Reducing the toxic load on our bodies should be a priority.
According to EWG, women use an average of 12 products a day, containing 168 different chemicals. Men use fewer products, but still put 85 chemicals on their bodies.
Have you looked up the ingredients in your beauty and hygiene products lately? I promise to write more on this topic soon but in the meantime, I encourage you to look into the ingredients of the products your using. Some of them are kinda scary.
Below is a list of the current non toxic, natural products I'm currently cluttering my bathroom counter with...
Castile soap:
Castile soap is an all-natural, chemical free, plant based soap. You can use it for pretty much everything. The bottle actually states 18 different uses. This is a little too drying for my face - I'm super sensitive to everything- but it makes a good hand soap.
For hand soap: buy a foaming hand soap container or recycle one you may already have. Use 10 parts water, 1 part castile soap. I've been using Dr. Bronners brand, unscented. They come in a bunch of different scents too.
Jojoba oil:
(pronounced ho-ho-ba) is actually not a oil but a liquid plant wax, is hypoallergenic and a good way to moisturize, prevent razor burn, and promote skin and hair health.
I use Cliganic brand, primarily as eye makeup remover, and a moisturizer. At night before bed, I squeeze this right into my hands, and rub into my eyes (with them closed obviously), then I smear some all over the rest of my face before rinsing with water and towel blotting.
Castor Oil:
Castor oil is high in vitamin E as well as omega 6 and 9 essential fatty acids and is great for the health of your hair and eyelashes. It's known to help promote hair growth, treat dandruff, and prevent hair loss.
Deep conditioning treatment: Apply it to damp hair, focusing on the ends and let it sit anywhere from 10 min to a few hours depending on what your doing. The longer you leave it on the more your hair will absorb. Use anywhere from 1/2 - 3 tbs worth, depending on your hair length and thickness
If you have fine hair like me, you're going to want to shampoo your hair lightly after using, and then re-condition sparingly, with your regular conditioner. This oil is pretty heavy so it will make my hair extremely greasy if I don't shampoo after, but if you have extremely coarse, extremely dry hair, maybe you can get away with just rinsing the castor oil off and going about your day.
Apple cider vinegar:
I use vinegar for ever-ray--thang.
If your ingesting it, or using it on your body for healing benefits, you want to make sure the one your using is "with the mother". What is referred to as the mother is this murky looking stuff floating in it. It looks a little questionable, but that murky stuff contains beneficial acids which provide a whole lotta health benefits.
I have problem skin. I'm constantly battling breakouts. Every acne face wash and cream I've ever tried, just dries the crap out of my face and gives me more pimple. This hasn't been a miracle cure, but it has helped to balance my skin and keep the breakouts at a minimum.
Mix it three part water, one part ACV. Use any bottle with a small opening to pour from- a recycled salad dressing bottle will do the trick. Apply to face one to two times a day with a cotton ball, or washcloth. Splash your face with some cool water, and towel blot dry.
Original Sprout Scrumptious Baby Cream:
Don't be confused by the name, it's not only for babies. It's actually just lotion. The creator of the brand was a hairstylist who struggled to find non-toxic hair and bath products for her baby and decided to create her own. It's one of the cleanest brands I know of and they have a decent assortment of products.
I use this as body lotion, sometimes mixing some essential oils into this and a little jojoba oil for added scent and spread-ability. Great for people with sensitive skin or allergies, and leaves no greasy residue.
Marula Oil:
A lot of serums and other oils are too heavy for me, you have to play around with different ones to find what works best for you. My hair isn't super thick but it is frizzy, so this is great for taming it without weighing it down.
This oil is similar to morrocan oil. I love this for air dried hair or after blow-drying to smooth, seal and shine. Currently using Theorie brand.
Lavender essential oil:
Lavender is probably the best known essential oil of them all. It's used for so many different things but is most commonly known for relaxation.
I like to mix lavender in my lotion and rub on my hands before bed. Afterwards I'll cup my hands over my nose and take three deep breaths for a good night's sleep. It works.
It's also great in the diffuser, paired with my Zen AF playlist, and a epsom salt bath. Ah-mazing
Sugar Scrub:
There are so many different recipes out there for sugar scrubs, you can be as creative or as simple as you want when making one. The one I'm currently using is white sugar, coconut oil, and tea tree oil.
Rub a small amount of this on chapped lips to remove dead skin. Works great on elbows, knees, and bottoms of feet. Anywhere you have tough or dry, chaffy skin, sugar scrub is great.
Apply it with your hands or on a washcloth and gently massage over problem area. Usually works best if you use it in the shower, it can get kind of messy.
Baking Soda Scrub:
This one I actually keep in the shower, not on the counter, which is why I forgot to put it in the picture! But, it's a good one and deserves to be included in this post.
I use this on my face, neck, chest and upper back once a week to balance the PH of my skin, and gently scrub away dead skin cells. Put about 1/4 cup baking soda in a small wide mouth jar. Add water little by little, until you have a consistency similar to toothpaste.
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So that's the stuff that lives on my bathroom counter. Do you have any all natural, non-toxic products that you love?
Let me know, I love trying new things.
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