Natural Products to Incorporate into Your Lifestyle
Written by Michelle Manis
As a health conscious consumer in America, looking at labels has become second nature to me for almost everything I purchase. It seems like every day I learn about a new sneaky chemical in a self care product I’ve been using, or the sad truths about something I was taught was good for me in school- *cough, cough, vegetable oils.* Did you know hydrogenated vegetable oils contain harmful trans fat and can cause inflammation and increased buildup of cholesterol in the body if consumed overtime? Check out @Orim on TikTok for the whole lore on vegetable oils because I went down the rabbit hole and am so glad I educated myself.
When it comes to researching health and nutrition for the first time, it can feel like you’re being bombarded with “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts,” with no clear starting point. That’s why when purchasing a new processed food item or manufactured product, I’ve come up with a few guidelines to follow to simplify the buying process. For one, the shorter the label, the better. If you can pronounce all of the ingredients, that’s a big green flag. If it contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, canola oils, palm oils, artificial flavors and or dyes & fragrances (especially fragrances not disclosed)... run the other way.
Instead of doing hours of research into every active ingredient and its effects on your body, I’d recommend following a few health conscious creators and nutritionists and slowly implementing their recommendations and consumer choices into a routine that works for you. To start, here are some of my recommendations.
When I tell you it took a decade to find my favorite long lasting natural deodorants, I’m not exaggerating. Most natural deodorants are more miss than hit for me because they tend to wear off fast. Primally Pure’s Lavender, Blue Tansy, and Charcoal deodorants are long lasting and smell divine. With ingredients like baking soda, detoxifying kaolin clay, and non-nano zinc oxide, you can trust what you're putting on your skin.
Salt & Stone’s Bergamot & Hinoki deodorant caught my eye at Sephora and when I smelled it I knew I couldn’t leave without it. This deodorant is award winning and offers 48 hour protection- without any aluminum, parabens, and phthalates. This is my go to to use after waxing because I know I can trust Salt & Stone with sensitive skin. Speaking of waxing…
Before I found Sugardoh I was spending hundreds on waxing my arms, armpits, and upper lip because I could never find an easy to use, mess free solution to at home waxing. I came across Sugardoh on TikTok, bought their sugaring starter kit, and haven’t gone to a professional waxer in a year. Sugaring is an all natural hair removal technique that originated in ancient Egypt. There’s great tutorials on how to use their sugar waxes on their website if you’re a beginner. They even offer firm and medium density wax so you can use the right one for your hair & body type. Their prep and after care products help make waxing so much less painful and I can’t recommend them enough for your waxing needs this summer!
BklynBarSoap Seamoss Sugar Scrub
Shout out to one of our partners: BklynBarSoap! Shop local! BklynBarSoap is a clean skincare and wellness brand infused with superfoods like Aloe, Sea Moss, and Spirulina. I personally love their Seamoss Sugar Scrub for exfoliating your lips and body. A lot of chemically formulated scrubs contain micro plastic exfoliants that pollute the ocean. BklynBarSoap’s Seamoss Sugar Scrub is good for both you and the environment, and is a great alternative to unnatural exfoliants you may find at a drugstore.
Tru Earth - Eco-Strips Laundry Detergent
When something is easy and both good for me & the environment it’s a “no brainer buy.” Tru Earth makes laundry so easy, all I have to do is throw in one strip and start the wash. No more carrying heavy detergents and accumulating plastic waste. They also offer toilet bowl cleaner strips too!
Farmacy Beauty Green Clean Cleansing Balm
This product is certified green at Sephora and will melt away all your makeup- even stubborn waterproof products and face paint. Formulated with all natural ingredients, you know that this makeup remover is safe and gentle for your skin, especially around the eyes. Both green and powerful? We love to see it.
RiseWell’s non toxic & fluoride free mouthwash and mineral toothpaste is clean and most importantly effective in preventing cavities and caring for healthy gums. If you want to start using more natural oral care products and don’t know where to start, RiseWell is a tried and true one-stop-shop for oral wellness.
I hope these recommendations can help you find your new favorite “better for you” dupes, without all the pressure of finding them for yourself, and weighing options. Have a favorite natural product you swear by that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know, send us a DM @theberrycollective.co and we might include it in our next natural products highlight! Until then…
Be Well,
Michelle
