SHOPPING CLEAN & NAUTI
Take a minute to think about how many “products” you use on a daily basis- from toothpaste to makeup to cleaning products.
I know, for me personally, it is quite a lot. Many personal care products have an ingredients label that is tiny fine print and a super long list of mysterious chemicals. Over the past couple years, I have learned about some of the short term and long term benefits of shopping clean and monitoring the products that I put on my body or in my living space. I have gradually found brands that I love to support and use because of their commitment to healthy ingredients and sustainable practices.
Thinking of the bigger picture, there are so many things you can do to act as a more conscious consumer. Shopping ethically and consciously impacts not only your own health and wellbeing, but also the health and wellbeing of others and the environment. I encourage you all to do a little research into being a more informed consumer overall and take a personal inventory of products you use daily. Here I will share some insight, helpful tips, and a few suggestions to shopping clean and nauti- specific to personal care.
What is “shopping clean” ?
Simply put, shopping clean is purchasing products that are virtually free of toxins and harmful chemicals. There is no perfect definition for a clean product and many companies have their own take on it. Essentially, try to avoid products with that long ingredients list that you cannot pronounce or explain. Words like “natural” or “green” can (legally!) be slapped on the packaging of just about anything. Looking at specific ingredients and evaluating their impact reveals a lot more than a first impression.
What are the benefits to shopping clean?
The benefits are extensive. First, many of the common chemicals in personal care products have been linked to diseases including cancer. Some common ingredients are phthalates (that disrupt your endocrine system), parabens (have been linked to breast cancer), and talc (may contain cancer causing asbestos). Obviously, using a product with parabens will not cause breast cancer overnight but, transitioning from a paraben loaded product to a clean product that you use everyday can lower the presence of this toxin in your body and lower your risk of serious illness and disease long term. Carcinogens are not the only harmful chemicals to be on the lookout for. Several other common ingredients in personal products are allergens, immunotoxins, and toxins that impact overall developmental and reproductive health.
How should I go about this?
Making a commitment to shopping clean does not have to happen all at once. Throughout college, I have gradually transitioned nearly all of my daily skincare, makeup and personal products to non-toxic products. This can take months, even years. Completely sweeping your stash and restocking can be very expensive and time-consuming. If you want to make an additional effort to purchase clean personal products moving forward, I would recommend spending some time taking inventory, seeing what will need replacing soon and finding a cleaner product that will work well for you instead when you need to repurchase. Consider everything from skincare products to your air freshener of choice. Also, it is always good to take a look at any expiration dates and declutter. This might seem overwhelming but it's very doable, I am not a ~toxins expert~ by ANY means. There are so many helpful resources out there to make shopping clean simple and easy.
Helpful resources and my favorite clean products
- “Think Dirty” App: This app is AMAZING. It has a scanning feature that allows you to look up any product you either currently own or are interested in and quickly get a run down of how clean it is. It also explains the benefits or risks of each ingredient. Lastly, it will offer alternatives and let you browse suggested brands of clean products. It’s user-friendly, educational and fun. While taking personal inventory, download this app and scan your items as you go.
- Sephora Clean: Sephora has a helpful clean seal that they place on products that meet their clean standard: formulated without parabens, sulfates SLS and SLES, phthalates, mineral oils, formaldehyde and more. You can limit your search on their website to clean products or seek out the seal in store.
- Some of my personal favorite brands for clean products
- Tarte Cosmetics - most of their products are clean and such high quality
- LUSH - favorites: Imperialis moisturizer, Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, Light Touch facial oil, Roots hair mask
- Renpure shampoo and conditioner - super affordable and smells amazing
- L. Organic Cotton feminine care products
- In doing some research I found these helpful articles as well!
Overall, being a conscious consumer overall is more impactful than you think. This extends far beyond buying non-toxic personal care products, but it can be a good place to start as your daily usage of products does impact your health. It does not have to be an additional expense or inconvenience to gradually transition to cleaner products as so many options are high quality, easily accessible and affordable. Ultimately, shopping clean is better for you, others and the environment so, why not give it a try?
~ Happy Shopping! Live Nauti ~
xo Crista
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