Raise your hand if you are guilty of hoarding beauty products. You open up your bathroom drawer and cabinet, and it is full of years old products you didn't quite run out of, products you bought thinking this is IT, I'll LOVE this, only to find out it is no better than the rest. And here you are still with dry or oily, blemished skin, bad hair days, makeup that just doesn't work well with your skin, and you've spent too much money...
I've cleaned my bathroom drawers out before. I do get rid of stuff, but in a few months, I'm back to where I started. I wasted money trying new products from the store. Shampoo/Conditioner and makeup were my ultimate weaknesses.
Two weeks ago, I downloaded the Think Dirty app on my phone. I did some reading on their website (Click here)and started searching the products I'm currently using. I was appalled! They have a list called the "Dirty Dozen" that they use to rate beauty products from 1-10 (Click here). These ingredients made the list based on actual research. Plus, all of these ingredients are banned outside of the US. WHAT?! Like... These ingredients are linked to cancer and are known neurotoxins and hormone inhibitors! And I'm here wiping my kids' butts and slathering their bodies with it.
Obviously, one of the benefits of changing your beauty routine to a clean one, is you know you are taking care of yourself and your family. Another benefit? A mass exodus of probably your entire hoard of beauty products. Talk about being minimal and organized! This app makes it easy to do. It forces you to make more conscious decisions, and although I might pay a little more money for a clean product, I have found that the products I have bought to replace my dirty products have worked better for me. My skin is glowing, and it isn't dry or oily. My hair is silky and doesn't frizz up as much on rainy days. I don't need to cover my whole body in lotion after every shower. This photo is all the products I got rid of after downloading the app. Just a week prior I went through my bathroom and threw away a whole trashbag. THIS is what was still leftover! This app has changed my life!
One thing I want to point out is the term "clean". Clean doesn't necessarily mean natural, and natural doesn't necessarily mean clean. Many man-made synthetic ingredients are perfectly safe to use, and many naturally occurring ingredients are not. Trust me, I'm a chemist ;) Poison Ivy is completely natural, but it definitely isn't safe to rub all over my skin. Furthermore, companies tend to use buzzwords on their packaging that can mislead you about the cleanliness of their product. This is why it is so important to acquaint yourself with the dirty dozen ingredients and to always use the Think Dirty app before making a purchase. Read this article and watch the video from the Today Show for more information (Click here).
Although I have switched to some products that cost a little more than drug store beauty products, they last a long time, and they work. I am not wasting my money buying other things. Some items in my routine though, are a bargain! Below, I have listed all the clean products I use daily on myself and on my children.
Night Routine:
In the shower: Whole Foods 365 Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash ($7.99 each for 32oz)
Face wash/Scrub: My sister's recipe "Face Fudge" All natural, clean, and homemade. It has worked wonders. I no longer have oily skin or breakouts. I've used it for a few years now. I'll do a post about it next week when she comes over to make more. If you are interested in buying some, let me know!
Face Moisturizer: Walmart Great Value Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil ($10-- lasts FOREVER) mixed with Grapefruit and Frankincense Essential Oils (Youngliving-- also lasts a very long time). Homemade.
Eye Makeup Remover: The coconut oil above without the essential oils.
Deodorant: Homemade using baking soda, cornstarch, coconut oil, and essential oils.
Kids Wash: Every Coconut Shampoo and Body. Found at Whole Foods. ($8.99 for 16oz)
Kids Moisturizer: The coconut oil above mixed with lavender essential oils. Homemade.
Toothpaste: Jason toothpaste (Found at Marshall's for $2.99. Also sold at Whole Foods)
It is fluoride free, so use the app if you want to find a clean toothpaste with fluoride.
Lotion: Aveeno Skin Relief 24 hr Moisturizing Lotion. ($6.99) Be careful! Not all Aveeno products are clean!!
Day Routine:
Refresh: T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel on cotton ball used as a toner. Found at Target or Walmart ($2-$3-- lasts a few months for me).
I only use the witch hazel in the morning. I don't need to wash or moisturize in the morning anymore because of the products I use during my nighttime routine.
Hair Product: Alba Botanical hawaiian anti-frizz serum.
Makeup Routine:
Foundation: BareMinerals Original Foundation ($28) Lasts a few months for me.
Blush: BareMinerals Loose Blush ($20) Lasts over a year for me.
Eyeshadow: BareMinerals Loose Eyeshadows ($15 each) Lasts over a year for me.
Highlighter: It Cosmetics Radiance Creme Luminizer ($22)
Lipstick: BarsMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick ($20)
** I haven't switched my eyeliner (Sephora liquid eyeliner), mascara (Urban Decay Perversion), or eyebrow gel (GimmeBrow) products yet. I really love these products, so I need recommendations on these three things that are clean AND work great.
Baby Products:
Diapers: Honest Company. Order monthly bundles online. ($79.95 for one month supply of diapers and wipes.) They often run deals for first timers like BOGO bundles for the first order.
Wipes: Honest Company (see bundles above)
Rash Cream: Angel Baby Bottom Balm ($8)
Antibacterial Wipes: Paper towels, water, thieves essential oil. (Homemade)
Hand Sanitizer: Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, thieves and tea tree essential oils (Homemade)
There it is! These are the ONLY products I have in my bathroom and in my diaper bag. I'm not tempted to buy other things, because I know what I use works. There are many options and brands that are clean and have great reviews. I know many people who you all Honest Company Products and Beauty Counter products.
My next phase, when we move into the house we are currently building (hopefully moved in by June!), is to start researching and switching to clean brands for laundry detergent, hand and dish soap, sunscreen, and household cleaning products!
If you want a the recipe for any of the homemade products I use, just send me a message! Or I can make it for a small cost (ingredients and time).
I'd love to hear from you! Send me recommendations for clean products you use and love in all aspects of your life.