I’ve always been mindful of what I’m putting on my skin because I suffer from breakouts. I never really thought too hard about what ingredients I put on my hair though. It got me thinking and I started raiding my bathroom caddy which was overflowing with plastic bottles full of chemicals which couldn’t possibly be good for your locks. As I was going through everything I realised how many unnecessary products I had.
Over time, I’d accumulated stuff from the blog, products I’d tried but made me break out, and lotions that I just hadn’t got around to using. All of a sudden I was very aware and frustrated with how much space it was taking up in our little bathroom. So the purging began! My goal was to replace as many products as I could with natural alternatives that were multi-use and only introduce products back into my regime as I felt like I really needed them and where I couldn’t find a natural alternative. So far, this only includes sunscreen.
Detoxing my beauty cabinet: These are the 5 items I decided to to rely on as my natural substitutes for my skin, hair, body and household cleaning now (excluding sunscreen)! I have a larger bottle of vinegar under the kitchen sink and I do have a small makeup bag of 100% natural makeup (coming in another post).
I chucked away expired products, gifted products that made me breakout to my mum (they’re suitable for her skin but not mine) and made an active effort to use up my other lotions and potions. I did hours of research and soon found out that I didn’t really need all these products. I actually only really needed these 5 items… castile soap, shea butter, vinegar, witch hazel and essential oils. Between them all, they can act as 100% natural moisturisers, cleansers, shampoo etc, without the need for a ton of products packed with chemicals.
I’ve opted to only buy organic products too, as my skin is quite sensitive and this really helps.
This is all about trial and error and seeing what works for my skin and hair, but with so many natural alternatives out there, I feel optimistic that there’s going to be something that works (so far, it’s been good!). If needed, I may introduce other items back into my regime but I wanted to really try and go back to basics using only items I really need and keep it natural. This beauty detox will then give me a completely fresh base to see the true value in beauty products I buy (if any), and hopefully it’ll be a little kinder to my skin.
Castile soap
Castile soap is an amazingly versatile vegetable-based soap that’s made free of animal fats and synthetic ingredients. It’s gently cleansing without toxins, its safe for sensitive skin, and can help oily, acne-prone skin (Hooray!! 🎉). I mix a little bit of tea tree oil, eucalyptus and lavender oil with water and castile soap which makes it smell lovely and help with my breakouts.
Here’s the list of products I won’t need to buy again because I can replace them with castile soap:
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- Hand wash
- Dog shampoo
- Dish soap
- Bubble bath
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- Makeup brush cleaner
- Body wash
- Shaving cream
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- Face wash
- Shampoo
- Facial cleanser
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Organic shea butter
100% raw organic shea butter is a skin superfood and I’m obsessed! If you don’t like the thick consistency of shea butter, I recommend using a carrier oil, such as coconut oil. Personally, coconut oil gives me horrible acne, so if you have oily skin I’d recommend noncomedogenic alternatives such as grape seed oil or jojoba oil. Experiment to see what works best for you. I’m sticking with shea butter at the moment but I may go back to jojoba oil after as I feel like it’s easier to work with.
Here’s the list of products I won’t need to buy again because I can replace them with shea butter or oil:
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- Body moisturiser
- Face moisturiser
- Conditioner
- Makeup remover
- Hair mask
- Acne cream
- Furniture polish
- Lip balm
- Tanning lotion
- Shoe shiner
- Nail strengthener
- Lip scrub*
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- Leave-in conditioner
- Eye cream
- Heat hair protector
- Shine hair spray
- Hand cream
- Pet conditioner
- Lube (do not use with latex)
- WD40
- Foot scrub*
- Leather cleaner
- Massage oil
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- Flyaway tamer
- Scar treatment
- Chaffing cream
- Bath muscle soak
- Cuticle cream
- Frizz control
- Chlorine protector
- Sunburn relief
- Face mask
- Body exfoliator*
- Facial exfoliator*
- Natural highlighter
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*Add sea salt
Witch hazel
I’ve been using witch hazel on my skin since I was 17 years old, so this is definitely nothing new. I mix my organic witch hazel with my blend of essential oils to soothe my skin and add fragrance. I found out that witch hazel makes a great natural deodorant which is something I really wanted to try because there are so many reasons to stop using high-street antiperspirants (you’re meant to sweat out your toxins, no mask them with chemicals).
Here’s the list of products I won’t need to buy again because I can replace them with witch hazel:
- Skin toner
- Natural deodorant
- Room spray
- Body spray/perfume
Vinegar
I went one step further and thought “what else could I replace with natural products in my house?” After taking inventory I realised how many cleaning products we had that just didn’t seem necessary. Why do I need a different type of cleaners for dedicated rooms? It’s mostly a marketing ploy. So I pulled them all our and realised that so many of them could be replaced with vinegar, mixed with water and a few drops of essential oils to mask the smell, where needed.
Here’s the list of products I won’t need to buy again because I can them replace with vinegar:
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- Floor cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
- Surface cleaner
- Bleach
- Drain cleaner
- Stove cleaner
- Pet neutralizing spray
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- Carpet cleaner
- Disinfectant
- Cut flower food
- Weed-killer
- Silver cleaner
- Paint-brush cleaner
- Garden insect control
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- Mould cleaner
- Oven cleaner
- Stain remover
- Windscreen defroster
- Window cleaner
- Cif cream cleaner
- Mirror cleaner
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Essential oils
I’ve mentioned essential oils a few times throughout this article. Personally, I use a blend of lavender, eucalyptus and tea-tree because they’re great for my acne-prone skin, and they smell great. As much as I love orange and lime, I try to use oils that I know will be good for my skin so that I’m not unnecessarily loading up on different types of oils.
If you’re planning on using them on your skin, always dilute them! There are lots of really helpful articles online you help you choose a blend that would be best for your skin. If you’re only planning to use them to add fragrance then consider ordering a multi-pack and trying different smells until you find one you like. Always purchase organic oils from a reputable brand.
So there you have it! 70 Products we managed to replace with just a handful of natural ingredients. In matter of fact, it’s probably more like 100 products when factoring in multiple products we had lying around the house that weren’t being used and products that my husband and I used to buy separately, like body wash – why on earth were we buying separate body wash?!
I wish I purged years ago. It’s better for our health, our bank account and the planet (not to mention, there’s a lot less clutter in the bathroom!). There is still lotions and potions that I need to finish using up – I’m not just going to throw them out for the sake of it. There will also still be things I need to buy, like sunscreen, but I’ve become more mindful of what I’m consuming and living a more minimalist lifestyle with just the bits I need. So far, so good! Maybe I’ll do a follow up in 6 months to show you what worked, what didn’t, and what products I felt I couldn’t live without.