5 Tips Towards Living a Toxic-Free Lifestyle
It’s all well and good to make sure the food we put into body is as chemical-free as possible. Unfortunately, the food that we eat are not the only way that toxins sneak into our body and wreak havoc on our system. The deodorant, nail-polish, face cleansers/creams/masks, makeup and hair products, to name a few, all have potential to seep in through the pores in our skin, sneaking into our body. Fortunately, we actually do have control over the use of these personal items, not to mention the household cleaning products that we use.
It has honestly taken me about 4 years of experimenting with deodorant – the organic, aluminium-free kind, that didn’t leave me stinky, sweaty or rashy to finally find the one. On the other hand, I was extremely lucky to discover the 100% chemical-free face scrub, moisturiser and green clay mask that I use today (and works a treat!) as a Christmas present and found it worked so well that unless the company stops producing their beautiful products, I’ll never have to look elsewhere again.
It can be a time consuming process, working out what products work for you, let’s face it, we are all different, so what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Having said all of that, I still feel the urge to share with you the products that I have personally tried and tested and found to work amazingly- for me. Who knows, maybe it will save you the trouble of going through the exact same time consuming processes.
Here are my 5 top tips towards living a toxic-free lifestyle…
1) Skin care
For 3 years now, I have only used Beauty and the Bees facial products, that’s including a daily, gentle facial scrub, a daily facial moisturiser, a weekly green clay mask, daily hand cream and chemical-free soap. Beauty and the Bees are a Tasmanian based, 100% chemical free company that source only natural, local, chemical-free ingredients, that are safe to eat, smell divine and actually work wonders for your skin. They make all of their products from scratch and deliver straight to your door, including express deliveries! I encourage you to check out their products online here:
2) Deodorant
Recently, I discovered the Australian Certified Organic ‘Lariese Euphoria Argan’ Deodorant. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little apprehensive, having gone through years of failed trials of organic deodorants leaving me smelly, rashy and well embarrassed really, particularly in the Summer time. Fortunately, I decided to try this new brand I had discovered, trialled it while exercising, and found it to work a treat – no sweat rash, no undesirable after smell – finally a deodorant I was happy to use in Summer and while working out… pretty good find I’d say!
You can check out their webpage below, but this deodorant can also be found in most health food stores around the country.
https://lariese.com/euphoria-argan-oil-roll-on-deodorant-70ml-2-4fl-oz-98.html
3) Nail polish + remover
I’ve always enjoyed painting my nails all colours of the rainbow, but after becoming so interested in organic skincare many years ago, I become determined to find a company that produced toxic-free nail polish – that actually offered bold, attractive colours. Recently, I came across the brand ‘Scotch Naturals’. They offer 43 different colours, (Flying Scotsman being my favourite) and also offer toxic-free soy nail polish remover. Check out their range of toxic-free nail polish here:
4) Shampoo and conditioner
I know the price of some shampoo and conditioners can be a deal breaker. However, from my experience, the Sukin Organics is an affordable brand that actually makes my hair feel and appear smooth and… I’m not embarrassed to leave the house – bonus. My favourite shampoo and conditioner from Sukin Organics is the ‘Purifying Shampoo’ and the ‘Nourishing Conditioner’ – both of which come in 1L bottles, meaning I don’t have to continually stock up on a new bottle each week or fortnight… they last a lot longer. Sukin Organics products can be found at most health food and organic wholefood stores. Alternatively, you can check out a full range of their products here (not limited to hair care):
5) General household cleaning
When it comes to keeping the kitchen, floors and the house in general clean, I’ve found that everyday items found in your pantry work wonders leaving a sparkle, with no need for toxic, generic household cleaning products. My 4 favourite household cleaning products have become: baking soda, bi-carb soda, vinegar and eucalyptus oil.
- Do you have a blocked sink drain? You can easily clean and deodorise the blocked drain by pouring in 1 cup of baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.
- Haven’t cleaned the fridge out in a while? Is it starting to smell? Place a little bowl of bi-carb soda in the fridge and you can clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.
- Does your oven door need a clean? You can do this with a cloth soaked in full strength white vinegar. Leave it on the door for 10 mins and then wipe with a clean cloth.
- Could your dishwasher use a cleanse? You can clean dishwashers and remove soap build up and odours by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle. If you wanted to, you could repeat this monthly.
- Wanting to mop the kitchen floors? I’ve found the best natural antiseptic and floor cleaner is a 1/3 cup vinegar, a few drops of eucalyptus oil and warm water. This solution will remove stubborn floor stains and leaves the house smelling clean and fresh, I sometimes add lavender oil to this mix for a relaxing experience which leaves the house smelling even nicer.
The next step in my life is to start experimenting with organic makeup. I have never been one to wear a lot of makeup – if any at all. However, on the occasion where I do want to, it would be nice to have a product handy that I honestly believe in and know works well. I’ll post the outcome of that adventure once I’ve found the perfect product.
Bec x
The Organic Nutritionist 