After many requests through the years, I’m finally sharing this personal favorite products list. Updated 4/2019.
It’s taken me years to find safe, ‘clean’ (toxin-free) products that really work for us, so I hope this helps you in your search. It is not a perfect list, but I consider it very good! Caveat: some manufacturers will change their ingredient lists, so become a label reader!
For many people, the thought of their favorite products being a source of unwanted immune-suppressing chemicals in their household sounds strange. However, I’m concerned that the toxins emitted from everyday products has encouraged the rapid decline of healthy immune systems in our world.
Check out my last post on WHY man-made fragrances make us sick if this is new or inconceivable to you.
My favorite products are all made without synthetic fragrance, parabens, phthalates, aluminum, dyes, preservatives, sodium lauryl sulfate or petroleum products. I’ve come to understand the less ingredients, the better. Here are my top 25.
Mascara Powder & Blush
(some of the hardest things to find in safe, effective formulas):
Honest Beauty Mascara + Lash Primer: These are perfectly safe—and they are amazing and easy wearing. See the much safer mascara Ingredients on their site.
LUSH Handmade Mascara EWG’s Skin Deep would rate this a #1 (low) in concern, is gentle enough for sensitive eyes, and is clump-free. Uses flexible Japan and carnauba waxes keep lashes feeling light while ensuring a smudge-free finish.
Physicians Formula Black Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara. I wear this mascara on days that are shorter and I’m not going to cry Lol It is very safe, but won’t hold up to the 24 hours they state.
3 Super Choices for Eyeliner
Alima Pure Natural Definition Eye Pencil – Excellent ingredients!!
VERT Beauty Organic Eyeliner Pencil – Again, excellent ingredients!
ILIA Pure Eyeliner by Vert- a sharp precise line to a smudged smokey look. Healing vitamin E and Sesame oil treat your sensitive eye area without budging.
In the photo below, these cosmetics are what I am wearing:
Since I stopped wearing foundation in my 30s my skin has stopped breaking out and having dryness issues. Plus, I think foundation is hard to blend to look natural at the jawline and not like a mask! Now I use Niacinamide Cream Serum (on my whole face) as my first step in the morning, let it absorb 2 minutes, and follow with PF Mineral Wear Talc-free Mineral Face Powder, Translucent. That is all I wear, except a touch of blush on the cheekbones: PF Mineral Wear Blush, Rosy Glow. It is nowhere as vibrant as the Amazon photo indicates and they have different shades. I use just a touch and it’s very natural.
My Favorite Products For Skin Care and Women
My skin tone and texture has improved so much since I started using the 3 products below almost 4 years ago! I am 67 now and have had very kind people tell me I could pass for 50. And, if you have experienced menopause and all its crazy issues (hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings), you will LOVE the first 2 products! They are complementary and assist each other in addressing them:
ProMeno Women’s Wild Yam Cream is my “herbal alternative to the bio-identical progesterone creams. You can use this anywhere on the body, but for me, it doubles as a face cream at night. It lasts for months!
Ingredients: Wild yam root, Vitex and Comfrey leaf infused organic extra virgin Olive oil, flower hydrosol, Aloe Vera juice, beeswax, Shea butter, natural MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), Vitamin E oil and a blend of essential oils and flower essences.
Vital “V” Wild Yam Salve. If you need something for female dryness and irritation (due to thinning skin) that is natural with no side effects, this will help in short order!
Niacinamide Cream Serum has visibly tightened my pores and reduced my wrinkles. It boosts collagen and promotes visibly younger skin.
I just started using MATRIXYL 3000 + ARGIRELINE Peptide + Vitamin C Serum (similar in effect to the Niacinamide serum above) and I am loving how it seems to be lessening the effect of wrinkles and fine lines. Update! I LOVE this product and what it does to lessen the look of mature skin! I show pictures here.
I want to remind women that “our periods, birth and menopause are life transitions to be embraced, not sickness needing treated.”
My Favorite Products For Lips
***Dr. Hauschka Sheer Lipsticks Wait till you see the ingredients here! 4.5 star reviews!
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, Beeswax, 4 Tubes for $8.97 (a favorite value)! Update: Burt’s Bees was sold to Clorox for $970 million and so check out the ingredients as they may have changed!
Ingredients: beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, peppermint oil, lanolin, tocopherol, rosemary leaf extract, soybean oil, canola oil, limonene.
Art Naturals® 100% Natural Lip Balm – 6 Pack for $8.75 (another favorite value)!
Ingredients: Beeswax, Sunflower Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Seed Oil, Flavor, Tocopherol, Jojoba Seed Oil, Aloe Vera Leaf Extract.
Hairspray
I use Giovanni L.A. Hold Hair Spritz when I need to use hairspray (like twice a year). I can testify that with MCS, I need something that will not give me a headache or make me sick. It’s the only hairspray I can tolerate. Just a light mist and it holds and holds for those high wind days. Makes my hair shine! Ingredients are excellent, too:
Purified Water with Rosemary Oil, Nettle Oil, Thyme Oil, Birch Leaf Oil, Chamomile Oil, Clary, Lavender, Coltsfoot Leaf, Yarrow Oil, Mallow, Horsetail Oil, PVP/VA Copolymer, Soybean Protein, Alcohol Denatured (plant derived), Vitamin E, Trace Minerals, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Seed, Essential Oils. Certified Organic
A very clean, very cool product: Herbal Choice Mari Organic Hair Spray Copolymer Free
Ingredients: Purified water, organic vodka, organic brown sugar, organic sweet orange oil, organic geranium oil, organic green tea, organic sage herb, organic thyme herb, organic bergamot oil, organic olive oil, organic rose hip oil.
Favorite Natural Deodorants That Are Highly-Rated & Really Work
Green Tidings All Natural Deodorant. Extra strength, all-day protection. Really works – no stink and keeps me dry.
Ingredients: Tapioca Starch, Organic Coconut Oil, Sodium Bicarbonate, Shea Butter, Wildcrafted Candelilla Wax, Magnesium Chloride, Lavender Essential Oil.
Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant, Bergamot + Lime Stick. With its bright citrus scent, a pleasure to wear. All-day odor protection, and plant-based powders protect against wetness without the use of aluminum. Not greasy in the least.
Ingredients: Arrowroot powder, Coconut Oil, Candelilla Wax, Shea butter, Baking soda, Triglyceride (fractionated coconut oil), Jojoba Seed Oil, Bergamot essential oil, Lime essential oil, Vitamin E
Check out my two current favorite: Nutribiotic Deodorant (unscented) and Earth Science (lavender). I’m a bit of a deodorant connoisseur 🙂
Primal Pit Paste Deodorant, paste or stick. Again, another product that works well for me.
Ingredients: Non-Aluminum Baking Soda, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Lavender Essential Oil, Non-GMO Vitamin E derived from 100% Sunflowers
Favorite Fluoride-Free Toothpaste
After having fertility drugs and hormones for many attempts to conceive, I give my teeth the best possible care I can. Aside from oil-pulling with coconut oil almost every day, I use Redmond’s EarthPaste to keep my teeth clean and white. Our kids used fluoride-free Tom’s of Maine.
Himalaya Whitening Toothpaste, Fluoride-Free & SLS-Free is another we like with super clean ingredients!
Our Shampoos
Love, love, love my Alaffia – Virgin Coconut & Shea Butter Enriching Shampoo and Alaffia Coconut Reishi Shampoo with Henna! My husband and kids use Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo & Conditioner.
The Truth About Tear-Free Baby Shampoo
When applesauce or banana blobs (or worse) end up in your little one’s soft hair, please use a baby shampoo that doesn’t brag “tear-free” on the label.
“No cry” shampoos typically –though not always– contain formaldehyde-releasing chemicals: quaternium-15 and 1,4-dioxane. (source) So I did some digging.
My FIRST choice for baby shampoo is Alaffia Authentic African Black Soap, Vanilla Almond. Only 6 ultra-safe ingredients. Awesome for washing produce, too!
Ingredients: Neem aqueous extract, Shea butter, Palm kernel oil, coconut derived lauryl glucoside, vanilla bean extract, almond extract.
My 2nd choice: Alaffia Moisturizing Shea Butter Shampoo & Body Wash for Babies & Up. With calming lemon balm, neem leaf and lavender essential oil, this soothing all-in-one product leaves your baby’s hair and skin soft and clean.
Note: Alaffia Coconut Chamomile Hair & Body Lotion For Babies has the BEST ingredients of any baby lotion I can find on the market – unless you make your own blend of pure jojoba oil, shea butter and a drop or 2 of lavender. Many companies still use magnesium ALUMINUM silicate as an ingredient. EWG rates it safe, but I worry about anything with aluminum in it, especially for babies!
Check out Burt’s Bees Baby and women’s products, too! Burt’s Bees “tear-free” shampoo does not contain the formaldehyde-releasing chemicals and would make my ‘clean’ list! Update: Burt’s Bees was sold to Clorox for $970 million and so check out the ingredients as they may have changed!
Fruit & Veggie Wash
Dr. Woods Pure Castile Soaps -Safely removes nasties from your food! The whole line is very comparable to Dr. Bronner’s and costs WAY less)! Also check out Alaffia African Black Soap or Cove Castile Soap.
Ingredients: Water, saponified coconut, hemp & olive oils with retained glycerin, vitamin E oil, bitter almond oil, sea salt, citric acid and rosemary extract.
Favorite Liquid Dish Soap & Laundry Detergent
Eco-Me Natural Sudsing Liquid Dish Soap, Fragrance Free, 16 Ounce
Ingredients: Water, Decyl Glucoside (Coconut-derived Soap), Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (Food-grade Emulsifier), Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside (Plant-derived Solubilizer), Leuconostoc (Radish Root Antimicrobial), Potassium Sorbate (Food-grade Preservative), Natural Plant Essential Oils.
Mollie’s Suds Laundry Powder: 120 Loads at 18 cents/load! Rated A by EWG. The super-concentrated powder is VERY affordable, with just 1 TBSP required per load. Just as effective as conventional brands and more effective than natural brands, without the use of chemical toxins, dyes, fragrance, fillers, optical brighteners, preservatives or GMO ingredients. Works great in all hot, cold, and hard water, and is septic and HE washer-safe.
Just 5 ingredients: sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sea salt, magnesium sulfate, and peppermint oil.
Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda, 50 Loads at 20 cents/load! I often use only 1/2 of the little scoop for a load if it’s only moderately soiled. Perfect detergent for chemically-sensitive people. Removes body odors and environmental odors you may pick up on your clothes. Since “clean” is the absence of smell, this is a product you want.
Ingredients: Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate), Sodium Metasilicate, Sodium Chloride, Citric acid, coconut based (LAURYL) Ethoxylated fatty alcohol.
To Replace Cleansers Ajax, Comet, and Zud
“1886 Original Formula” Bon Ami Cleanser. 2 ingredients: Feldspar and tallow soap. Defogs windows and mirrors. Cleans and polishes glass, windows, mirrors, porcelain, unlacquered metals, chrome, aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic tile, cast iron cookware, whitewall tires, and tools.
Fabric Softener?
Traditional fabric softeners will undoubtedly add to your body’s toxic load (see my last post)! It clings to our bed sheets and clothing; we breathe it night and day.
I have not used a stinky commercial fabric softener for over 25 years and won’t go back! One of my all time favorite products are Wool Dryer Balls. Last for more than 1500 washes. Also at Trader Joe’s.
Reduces your drying time by up to 25% for larger loads and up to 40% for smaller loads, saving one of your biggest utility expenses.
Glass Cleaner
I cannot take credit for this discovery; however I can tell you that it works! A cleaning company shared this tip with me four years ago. In my opinion, this is the best way for sparkling windows: I use Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Liquid (not the antibacterial). Add 2-3 drops of original Dawn into a 32 oz. sprayer and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz your windows and wipe just as you would with any window cleaner.
Popular glass cleaners contain 2-Hexoxyethanol, Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonate, and 2-Butoxyethanol a confirmed animal carcinogen.
Would you share some of your ‘clean’, toxin-free favorite products in the comments?
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Thanks for reading!
Barbara Lyons says
House cleaning: For countertops, windows, kitchen and bath fixtures, Norwex envirocloth and polishing cloth work as a team, with only WATER! Best thing i’ve ever used! (I don’t sell them)
Ashley Plourd says
Fantastic list!! Thank you!! I use Norwex cleaning rags for home cleaning…non toxic and save so much money! I also use my shave cream from TSG and my salves! I’d love to know your thoughts on Shea moisture products and Trader Joe’s tea tree shampoo and conditioner!
Coni Dutka says
Hands down for us nothing beats Shaklee cleaning products across the board. Basic H2 is number one.
Lori Alexander says
Thank you Jacqueline! I loved looking through this list and found a couple things that I definitely am going to try.
For hair color with no toxic chemicals, I use Herbatint and have for years. It makes my hair thicker and shinier.
I also love this shampoo: Aubrey Organics, Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo.
Blessings!
Sarah says
For my skin care products I use Beautycounter. We are in Target stores right now. Limited time too. http://www.beautycounter.com/sarahburns1/
Our mission is to get safe products into the hands of everyone. At Beautycounter, there are over 1,500 ingredients we ban from our products. We evaluate every potential ingredient for safety through our ingredient screen, which is the most health-protective screening tool in the industry. But we do not compromise on performance. Check us out!
Lori Alexander says
I forgot to mention Norwex products that someone shared with me months ago. I use their body cloth to wash my face with every night and it only requires water. It’s amazing! Their window cloth, only requires a bit of water and cleans windows and mirrors streak free. Their kitchen cloth is the best thing I have found to wipe off my counters. Most of their products only require water so it’s definitely toxic free and cheaper. Have you tried them Jacqueline? Here is the website where I have bought mine from. I give them for birthday and Christmas gifts.
http://www.amberrice.norwex.biz
Jacqueline says
Thank you, Lori! I will definitely look into getting one for a sweet young friend with acne. It just might do the trick!!!!!
Sue says
what products do you use to clean your home, floors, bathroom, and kitchen.
Lori Alexander says
Sue,
Norwex has a great mop system for floors: best mop I have ever used. I use the enviro cloth from Norwex to clean my kitchen and bathrooms. If I need a spray, I use equal parts hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and water with a squirt of dish washing soap and use this on the toilets. Bar Keepers Friend is a great product to scrub sinks with.
Katie says
Pure Anada is a Canadian family business started by a homeschooling Christian mom who wanted non-toxic make-up. I don’t wear make-up, but the people I know who use Pure Anada products like them a lot.
pureanada.ca
We use Norwex products for cleaning the house. I use my own homemade bar soap for washing dishes, homemade laundry soap, tooth powder and deodorant – doesn’t take much time to make those things and I make big batches to last a long time. It’s also fun to make household or personal care products with friends or my children.
Vivian Maddox says
So, you give some recommendations for baby shampoo; how about adult shampoo for ladies in their sixties – grey, fine hair – no coloring and no permanents?
I recently tried Shea Moisture shampoo and cream rinse since they had a high number 1 rating with EWG, but was disappointed because of a heavy smell that lasted past a shampoo with another brand of shampoo to wash it out a couple of days later. And I used a small amount to begin with.
Jacqueline says
Vivian, I’m using the Alaffia shampoo product (below) as well as Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle shampoo and conditioner! Both are perfect for my grey hair and have no smell or any added fragrance other than the natural peppermint and eucalyptus : http://amzn.to/2cxhdvY and http://amzn.to/2cBgMG4
TJ’s Shampoo contains: water, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil, nettle oil, thyme oil, birch leaf oil, chamomile, clary, lavender, coltsfoot leaf, yarrow oil, mallow, horsetail oil, soybean protein, coconut derived c12-14 olefin sulfonate, cocamidopropyl betaine, tocopherol (vitamin E), trace minerals, citric acid (corn), sodium hydroxymethyglycinate, sea salt, grapefruit seed.
Alaffia Virgin Coconut & Shea Butter Enriching Shampoo: http://amzn.to/2cLGQst Ingredients: Ingredients
Herbal infusion of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), Liquid African Black Soap (Distilled water, Saponified Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Butter and Virgin Palm Kernel (Elaeis guineensis) Oil), Decyl Polyglucose, Vegetable Glycerin, Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil, Panthenol (pro-Vitamin B5), Essential Oils of Sweet Orange & Rose Geranium.
I hope this helps!
Karen says
Jacqueline, Thank you for this post. I have been doing a bit of research for products like these and have not been very successful. This list helps a lot!
A Question: We have hard water (well water) and it is softened with a non-salt water softener. Is there any one else with experience with this set-up? I want to get away from sodium lauryl sulfate, etc. but all the shampoos I have tried without those ingredients leave my hair with a waxy film on it. I have figured out it is from our hard water, but not sure what to do about it. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks!
A Comment: I have tried Norwex with our water and it doesn’t work that well at removing the mineral build-up unless I wipe everything down as I use it (the sink, faucet, handles, shower (walls and everything), shower head, handles, etc.) or at least multiple times a week (my goal is to only have to clean those areas once a week). I only mention this in case there are others reading this with limited resources who may choose to spend their money differently with that piece of feed back. Due to the time intensive aspect I have decided to use different products. Anyone know of a natural mineral remover other than vinegar?
Jacqueline says
Thanks for putting that question out there. I don’t know. We, too, are having water issues right now and are searching for answers!
Katie says
For those with hard water, perhaps a rain barrel could be used to collect water for washing hair? We have a cistern with rain water, but when that’s empty we use hard well water. This bar soap has been satisfactory for washing my hair and I always condition with 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces water, then rinse (ACV rinse makes my hair super easy to comb, even with hard water):
https://thrivemarket.com/one-with-nature-dead-sea-mineral-soap-sea-mud
We have found that this soap also works well for scrubbing sinks and tubs. Be careful if you have surfaces that can scratch – it has Dead Sea silt in it. I’m not interested in spending lots of money on shampoos and conditioners, so we stick with this bar soap for many uses and are happy with it. Ingredients are listed on the website.
Jacqueline says
Thank you, Katie! That is so neat!
Karen says
Thanks Katie for the rain barrel suggestion. I can be a bit dense, so can you tell me your method for getting the water in the bathroom? Also, do you heat it at all? I really am looking for workable solutions and am asking the process that works for you.
And, have you had any problems with your drains backing up or running slow due to the silt/mud in the soap? Or issues with your septic due to the salt? We have friends who had to have a new septic system installed after they added a water softener that used salt, as the salt killed all the good bacteria in their tank. Due to that and other life experiences, we are REALLY cautious about putting anything down the drain. Any info is appreciated!
Katie says
We have an in-ground cistern that collects rainwater from the roof and my husband plumbed the house so that we can use cistern water or switch to well water when our cistern is empty. If you use a rain barrel, I suppose you could just pail it into the house the old-fashioned way. In winter you could heat it on a wood stove inside. When I lived in India our water was gravity-fed from tanks on the roof and we did bucket baths (using a small plastic pitcher to pour water on ourselves from a 5-gallon pail – it uses way less water than a typical Western shower!). Maybe in summer you could rig up an outdoor shower stall with a gravity feeding pail that holds rain water or do bucket baths?
We have no drain problems with the soap because the silt stays in suspension while draining and the salt does not bother the septic tank. We try not to put anything down our drains that isn’t biodegradable. I only wash my hair once or twice a week, so there isn’t much soap going down the drain.
Norwex carries some products for cutting through tough mineral build-up. I don’t remember the product names, but you could ask your local Norwex rep.
Mrs. O says
Jaqueline..I enjoyed reading this list, thank you. Do you have a favorite foundation and blush you can share?
Blessings
Mrs.O
Jacqueline says
Hi, Mrs. O,
I don’t use a foundation but use Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Blush, Rosy Glow: http://amzn.to/2cVqTTU
It is nowhere as vibrant as the photo indicates. I use just a touch and it comes out very natural. For face powder, I use
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-free Mineral Face Powder, Translucent: http://amzn.to/2d1xybT
It is all I wear. since I stopped wearing foundation in my 30s my skin has stopped breaking out and having dryness issues.
I hope that helps 😀
Karen says
I like Redeeming Beauty Minerals make up line. Emily is great to work with and is a sweet woman. I have found her to be very helpful, and I really like her products. Here is where to find it: http://redeemingbeautyminerals.com/
Lisa says
THANK YOU so much for your lists like this! They help guide me and save me so much time in research. I am grateful for all the things I am learning on your blog. God bless you!
Jacqueline says
Aww… thank YOU Lisa! You are so encouraging to me 😀
Kelley says
This is pretty nice but I do not use any Burt’s Bees. Burt (who passed away in 2015) has had nothing to do with the company since 1999. It is now owned by Clorox. They also use soy and canola (GMO crops) in their products which is a big NO for me. I would not use soy even if it wasn’t GMO since it is estrogenic. Badger has wonderful lip balms that are certified organic and free of any ingredients I question. Also, have you tried Redmond Earth Paste toothpaste? It is glycerin free and has less than 10 ingredients (water, Redmond Clay, Real Salt, xylitol, and essential oils).. My teeth have never had it so good.
Jacqueline says
Kelley!!!! THANK YOU for telling us that! I Did not know! Excellent!
Anne Orso says
You list a good shampoo, but what is a really good hair conditioner for curly hair? Same brand? I also would love a recommendation for a good eye cream. I’m 65 years young and seeing more dryness/wrinkles around my eyes. Thanks for the great list.
Jacqueline says
Anne, I need to look into it, but have run out of time. Usually if the one product by a company (like shampoo and conditioned pairs) is excellent, the compliment will be as well! You may want to read the ingredients for yourself!