I was truly surprised by how wonderful I felt after stopping use of commercial products--It was like my whole body could breathe. My husband thought I went crazy, and it seemed pretty extreme. But it was so simple that it was worth trying for a month to see if I felt a difference--I did. Some of these changes didn’t need to be made forever for me, but I think they made a difference in improving egg health, preparing a healthy non-toxic environment for my babies to develop in, and facilitating mental clarity.
These were some of my favorite changes in hygiene:
1. No conventional hygiene products (to avoid toxic chemicals)
2. Homemade toothpaste composed of coconut oil, baking soda, calcium carbonate, parsley seed oil, and tea tree oil (Recipe by Wellness Mama here, I think this Earthpaste toothpaste would also be good). Some are pretty abrasive, and I don’t love any of the toothpastes I’ve tried—I just know I can’t go back to Crest and Colgate, and I focus on simple products free of SLS, glycerin, stevia, and artificial colorings.
3. Basic soap (Ivory is okay to me [but not Irish Soap, Dove, etc.], but the best was a hemp soap I got from a natural foods store). Hemp helps hormonal balance. I also enjoy Dr. Bronner’s Hemp Citrus or Baby Mild Pure Castille with a foaming pump if I can’t find a bar I like. I use this for hands and body.
4. Sometimes I consider following up soap with a baking soda exfoliate in the shower (unless high quality soap like the hemp is used, then I do baking soda exfoliate before using soap). This is basically rubbing baking soda on myself and rinsing—I know it’s odd, but it seems to serve as a natural deep cleanser to help remove toxins from low-quality soap.
5. I used basic soap on my hair (by basic I mean one with maybe coconut oil and olive oil with some lye--really simple). Hopefully a more desirable replacement exists, because this isn’t the best for my hair. I continue to experiment around. Using vinegar as a conditioner is effective, but not fun. I did this just temporarily when I was really motivated to be completely natural.
6. I use a natural deodorant, like Schmidt’s at Target. I also loved one I found at a health food store, which contained coconut oil, baking soda, and clary sage (clary sage is an essential oil that helps with hormonal balance I believe).
7. I don't really use makeup, but as natural makeup as possible helps me minimize stress on the body from toxins. Natural Grocers may have some good options.
8. I stopped using hair spray (I found I didn't need it anymore with the use of soap instead of shampoo, and if I did, I used a homemade hairspray with water, aloe vera, and epsom salt)