self-care products
Don’t sleep on your health! To contrast the rest of this site, don’t be shy dropping money on your health, regardless of the pricetag. You can't participate in any of the fun listed on this site if your mind and body is suffering. This one area is non-negotiable - you can’t afford to skimp out!
There are many savvy and simple ways to cater to your health. My no-frills guide to responsible brands, products and solutions at affordable options is below.
It is SO IMPORTANT to stay hydrated. If you’re unsure of the appropriate amount of water to drink a day, a reference point is to divide your body weight in pounds by 2; that number is the minimum amount of ounces of water you should be drinking per day.
Maybe once or twice a year Whole Foods has a 25% off sale on Hydroflasks which is the best time to buy (most recent sale was 4/4-10, 2018). Hydroflasks (or any reusable BPA-free water bottle) are a necessary travel companion. It’ll save you significant amounts of money on water bottle purchases, especially at the airport where a bottle of water can easily be $5.
The ultimate brand for tumblers. For all my coffee/tea people out there, Yeti is for you. It keeps the cold drinks cold and the hot drinks hot for extended periods of time and fits most cup holders. Yeti tumblers are also the perfect width that makes it easy to hand wash the inside of the tumbler. (Yeti also has an awesome line of coolers).
Free shipping on orders over $19.99. Cheaper to buy directly with the company than through Amazon.
skin hydration
Your new mantra: Omit the Shit.
A great rule of thumb for me when justifying paying a bit more for better products is to remember that anything absorbed into the skin is the fastest way into the bloodstream (even faster than anything ingested orally). Anything you wouldn’t put in your mouth you shouldn’t put on your skin. So unless you want carcinogenic chemicals in your mouth, then stay far, far away from things on the Prop 65 list.
There’s a ton of harmful chemicals in “all-natural” labeled products, it’s very misleading. Anytime you see mineral oil (also labelled “glycerin - alarmingly the primary ingredient in Johnson & Johnson’s), tallow, cocamidoprohyl, etc. just know that you are smearing straight carcinogenic chemicals or dead roadkill (tallow) on to your skin. Obviously you can’t avoid every chemical, but eliminate when you can and where it’s most pocket-friendly.
Here’s the Prop 65 Chemical List to reference.
Baby G Luscious Lotion, responsible ingredients. $16.99 for 9 oz through their direct site. Great brand for deodorant too.
Highlights: paraben and gluten free, vegan, tested on people, good ingredients list, 80% organic.
Once again, the rule of thumb for lotion and all beauty and cleaning products is that the ingredients list should be as small and recognizable as possible. Once you see a long word that you can’t pronounce, chances are it’s bad for you.
Another note about oil - most hydrating products that you see anywhere will tout ingredients like coconut oil or mono’i oil as one of its star ingredients. What’s really happening here is that you’re paying way too much for a small amount of coconut oil + a whole bunch of chemicals and fillers and marketing. Cut out the BS and go straight for the oil itself, the ingredient that makes that product effective in the first place.
Highlights: minimal and natural ingredients with eucalyptus oil, corn and sugar ethanol, cellulose and water as its base. It’s cheapest to order directly through their website, $26.41 for a 6-pack of 2 oz bottles, with free shipping over $25!
Too many hand sanitizers do more harm than good by including antibiotic ingredients that lower your body’s ability to fight off harmful bacteria. It’s best to turn to a more natural solution.
Rubbing Alcohol
One of the cheapest ways to sanitize is with rubbing alcohol. I’ll buy a bottle from the 99 cent store, a travel-size spray bottle from Bed Bath & Beyond and carry it in my car for any time I have to disinfect (like my hands after I pump gas). Because alcohol can be a bit drying, use only in reasonable amounts.
The cleanest shampoo and conditioner brand I’ve seen that includes a lot of enriching ingredients like hibiscus, shikakai, sea kelp and coconut milk.
*email me if to receive 10% off your purchase of Bogavia.
I’m still on the hunt for other affordable and non-toxic shampoo and conditioner options that fit the wellness standard. If you’ve found one, message me HERE!
body care & hygiene
oral care
Buy HERE.
It also may be worthwhile to do a big haul at one time and buy a 6 tube pack on Amazon. 6 6 oz tubes for $20.19 comes out to $3.37 per tube which won’t necessarily break the bank.
Corroding your mouth are the everyday brands - Listerine, Crest, Colgate that contain nasty ingredients like alcohol, chlorine dioxide, fluoride, harmful dyes, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, parabens, sorbitol and anything you can’t pronounce (to name a few). Most of the better brand options out there aren’t completely free of harmful ingredients, but will include a lot less of them.
DIY Mouthwash
Alternatively, you can really save by making your own mouthwash with mason jars and only 4 ingredients.
Teeth Whitening
Screw Crest whitestrips and any conventional teeth whitening counterpart for selling you harsh bleaching agents that are just going to erode your enamel. Opt instead to use coconut oil to oil pull 20 minutes a day for whiter teeth. One small spoonful of coconut oil swished around in your mouth (then spit out and not swallowed) will do wonders for your overall oral health and white teeth, if done consistently. There are many Ayurvedic articles that can detail the benefits much better than I.
Make-up
Tarte, Physician’s Formula, Burt’s Bees are just some of the few recognizable brands that disappointingly do not live up to their all-natural, organic, eco-friendly and other marketing ploys. If you turn the labels around and read the ingredients list, these brands include a lot of the same toxic chemicals as their cheaper, drugstore counterparts that don’t even market as “natural”.
SUNSCREEN
Product links on this page do contain Affiliate links. My main goal here isn't to monetize, but rather to list quality items at very affordable pricing that are backed by fantastic & quantitative reviews as well my own personal experience with the products. I only suggest things I know and like! If you do happen to hit the links and purchase, you are contributing to my education in the health and nutrition sector, for which I am endlessesly grateful!