When I first started understanding what was in the products I was using, I felt a little overwhelmed. Between Parabens, Fragrances, harsh solvents and toxic chemicals, I knew I needed to make a change in these products I used daily, but wasn’t exactly sure where to turn! 

"Do I need to, like, make my laundry soap by hand with this Pinterest DIY? Should I switch to bar hand soap made from goat milk? Does my counter top spray have to be made from Young Living essential oils??" These thoughts and more were swirling around in my lil' head.

But now I've settled into a routine. I've gone through trial and error, and have a pretty good idea of what works for me, so I figured I'd share some of my go-to's with you! I've linked each product so you can take a look for yourself, get familiar with brands and be totally prepared to make a healthy change for the next time you find yourself in need!

1. Laundry Detergent. I’ve been using a “free & clear” option detergent for years because I have very sensitive skin. But even though I was avoiding dyes, the popular brands still contained chemicals that I didn't want my clothes literally soaking in; so I decided I to venture out in search of a cleaner option. Currently, my favorite laundry detergent is Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus Free & Clear detergent. In the past, I've also used their concentrated detergent and I like that as well (the lavender scent, on the other hand, I would not recommend)! Health Facts: Hypoallergenic, no fragrance added, dye-free, Bleach-free, contains naturally derived ingredients, aluminum-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free.

2. All-Purpose Cleaner. I’ve talked about this product before, but I am loving the Better Life All- Purpose Cleaner! It is super gentle, but definitely gets my countertops clean. Aaaand I have literally watched someone spray this in their mouth, so I can be extra certain it is completely non-toxic! Health Facts: No Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, no Petroleum, no Parabens, no Synthetic fragrances, no Alcohol, and no Dyes.

3. Dish Soap. Really loving this Seventh Generation Lemongrass & Clementine Zest Natural Dish Liquid.  The scent is made from essential oils, rather than unknown chemicals & it smells so good! Health Facts: Dye-free, artificial fragrance-free, contains naturally derived ingredients, phthalate-free, paraben-free, no fragrance added, aluminum-free

4. Diswasher Detergent. Ok I know, Another Seventh Generation product. But honestly, I love this brand because it's relatively inexpensive and it works well! We use the Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus Dishwasher Detergent. I've found this gel formula works much better than the individual packets of powder! Health Facts: Bio-based, cruelty-free, dye-free, gluten-free, certified gluten free, no fragrance added, plant-based

5. Dryer Sheets. Ok, so this is kind of a trick questions because we no longer use dryer sheets! Instead, we use wool dryer balls. Not only are they free of chemicals, they're reusable up to, like, 100 loads! I use 3 in a load & sometimes add a few drops of essential oils on them. 

6. Tub & Tile Cleaner. Currently, I'm using Mrs. Meyer's® Lemon Verbena Tub and Tile Spray Cleaner. So, my one caveat to this is it does not specify that the fragrance is all natural, which is a bummer (it does say it is phthalate free, which is one of the major concerns with artificial fragrance). I bought this before I really understood artificial fragrances and honestly, because I hate cleaning my tub (real life, man), I haven't finished the bottle. With that being said, it still works very well. I decided to include this on my list just to remind you that I'm still figuring this all out. I'm not an authority figure on this and I'm still taking baby steps! Health Facts: Petroleum-free, animal by-product-free, contains naturally derived ingredients, dye-free, formaldehyde donor-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, aluminum-free.

7. Air Freshener. Another trick question, because we don't *really* use air freshener. In the house, I diffuse essential oils, but in the bathroom we do use Poo-Pourri, a "before you go" spray. You just spray the bowl water about 4 times before you go, and it traps odors under the water with essential oils. Pretty cool! Health Facts: no harsh chemicals, no parabens, no phthalates, no aerosols and no formaldehyde.

8. Hand Soap. First of all, this hand soap lasts so long?! I don't even understand, because we're clean people with good hygiene and we wash our hands and it goes on forever!! Anyways, I've been obsessed with this Raw Sugar Hand Wash Vanilla Bean + Sugar. It smells freaking amazing. This is another one that does not specifically specify that all fragrance is natural, however, it is phthalate free. There are still a lot of great things about this soap; Health Facts: Aluminum-free, hypoallergenic, dye-free, non-toxic, paraben-free, sodium lauryl sulfate-free, Sulfate-free, vegan, phthalate-free, fluoride-free, animal by-product-free, formaldehyde donor-free, formaldehyde-free. 

I want to also remind you that you do not need to run out and purchase new versions of every household product today. Like, please don't do that. Not only will your wallet start screaming like a toddler in Target, you'll feel overwhelmed.

It's all about the baby steps! Next time you run out of laundry detergent, you can make a switch. And the next time you're out of cleaning spray, you're prepared. Take a deep breath & take it one day at a time! We're all just doing the best we can!