Clean Products Part Deux

When we last left off, I was going on and on and on all about all the clean products I’ve switched to. And you were probably like “how much more could she even have to discuss?” Oh, you have no idea.

via GIPHY

Toothpaste

This is a recent change. I had no idea that toothpaste had bad shit in it. Good Lord these manufacturers. But my dentist recently prescribed a super potent fluoride toothpaste for me and I was wondering if it was something I should be using while TTC and when I’ll be pregnant, and that’s when I fell down the rabbit hole of toothpaste and floss and all the nasty shit these companies add into them. So now I’m using this stuff. It’s fine. I don’t love it. It’s also really expensive for toothpaste.

I also just bought this Jason stuff to try, since it is cheaper, and it markets itself to help with sensitivity, which I need. Although, I am sure at a point in the not so distant future, every single tooth of mine will be a crown and I won’t have to worry about it.

Floss

Also a recent switch. I should go back to NOT flossing so I don’t even have to worry about it. But I’m now a daily flosser, because of aforementioned crowns, so I need something not laced with CHEMICALS.

I haven’t found a good one yet. I tried this one, which is pure silk and biodegradable, which yay. But also, it’s shit. And gets caught in crowns and shreds and breaks. Would not buy again.

This stuff is from the same company and better. But weird. It’s all floopy and like a shoelace, until you tighten it and then it’s like floss. It’s better than the silk stuff.

I also have 2 in my cart at Grove to try that I will let you know about.

Face Cleaner

I use a few different ones. At night, because I am lazy (look, I floss and have no time for other shenanigans), I use this micellar water. It’s got a low EWG rating and works well and it’s better than sleeping in my make-up.

In the shower, I’ve been using the BeautyCounter charcoal bar for over a year. I love it. It makes my skin feel so clean.

I also have used this face soap for when I need to travel and need something that I can pack that is NOT a bar of soap. This stuff is fine too. But I prefer the charcoal bar soap.

Shampoo & Conditioner

I used to always want to use the fancy sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners because I wanted my color to last longer. But those were always more expensive so I usually said fuck it. But all these clean shampoos are sulfate (and paraben) free, so it doesn’t matter anymore! And the one I like best I can buy at Dollar General!

I love this Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner.

I mostly use the conditioner only. That’s because in my old age, I’ve developed dandruff. And all the good dandruff shampoos are a no go, so I did find this stuff from Carina Organics that is really good. And honestly, I’m not sure I even need it anymore because I haven’t had an issue with the itchy dandruff since switching to cleaner products. Funny how that works.

Soap, Body Wash & Body Lotion

As I mentioned before, I’m a Dove bar soap girl, but it isn’t the best on EWG. It isn’t the worst, but I will switch when I’m out of the 1,000 bars I bought in bulk.

For body wash, I love Everyone. I love this company because they make great products and they are relatively inexpensive and you can get them at Whole Foods. I currently use their body wash, their lotion, their hand soap and their hand sanitizer.

The Everyone lotion is good for everyday lotion, but it isn’t super good for winter dry skin. I have found some others that are a bit thicker and better for Chicago winters. Here are a few I like:

• Attitude makes excellent, thicker lotions. I have used this one and then this one that is targeted for hands. I didn’t find it much different than their other lotions, so it wasn’t worth the higher price for me. It’s still no O’Keefe’s Working Hands. RIP.
• The only thing I swear that has gotten my hands through this winter is that I’ve been more proactive about putting lotion, any lotion, on my hands throughout the day, and also this stuff at night. You don’t need much. I put it on and then I put ankle socks over my hands so that I don’t get everything in the bed greasy. It works. And since it’s just me and the cats in the bedroom, I don’t have to impress anyone to get my silky, soft, sock-covered hands.

Tampons

Another thing I never really thought about, but if I’m going to focus on putting good things on my skin, I should think about the stuff I’m putting up my vag. So I just switched to 100% cotton tampons and I order them from Lola. If you want to switch too, you can use my referral link and get $5 off!

Cleaning Products

For cleaning products, I have a few recommendations. You can check EWG’s cleaning products ratings here. To be honest, I’ve just tried to find new stuff as old stuff ran out, so since I never clean, I still have a lot of older stuff. But here is what I have switched (you can get a lot of these cheaper on Grove, which is another plus to signing up with my referral link!):

Dish soap – I tried this Attitude one and didn’t love it, so once I’m out, I’m going to try this ECOS stuff.

All-purpose cleaner – I use this one from ECOS and it works fine.

Window/mirror cleaning – I have this one from Aunt Fannie’s to try, but haven’t yet. I still have some of my Windex.

Dishwasher detergent – I went with this Seventh Generation powder because I don’t like to use packs because of the plastic and I couldn’t find any tabs. I don’t actually mind it. I didn’t think I’d like powder, but this gets my dishes way cleaner than the Finish tabs did.

Stain remover for carpet (for all the cat butthole poop drags) – I like this BioKleen stuff. It isn’t an A rating on EWG, but it isn’t an F. So I call it a win.

Laundry soap – This Biokleen stuff is really nice, you don’t have to use a lot so it lasts a long time, and it doesn’t irritate my skin.

Dryer sheets – Make your own!

Bathroom cleaner – Again, I use this Seventh Generation stuff.

Spray disinfectant – I needed a replacement for Lysol for germs and this Seventh Generation stuff works well. I REALLY hate the smell of thyme, so I wanted one without thyme scent, but it turns out, thyme oil is a disinfectant, so I lost that battle.

Wipes – I use these Aunt Fannie’s wipes, sparingly when I need a wipe, since they are better than Lysol wipes. They do smell super vinegary, so those “scents” aren’t noticeable. But I’ve really tried to get away from using wipes as much, even though they are so much easier.

Now you can see why I had to split it into two posts. OPINIONS, I HAS THEM.

Hopefully this is at least helpful to some of you who are looking to change out some things! I’ll plan to put all this stuff in its own page so there is always a working link you can check out when needed!