Why choose natural?

I believe it is so important to consider what is used on the surface of your body because eventually your body absorbs the products you use. This is called Dermal Absorption. (Dermal absorption is the transfer from a chemical into the skin, and than into the body). Just like being cautious of what you put inside your body, you should consider choosing more natural, environmentally friendly products on the outside too! When I am looking for a beauty product, body product or even cleaning products I always check the labels. Reading labels can help you understand what chemicals, additives and other things are added to products. Personally, when I am looking for a product I will always read the ingredients list, if there are ingredients I do not know typically I will not buy that product. In some cases brands use the more scientific word for a ingredient, which can be deceiving sometimes. (Great thing we have the internet to help us!) One way you can depict a natural product from an everyday product if by looking at the labels. Typically a vegan product has a logo (depending on where you live these could look different) I live in Canada so most products have a vegancert logo, the leaping bunny logo, PETA certified, or just the letter V for vegan. I think the big question here is, with so many brands out there, how can I decipher which product is best for me and my needs? Through trial and error I have come up with a list of brands that I trust and use daily and hopefully this post can help you to choose a more eco-friendly and natural alternative to your everyday essentials!

Body products:

Desert Essence - Wide range of products. Hair care, skin care, dental care, deodorants, facial care. I can honestly say I love every single product I have used by this company, especially their body lotions and shampoos! The body lotions absorb into the skin so nicely, leaving no greasy residue behind. There are many scents available and they all smell so delicious ( tropical coconut is my favourite). Desert Essence shampoos are also a great alternative to generic brands because they offer that great sudsy lather that a traditional sulfate shampoo offers, but the bonus is that it leaves your hair squeaky clean without striping your hair and scalp of it's natural oils.

Live Clean - A Canadian owned brand, I am not sure if you can purchase these products outside of Canada. (Be careful to read their labels, as some of their products are not vegan) They offer a wide range of products from hair care, skin care, baby essentials, facial care, and even household cleaning products. My favourite products from this brand are the Mango Bodywash (smells ah-maz-ing, literally drool worthy), their Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo, and their Grapefruit All Purpose Cleaner. They also have wonderful foam hand soaps in great scents!

Schmidts - A certified vegan company that offers an array of body products. Personally I have found that their deodorant works the best , it stands out from other natural deodorant (I feel that I have tried so many brands and none of them work as well as Schmidts). Finding a natural deodorant that works can be difficult, especially if you are transitioning from a generic brand of antiperspirant. If you have sensitive skin they also have a fragrance free and non-baking soda formula deodorant too! I really enjoy the rose+vanilla scent, I find it works best for me.

Beauty products (a list of my favourite makeup brands):

Prisma Palette - A woman owned small business that offers a extensive eyeshadow range. Her products are vegan and cruelty-free, and do not contain any of the toxins found in conventional eyeshadows - without hindering performance. Offered in three finishes matte, shimmer, metallic and an array of colours, there is truly a colour for everyone!

100 Percent Pure - A company that offers makeup dyed from fruits and veggies! They offer an array of vegan products (but not everything is vegan so make sure you look for the vegan symbol). Their products are more on the pricier side (Foundation is around $55 CAD) but every penny is worth it. They use the best quality ingredients and you can definitely feel it. 100 Percent Pure has really amazing foundation which is basically a extent of skincare. Their Fruit Pigmented Water Foundation is a dream (good shade range with 19 shades to choose from), it glides on the skin effortlessly and can be blended into the skin using a brush, sponge or even your fingers (it is a very hydrating foundation so if you have skin on the more oily side I would recommend a matte primer and finishing spray). I am going to highly recommend their Cocoa Butter Lipsticks as well, there is a huge shade range and they really do have amazing colour pay off (again, they are coloured from fruits and veggies so you don't have to worry about any chemicals being eaten or absorbed into your mouth).

Elate - A Canadian owned fair trade, 90% organic vegan cosmetics company. Their makeup is also gluten free! The best part, almost all of their packaging is refillable! They use sustainably sourced bamboo to make their containers. Elate offers a wide range of makeup products, from eyebrows to concealers. My favourite product from Elate is their Brow Balm in the shade Smoke. It offers great colour and the consistency helps to keep your eyebrow hairs in place.

Lily Lolo - A company that offers a wide range of makeup products from eyeshadow to makeup brushes! (not everything is vegan so look for that symbol). I really enjoy their Cheek Duo's, my favourite shade is Coralista. It has the best hilight shade that matches any look!

Pacifica - A vegan cosmetics company that offers makeup, facial products and everything in between with affordable prices. Pacifica continues to keep up with the beauty communities trends, offering a wide range of eyeshadow palettes, a inclusive foundation shade range for every undertone and skin type, as well as offering an extensive skin care line. My personal favourite products from Pacifica are their eyeshadows (so many colours in mattes and shimmer shades that are beautifully textured and buttery smooth), their Stellar Gaze mascara in Supernova(black) and their Kale Detox face wash.

Household Products:

Seventh Generation- A wide range of cleaning products including dish soaps, and household cleaning products. My favourite product from Seventh Generation are their disinfecting wipes! They are leaping bunny certified, made from botanical plant extracts, and kill 99.9% of bacteria - definitely beats those other brands that contain ammonia!

Boulderclean - A wide range of products ranging from laundry, to household cleaning products. Their Natural Foaming Bathroom Cleaner works wonders on shower tiles without the harsh chemicals and smells of a traditional bathroom cleaning products. Their fabric softener works well and gives a cozy feel to fabrics.

Nature Clean - I haven't found too many of this brands products, but I did manage to find their dishwasher tabs and they work fab!

Eco Max - I use their Natural Orange Laundry Wash and it is wonderful, has a great mild scent(Lavender is also available) and removes stains easily. I also use their dish soap and I really enjoy it! It suds nicely making a really great foam and it doesn't strip your hands or dry them out when you hand wash the dishes. They also offer hand soaps as well and they are very nice, the peppermint is my favourite! I wanted to also point out that they have a dish-washing rinse aid for the dishwasher. It works amazing if you have hard water, it helps to make sure you don't have water spots.

I wanted to also add that the majority of cleaning I do at home I using vinegar, or a paste made up of vinegar and baking soda to clean stubborn pans, the oven or even grout in between the tiles.

I hope this gave you a good idea of some everyday products that you could switch out for natural alternatives. Let me know your favourite clean beauty and home care products!

Take care,

Nat xx