My journey to natural health and living without chemicals started by changing out my cleaning products. I wanted to be sure I wasn't inhaling any toxic fumes and that my dog would be safe eating whatever food dropped on the floor!
Here are some of the recipes for homemade cleaning products that are non-toxic, inexpensive, and cut down on all those plastic cleaning bottles and containers! Triple win :)
All-Purpose Cleaner
This one is really simple. It's equal parts water and vinegar, but make sure you are using a vinegar like the Spectrum brand (the mainstream brands are made with synthetics).
I use 1 cup of water with 1 cup of vinegar in a spray bottle. If you need a little extra cleaning boost, you can warm it in the microwave, but be sure to heat it in a glass container - not plastic.
If you don't like the smell of vinegar (which I don't, but have gotten used to it), you can add lemon juice or an essential oil, however, this creates a shorter shelf life (without any added scents, the water and vinegar mixture can be used indefinitely).
Bathroom Cleaner
This recipe is magical! To clean my tub and wall tile, I pour hydrogen peroxide on it and then sprinkle it with baking soda. It will fizz a bit and then after a minute or two, I wash it off with a sponge or towel.
If I really need to get the grout clean, I use a toothbrush, but the baking soda is ideal because it creates a bit of grit (perfect for soap scum).
And, like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide is perfectly safe since once you expose it to light, it turns into water. (This is the only thing I remember from high school chemistry --- water is H2O and hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 --- it just has another oxygen molecule crammed into it, which is why it is always sold in a dark bottle. It can easily turn into water and loose the extra molecule when exposed to light. Safe to breath, eat and use. :)
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Pour about 1/3 cup of vinegar into the bowl and then a tablespoon or two of baking soda. This too, will fizz up a bit, but then you can take your toilet bowl brush and finish cleaning. That's it!
Glass & Window Cleaner
This is the same recipe as the all-purpose cleaner (1:1 combination of vinegar and water), but you might have to remove the waxy build-up from using conventional glass cleaners. To do that, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of plant-based liquid soap (I like Dr. Bronner's unscented castile soap - it's organic, fair trade and cruelty free... and it has 18 other uses such as laundry detergent, dog shampoo, dish cleaner, veggie wash and more!), to 1 cup each of vinegar and water.
Lastly, be sure to look at your dishwasher soap. I am not an expert, but when I took my first green cleaning class, the teacher recommended a green one from Trader Joe's. On the box it states: phosphate-free, no fragrance added (that's a big one!), chlorine-free, no dyes, biodegradable surfactants.
It works great, but I'm not sure if it's the absolute "greenest" product I could be using like all my other cleaning products/recipes. But that's the thing about switching out your make up, cleaning products and household items -- it takes time. However, any changes you can make, are a positive step towards a less chemical-filled world and are much better for your health!
As we say goodbye to 2015 (it's NYE as I write this :), please keep in mind that cleaning and purging are great, but try not to do it on January 1st. In feng shui, this means you will be pushing out all the energy that comes through in the new year -- save it till at least January 2nd.
Wishing you much health, joy, prosperity and, of course, style for the new year!
Enough with the toxins!
Scary statistic, no? (This is according to a study done by the magazine In-Cosmetics.)
Whether you wear a lot a makeup or just some moisturizer and mascara, any sort of toxin is bad and does not a healthy body make. Using chemicals on your skin is worse than ingesting them because when you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and (hopefully), flush out the chemicals.
When applied directly to the skin, it is absorbed straight into your blood stream, without any kind of filter (lipstick takes 26 seconds to enter your blood stream!). Yikes!
While this applies to everything - lotion, shampoo, deodorant (I can eat my deodorant - I make it out of three household ingredients and it really works because, well, I'm stinky!), this post is about makeup. I promise to share the other brands I have found and love (and my deodorant recipe), very soon so please check back!
* Tata Harper - I love her products because they're made in the US and are 100% natural, 100% organic and non-toxic. She also owns the farm, manufacturing and bottling so every part of the process is controlled for quality. I was sold the moment one of the women at the spa told me that her products where the only natural ones that worked in the same amount of time as the chemical-filled ones!
All of the creams, serums, moisturizers and toners are rich and luxurious. The eye cream is also the only eye cream that can be used on the lower AND upper part of the eye because every other eye cream is too harsh. The Tata Harper eye serum is natural and non-toxic so it's totally safe to use.
I'm also super sensitive to scents, but all of these products smell fantastic - probably because it's not fake vanilla or country apple! All of her products are available at The Spa at Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com or the Tata Harper site.
* 100% Pure - The name says it all! The products I've purchased from them are 100% vegan and most of the items are gluten free.
By far, my favorite is their mascara. The black tea one is a-maze-zing! People rave about this mascara online (I buy mine from Amazon) and say that it works better than the expensive, designer ones! It smells fruity (but not too sweet), and it coats like a dream! I've bought my mom the blueberry mascara and also the blackberry one.
I also recently purchased a tinted moisturizer from 100% pure as I don't need much coverage when it comes to a foundation. I also really like liquid foundation instead of a powder. Again, I bought it from Amazon and the reviews really help when identifying the right color for your skin tone. I love the product (and their packaging is gorgeous!), but turns out I need a bit more coverage so the search continues.
* W3ll People - This is a very natural brand (yes, spelled with a three instead of an 'e'). I use their bronzer and have bought the brightening stick for my mom. Both products are great and you would never know it's natural - all the products cover and perform the exact same way as the chemical ones :)
In fact, their packaging states, "no parabens, petrochemicals, silicones, naoparticles, glycols, sulphates or artificial ingredients: no nasties". Love that!
* Alima Pure - This is another very clean brand with beautiful packaging. You can request a test sample for foundation from their website (to see if it matches your skin tone), but right now I use their blush. It's light, easy and non-toxic - everything I want in my skin care products!
* RMS Beauty - Again, I buy this from Amazon and I loooove her products! RMS Beauty was created by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. It's based on raw, living and organic principles. She is passionate about creating products that are not only non-toxic, but ones that actually heal and nourish the skin.
I use a very dark brown liquid eye shadow (called Karma) as I like to line my upper lash line. lt comes in a beautiful glass jar with a metal lid. It's very rich and highly pigmented in color, but that's what I was looking for! It's easy to use with my angle brush (as it's already kind of 'wet') and it doesn't run or streak throughout the day.
I also use a cover-up that matches my skin tone exactly. It's creamy and goes on very smoothly. Like the other brands, you can find RMS Beauty on Amazon or at salons or Colette in Paris.
* Bite Beauty - I love red lipstick. It really brings together a look - whether casual or dressy so I don't want to give that up! Thankfully, because of Bite, I don't have to!
Right now, all they sell are lipsticks, lip pencils, gloss and so on -- in a wide range of fabulous colors so you don't have to sacrifice your color choice for your health. :)
The lipstick is moisturizing and easy to apply, but I love the lip pencils, which create a more matte look. Either way, they named their brand because you can take a bite out of it! Everything is made with food-grade ingredients. You can find Bite Beauty at Sephora.
Hopefully this will help make the change from chemicals to natural products easier and add even more beauty to your life. This is my goal - whether it's through style and the way you dress or the beauty products you use. I'm passionate about bringing joy, ease, beauty and style to your life!
I'm always open to learning new things. Let me know your favorite 100% natural brands. I'd love to check them out!
*** UPDATE: After sharing this blog post on several sites and Facebook groups, I learned even more about the beauty industry, mainly, fragrance.
Here is a very helpful article explaining what's going on in the fragrance industry (which unnatural or synthetic scents are in just about everything from laundry detergent (will share my inexpensive, non-toxic recipe), to cleaning products, lotions, body wash and yes, make up), but in a nutshell, the industry is highly unregulated - even less than the beauty or food industry.
If you see 'fragrance' on a label, run - read it as 'hidden chemicals'. It's a free pass to put whatever chemicals, materials or ingredients without review or approval. Many of these chemicals and unnatural fragrances have been linked to hormone disruption, reproductive problems and caner.
All the products I have listed above do NOT contain any unnatural or synthetic fragrances. If there is a scent (in the Tata Harper products), it already occurs in nature and isn't toxic. I will be sharing all of the products I have found from laundry detergent to body lotion, shampoo and cleaning supplies. It's important to remove as many chemicals from your life as you can! Your body (and health) will thank you for it!
** Please note, that I am not a health expert or doctor and I don't have any association with the products mentioned above. You should only use what you feel is best for you. I am just here to share what I find to be helpful and inspiring in the world of fashion. I too, am navigating this beauty world, but the real goal is to help you look and feel your best... every day.
Keeping Your Whites White and Why Some Get Discolored So Quickly
White jeans are great. They work with anything! However, white jeans are like red lipstick - you have to commit.
I can't wear mine just anywhere as I don't want to get a stain or accidentally sit on something! However there are several things you can do to keep them (and any other white garments), looking clean and new.
The first option is a common household product - hydrogen peroxide.
Hydrogen peroxide is the liquid form of OxiClean (Google 'OxiClean ingredient list' and hydrogen peroxide will be listed as the active ingredient! :).
This works great when it comes to getting out stains on your white clothes (you don't want to use bleach since that is very harsh on your clothes and will break down the fibers).
I recommend putting 1/3 cup of hydrogen peroxide in with your load of white clothes (and regular detergent) and then let it soak.
This is my favorite option because it's natural (the only thing I remember from chemistry class is that hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 and therefore turns into water when exposed to light). It's also inexpensive and non-toxic (that's super important to me!)
The second option is a product called White Brite.
My mom has used this on things like sheets and pillow cases when they started to look a little yellow. Again, you’ll need to soak your whites (for about an hour), but it really works! And you don’t need to use this every time you wash something - just when you want things to look a little brighter.
Surprising, the best place to buy this is at the hardware store (I don’t think I’ve ever seen it at Target). Their website lists Lowe’s, Menards and Ace. Amazon is also a good source.
One last piece of advice about white clothes. Remember that many of the inexpensive white clothes are actually dyed to look white. The original fabric may be off-white. This is why many of your white items might look “gray” or dingy after a few washes and wears.
I’m not saying you should pay $200 for a pair of white jeans, but look to see how white something is — is it too bright? The same thing happens with jewelry and hardware on bags that’s too shiny - it looks cheap. Items should be white, but not electric or bright white and don’t go for the cheapest item out there. If it’s only a t-shirt that you don’t mind replacing every season, then fine, an inexpensive one is great. However, spending a bit more on a beloved piece should stand the test of time and these options can help!