I used to be the girl that would roll her eyes at “natural” products. I thought ‘everything causes cancer, so what’s the point?’
Oooof. I truly didn’t know what I didn’t know. I’m so grateful my eyes were opened and that my mindset completely shifted.
My Why
Over the last several years I’ve made dozens and dozens of lifestyle changes. From daily habits and what I eat, to swapping out beauty and cleaning products.
The result? I truly feel better than I ever have, especially when it comes to energy level and mental clarity.
After diving into what is ‘legally’ allowed to be in our products, one truth became overwhelming clear. Just because something is sold on the shelf, does not make it safe.
More than 10,000 chemicals are used in cosmetics for example, and only 11 of those have been banned by the FDA. (source)
It turns out, there are countless ingredients in the products we use everyday that can be harmful to our health and our hormones.
This is a complex topic to unpack so I will guide you to the experts, but I simply want to encourage you to be mindful of the products you choose. I believe our health is worth fighting for.
After losing someone close to me and experiencing on a deep level how fragile life is, I became motivated to honor my body and serve my family by being thoughtful about what I consume and bring into our home.
5 Amazing Clean Living + Holistic Health Resources
Knowing what to look out for when it comes to ingredients and learning how to naturally balance your hormones is extremely empowering and healing.
- I highly recommend The Hormone Genius Podcast by Teresa Kenney and Jamie Rathjen. Teresa is located right here in Omaha and I’ve had the pleasure of attending one of her presentations in person, she is the real deal!
- Kori Meloy’s Freely Rooted podcast is a treasure trove of helpful information relating to metabolism, and she has an amazing course as well!
- Jessica Ash is a functional nutritionist that specializes restoring hormone balance with nutrition. Her Insta is a must-follow.
- Jordan Dooley has an awesome free Label Reading Cheatsheet that is a great first step, you can find it here! She also has many helpful podcast episodes and resources.
- I Read Labels For You has done extensive research on almost any product category you can think of! She even contacts companies directly to get more information that’s not included on labels. Her research holds a lot of weight when I’m deciding what products to use. (The website experience could be smoother, but the information is great.)
The 80/20 Rule: Perfection is Not the Goal
It’s worth taking a moment to note that while I’m super intentional about ingredients and all the things, I very much live by the 80/20 rule. Meaning, I strive to be better 80% of the time – the goal is not perfection.
It would be impossible to avoid toxins entirely – they’re everywhere. Stressing and striving for perfection can become more toxic than the toxins you’re trying to avoid.
Nourishing your body and using clean products feels good – it’s meant to add to your life, not take away.
My overall goal is to simply focus on the everyday products I consume and use the most:
- Food
- Makeup + Skincare
- Oral Care
- Cleaning Products
Food Staples
I get really, really excited about food. Food is medicine. Focusing on nutrient-rich meals (rather than salads + quick smoothies) has been a total game changer.
Here are some of the staples I always have on hand →
- Bonafide Provisions Bone Broth
- Kahlona Whole Milk
- Vital Farms Eggs
- Uncle Matt’s Orange Juice
- Lakewood Pineapple Juice
- Crucial Four Sea Salt
- Lundberg Rice
- Truly Grass-fed Butter
- Organic Coffee – I have a few favorites, but Purity Coffee is great!
- Organic Peanut Butter
- High Quality Yogurt
- Sourdough Bread
Makeup
- Crunchi
There are several makeup brands out there that make a lot of claims about being clean, and sure – some are definitely better than others. But Crunchi is truly the only one I can confidently recommend. Irina from I Read Labels for You has some great articles comparing those brands.
Crunchi products I love:
- Daylight Facial Cream
- Nightlight Facial Cream
- Smart Primer
- Beautifully Flawless Foundation
- Nutribrow Eyebrow Pencil
- Shattered Mascara
- Hydrogloss Lipgloss
Get $10 off your first Crunchi order here!
Skincare
- Primally Pure
Primally Pure products I currently love:
- Cleansing Oil
- Charcoal Deodorant
- Lip Balm
- Dry Shampoo
- Tinted Lip Balm
- Get $10 off your first Primally Pure order here!
- Organic Tallow
Tallow is a common ingredient in natural skincare products. It can be used is so many ways – truly a multi-purpose gem. I primarily use it as a makeup remover, but you can also use it for dry skin, lotion, bug bites, diaper rash, and SO much more. It’s literally food for your skin!
My friend Mandy makes an incredible tallow – she doesn’t ship yet, but if you’re in Omaha you can pick it up from her directly – just message her for details.
Oral Care
- Boka
Boka products I love:
- Ela Mint Toothpaste (Those benefits! 🤩)
- Boka Brush 2.0
Boka was recommended to me by an angel of a human, Dr. Molly Hayes.
*PAUSE* This is where you need to go checkout her website, sign up for her email list, and follow her on Instagram, thank me later.
Dr. Molly is a functional dentist here in Omaha, who was introduced to me by another amazing human – Dr. Ashton Popple. I can’t sing their praises enough!
Cleaning Products
Cleaning products aren’t a category that I’ve as much time with, but I’ve been super happy with Melaluca. The products work great, and the ingredients are better than what was using before – so that’s a win in my book. I started with the EcoSense Clean Home Pack. It came with everything I needed to get started, and the products have lasted a long time.
To purchase from Melaluca, you’ll need an account which can be created through a current member. I signed up through my friend Katie, you can reach out to her here! When you join, you have the option to purchase whenever you’d like, or you can become a monthly member for discounts and perks :)
Branch Basics is another brand people love for safe cleaning products.
Budget
In no way by sharing this list am I implying that you should toss everything out and go drop a small fortune ;)
When deciding which products to invest in, consider how often you’re using it and how it’s used. I’m more willing to spend on products I’m using daily vs products I use once a week.
Tip: Less is more – Cutting out anything that’s not essential is another good way to lower your toxin load, and helps you invest in those quality, staple products.
Simply replace items as they run out with a better option. There is no need toss something, unless it’s a product you’re no longer comfortable with.
Do the best you can with what you have, and don’t stress. Remember, the goal is to lower your toxin burden – it’s impossible to eliminate it.
Please give me a holler with any questions you have! Feel free to drop your thoughts below or send me an email. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here! You are loved + appreciated :)
Jillian
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