Hoooboy… it is easy to find organic food, very difficult to find organic toiletries and cleaning products that work well. I have yet to find a good shampoo. BUT—I have been reading about
a new trend of people not using any shampoo products at all—and I just may try it sometime. That's a whole other topic but in general, for us, less is best.
I don't know if any of this will interest you—but here are a few suggestions—ironically I was sharing this with someone just a couple of weeks ago so I just copied and pasted everything here, so good timing for your question:
Lotion
I use a hand/body lotion that I swear by from Avalon Organics, although it is not all natural or organic but Avalon is a great brand and almost all-natural (70% organic):
Ultimate Firming Body Lotion w/ CoQ-10 Repair. Took me awhile to get used to the scent but now I love it. Bottle is 100% recycled.
Soap
I have a bottle of
Nourish Organic Ultra-mousturising hand wash (certified organic) next to the bathroom and kitchen sinks and also have the shower gel version in my shower—LOVE the different scents (wild berry, vanilla & fig, lemon & thyme). Whenever they are on sale I stock up and they are often sold out at Whole Foods (I wish there were a cheaper store closer to me).
Shampoo & Conditioner
Quality organic shampoo and hair products are very tough to find, as I mentioned, especially if you have long hair and live in a humid climate like me. After much trial-and-error I really love this brand:
Acure Shampoo intense volume for normal to fine/limp hair (w/ quinoa protein, babassu oil, pure mint & echinacea stem cell). It is not organic but claims to be color safe, vegan, gluten/sulfate/paraben/phthalate/cruelty—free, no synthetic fragrance and 100% biodegradable.
Face soap
I use a fantastic facial soap that I stumbled onto when I thought I had an allergy to skin mites (everyone has mites, just as everyone has staph and other bacteria on their skin but some people have a very strong sensitivity to it) and I thought that I had some reaction and tried this product I read about
online. Turns out, I was having a yeast/fungal problem (my GI yeast/fungal overgrowth was so bad it was growing up my throat, through my mouth, nose, eyes, ears…) but in the process of addressing why my face felt so raw and dry and had a constant rash, I tried this demodex face soap and I have never used anything so wonderful—I still use it to this day plus a couple of facial moisturizers from the same line and it is just a home run. I've also tried their shampoo & conditioner—sudsy and smells good but I like the Acure line better for management.
The product line is
Ovante (this is an Asian product that is distributed by Naama in the US so you order it online and they ship within a couple days) and this is the website—I also can't say enough positive about
their customer service:
skinimprovements.comThe line is not certified organic but the ingredients are all natural—here are a few examples:
Ovante Fungal cream:
Sulfur, Blackcurrent (Ribes Nigrum) Seed Oil, Butternut (Juglans Cinerea), Borage (Borago Officinals) Seed Oil, Camphor, Citrus Seed Extract, Fumitory (Fumaria Officinalis), Garlic of odorless Extract, Goldenseal (Hydrastus Canadensis) Root Extract, Licorice Extract, Nicotinic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) Oil, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, in microencapsulated form), Vitamin E (da Tocopherol), Wild Oregon Oil.
Ovante Demodex formula facial soap:
Birch leaves (Betula species), Neem oil, Lemongrass Oil, Black Bryony (Tamus communis), Borage (Borago officinals) Seed Oil, ProteolTM, OlivenTM, Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense), Bark Extract, Saw Palmetto (Serenoa Repens) Extract, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin E (d Tocopherol)
Facial soap
There is a product I was using before I found the Ovante that I really like and can be found in most health food stores -
MyChelle Dermaceuticals Honeydew Cleanser for sensitive skin (they have other lines for other skin conditions) - great products.
Toothpaste
Kiss my Face Triple Action toothpaste w/ tea tree oil, olive leaf extract, anti cavity w/ xylitol.
Feminine products
I have been using
Natracare tampons, liners and wipes for over a decade. LOVE them. I think that organic tampons are likely THE MOST important thing a woman can do to support health. Certified organic cotton, alcohol-free, no SLS, biodegradable, no synthetic preservatives, paraben-free, totally chlorine-free. It's a British product but made in Greece. Can be purchased at Vitacost online for significant savings.
Deodorant
This was tough for me—every 'natural' product I found made me react. Turns out, once I had my yeast/fungal issue under control I stopped reacting to all the natural deodorants. But I do like
Tom's of Maine Long-lasting "beautiful earth" scent. It's 24-hr protection (fairly accurate unless you're working up a sweat), almuminum-free, PG-free.
Sunscreen
I am very fair skinned which is often ultra-sensitive skin and tried MANY brands. I like
Kiss My Face the best for face. It's a broad spectrum 50 SPF w/ hydresia and good for daily wear. But even though I live in southern CA, I still don't wear sunscreen every day—don't think it's good for you and I not only need to absorb a little sun but I also need to condition my skin a little so a little sun is healthy but I wear hats 100% of the time. And it's not what I would wear if I were literally in the sun all day (which I rarely do) because I think you need to wear the industrial strength stuff.
As far as cleaning supplies…
I used to "over clean"—I now know it's a neuroses brought on by the lyme and/or my neurotransmitter issues but I was a maniac. Until I didn't wipe up some PineSol on the floor and my cat almost died when she licked it up. THEN, I became wise to what I was inhaling with all my cleaning supplies. I stopped cold turkey and started using organic products or simply lemon and vinegar and borax. I think my house is just as clean and kitty lived 5 more years. ;)
Dish soap
I ran out so I can't tell you what brand it is but I LOVE this lemon-scented certified organic dishwashing soap. It's the only certified organic dish soap I could find. Hopefully I can think of the name.
Laundry detergent
I use
Ecos Liquid detergent—magnolia & something scent… love it. concentrated.
Myer's products
I LOVE the
Meyer's products although I started using them awhile back but there has been some concern that they're not entirely natural—just haven't been concerned about
making a change with everything else I'm focusing on. But I LOVE the scrub (lavender scent and lemon verbena scent) and I use the lavender dryer sheets.
Pesticide
I've tried lots of stuff you can buy in the store—it's expensive and some of it works, some doesn't. I found that straight rubbing alcohol works in really bad infestation cases although it can harm the plants if you're not careful. But it helps manage a gnat issue I sometimes have in my herb garden—or at least those that come inside. Other than that, don't have any significantly effective ideas. Sorry.
Hope this helps ;)
-p
Post Edited (Pirouette) : 1/2/2015 1:25:28 PM (GMT-7)