My 5 Favorite Clean Living Products

I’ve been trying to decrease the amount of chemicals used in our home and through a lot of trial and error, I have found a few products I really love. Here are my current top five! Read on for my take on decreasing chemicals in the products used in my home!

Photo Credit: PixelDust Photography by Amber Rishavy 2018

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Chemicals. Today’s buzzword. Just because something is a “chemical” does not automatically make it unsafe. I mean, water is technically a chemical. But I think we can all agree there are differences between water and the known cancer causing chemicals. And then there is the category of chemicals where the studies are not as robust. Are those chemical absorbed? Are they really harmful? Are they causing more health problems? The jury is still out. But I figure in the meantime I might as well decrease what I can. Have I been successful? Well-yes, in varying degrees. Am I ready to give up my dry shampoo (chemical laden for sure), ummmm…hell no. But I HAVE successfully given up my Diet Coke, my chemical based sunscreens, a lot of my household cleaners, and I’ve changed out my skincare products. I’m making progress for sure!

Here are 5 of my current favorites:

Norwex EnviroCloth. This EnviroCloth is a home cleaning workhorse. It works as a dust cloth, a cleaning cloth and will clean just about anything with just water. It is easy to wash, never gets mildewy, and holds up well. Plus Norwex is a company that is dedicated to decreasing harmful chemicals which is a mission I can support.

Seventh Generation Laundry Pods. Our laundry was one place where I felt like I could make a big difference. I was using chemical filled brands that worked but I figured that there must be something better. I was using Norwex laundry detergent for awhile (which I loved), but as I have kids that are doing their own laundry, pods are the best way to go for our family (my kids are more is more when it comes to detergents and we were going through large amounts of it). Norwex didn’t come in pods so we’ve switched to these Seventh Generation Laundry Pods. They work great, smell great (although not too strong) and are easy for my kids to use. Plus I can get them from Target which as a Minnesota girl, is quite convenient as there is a Target on every corner! (I do still use the Norwex dryer balls, though, much better than dryer sheets!)

Method All Purpose Cleaner in French Lavender. This multipurpose cleaner works double duty both at my home and at my cabin. It can be purchased in a spray bottle or a refill jug (and yes, I have both). One spray of this cleans my granite countertops and my butcher block countertops equally well. I use this in my kitchen, my bathrooms, and to clean up my outdoor furniture. Cheap and readily available, this stuff actually works (and smells great).

Lume Deodorant. So I recently had a conversation with another physician friend who was talking about using aluminum free deodorants. Now let me clear about two things. First of all, studies are completely inconclusive regarding aluminum in deodorants (there is currently no study that proves a link to any type of harm). Second of all, I work in a high stress, high intensity job, and sweat is inevitable. Having said all of that, after our conversation, I agreed to try an aluminum free deodorant. I apologize to anyone who was involved in the switch over process (detoxifying is not pretty). I also apologize to anyone who was near me during my Native Deodorant phase. Although the Native Deodorant worked reasonably well when I was at home, or up at the cabin, it did not hold up to a busy Emergency Department. At all. Someone recommended I try Lume, which so far I am having much more success with. It’s made it through a week at work and so far so good. One thing that I have learned is that when it comes to natural deodorant, what works for one person may not work for another, but I’m pretty excited about this one. Time will tell if this is going to be the one or if I will be returning to my Secret, but I’m hopeful.

BeautyCounter Cleansing Balm. This has been my go to product for the past 3 months. It hydrates, removes makeup, and leaves my face feeling so, so soft. Free of harmful chemicals. Perfect for those of us who care not only about what we’re putting in our bodies, but also what we’re putting on our bodies! (PS- It also lasts seemingly forever.)