One day I read something that changed my life! Around 60% of everything we put on our bodies is absorbed through our skin and into our blood stream within SECONDS. This made me rethink everything I used and exactly how it could effect my body. Think about it. We wouldn’t drink these products because it would instantly make us sick, but we’re still being affected slowly through years of dosage into our blood stream. However because we don’t have that instant illness; when problems arise, we don’t think, “oh it must be the years of using that product with carcinogens.” So I tossed or handed down almost everything I used.

A resource I found was EWG’s Skin Deep. You can find the link in my Resources page. Here you can type in a product and it will give you a toxicity rating from 1-10. They have most common products and if they don’t have what you’re looking for you can enter in the ingredients and it will generate a rating for you! Also not only do I use natural products but I refrain from using anything with fragrance. Fragrances are chemical-made and companies aren’t required to list whats in them. I thought changing all of my products to non-toxic versions would be a hard task but in reality it made things a lot simpler because in a world of endless options, it narrowed down my search. Once I really used a variety of products however I realized raw ingredients work more effectively than a product with a long list of ingredients. I mix other products into my routine if I see something in a store that I want to try but I’ve listed my main go-to products that I always keep on hand. You can find the shopping links for these on my Resources page as well!

SHEA BUTTER
Shea Butter is fat from the nut of the African Shea Tree.
I use Shea butter for both lotion and shaving cream! It’s one of the only “lotions” that can really moisturize my skin and the hydration lasts for much longer than with anything I’ve used. It doesn’t have a pretty scent, shimmer, or fluff but thats’s not what I’m looking for. It has no other ingredients or preservatives and does it’s job effectively. Shea butter really shines as a shaving lotion! I mix it with coconut oil to thin it out and it may gunk up the razor a bit and need to be thoroughly cleaned BUT there’s a surprise benefit! My smooth shave that usually lasts anywhere from 1-24 hours will last around 3 days! It also acts as an in-shower lotion so on days I shave I can skip a step.

WITCH HAZEL
Witch Hazel is an astringent liquid made from the leaves and bark of the Witch Hazel shrub.
I use Witch Hazel for my face and sometimes in cleaning (but that will be in a different post). I apply it to my reusable cotton pads after I’ve washed my face and before applying a face lotion or serum. Doing his tones my skin as well as evens out the oil levels which helps with breakouts. (I also apply Tea Tree oil for spot treatments!) Other benefits include healing skin sores or bruises, and calming irritation, eczema or razor burn.

SUGAR SCRUBS 
Sugar scrubs are great because they’re so easy to make yourself and can be as simple as two ingredients. The base consists of sugar and coconut oil and you can add any additions you’d like such as oils, herbs, etc. (I’ll post scrub recipes down the line! ) I like to use scrubs before shaving, between tanning, or when my skin is really dry. In addition to exfoliation they also aid in circulation, elasticity, and hydration.

CASTILE SOAP
My bar soap changes often but one form of soap I always keep on hand for both body and home is castile soap. Castile soap is a hard soap made from vegetable oils. Brands like Dr. Bronner’s have many scents made with essential oils which is great, however; I still like to keep unscented on hand at all times. For body uses (home will be in another post) I use it as liquid hand soap and if I were to run out of bar soap or shampoo it could work in a pinch. Also if you have a skin infection or wound, eczema patch, or new tattoo and want a gentle and clean soap for the area, this works great. You can also mix castile soap with other oils to make a DIY body wash or bubble bath!

There’s some things in my body care routine such as deodorant, face lotion, and chapstick that I haven’t included because I like to try different products after each runs out. I usually post these on my Instagram as I buy them. These body care staples remain through it all because of their simplicity, versatility, and effectiveness. I can use them in their original form or transform them into a luxurious product of my own and I’ll be sure to share those along the way!