount code the Almost 30 podcast offers you for your first try. Lola also recently released new menstrual and sexual health products too!
Schmidt’s Naturals Toothpaste
Photo by: @schmidtsnaturalsYes, the deodorant company I talked about above also makes totally badass toothpaste options! I kept hearing about their new toothpaste line on podcasts and saw it on Instagram, but didn’t get to try it until recently because it was sold out for a super long time. But, it’s back now!
And they have such FUN flavors. The full product line features 5 different options, all infused with different vitamins and superfood extracts (creating taste bud tantalizing tooth brushing experiences). I’ve never been one to really enjoy mint all that much, so it’s nice to know toothpaste can be more fruity.
Schmidt’s has both large tube options, or smaller sample packs too. I’ve been using the Coconut Lime for a few weeks now, and I have to say it’s a nice change up! The flavor is bold and tangy and definitely gets my senses going in the morning. The texture of the toothpaste is a bit different than what I’ve experienced before, a little more grainy feeling, but it doesn’t take away from the flavor, or my viewpoint of the product. It honestly just makes me super curious to try all of the other flavors.
Each toothpaste helps to whiten your teeth too, so it’s like a bonus on top of a bonus for using healthy hygiene products. You guys have got to check this one out for yourself! Do I dare say that we can all be excited to brush our teeth when we get to use such great tasting flavors like this? Say whaaaaat.
Neutrogena Naturals Face Wash
Photo by: @alyssa.lenoreI definitely believe that if you are able to, making your own face wash product is probably the best way to go. It’s pretty simple to come up with an effective option with even just mixtures of apple cider vinegar, baking soda and coconut oil. You can also doctor it up with added essential oils and other moisturizing ingredients like avocado.
But if you’re anything like me, you may either not have enough time in your life right now to make your own products, or you might just not have the motivation–unfortunately both are my issue.
I don’t currently suffer from many specific skin issues, but I definitely have in the past. I’ve dealt with the whole overly oily skin and acne thing, and it can be hard to find the right product that will help clear things up and not completely dry you out.
My go to, effective and inexpensive, but yet still hydrating, is Neutrogena Naturals purifying facial cleanser. They sell this everywhere, I always get mine at Target, and it’s under $8. With willow bark and other bio-nutrient rich ingredients, I don’t feel hesitant to use it religiously, and it lathers you well to help remove makeup, which I sure appreciate!
Kopari Beauty Coconut Cleanser
Photo by: @koparibeautyOkay, so I also have to tell you about one of the newer products I’ve started using to wash my face. This product is a bit more expensive, so I can understand it’s not the best route for everyone. But if you love coconuts, and don’t mind the cost, you’ve got to try Kopari Beauty line, and their Coconut Cleansing Oil.
I use their facial cream and rose toner too, but I love this cleansing oil. With natural ingredients, coconut being the base, I trust it to remove all my pesky makeup, and even my mascara!
It smells so good you guys, and it’s so soft on your skin. And it makes your skin feel even softer. In case it wasn’t obvious, I definitely signed up for a subscription to their three product line of skin care essentials.
Kopari Beauty is all about coconut powered skin care and this is a mission I can completely get behind. I am Team #PourCoconutsAllOverYourEntireLife.
I recently listened to Kopari’s founder, Gigi Goldman, on the Almost 30 podcast and learned more about this company and all about the values they stand for.
Did you know that it really matters where your coconuts come from and how they are sourced to determine how much of it will even be absorbed by your body?
Yeah, me either – but Gigi assures us all that their coconuts come all the way from the Philippines! Picking a high quality coconut is everything, and you can always tell when you don’t have the best product because it will leave you slip-sliding everywhere without ever absorbing into your skin. Kopari Beauty products are absorbed instantly and won’t leave a slimy residue on everything you touch. I can’t wait to try their coconut melt and body scrub next! (Plus they have a deodorant that I’ve been eyeballing too …)
Not to go without mentioning, Kopari Beauty is also sustainable and uses the entire coconut throughout its product line. From the coconut water, to the hard outer shell, there are benefits from every part and Kopari makes it easy for us to incorporate a holistic coconut routine into our beauty care regime.
Coconut Oil Makeup Remover
Photo by: @tuuliatalvioI’m not even kidding, there is no special expensive beauty secret here. In my experience, using just pure unrefined straight up coconut oil to remove all of that makeup right off my face works the best.
I still recommend a nice cleanser to fully clean your skin too, but for specifically removing mascara and lipstick without scrubbing your face off, there is absolutely nothing that works better than coconut oil.
Especially considering my mascara costs more than a bottle of coconut oil and can be quite difficult to remove without pulling all of my lashes right out of my eyes… My lipstick is typically a Stila stay all day blend and can also be super difficult to remove without just smudging it all over your face.
Coconut oil is your holy grail answer to just about everything (but we will save that for another day), and specifically in removing tough makeup. You can pick up a good bottle, or jug even, from basically anywhere you go: Target, Amazon, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc.
Lola Cleansing Wipes
Photo by: @lolaLola also has cleansing wipes that are made with 100% bamboo soaked in purified water and won’t screw up the PH balance of our delicate womanly parts. With no alcohols, parabens, sulfates, dyes, or other disgusting chemicals, I’m sure your doctor will approve of these!
They come in packs of 10 and are also available on a subscription basis so you don’t have to leave your house. Plus they are pretty big wipes, so you don’t have to worry about having to use more than one per cleanse.
Personally, I like to keep a box in the bathroom (and the bedroom). You can use them on any part of your body, take them on the go, and have them available anytime you need a refresh.
Want to know the very best part? These wipes are biodegradable. That’s right, they won’t harm the environment or end up spending all of eternity in a landfill.
Important facts about natural products
Just because a brand states it’s natural, doesn’t actually mean it is. Make sure you do your homework, always. Rule of thumb: anything you are putting on your body (or in your body for that matter) you should always be sure you’ve done your research on.
Read those labels, understand those ingredients! If you can’t pronounce it, there is probably a good chance it isn’t natural, and you might even want to spend more time researching that ingredient specifically.
Your knowledge is your own personal power, but you also don’t know what you don’t know. Start small, baby steps in wellness can still create huge steps in overall health.
The first step is just deciding to start somewhere, and go from there. Once you do start a new natural product, remember to give it some time to work itself into your system and produce its results.
Just because you don’t notice an incredible change overnight doesn’t mean that you won’t over time. You can’t just eat a salad for one day and expect to look 20 years younger tomorrow; kale doesn’t work overnight people! Generally speaking, giving something a month is a great timeline.
Every step you take towards natural care helps to reduce (and remove) the amount of toxins in your body, creating beautiful wellness both inside and out.
