In this post I share my favourite non-toxic personal care products. One way we can reduce our exposure to harmful toxins is by choosing products that contain cleaner and safer ingredients.
I have spent the last seven years trying out different brands and have finally settled on a handful of personal care products that both perform well and are made with non-toxic ingredients.
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Table of Contents
If you are looking for a particular product, please feel free to skip to the relevant section by clicking on a category below:
I also have two other posts on the topic of non-toxic living, which I would love for you to check out. No need to go anywhere just yet though, I have included these links again at the end of this post.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Personal Care Products
Our bodies absorb the products that we put on to our skin, so it’s really important to choose clean brands that won’t negatively impact our health.
If you are interested to see how clean your current cosmetics and personal care products are then you can search for them on the EWG’s Skin Deep Database.
According to BetterGoods.org some of the ingredients we should aim to avoid when choosing personal care products include:
- Parabens (synthetic preservatives)
- Fragrance (parfum)
- Chemical sunscreens (oxybenzone, octinoxate, homosalate, octocrylene, avobenzone, and octisalate) which contribute to the death of our coral reefs
- Methylisothiazolinone (toxic preservative linked to skin sensitivity)
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
- Triclosan (preservative and anti-bacterial agent)
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
- Formaldehyde
- Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA)
- PEG Compounds (also known as polyethylene glycols)
- Hydroquinone
- Phthalates (often hidden on labels under “fragrance”)
Read on for product recommendations that do not contain any of these harmful ingredients.
Body Wash
If you are based in the US then I would recommend trying out Aleavia body wash. I love that it contains prebiotics, to help restore your skin’s natural pH levels.
If you are based in the UK then check out this body wash from Miniml. It contains no harsh ingredients, so it’s suitable for sensitive skin. Once you have bought a bottle, you can buy refill pouches or jerry cans that can be returned to Miniml for cleaning and reusing.
If you are more of a bath person then one of the safest products you can use is Epsom Salts. Just make sure they don’t contain any added scents or ingredients. The one featured below is just pure organic salts.
Children’s Hair & Body Wash
I use Attitude Shampoo & Body Wash for my children. This lathers up well and has a nice mild scent. They also make a scent free version. It is ‘EWG Verified’, which means that its ingredients meet the highest standards in terms of health and safety.
Hand Wash
Liquid hand soap is convenient and many clean brands now sell refill packs, to help reduce plastic waste. It’s often cheaper to buy a refill box, if you have hand soap dispensers already at home. This Attitude liquid hand soap featured below is EWG verified.
If you are based in the UK then my favourite brand for hand soap (and shower gel and laundry detergent) is Miniml. I’m lucky enough to have a zero waste / refill shop near me where I can take my own bottles to be filled, but they also sell their products on Amazon.
Shampoo
I’ll admit that I’ve really struggled to find a non-toxic shampoo that consistently works well for me. I’ve tried all sorts of shampoo in both liquid and solid bar form. I have just started using this shampoo bar from Attitude and I’m hoping it continues to work well. I will update this post if that’s not the case though. I have the scent ‘Herbal Musk’, which is nice but it does have a surprisingly strong smell.
Facial Cleanser
This cleansing oil from Biossance is really good at removing makeup. I’ve been using this for a while now and plan on buying another bottle when I’m finished with it. I also like that the bottle is made from sugarcane and not plastic.
Toothpaste
My husband and I have recently started using this toothpaste from Boka, which is said to help remineralise your mouth. I like that it is whitening and free from fluorides, sulphates, parabens, artificial flavours and colours.
Children’s Toothpaste
Both my toddler and my eight year old use this fluoride free toothpaste by Jack N’ Jill. They also use their extra soft toothbrushes, which last well and the handles are compostable.
Face Moisturiser
My favourite moisturiser is the Scent Free 24 Hour Anti-Aging cream by Green People. I have quite dry skin and this keeps it moisturised all day. I like that it contains organic ingredients and prebiotics.
This unscented face cream is alcohol-free, silicone free, SLS free, paraben free, gluten free, lanolin free and phthalate free. I am based in the UK and I haven’t been able to find it being sold in the US. See below for my moisturiser recommendation if you are based in the US.
Osea Atmosphere Protection Cream is the moisturiser I would go for if you are based in the US or Canada. Osea is a wonderful clean beauty brand and this is a great moisturiser to wear under makeup.
Body Moisturiser
I mainly use just plain organic coconut oil to moisturise my body. It works really well and smells lovely. It’s also safe to use on babies and children’s dry skin.
If you are looking for a more luxurious body moisturiser then I would recommend this body oil from Osea.
Neal’s Yard have a brilliant Organic Baby Balm that works wonders if your baby has really dry skin and coconut oil isn’t doing the trick.
Deodorant
Choosing a clean and safe deodorant is really important when you are making the switch to non-toxic personal care products. Our bodies release toxins when we sweat, so we want to allow that to happen without being exposed to harsh chemicals or heavy metals like aluminium.
This deodorant cream from Little Seed Farm contains organic ingredients and has excellent reviews on Amazon. I love that it’s produced by a small family run business in the US and has a great range of scents.
If you are based in the UK then I would highly recommend this natural deodorant from Earth Conscious. I’ve been using it for years now and it works really well.
Sunscreen
This mineral sunscreen from Babo Botanicals is EWG Verified. It contains natural ingredients that are safer for both you and the environment.
Non-Toxic Sanitary Products
It’s really important to avoid any products that contains harmful chemicals or fragrance when choosing sanitary pads, tampons or underwear. Natracare sanitary pads are a great budget friendly option that are unscented, plastic free and chlorine free.
I also use Wuka reusable period underwear, which is made using organic cotton. Wuka is a UK based company, but they do ship worldwide.
The Period Company are based in the US and also use organic cotton in their reusable period underwear.
I hope you have found this post helpful. Please don’t feel the need to completely overhaul all of your personal care products in one go. But once you have used up a product you already own, I think you will really like to try some of these less toxic alternatives.
If you are just starting out on your journey towards living a less toxic lifestyle then be sure to check out my other posts for more ideas.
Non-Toxic Living: Simple Household Swaps
Non-Toxic Makeup: Clean Beauty That Works
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