Hey, hey!

So I think I’ve mentioned a time or two on this blog that I’m working toward using all natural home and body care products. Every time I run out of something “toxic” I use that as an opportunity to swap it out for something healthier for my body and for the planet. It’s been great fun! I have done quite a lot of experimenting so I wanted to put together a list of my favorite Healthy Body Products I’m loving these days.

I highly recommend going to http://www.ewg.org/skindeep to see how toxic your beauty products are. They also have an app which works moderately well.

Another thing that has really been weighing on my mind since I started going “all natural” is the fact that I bleach my hair and have for a very, very long time. Ok, technically bleach doesn’t touch the scalp, it just sits on the hair so that makes me feel a little bit better, but I know it can’t really be healthy. So I finally took the plunge and returned to my natural hair color last weekend! I stopped coloring it about 6 months ago and the color & texture difference from having natural hair vs fried hair was driving me CRAZY.

You can see the grow-out situation in the bottom pic. And then in the top picture I’m just looking all sorts of fly in the parking lot of the grocery store. Yeah! I can’t believe how much of a textural difference this made on my fried ends! My hair is so soft now.

The one natural product I have NOT been able to find is a good shampoo and conditioner! I have tried A LOT and it’s getting to be an expensive and frustrating experiment. All the natural products I try dry my hair out and make it even more angry. The only product I found that didn’t dry my hair out horribly also didn’t clean it so I ended up with mad build up on my scalp. So, it was back to my beloved Pureology.

Alright, let’s look at my list starting with the top left working clockwise.

Enkido synergy facial lotion. This is an Australian company so this stuff isn’t easy to get but I absolutely love it and I’m a facial care snob. It’s not expensive, you just have to order it from Australia. They do ship orders of $99 for free though and with the AUS to USD conversion rate it’s a steal. All their products have an EWG rating of 1! I also use their eye cream and their moisturizing face wash and love both. My skin is extremely acne prone (like, extremely) and my skin has actually improved since using this.

Jane Iredale “Disappear”. All Jane Iredale products are fabulous and non-toxic. This disappear product is my favorite concealer for all my acne scars and hyperpigmentation. It’s legit.

Uncle Harry’s Toothpaste. OMG I use natural toothpaste and I love it! My goal is to start making my own toothpaste but until then I will be buying this. It’s awesome and it’s remineralizing.

Almond Oil or Jojoba. I use this as a body moisturizer. It’s a little more convenient than using coconut oil since it’s liquid all year long and absorbs better.

Andalou Naturals Creamy Lemon Face Wash. Everything Andalou is awesome. They make a really good body lotion too if you are looking for a traditional looking/feeling/smelling body lotion.

Earth Science Tea Tree & Lavender Deodorant. Have I never posted about switching off regular deodorant?! That’s a novel in itself, what a journey! This deodorant is great and it’s inexpensive. I got it at Harmon’s! (local grocery store)

Sappo Hill Soap, unscented. I was convinced when I stopped using my “moisturizing body wash” my skin would dry up and flake off my body. No such thing. It turns out those “moisturizing” soaps and lotions dry skin out so we have to keep using them! Since I switched to natural products my skin has been much softer and not nearly as dry! It’s all a conspiracy I tell you…

Jane Iredale Glow Time. This is another great Jane Iredale product. Just 4 tiny drops does the entire face. Great for covering up those scars!

Andalou Naturals BB Cream. This is my absolute favorite sunscreen!! This is the only sunscreen that doesn’t make me break that I can actually stand the feel of. It’s tinted too so that’s a nice bonus. It’s a physical sunscreen (zinc oxide) so it’s non-toxic!

I should also mention that most of these products are SUPER inexpensive and cost much less than the toxic versions I was using before. Check out http://www.vitacost.com for most of these products or Amazon or even the local grocery store! I am loving vitacost these days. Free overnight shipping, plus their prices can’t be beat and they are always having sales and sending coupons.

And here is the Rocco pic of the day. He was starting to get sleepy after a run.

Alright, that’s it for now! If you know of any good & natural shampoos you better be sending me a message!

Bye for now!

Laura