Chemical-free, please

What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. This may seem simple and obvious, but do you really know what is in all the products that you cleanse yourself with? Look at the ingredients, you may be surprised. Just because the front of the label claims to “prevent blemishes” and “clear pores” does not mean that it’s doing your body good. In fact it’s probably harming you more than you know it.

Some of the common chemical additives/irritants are parabens, sulfates, fragrance, artificial color, DEA, TEA, propylene glycol, benzoyl peroxide, phthalates, polypropylene, THE LIST GOES ON so much. Ugh.

I’ve recently switched to all natural (I hate using that word, but I’m talking about chemical free) products that cleanse my body as well as nourish it. The following are products that I use as well as recommend.

-Kiss My Face: Pure Olive Oil Soap

I like this because it is fragrance free and only contains three ingredients. Olive oil, aqua, and sodium chloride. Some may argue that salt (sodium chloride) may tend to be drying on the skin, but I have had no issue. In fact, I use this on my face and body and have found that it’s moisturizing enough to stop using moisturizer (which I have for several years now!). If you’re not sensitive to fragrance, KMF has a variety of other scents such as green tea, honey, lavender, and many more. Check it out for yourself- Kissmyface 

-Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap

This is great and can be used for so many things!!! From cleaning your body to your fruits and floors, Dr. Bron bron uses organic essential oils to get the job done. Dr. Bronner’s comes in several scents. I’ve used the almond, tea tree, and peppermint and love them all. I’m currently using the almond one as a hand soap and an additive to my no-poo regimen (explanation below).

Society nowadays: makes you purchase cleansing products which damage your body and then makes you purchase products to moisturize what has been damaged, that damages your body EVEN MORE. It’s an INSANE and ridiculous cycle. That’s why I’ve switched to the eco-friendly, wallet-friendly, and body-friendly, natural versions to rinse, lather, and repeat.

No more shampoo and conditioner for me! That’s right, I went no-poo and love it. The ingredients in most poo/conditioners are terrible for your lovely locks. They strip your hair of its natural oils and are extremely damaging. I now use baking soda and apple cider vinegar. I use one of those greek yogurt pints to mix up my concoction.

My recipe:

-4 tbsp (1/4 cup)* baking soda, minimal drops of tea tree oil (or any other essential oil that you wish) and fill the rest up with water. Cover and give a good shaking. Distribute all over hair and let sit while you wash your body (with Kiss My face soap bar perhaps? ). Once done, rinse well.

*Note, I have very long hair so you may only need 2 tbsp baking soda. It may take a few trial and errors before you get the perfect combo.

-Follow up with two capfuls of apple cider vinegar and fill up the rest with water. Mix well and distribute over hair, then rinse all the goodness out. If you find that your hair is a tad on the oily side, reduce the ACV to one capful.

Everyone is different! You may have a week or two of an adjustment period. This is normal and your body is just regulating the natural oils on your scalp. It’s getting used to not being stripped every time you wash your hair. It will in time become adjusted and wonderful.

I had no adjustment period really, I loved this method from the start. Although, I must admit that I put too much essential oils one time and had to wash my hair three times before it all came out! Live and learn though, no biggie.

 

-Fluoride-free toothpaste:

If you haven’t heard, apparently fluoride is NOT necessary for healthy teeth and can actually cause harm. There have been many studies that show how fluoride does more bad than good. I tried out this Kiss My Face: Triple Action toothpaste and love it! It doesn’t have that artificial sweet taste and is free from fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or animal ingredients. Also no testing on animals, which is awesome. After using this toothpaste my mouth really feels clean and minty, like a new and cleansed palate with no lingering food breath. There’s organic aloe vera extract in here which is good for preventing disease-causing bacteria and cavities. Also it’s good for people with sensitive teeth because it lacks the abrasive quality of other teeth cleaners (i.e. baking soda). Many of the typical baking soda, tarter-control, and whitening toothpastes are harmful for your teeth. They can cause sensitivity from their abrasiveness, so try and avoid if possible!

 

It’s only been a few weeks and I’ve already started to notice immense differences that keep me hooked on this chemical-free regimen. It’s so important to take care of your self, inside and out! Your body is sacred, learn to take care of it and love it. It will only help you do good things.

 

Irrelevant, but look how cute Henley looks =D