By way of journey of eliminating toxins from my life in order to heal from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, I have found that 99.5% of the products we buy for personal care and house cleaning care toxic. I have gone on to learn that the natural products actually work better and have side benefits. Commercial products are made from cheap ingredients and the natural products are far superior.
Here are some things I use now.
1. Coconut oil from a glass jar (the plastic does make it into your products, especially where there is heat involved ,like in the tropics where coconut oil is from). This is lotion, anti wrinkle, anti acne etc for about $8. The coconut oil is actually penetrating your skin and nourishing it as well as your whole body. Use it after bathing and you will quickly notice this is the very best thing that you have ever used on your skin!
***Adds shine to hair. I have fine blond hair so I don’t use it near the scalp.
***Also works as make-up remover
***Also used for oil pulling to whiten the teeth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEheaHvsh5U&feature=plcp
****bath oil
2. Baking soda or peppermint oil for brushing teeth and teeth whitening. It may take a while to get used to not using toothpaste form a tube. Commercial toothpaste is quite toxic, and always any type of plastic adds toxins to your products.
***Peppermint oil is a very effective germ killer. Its cheap. Just put a little bit in your mouth and brush. Its delicious and effective and been used for millennia, this is the origin of peppermint flavored toothpaste.
***Baking soda is great, a known teeth whitener and also helps to alkalize your body and mouth. It is especially good if you have issues with tongue coating.
Don’t forget to buy a natural bristle tooth brush as most others contain BPA and other toxins****
3. Activated Charcoal for detoxing your mouth and removing stains Use it on your tooth brush or add some to water and swish. It has been used all over the world for this and used to be an ingredient in toothpaste http://detoxthebodymcs.com/the-detoxing-power-of-actvated-charcoal/
4. Make your Own Vitamin C cream. add some powdered Vitamin C to some coconut oil (or other oil or cream of your choice), keep in refrigerator. It keeps for 3 weeks. Expensive vitamin C creams have little Vitamin C or the cheapest quality Vitamin C available, and are full of preservatives. Add blueberry extract and or green tea extract for a very effective, high quality anti-aging cream.