I want to start off this post by saying that I am by no means a natural product expert. Over the last several years I have started to swap out some products but I strive for balance with this. I am not one of those people that is completely attached to one single brand (although I do have some favourites) and in some areas I’m still trying to figure out what my favourites are. But having said that I wanted to share some of my favourite natural products that I have swapped over the last few years (and some of the ones that I’m looking to try in the future as well).
One of the first swaps I made was makeup. I don’t wear makeup daily like many people do and I needed to get rid of some products so I started purchasing other alternatives when I was replacing makeup. I got lucky right off the bat with the Burt’s Bees products. I started with 1-2 products (I honestly can’t remember which one I first started with) but I know that I have acquired more and more over the last few years and I keep coming back to their makeup products. . I have always found that their eyeshadow is fantastic and stays better than any other product I’ve ever used. Keep in mind here that I’m not a crazy makeup girl…I don’t wear it regularly, so something simple that works for me when I do wear it is good with me. Purdy Natural in the London Ontario area also offers a makeup line as well. Their Primer is a favourite of mine. I have recently purchased a few other products from Purdy Natural but I haven’t had a chance to use those enough to know if I love them or not yet so I haven’t included them here.
One of the next simplest swaps I made was my body wash and I’ll be honest…I’m still on the hunt for one that I love. The basd brand I have been using for a few months now and although I don’t not like it, I haven’t fallen in love with it. The Carina Organics body wash it the one I will be trying next because I have come to love some of their other products. I feel like the body wash was one of the easiest swaps to make so if you’re looking for something easy to start with try your body wash. There are also other bar soaps on the market that are great as body wash but I have always preferred a gel and a luffa…just a personal preference, nothing against the bar soaps. Purdy Natural also makes bar soaps that are supposed to smell amazing (but I have yet to try these).
Coming in next is the Carina Organics hair spray. I have found this to be one of the best things. I love that it isn’t an aerosol can (you know environment) but I was worried about finding a more natural hairspray alternative that actually worked…and this guy takes the cake. Again a super simple product to swap as you can just it just like regular hairspray so another great starter option if your new to the natural world.
The Dr. Bronner’s Shaving Soap was a little bit of an adjustment as I had always been a shaving cream girl prior to making this swap. But I will say that I’ve come to love this product. It’s a very runny liquid which was why it took some getting used to, but once you get it on your skin and lathered up it performs just like a typically shaving cream would. I’ve always needed some sort of barrier when shaving because I have very sensitive skin and this Shaving Soap has definitely done the trick for me without a doubt. After a little bit of trial and error with the product it quickly became a favourite.
This product is called Liquid Gold and it’s earned it’s name! There’s no doubt about that. I have become a massive lover of the Lunah Life brand and this stuff does not disappoint! I love that this product can be used in a number of different ways and I’ve had success using it in a variety of ways. I’ve had success using it for sunburns and eczema areas. I find it can sooth itchy skin and I also will use it on my legs typically when they are really dry which can happen at different times of year for me. Don’t believe me…just try it. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Ready for my absolute, hands down, favourite product of all time. This whipped butter is everything. Honestly, the smell, the consistency, the way it works, all of it is so on point! I typically use this as my main moisturizer and it works amazing for my dry skin. A little goes a long way and it’s worth every single penny! This is another Lunah product and it will not disappoint you I promise. I find this stuff is so good that when I use it it feels like I’ve just shaved even if I haven’t (yes you actually read that right). I don’t promise the same results for you…but for me…this stuff is absolute money.
I know that I’ve read in the last few weeks a bit more about Native and some people say they have started to add fragrance to some of their products. If I’m being 100% honest, I haven’t actually check out this one, but if your concerned about that I believe they have an unscented option. I had wanted to try this brand for a while, but was hesitant to order products online for fear of ending up with a bunch of stuff I didn’t like. This brand has recently transitioned into Walmart and Shopper’s Drug Mart (in my area anyways) so I took the opportunity to try it. If you read about swapping to more natural products, often one of the first things that people recommend you switch is your deodorant. If I’m being honest…this is my most recent swap hands down…and it took me a long time to even want to jump into the world of natural deodorant. For someone who had always used an antiperspirant it had been an adjustment. I do find that I have to apply it more frequently, but I also have gotten used to that so we are working with it. I’m still hesitant to try other brands as I have found something that so far is working for me but I do know that there are other options on the market…I’m still questioning whether I’ll try them out or not.
My biggest piece of advice if you are starting to think about diving into the world of natural products is don’t limit yourself to one brand. This is something that many people do (and it’s often because they are selling that brand), but I’ve found that there are tons of amazing companies that are producing natural products. About half of the products on this list are incredibly local to me and I love them (like honestly, I don’t think that I will ever go anywhere else for them). Keep an open mind and try some different things. When you find something that you love keep it. If you find something that you aren’t crazy about, keep looking.
I’m not going to lie…when you watch people talk about how you can just swap it for whatever your using now I was doubtful. I will say that for some products that is absolutely the case. For others not quite as much. It does take a little bit of trial and error for some products as well. What products (if any) have you swapped for more natural alternatives? Are there any products that you use that aren’t considered “natural” but you know you would never give them up? (nothing wrong with this at all, I’m mostly just curious). Everyone has a different journey with regards to natural products, and I feel like it should be a very personal journey. What works for me, probably won’t work for you. But if you are using something that does work for you then keep going!
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