My Favorite Natural Products!
Did you know what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream within 30 minutes? It is estimated that everyday the average woman can put up to 500+ chemicals on her body? In addition, a study looking at the blood of umbilical cords from new moms discovered an average of over 280 chemicals! Of the 287 chemicals detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
This becomes a huge burden on the liver who is our main detoxifying organ, who must then process and eliminate these chemicals. Sources of these chemicals come from hair products, nail products, perfumes, deodorant, makeup, body lotions…etc.
Many of these toxins are not eliminated and are instead stored in our fat tissues which increase your risk for developing health problems down the road. It is easier than ever now to make the healthy swap with quality products. Here are some of my favorites.
Desert Essence Tea Tree Face Wash
I have been using this off and on for years now, always going back to it after trying something else. It can be drying at times so I suggest only using one time a day. Tea tree oil is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal so it can be great for acne prone skin. EWG rating of 2 so it doesn’t get much cleaner than this!
Alitura Gold Serum
There are not many things I would spend a fair amount of money on, but there is a reason this is called “Gold Serum”. The quality of the ingredients are unparalleled and after noticing less fine lines and more even skin tone- I became a lifer. It even makes your skin glow after you put it on, so I almost never wear foundation anymore.
Zoya Nail Polish
To be honest, I haven’t painted my nails in well over a year because I am always cooking and just don’t care to often to have them done. But on the rare occasion I do, this is my go to brand because they are “5 chemical free” of the common top offenders most brands have. Your nails are an extension of your skin so they are just as vulnerable to chemical exposure.
Chlorella
So no I do not put this on my face although I bet you could. I find that when I take high quality sources of chlorella before bed, my skin shows less fine lines and my eyes look brighter. This is likely because of the DNA repair and high nutrient content this magical seaweed has, it’s benefits go far beyond vanity. This wonderful seaweed improves detoxification, improves immunity and helps speed up recovery. I take anywhere from 10-30 before bed as you want to take this away from food for the best benefit. More importantly, quality counts since seaweed is very vulnerable to all the toxicity we find in the ocean, so be careful when selecting your brand. This brand also has a Spirulina I love, and both Spirulina and Chlorella are recognized by NASA to be the most nutrient dense food on the planet!
Native Deodorant
Finding a natural deodorant took so many trial and errors, but I finally found one that I love and have used for years now. Eliminating all sources of aluminum are critical for your health, as it is a neurotoxin and can be accumulated in the tissues, especially in those lymph glands! I love the coconut vanilla scent but you can also grab the scentless one. I have gotten nearly my entire family on this so it’s an easy swap to make. Plus it scores a 1 on the EWG scale, so it’s a win win!
Hurraw Lip Balm
Guilty as charged! I’m a chapstick addict and have been for many years. For that reason I chose the best quality made up of all natural ingredients since your likely eating a bit of it too. This is my absolute FAVORITE brand, it glides on super smooth and keeps my lips soft even when I haven’t applied in an hour or two. They even have one with SPF with a little tint that is gorgeous in the summertime.
Mychelle Sun Shield SPF 28 Coconut
Another go to of mine for years, sun protection on your face is so important to prevent daily skin damage. This one glides on very lightly and has a great scent. It is also 100% vegan and cruelty-free ingredients and does not contain any dangerous phthalates and parabens which can be stored in the liver and fat tissues causing hormone disruption.
Physician Formula Eye Shadow
This brand has so many options for natural beauty choices and I love many of their eye shadows, they last SO long! I just use my finger to blend and they have so many shades in one pallete for whatever mood you might be in. This is a super affordable option and I find it everywhere!
Vapour Highlight Stick
Many highlighting products contain a long list of toxic ingredients, like asbestos or heavy metals! This one is completely natural and even has nourishing essential oils and castor oil which has been a known beauty go to even since the Egyptian times! This highlighter is super light and blends so easily. Since a little goes a long way, it last for months! I have tried many of their other products and have never been disappointed and have never had any type of reaction.
Dr. Bronners Almond Castile Soap
There are so many uses for castile soap. It has a short list of ingredients and is hypoallergenic which makes it suitable for all skin types. Your skin has it’s own microbiome so it is important to not use anti-bacterial soaps which end up killing the good bacteria allowing the bad bacteria to thrive. This is perfect for daily use, plus they have many scents for you to chose from.
Check out https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to look up your favorite products or any new ones your thinking of buying to make sure they are safe!
Röllin HB, Rudge CV, Thomassen Y, Mathee A, Odland JØ. Levels of toxic and essential metals in maternal and umbilical cord blood from selected areas of South Africa--results of a pilot study. J Environ Monit. 2009;11(3):618-627. doi:10.1039/b816236k
Nowak K, Ratajczak-Wrona W, Górska M, Jabłońska E. Parabens and their effects on the endocrine system. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2018;474:238-251. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2018.03.014
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/newborn-babies-chemicals-exposure-bpa/