How I approach non-toxic living (+a list of my daily non-toxic products)
As a woman, learning how many endocrine disruptors exist in our daily product lineup can be shocking.
But when you make the shift in your day to day product choices, small changes really do add up.
However, recently I’ve also noticed myself hyper fixating on what products are “safe” to use versus which are not.
The point of non-toxic living is to support our overall health.
Thinking that every toxin in our environment will kill us or make us sick is a losing battle and will not lead to thriving, radiant health, and longevity.
I like to take the approach of reducing my overall toxin load through mindful, impactful choices while being aware of where I’m willing to make exceptions.
Ultimately, I trust my body’s innate ability to detox and combat toxins.
And I also support my body in a multitude of ways on a regular basis— with habits like sweaty workouts, sauna sessions, drinking mineral-rich water, daily bowel movements, dry brushing, and self-massage as daily musts for me.
So maybe I’m a little less crunchy (ehem rigid) than I once was– think stale peanut brittle turned olive oil kettle cooked potato chip– still a nice crunch but with a little more give!
I choose non-toxic products where it makes the biggest impact on my health so I can choose ease and joy where it matters to me.
This will look different for everyone priority-wise but the overall approach is the same.
In order of most to least important, these are the non-toxic products I use daily in my life to support my health and decrease the toxins in my environment:
Cleaning Products: Branch Basics
As someone who wipes her counters down for at least three meals a day, what cleaning products are being absorbed by my skin and inhaled by my body is important to me.
There’s simply no need to use bleach and other harsh cleaning agents on a daily basis, nonetheless expose our bodies to it.
The Branch Basics cleaning concentrate is 100% non-toxic, non-irritating, fragrance free and can be used on anything! It’s quite a cost effective system and their starter kit sets you up with a cleaning solution for every area of your home.
I use Branch Basics as an all-purpose spray, bathroom cleaner, laundry detergent, stain treatment, hand soap, produce cleaner, and glass shiner. I also love their Oxygen Boost powder for brightening my laundry and treating stains.
It feels so good to use their cleaning concentrate throughout the day and know no harm is being done to my body or environment.
Not to mention, it works super well– way better than any chemical-driven cleaner I’ve used before.
Home Fragrance: Essential Oils and Beeswax Candles
Another toxin area I like to prioritize is the quality of the air I’m inhaling on a daily basis.
Some people invest in something like the AirDoctor which is great– but just being mindful of the toxins via fragrance you’re pumping into your air can make a big difference already.
The more I looked into non-toxic candle options the more I realized how unregulated the candle industry is, making it pretty difficult to find ones without undisclosed fragrances and other ingredients.
My simple solution was just to switch to using my essential oil diffuser more regularly. I also light fragrance free beeswax candles when I’m craving some candle light.
There are numerous essential oil diffusers and essential oil sets available today. My only advice would be to do your research on your essential oils– make sure they’re high quality, organic, and blends that aren’t irritating to your skin or body.
This is the essential oil diffuser I own and I use this set of oils from Cliganic. I also love these beeswax candles from BlueCorn Beeswax.
Dishwasher Detergent: Dropps
A big product swap I made when I started making non-toxic living more of a priority was my dishwasher detergent.
When I think about the most impactful product swaps to make, items that go into my mouth or onto the food I eat are really important to me.
Obviously the items we use to cook and eat our food off fall right into this category.
Most dishwasher detergents are filled with strong chemicals with the intention of stripping off any grease or residue on our plates. These chemicals are also set up to create a shine or film on all of our dishware. Not to mention, most dishwasher detergents are fragranced.
I wanted a product that would thoroughly clean my dishes well but didn’t have any of the nasty stuff, including fragrances.
After trying a few brands, my go-to dishwasher detergent are Dropps Unscented Dishwasher Pods.
My dishes and utensils always come out sparkly clean– without any residue or gross chemical film. The Dropps Unscented line is also A+ EWG rated.
Bathing Products: Dr. Bronner’s + Innersense + Coconut Oil
I’ve always been a bath product junkie— I love a long, luxurious shower and going through a full self-care routine from head to toe.
I really wanted to take my time finding the best products that were good for my health but still felt high-quality and luxurious. I couldn’t let myself agree to a life of only washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar.
Fortunately, these were relatively easy switches to make and I still use these products today— meaning they’ve all been great to my skin and hair.
For body wash, I use a 50-50 diluted bottle of Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby soap. I also use my Dr. Bronner's soap as a shaving soap just by lathering it up really well.
For haircare, I use all of Innersense’s products. In particular I love their Pure Harmony Hairbath and Daily Inspiration Conditioner. I also use their Volumizing Foam and Hair Love Prep Spray almost everyday.
And as for body moisturizer, just some good old-fashioned coconut oil has done wonders for my skin. I use an organic, cold-pressed fractionated version and I pour it into a pump bottle like this making it super easy to apply after a shower.
Skincare and Makeup: Primally Pure + Biossance + Ilia Beauty
I loved making homemade face masks growing up, made with whatever I could find in our kitchen— honey, greek yogurt, avocado, egg etc.
As I’ve gotten older, my taste in skincare has definitely gone through some more expensive changes. But hey! The straight from the earth, natural stuff still works really well.
These days, I love anything from Primally Pure. The double cleansing kit has done wonders for my skin and is exactly what I’m looking for in a refreshing, rejuvenating, and luxurious skincare ritual.
I also love Biossance’s Squalane + BHA Toner and Resurfacing Serum whenever I feel like I need something a little stronger for exfoliation and skin cell turnover. Biossance is known for their clean, effective skincare lines and is EWG certified.
The combination of these two brands keeps my skin hydrated, exfoliated, and feeling freshly pampered all day long.
I’m a bit simpler when it comes to makeup. But for my daily go-to’s, I use mostly products from Ilia Beauty.
Their Skin Tint Serum, Limitless Mascara, and Eyebrow Pencil are all gorgeous and daily favorites of mine.
Period Products: Rael and The Brand Hannah
When it comes to anything yoni-related, I’ve always been strong about my standards– and for good reason.
Our yoni skin and tissues are highly sensitive and absorbent.
What comes into contact with them matters, especially when they’re in a vulnerable state of bleeding for several days– the pads, tampons, cups, wipes, and more really add up and make a difference.
If you’re looking for a more conventional period product, my favorite will always be high-quality organic cotton pads. I avoid tampons as much as possible, even the organic ones, due to their highly toxic nature and unnatural interference with menstrual blood flow.
It’s difficult to find 100% non-toxic organic cotton pads but these are the best brands, readily available that I’ve come to find:
My #1 preferred period product however are reusable organic cotton pads. These are by far the most comfortable, economical, and just better for your yoni health overall.
I love this set from The Brand Hannah for my reusable organic cotton pads.
Chapstick and Sunscreen: Badger
Two items that we often don’t think much about when it comes to non-toxic products but that definitely get a lot of use from us!
Sunscreen probably deserves its own dedicated blog post, but I will say that most sunscreens are loaded with crazy chemicals.
And if it’s something you use regularly or even every once in a while, it’s a product that is designed to be rubbed all over your skin, often multiple times in a day.
For those reasons, my go-to sunscreen is the unscented line from Badger. I actually prefer their sunscreen that comes in a tin, but they also have a squeeze bottle formula if that’s easier for you.
Badger also makes an amazing unscented and deliciously hydrating lip balm!
As someone who uses chapstick many times a day, I definitely want to be using something that is 100% safe to consume.
Badger’s unscented lip balm is made from olive oil, beeswax, castor oil, and rosemary leaf extract. I usually buy mine in bulk like this.
Small shifts really add up over time.
But again, it’s less about perfection, just mindfulness and progress.
So while you can clean up your home and lifestyle from unnecessary toxins, also remember to keep your favorite lipstick and find the balance of joy and ease in your life.
Joy is just as impactful to your health as non-toxic living is.
With love,
Jules
*Note: There may be affiliate links in my blog posts for products I recommend or mention. These affiliate links create no extra cost to you but may earn me a small commission on your order. I only share products I truly use myself and fully stand behind.
If you enjoyed this, you might also like—
