Product Recommendations: Personal Care

Skin Care & Makeup:

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap: Super simple and clean, this soap has been a staple in our house for thirty years. Subtle scents like almond or rose, good cleaning power, but gentle and safe. Fair trade, ethically sourced ingredients and a multi-generational commitment to making the world a better place, you can find Dr. Bronner’s products in most natural food stores. The labels are a kick to read, but they reflect the enthusiasm the late Dr. Emanuel Bronner had for unity and spirituality. A remarkable man with a great story.

100% Pure Skin Care: This stuff is heavenly, and you could eat it, if you were so inclined. When they say pure, they mean it. All ingredients are listed on the site using both CTFA standard language as well as user-friendly terms in parentheses. Pretty spendy but worth it. They’ve discontinued the Super Fruits Serum I used to use but they have several new ones I haven’t yet tried. Keep the serum in the fridge because it doesn’t have much in the way of natural preservatives. Heavenly stuff. I’ve also used their chocolate mascara and it gives a nice, subtle look to lashes. Order it direct from the site here.

Red Apple Lipstick: Their lip colors are lovely and varied and they have a clean feel. Not sticky or overly wet-looking. These folks are real crusaders for quality lip products, and they’ll send you deals and info on a fairly regular basis if you’re on their mailing list. I don’t wear lipstick every day, and I don’t think about lipstick all the time, so they’re a bit much for me, but their lip products are wonderful. They also have a mascara/lash conditioning product called The Lash Project that they say improves your lashes over time. Ingredients for all products are on the site, as well as lots of useful information about body care and cosmetic ingredients, and they send a little sample along with every order. Gluten-free, too.

Mineral Fusion Eyebrow Pencil: This glides on so easily and stays all day. Product ingredients are on the site. Gluten-free, cruelty-free, and all ingredients are EWG verified. I also use their lipstick, They have a number of other clean products worth a look. Available at natural food stores and online.

I use Trader Joe’s Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen stick, because it’s fragrance free, and like the Lush shampoo and Schmidt’s deodorant, it’s TSA-friendly. It’s also very small, which is good, because there’s no way I can use up a whole bottle of sunscreen in one season. Available at Trader Joe’s.

Dental Care:

Eco-Dent Tooth Powder: Most toothpastes have either PG, PEG, xylitol or sorbitol, so I use this powder.  It’s another option for traveling. It’s not sweet, and isn’t foamy, so you may need to get used to it or find something else if those things are important to you. I like it and it leaves my teeth clean and breath fresh. A little goes a long way. Other products they offer do use xylitol or sorbitol, which are not a problem for most people. Available at some natural food stores or online at their site.

Tom’s of Maine Whole Care Toothpaste: When I’m not traveling, I use this toothpaste because I have wimpy enamel and need the flouride and calcium carbonate to remineralize my teeth.  They offer plenty of other choices without the flouride as well. There is a small amount of xylitol sweetener, which may be a problem for some people, but fortunately, I don’t react to it. No animal testing or ingredients, and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Available in natural food stores and conventional grocery stores, as well as online.

The Dental Herb Company Tooth & Gums Tonic: I have had a LOT of dental work and due to my allergies, I’ve had a challenge finding things I can use to keep my gums in good shape. This stuff is powerful and yet I don’t react to it, even using it twice a day. It uses echinacea and gotu kola, and has a strong cinnamon/mint flavor. It does contain glycerin, which is not a problem for most people, but may be an issue for some. The company is focused on dental health and has other herbal products that you may find useful. Available from some dentists or online. There is a professional site, so make sure you are on the consumer site – in the top right header look for the banner that reads: “Are you a consumer?” or “Are you a professional?”

Deodorants:

If I use any one deodorant for too many days in a row, sometimes I get a little itchy, so I know there’s something I’m a little sensitive to. Below are the ones I use, alternating between the Weleda and Aubrey, and days when I don’t use deodorant at all. None of these are anti-perspirants.

Weleda Rose 24H Deodorant spray: This is a deodorant I use when I’m not planning on sweating heavily. I find that alternating deodorants seems to work better for me, and this is quite mild, with a gentle rose scent, from essential oils. Weleda is company committed to the principles of Rudolf Steiner, who believed in biodynamic and organic farming and living in harmony with nature. Ingredients for each product are on the website, as well as info about where their raw materials were sourced.  Some products have wheat or lanolin, so check labels if that’s important to you. They have a recycling program and are cruelty-free. Available in natural food store and online.

Although I have had some concerns about Aubrey’s ingredients labeling, I use their E Plus High-C deodorant, which keeps me from getting ‘whiffy’ no matter how long or stressful the day. The fragrance is subtle and I don’t react to it as long as I alternate and/or take breaks from each deodorant. Aubrey is committed to cruelty-free ingredients and many are organically grown & non-GMO. Available in natural food stores and online.

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant

I’ve used this – it’s a stick deodorant that doesn’t have glycols! It’s not an antiperspirant. They have a surprising number of options for scent – or no scent, and are developing new ones all the time. There are two formulas – one uses baking soda, and the sensitive skin version uses magnesium as the active ingredient. The baking soda version is cheaper but I tend to react to baking soda if I get too much of it. The magnesium formula works best for me. You can find it here, along with a complete ingredients list for all the different Sensitive Skin formulas.  Here‘s the baking soda formula.

So there are some places to start. If you find things that work for you, please add them to the comments. Remember, though, that no one else can decide if something is safe for you. You have to take responsibility for making sure what you use is safe for you, and that means reading every label, every time.

Be well!

Amber