Join my Nourish to the End Challenge HERE
Learn more about endocrine disrupting chemicals HERE, HERE, and HERE
Shop Fontana Candles HERE
Shop Grow Fragrance HERE
Shop the essential oils starter pack of 6 HERE
Shop a cute and affordable diffuser HERE
Grab a set of 6 dryer balls HERE
Shop Honest shampoo HERE
Shop Just Ingredients products HERE (use the code “thewellnourishedmama” for 10% off!)
Shop my favorite organic feminine products HERE
Listen to Episode #7: Preparing for Postpartum #2
Shop Coconu lube HERE
Shop my non-toxic cookware/kitchen items HERE
With 2024 just around the corner, I wanted to share some ideas of how you could improve your health next year that don’t involve food. Why? Because your health is so much more than what you eat, and everyone else is going to be pushing you to eat a certain way anyway, so I thought I’d offer you a different option.
So, if you’re into New Year’s resolutions and/or you’re looking to make some positive changes to your health next year, you’re going to love this episode. I’m going to be sharing some simple ways you can switch to non-toxic products in your home without breaking the bank.
I’ve personally made each of these swaps and have tried many of the brands I’ll be recommending today, so rest assured they really are easy and affordable. I’ve also got some discount codes you can use to save even extra money. Don’t worry about taking notes though, I’ve got everything linked in the shownotes!
First of all, what does “non-toxic” mean? It’s definitely a trending topic but not everyone has the same standards. Some companies claim to be non-toxic but what they really mean is that they’re sustainable, which is something different. Other companies claim to be non-toxic but they haven’t been independently certified, so you can’t really be sure.
Non-toxic cleaning products are presumed to be made without potentially harmful chemicals, such as carcinogens, irritants, and pollutants. However, “non-toxic” is an unregulated term with no formal definition, meaning any product can claim to be non-toxic, regardless of the ingredients and chemicals found inside.
For today’s conversation, “non-toxic” refers to products that don’t contain endocrine disruptors specifically, although many of the products and brands I’ll be sharing also don’t contain carcinogens or harmful chemicals. Some other words associated with “non toxic” are “natural” and “organic,” but those aren’t synonyms for “non toxic.”
If you’re not familiar with endocrine disruptors, these are synthetic chemicals that mimic our hormones, which then affect our endocrine system, which then affects our mental health, our gut, and our fertility. When we have too many synthetic hormones, our body gets confused and either stops producing enough of the real hormones or produces too many of the real hormones. Both of these scenarios are not good.
Some of the biggest sources of endocrine disruptors are BPAs in plastics, preservatives and chemicals in soaps, flame retardants, pesticides on our food, and non-stick coatings in cookware.
Specific types of endocrine disruptors to avoid are parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and fragrances. If you’re familiar with these terms but you don’t actually know what they mean, I’ll break it down for you really simple:
One of the biggest reasons my husband and I decided to make as many non-toxic swaps as possible is because we wanted to start our family. Just to give you an idea of the impact this decision had on our family and our health, when we were trying to get pregnant the first time, it took us 10 months. The second time, it took us two tries and we got pregnant the second try.
Now, I’m fully aware that there are so many things that affect fertility and we can’t possibly say going non-toxic was THE thing that made the difference, but if you look at our health and lifestyle both times, that was the biggest change we made. Our nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress was basically the same both times we were trying to get pregnant.
So, if you’re planning on starting a family soon or you’ve had struggles with getting or staying pregnant in the past, going non-toxic is definitely something you should consider.
Another reason you might consider switching to non-toxic products is because they are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children. You won’t have to worry about what’s in your home during these phases of life because your products are always safe, not just when you’re healthy or grown up.
Some of the easiest ways to avoid products with endocrine disrupting chemicals in them are
In short, read the label of what you’re buying. Don’t fall for the marketing words like “all natural,” “green,” and “plant based,” just read the label. If you don’t see certifications or ingredients lists, it’s probably not a good choice. If you don’t see things like “phthalate free” or “fragrance free” right on the bottle, it’s probably not a good choice.
Now, the last thing I want to say is this: at the end of the day, choosing cleaner, non toxic products is not just trendy or crunchy. Unfortunately, manufacturing standards are very different than when our parents and grandparents were kids, so we can’t make the same choices they did and expect the same results.
That being said, you are NOT a bad person if you choose not to use any of these swaps and you are certainly NOT a bad mom, either. This conversation is meant to be informative and encouraging so you know just a little bit more about one aspect of your health than you did yesterday, and you can use that information to make a more informed choice for you and your family today.
Before we dive into the specific swaps, I want you to know that you should not put pressure on yourself to throw out everything in your house all at once and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on new things. Tyler and I have been slowly making changes over the course of 3 years when we have the money and resources to do so. By no means are we perfect and we certainly don’t have the best of the best products in every category, but we do what we can, when we can, with what we have.
And that’s the approach I want you to take, too. Do what you can, when you can, with what you have.
So, with that caveat, let’s dive into it! I will link all the companies and products, as well as my discount codes, in the shownotes, so be sure to head over to the blog and get all the links!
I’ve divided everything up into five main categories: smelly things (‘cause what else do you call them?), cleaning supplies, personal care, beauty products, and kitchen items.
One of the easiest ways to add toxins to your home is using things that smell for a very long time like candles and air fresheners. The things that help the smells linger are what disrupt your hormones.
As women, I know we love our smelly things, so it was really hard for me to want to give them up. Luckily, we don’t have to! I found a few brands that not only use all natural ingredients, but they’re third party certified and completely transparent with their ingredients list, too.
One company is called Fontana. Their most popular product is their candles, and that’s how I discovered them, but they also have soaps and epsom salts for baths.
Fontana is Leaping Bunny certified and Made Safe certified, which means their products are cruelty free and have no endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, or respiratory irritants. They also use wooden wicks for their candles, and for every $100 they spend on wood, their supplier plants a tree, which is super cool.
Another smelly company I love is Grow Fragrance. This is where I get all my air fresheners. They have the best smelling seasonal scents and some incredible timeless scents too. My favorites are Woodland Sage and Blondwood. You can also get car fresheners and candles, too.
Both Fontana and Grow are reasonably priced, so if you’re looking to make the switch, it shouldn’t add too much to your budget. Obviously you’re paying a bit more than you would for your basic Walmart or Target candle, or even Bath and Body Works, but not that much.
That being said, if these companies are out of your price range, the next best option is using a diffuser with essential oils. A benefit to using pure essential oils is that they’re more concentrated than the candles or air fresheners. This means they’re more potent, so you use less and get more of their medicinal properties.
I’ve linked my favorite essential oils starter kit in the shownotes if that’s the route you want to go. This is the set I’ve given as a gift many times and it’s very affordable. I also linked a very basic (and aesthetic) diffuser if you don’t already have one.
Here is where we get rid of Tide detergent, Clorox bleach, and traditional glass, shower, and toilet cleaner. These, while they do the job, are full of phthalates and carcinogens.
Two of the best-choice brands you can trust are Branch Basics and Force of Nature. Both have minimal ingredients, no endocrine disrupting chemicals, and sustainable business practices too. I also love that you just need one basic solution that you mix with water in reusable glass containers.
These two brands are the most expensive, though, and you can only get them through subscription, so that is something to consider.
A better choice brand is Seventh Generation. They’re not the cleanest out there but they’re much better than probably 80% of the products you’d find at the store. I use Seventh Generation across the board for all my cleaning supplies because it’s the most affordable and most widely available. I get their all purpose spray, cleaning wipes, dish soap, dishwasher soap, and hand soaps.
For laundry detergent, Molly’s Suds is my favorite and it’s pretty affordable too. You can choose between pods, liquid, or powdered detergent, depending on your machine and personal preferences. Earth Breeze and Seventh Generation are two other brands I love.
And probably the easiest and most affordable swap you could make with your laundry is getting rid of your dryer sheets and using dryer balls instead. These little balls just stay in the dryer with every load and help get rid of the static without using chlorine bleaching, harsh chemicals, toxins, or fragrances in them. If you want a slight scent, you can just add a few drops of essential oils to the balls! Each ball lasts over 1000 loads and reduces drying time by up to 30%.
I switched my hair products about 3 years ago and have noticed a huge difference. I can now go up to 14 DAYS without washing my hair, my scalp isn’t oily anymore, and my hair grows so fast.
There are SO many hair care brands out there and the best brands are quite expensive, so I’m going to share the better options. I personally use Native for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash because I can get it at Walmart and Target and it’s very affordable. Another brand you can get on Amazon is Honest and I think this one is a bit better than Native but it has a slightly higher price point.
For dry shampoo, deodorant, and body lotion, I recommend Just Ingredients because, well, the brand is centered on just using ingredients that are whole foods based and the highest quality too. You can use the code “thewellnourishedmama” for 10% off your order of all Just Ingredients products.
One aspect of your health I think you might have forgotten about is your vaginal health. Did you know that you have a vaginal microbiome, just like your gut, mouth, and skin microbiomes? And I’m no expert, but I think this particular part of the body is extra sensitive.
When I realized this, I started looking into things that negatively affect the vaginal microbiome and, shocker, we have lots of products that can be harmful to this region. Think tampons, pads, soaps, and any topical treatments like medications or lubricants.
Not only can these products disrupt the microbiome, they can also affect our endocrine system too. Now, this might be TMI, but I’ve had more than 7 UTIs since I turned 18, and I had 2 confirmed UTIs just in my last pregnancy. As someone who has struggled with vaginal health for years, I can honestly say that if you feel like you only have the budget to make swaps in one or two of these categories, let this one be one of them.
If you struggle with heavy or painful periods, bad PMS, reproductive issues like PCOS or endometriosis, UTIs, or any other vaginal health related problems, you especially would benefit from making non-toxic swaps with your feminine products.
One of the things to look for in feminine products is if they’re organic. Since cotton is one of the five main crops sprayed with glyphosate, the main ingredient in Round Up that has been proven to be an endocrine disruptor, any feminine products that aren’t organic will contain glyphosate, so you want to look for the certified organic label when choosing your feminine products.
I’ve found 3 brands that make tampons, pads, and period underwear that are organic and non toxic. The first one is Rael. This is the brand I personally use and I love it. Not only do they have high quality tampons and pads, but they also have organic cotton diapers, which I used during my second postpartum recovery.
Two other brands are Cora and HoneyPot, the latter being the most expensive of the three brands. You can find all three brands at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
If you want a different non-toxic option, you can also switch to using a menstrual cup or disk. I’ve heard incredible things about both but haven’t gotten to try them because I’ve been pregnant or breastfeeding for almost 3 years, so let me know if you like them!
Now, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention lube in our vaginal health conversation. (And I feel so bad for my brother because he edits all my podcast episodes and he literally has to listen to every word of this conversation! Sorry Ryan). Back to lube, this one should be on your radar if you’re sexually active because it not only goes on the outside but the inside, too.
If you like oil-based, opt for organic coconut oil. I personally prefer water-based because it’s pH balanced, but with any lube, make sure there’s no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, artificial dyes, or artificial fragrances or flavors. Two brands I like are HoneyPot and Coconu, the latter being more expensive.
I am going to preface this section by saying that I am no makeup expert and I barely know how to do the basics but I can tell you some cosmetic brands other people have shared with me that are reputable.
The first one is Ilia. This makeup brand is what Karalynne Call from Just Ingredients uses and buys for herself and her daughters, so that's a really good sign.
Upon further research, I found that Ilia is organic, paraben and phthalate free, and leaping bunny certified.
The next company is Dime Beauty. This is a skincare brand that is very transparent with their ingredients and has a ginormous list of all the things they DON’T have in their cosmetics. They're also evaluated by the EWG Skin Deep database on every ingredient, which is incredible.
If you want to have clean perfumes, Dime beauty is the best option out there.
Now, I will say that I haven't personally used Ilia or Dime Beauty but I can tell you that they're some of the cleanest cosmetics.
One brand I HAVE tried and absolutely love is Just Ingredients. They not only sell nutritional supplements but they also sell serums, lip balms, face scrubs, and even makeup remover wipes. I use their serum on my face every night after I clean it as well as keeping the ends of my hair moisturized/not frizzy and healing burns, cuts, and hangnails. Again, you can use my code “thewellnourishedmama” for 10% off the entire site.
I saved the kitchen swaps for last because they’re probably the easiest ones.
First, you can switch all your plastics to glass. Glass is not only more durable, but it also doesn’t stain as easy, it keeps food fresher longer, and it doesn’t have any BPAs in it. Over the last 3 years, I’ve switched to glass tupperware, glass storage containers (for things like pasta, rice, and flour), and glass spice jars.
Really the only other thing you can switch is your pots and pans, but this one is definitely an investment and not in everyone’s price range. While they are the best choice, I can’t afford the cookware from companies like Caraway, Made In, and Our Place, and even if I could, I’m not really interested in throwing away a perfectly good set of pots and pans on a whim.
If you are in a place where you’re looking to get a new set of pots and pans but you can’t afford/don’t want the highest tier products, the most affordable option is definitely cast iron. I have a love hate relationship with cast iron. It’s my favorite to cook with by far because it can do extremely high temperatures, you can cook on the stove and transfer straight to the oven, and it boost your iron intake, too. But, I hate cleaning them! Tyler always jokes that you have to give them a bath, sing them a song, and tuck them into bed and he’s not wrong. BUT. They’re amazing and totally worth it.
You can get them in multiple sizes, just like any other set of pans, and you can get lids for them too. If you only want one, I highly highly recommend investing in a 12” because you can convert any 9x13 recipe to a 12” skillet and you can make lots of food in one pan. I’ve linked my favorite 12” cast iron, as well as a cast iron pan set, in the shownotes.
If you don’t want a cast iron skillet, stainless steel is your next best option. These vary in price and also aren’t super fun to clean but they’re restaurant quality and if you take care of them, they’ll last a long time. I personally don’t like stainless steel, but they’re a great non-toxic option.
Now, if you want just a regular set of pots and pans that aren’t hundreds of dollars and aren’t cast iron or stainless steel, you’ll want to look for brands that have no PFOAs or PFASs.
Wow, that’s a wrap. Lots of brands, lots of options, lots of price points. I hope today’s episode was helpful and that you feel inspired to pursue a new way to take care of your health in 2024. Remember, you shouldn’t toss out your entire house tonight and you shouldn’t feel like if you can’t afford the best of the best in every category that there’s no point.
Start small. Start with what feels manageable for you right now. Maybe start with what you use the most like hand soap, laundry detergent, or all purpose cleaner. Next time you need to buy more, buy a different brand. Then repeat this process as time goes on with other things in your home. Small steps in the right direction are all it takes to make a difference. You got this mama!
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