Personal Care

Shampoo is the “final boss” in your soap journey (my husband drew that analogy, and I love it).

Changing haircare and skincare routines can feel like a big hurdle for many people.

So here’s what I have to offer.  Below is everything that my family uses for daily personal care and hygiene (yes, this is a comprehensive list—it’s pretty short!).  Take a look, and if something piques your interest, go for it.  Maybe there is something you want to drop or swap.  Take what’s helpful, leave the rest.

• Body.  Soap for what’s dirty or stinky, and just rinse the rest with water.  Either a bar of soap or a plastic foaming dispenser in the tub or shower (same soap that is used for all other purposes; plastic to avoid broken glass in the tub or shower).

• Hair.  Nothing.  Seriously—check out my blog on my family’s “water only” approach to hair care.  I realize this is a deal breaker for some, so I am working with family and friends to develop some simple soap-based recipes—stay tuned.

• Moisturizing products, like lotion, lip balm, etc.  None needed after we went all in on a true soap.

• Oral Hygiene

  • Toothpaste. I love Uncle Harry’s. My favorite is the peppermint toothpaste, but I have also tried the tooth powder and think it’s good. I converted my son to the mild mint toothpaste. If you’re using regular old toothpaste from a tube, there may be an adjustment phase, but ultimately, I think this leaves my mouth feeling much cleaner for much longer than other products. (Note: These products are fluoride free.)

  • Floss. Unflavored/unscented silk floss coated with candelilla wax.  It’s plastic free and compostable.

  • Tongue scraper.  I have been doing this for several years and really enjoy the addition to my oral hygiene routine.

• Deodorant. None for me, as I have found I don’t need it. When you eliminate detergents from your laundry, you might realize your “pit problem” is actually a “detergent residue” problem.  My husband—who is a hairy, sweaty, stinky human, which I feel compelled to mention for credibility purposes here—uses Pit Stop by Hammond Herbs and is really happy with its performance.

• Makeup, etc.  Nothing.  I know, it’s not for everyone.  But after wearing makeup for 20 years and dabbling in various creams and serums and who knows what else, I gotta say, this approach is pretty liberating!

• Sunscreen.  We tend to use hats and swim shirts, as opposed to sunscreen, and that works well for us.  When we need something more, we use Badger.  It is the simplest formulation I have found, and it is available in retail stores (I get it at Natural Grocers).  Their “Baby” and “Kids” formulations have more ingredients than others (not necessarily “bad” ingredients, just “more,” which can be problematic for us), so I get their “Sport” product.