Clean, The Cleanest I’ve Been

After my earlier post, a lot of people* have asked for recommendations on products I use, so I figured I’d at least tell you what I’ve tried and when I like. Disclaimer: these are all Amazon affiliate links so if you click on them and purchase, I get a little bit of money.

The first thing I think everyone should switch out is all your plastic. Get rid of it! Throw it out and buy glass!

Well, don’t throw it all out until you can replace it with glass, but make that your first priority.

I bought this set as my first set and like them. But some of the containers are tiny and there aren’t a lot of lunch-sized ones. So I ended up buying this set of 5 for lunches. They are a decent size and most of what I bring for lunch, minus soup, fits in these. 

Pyrex is the best, really. But their lids don’t seal as well as the other ones, so I mostly use them for storing leftovers or freezing leftovers. I have this set and then this bowls set, since I needed some new mixing bowls that weren’t plastic.

And don’t forget to switch out your plastic cooking utensils, plastic measuring cups and spoons too!

When it comes to beauty products, the first thing I tried to switch (and honestly am kind of still trying) is face moisturizer with SPF. Well, guess what? They don’t make an EWG verified version of it that I have found. I have decided to just add another step in the mornings and use an SPF on top of my lotion.

I have scoured that EWG database, so if you’ve found something, please let me know! And by something, I mean something that isn’t going to cost me $50 a bottle. I was an Oil of Olay girl before all this, so I’m all about the drug store prices.

So far I have tried this stuff, which is decent. It’s fine for summer, basically. But I need something thicker in the winter when it is so dry out.

My current choice is this Rooted Beauty stuff that you can only get through Grove. Which is actually fine because it’s a decent price, works well (I like the regular vs. the sensitive, even with my sensitive skin) and Grove actually has some good products, some less than you’d pay at Walmart. Plus, FREE GIFTS!

If you’re looking to try Grove, you can use my referral link.

Just a note with Grove, you still need to do your research, not everything on there is as clean as they like to think, at least by EWG standards. (I’m looking at you Mrs. Meyers.)

Since my moisturizer no longer has SPF in it, I’ve had to add in an SPF for my face in the mornings. It’s probably better for me to do it this way, anyway, since I need as much SPF as I can get. I am a whiter shade of pale, after all (TM Slynnro). I use this stuff and it is great. A little goes a long way. EWG markets this as an SPF lotion, but I think I need more of a lotion as a base before putting this stuff on.

Eye cream

I started with this stuff and it is fine. But I’m not overwhelmed with it and it doesn’t have any anti-aging stuff in it like hyaluronic acid or anything so I recently switched to BeautyCounter.  We’ll see if I like that one any better. If not, back to the cheap stuff.

Make-up

Here are some of the things I have tried.

Juice Beauty CC Cream. All these reviews said this stuff smelled gross and had zero coverage. I generally feel like Amazon reviewers exaggerate, but they were 100% right on with this. The smell is awful. BUT, I have to say that cleaner products generally have a smell. Probably because they don’t have any fragrance in them.

After this, I switched to Burt’s Bees. Which is like a 2 or a 3 on EWG, so not the best, but WAY better than what I was using. This stuff had ZERO coverage. And for using a full foundation and not a BB or CC cream, I expected WAY more.

This SuperGoop CC cream is actually pretty good. It doesn’t have the best coverage, but using it with powder is OK enough. But if you’re looking for something with SPF, this works.

I wanted to try a foundation with more coverage, so I switched to this Mineral Fusion stuff recently. I actually really like it so far. And this brand makes some good, clean products.

Face Powder

I tried Burt’s Bees, but it was very cakey, and made me look like I was wearing stage makeup. I think maybe because it is mattifying and I’m not super oily. So if you’re oily, maybe look into it.

The one I’m using now is this Mineral Fusion one. I had to buy a brush to use with it, but I like it a lot and it provides good coverage and takes away shine and covers slight imperfections.

Speaking of brushes, since I needed to buy one for this powder, I decided to go for eco-friendly brushes and sponges and ended up getting this one and these beauty blender things.

Mascara

This was my last holdout. I literally just bought some clean mascara two weeks ago because I was like “really? How bad can it be?” Well the one I was using was like one of the worst. I’m not sure why, I refuse to even look. But I bought some new stuff and it is OK. I miss my L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes, but this Mineral Fusion stuff isn’t too bad. I just have to put on more coats to get the look of one coat of the L’Oreal, which is annoying when I literally have no extra time in the mornings because I’ve always overslept and I’m usually wasting time cleaning up poopy butt drags on the carpet from the fucking cat.

Deodorant

I could write a whole separate post about the deodorants I’ve tried. I have tried them all. Most of them suck.

This one by All Good is the best! EWG verified and does not leave nasty stains on your clothing. It’s like an actual deodorant that rubs in, not like all those others that are basically a thick lotion that never rubs in and you have pit stains FROM your deodorant and leave chunks of deodorant behind because it just doesn’t rub in. I can’t even tell you how many little balls of natural deodorant I’ve found in my house and around my desk at work from them pilling up and falling out of my shirt sleeve.

I’ve tried the Rose & Geranium and the Tea Tree & Basil. I’m not super crazy about either, but the rose one is a bit better.

I should point out that I have an adverse reaction to baking soda. And basically 98% of the clean, natural deodorants use baking soda as the odor protection. So I’ve tried a lot of those and get a bad armpit rash, so I’ve just learned to steer clear of those.

My first foray into natural deodorant was Native, because I fall prey to all Instagram and Facebook ads. Besides the itchy rash, it was fine.

I then switched to Schmidt’s Sensitive. And for a while, this was my number one choice! I didn’t smell! Even in the summer! But then I noticed it was leaving oily stains on my shirts and dresses, like I had pit stains! Also, this was the worst culprit of the tiny deodorant balls escaping out of your shirt.

Next was Tom’s of Maine. I actually like theirs a lot, but NOT CLEAN, TOM. Why are you a 3 on EWG? What are you putting in there Tom? STOP IT!

Earth Mama – This I thought would be good because it’s for moms and pregnant ladies! Nope, it’s made with baking soda. And also it really pastey and was worse than Schmidt’s with the deodorant balls.

Think Sport – Also made with baking soda. (I don’t know why I didn’t learn.) I didn’t react as badly to this one, but it was also kind of pastey. But I wish the All Good one could take in this chamomile and citrus scent because I loved the scent of this one.

I apparently had a lot of things to say about all these changes I’ve made, so I’ll write up the rest of my recommendations in the next post. Stay tuned!

*one person