Our Favorite Non-Toxic Personal Care Products

We’ve had a lot of you ask us what our favorite personal care products are, so we thought compiling a list of what we use (along with some other great options) would be helpful! Ensuring that the products you bring into your home are free of harmful chemicals (ex. synthetic fragrance) is crucial to creating a healthy home*, and that’s especially true for the products you put onto your body! With a market that has (thankfully!) grown rapidly over the past few years, it can be hard to sort through all of the “safe”, “natural” and “non-toxic” claims. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we hope this makes your search for the really clean stuff a lot easier! And we are big believers in the saying "variety is the spice of life" even when it comes to personal care products. Just like you wouldn't eat the same foods everyday for years, your skin and hair like when you mix it up a bit!

Important Note: Initially we recommend Tossing the Toxins to Create a Healthy Home by removing all products with harmful ingredients from the home. This removal includes all synthetic fragrance and non-organic essential oils processed with solvents. And, temporarily, even wildcrafted and organic essential oils processed without solvents are removed because essential oils are so concentrated, can cause inflammatory response, and have been shown to hijack the healing process.  Also, if not processed carefully, it has been found that some products with organic essential oils are contaminated with phthalates. Then, after at least a month to six weeks of avoidance of all fragranced products (after all people in the family are healthy), then quality products with wildcrafted or organic essential oils processed without solvents can be introduced to see if they are tolerated.

Quick and Easy Ways to Vet Products

You don't have to be a chemist or have a scientific background to read labels and evaluate ingredients. You can vet products very quickly and feel confident about your decisions because we have some great tools at our fingertips.

Toxic Red Flags: Sometimes a quick scan of the label for toxic red flags can determine right away if the product is safe or not. Toss products with toxic red flag ingredients such as synthetic fragrance, parfum, perfume, phenoxyethanol, parabens, phthalates, BHA, BHT, formaldehyde releasing preservatives, MIT – isothiazolinone family, benzalkonium chloride , petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol, sodium laurel/laureth sulfate, artificial colorants, retinol, retinyl palmitate, hydroquinone, PEG ingredients, PEG ingredients, polysorbate 60 and 80, and polyethylene glycol.

Be Your Own Expert: If there are no familiar toxic red flags investigate the ingredients one by one. Go to EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Type in each ingredient into the search bar. The ingredients are rated from 1 - 10 - with 1 being the safest to 10 being the most toxic. Typically*, the safest ingredients to put on the skin will be rated 1 or 2. Toss products that contain an ingredient that rates 3 or more.

Tip: Start with the last ingredient to save time. You will find preservatives here, many of which have high ratings. Toss the product as soon as you find an ingredient rated 3 or more.

*Note: People trying to heal inflammatory skin conditions, hormone disruption, or chronic illness should also avoid products used on the skin with the following ingredients that can be inflammatory (citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and phenoxyethanol) even though they are rated a 1 or 2 on EWG Skin Deep.  

We also love the Think Dirty app for checking particular products. We recommend only using products rated 0.

New to Toss the Toxins? - Go Fragrance Free

Establish a baseline of using fragrance free products in your home to encourage the strongest immune system for your family. Synthetic fragrances can trigger allergic, immune, stress and hormonal responses that can lower immune system function.

If anyone in your family suffers from allergies, headaches, digestive difficulties, asthma, or any chronic illness going fragrance free (this includes essential oils) is essential when creating a healthy home and body.

And now for our favorites...

Skin Care/Face Care

Just because we list a brand, check the ingredients of each individual product.

Face Wash:

• Luminance Delicate Cleanser
• Primally Pure Oil Cleanser
• Aware Skin - Wash Your Face
• Branch Basics Concentrate used in the Foaming Wash Bottle (available together in the Starter Kits)
• Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap Unscented
• Sumbody Charcoal Natural Soap - the charcoal helps to deep clean pores
• Valentina Cleansing Milk
• Activist Skincare- Sea to Skin Cleansing Gel
• Activist Skincare- Deep Moisture Cleansing Balm

Face Moisturizers:

• • Primally Pure Blue Tansy Beauty Cream
  • Luminance Moisturizers
  • Valentina Vitamin C Cream
  • True Botanicals Face Oils
  • Dr. Alkaitis – Organic Day Crème
  • Dr. Alkaitis Organic Nourishing Treatment Oil
  • Bubble and Bee Organic Face Cream
  • Aware Skin – Hydrate Your Skin - Liquid Moisturizer
  • Aware Skin – Rejuvenate Your Skin Super Concentrated Moisturizer
  • Terressentials Fragrance Free Moisture Cream
  • Keys Luminos Facial Moisturizer
  • EdenSong Honey Dew Facial Scrub - Moisturizing exfoliating scrub
  • Body Butter - OY-L .
  • Snow Beauty Co - Moroccan Argan Oil - Glass Dropper
  • Activist Skincare- Precious Oils Serum

Toners/Mists:

• Wildcrafted Luminance Rose Water Toner
• Teak Naturals Rose Water
• Primally Pure Complexion Sprays

Acne Treatments/Masks

• Luminance Acne Serum
• Luminance Green Clay Clarifying Mask
• Activist Skincare Vitamin C
• Cocokind Turmeric Tonic
• Sumbody Face Masks

Body Care

Body Wash/Soap:

• Dr. Bronners Liquid & Bar Soaps
• Kosmatology - Free and Clear Body Wash
• Blissfully Unscented Soap
• Aware Skin – Wash Your Body
• Dr. Alkaitis - Organic Body Wash
• Luminance Blissfully Unscented Bar Soap
• Dead Sea Soap
• The Seaweed Bath Co Detox Cellulite Soap
• Olea Estates Olive Oil Soap
• Branch Basics Concentrate used in the Foaming Wash Bottle (available together in the Starter Kits)

Moisturizer:

• Kosmatology Free and Clear Lotion Bars
• Luminance Skin Butter
• Beautycounter Body Oil Citrus Rosemary
• Keys Tortuga Hand & Body Lotion
• Activist Skincare Relief Balm- Soothes aches and pains
• Yoro Naturals Manuka Honey Cream
• Walnut Oil
• Organic coconut oil, sesame oil, jojoba oil, etc.

Body Scrubs:

• Simply Scrub
• Sumbody

Hair Care

Shampoo:

• Nurture My Body All-Natural Everyday Shampoo Fragrance-Free
• Penny Lane Organics 100% Natural Shampoo & Conditioner Fragrance-Free
• Carina’s Organics Nature’s Botanical Therapeutic Unscented
• Keys Care Mangrove Foaming Shampoo
• Christina Moss Naturals
• Morrocco Method Shampoos – These do have a scent. All types rated zero on EWG except Pine Shale so avoid that one.
• 100% Pure
• Sumbody
• Griffin Remedy & Avalon Organics Scalp Treatment Tea Tree - These aren't as clean as the above and have ingredients we typically avoid (like potassium sorbate), but they are convenient options available at many grocery stores. While we like to only recommend products that have ingredients with a 1 or 2 on EWG's Skin Deep, these are definitely better than most shampoos out there. However, if skin issues like eczema are a factor, we would recommend using one of the other options listed above.

Helpful Hint for Dry Hair: Every three washes or so, try adding 1 drop (from a dropper) of organic argan oil into shampoo before lathering to help prevent hair from getting too dried out. Fun Fact: We've decided we're going to try out our Concentrate as a shampoo. If you want to try it too, let us know what you think!

Conditioner:

• Penny Lane Organics Natural Shampoo and Conditioner Fragrance-Free
• Carina Nature's Blends Deep Conditioner
• Carina Blends Daily Light Conditioner
• Carina Botanical therapeutic Essence Daily Moisturizing Conditioner
• 100% Pure
• Sumbody

Hair Spray:

• Carina Pure and Natural Fast Drying Hairspray
• Intelligent Nutrients Certified Organic Perfect Hold
• John Masters Hair Spray

Dry Shampoo:

• Primally Pure Dry Shampoo (options for dark and light hair)

Baby

Shampoo & Body Wash:

• Branch Basics Concentrate used in the Foaming Wash Bottle (available together in the Starter Kits)
• Carina’s Unscented Baby Shampoo and Body Wash
• Dr. Bronner's Unscented Liquid or Bar Soap
• Primally Pure Baby Bar
• Primally Pure Baby Kit

Moisturizer:

• Luminance Organic Body Lotion
• Farm to Girl Organic Baby Bliss Lotion
• Lina Hanson Global Baby Serum
• Primally Pure Body Oils
• Keys Avo Jel - Petroleum jelly alternative
• Keys Vapor Jel - So great during colds and runny noses! Has menthol & eucalyptus.
• Organic coconut oil, sesame oil, jojoba oil, etc.

Deodorant

• Primally Pure Deodorant
• Primal Pit Paste – unscented preferred
• Luminance Natural Deodorant
• Living Clay – Detox Deodorant
• Terressentials
• Life Stinks
• Bubble and Bee Organic Deodorant Sampler
• Sumbody Be Fresh Deodorant Pads

Insect Repellent
Because this can be an everyday problem in the South!

• Primally Pure Nature Spray
• Kosmatology Bug Repellent
• Bubble and Bee Insect Repellent
• Real Purity Insect Repellent
• Mosquito Extreme Bracelets
• RediCare by Keys

Sun Protection

• Before, During, and After Sun

Sunscreen (Tinted and Untinted)

• Best Beach & Sport Sunscreens by EWG
• Butterbean Organic Sunscreen
• Luminance Non Metallic Sun Screen
• Raw Elements Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
• Adorable Baby by Loving Naturals - love how moisturizing it is
• Badger Sunscreen
• Goddess Garden Organics Sport Continuous Spray
• Lady Face Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 40

Oral Care

Toothpaste & Teeth Whitening:

• Earthpowder - clean, simple ingredients (silver-free)
• Himalaya Botanique - Whitening Complete Care Toothpaste
• 100% Activated Charcoal Powder (they are typically all good if they only have charcoal. Here are two good options on Amazon: Lily & Lush and Natural Riches)
• Brittanie’s Thyme Teeth Whitening Powder

Mouthwash:

• Periobrite Natural Mouthwash

Nails

There really aren't any perfect nail polishes, but these are the best options we know of if you don't like to go bare nails.

• Acquarella Nail Polish
• Acquarella Polish Remover
• Honeybee Gardens

Make-Up

For a list of products, see Our Makeup Routine. Also, our co-founder Allison shared her Non-Toxic Skincare and Beauty Routine with even more products!

Always Double Check Products

Lastly, as you browse and buy products, it's good practice to always vet the ingredients in your products on EWG's Skin Deep database AND periodically double check that your favorite products are made from ingredients that are still safe! From time to time, companies change switch formulas or change up ingredients, and what was once safe is no longer.

What are your favorite clean personal care products? Comment below to let us know!