For those of you who don't know, I'm becoming mildly infatuated with all things organic. I've always been a bit of a germaphobe, and anyone who knows me well knows that I'm wildly afraid of windex (being confused with powerade) and chemically stuff. And with the new job (and mostly the new paycheck) we've been able to start making the switch to organic products - products that are free from harsh chemicals, man-made chemicals, fragrances, and basically anything that hurts poor Mother Earth.
We thought you might be interested in knowing what we used to buy and what we now use.
Household Cleaners:
Old: Spic n' Span and Windex
Pros: They worked well. The Spic n' Span especially worked well on grease in the kitchen.
Cons: Super full of chemicals and harsh man-made products. Windex just doesn't work as well as they advertise.
New: Homemade
Our All-Purpose Cleaner recipe can be found
here and our Window, Glass, and Chrome Cleaner can be found
here.
Pros: Homemade. Super cheap. Super awesome at cleaning. The glass cleaner is amazing - streak free and shiny for weeks - I kid you not. They smell less harsh and it's okay to eat off the countertops!
Cons: I guess I have to spend a few minutes every other month or so to mix them together - but that's way easier than trying to clean and realizing you're out of something and then having to go to the store...so I hardly count that as a con.
If you read the blog frequently, you know I'm obsessed with this stuff: Dr. Bronner's. When they say Magic Soap - they mean magic soap. It's organic, it's natural, and it cleans everything...from your hair to your countertops. True story.
Laundry Detergent:
Old: Great Value (Walmart brand) liquid detergent in Lavender Vanilla.
Pros: It smells awesome and comes in a huge container that lasted us like six months.
Cons: Definitely chock-full of chemicals and left our clothes stiff.
New: Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural Laundry Detergent
Pros: Our clothes come out so soft and smelling super-fresh and clean. Green! No harsh chemicals.
Cons: It's a bit pricier than Walmart brand. (We buy it at Target)
Bleach:
Old: Clorox - of course, does anyone use anything else?
Pros: It's clorox - it kills everything, and it's cheap.
Cons: It's chlorine bleach - it's quite the icky chemical.
New: Hydrogen Peroxide
Pros: Cheap cheap cheap, and it's a natural product. It leaves our whites so unbelievably fresh and clean-smelling and soft! And we only have to use 1/4 c. for each large load so it lasts forever.
Cons: Uh, none? It has all the same cleaning and disinfecting properties as bleach.
Hand Soap:
Old: Softsoap
Pros: comes in a huge bottle for cheap
Cons: smells boring, always leaves our hands dry, full of chemicals that get washed down the drain
New: Mrs. Meyer's Liquid Hand Soap in Lemon Verbena
Pros: Smells super awesome, leaves our hands feeling very clean and moisturized, no chemicals!
Cons: At almost $4 a bottle, it's definitely more expensive, but we're hoping to find it cheap online or in bulk somewhere soon. For now, we only have it in the kitchen, not in the bathroom(s).
Toothpaste:
Old: Coleate Total with Whitening
Pros: It's toothpaste...the normal pros I suppose, clean breath, good for dental health, etc.
Cons: Toothpaste has always left a bad taste in my mouth (apparently not the case for Stephen) and I really have always hated it - the texture, the smell, the way it makes my mouth feel, etc.
New: Tom's of Maine Whole Care with fluoride in peppermint
Pros: organic, made of natural ingredients (including peppermint oil that leaves our mouths feeling so fresh for hours!), you use very little to achieve the same effect as regular toothpaste, and it's affordable.
Cons: none!
Makeup:
Old:
Powder: Neutrogena SkinClearning Mineral powder
Eyeshadow: Rimmel London Glam Eyes Trio Eyeshadow
Mascara: Maybelline Full n' Soft Waterproof Mascara
Pros: The powder makes my face feel clean and soft and it lasts a long time. It's also fairly affordable. The eyeshadow is the exact color that I like (I worked hard to find just the right shades). And, I've been using the same mascara since I was 16 - I love it; it's waterproof and always comes out super dark and in thin layers.
Cons: They're all man-made materials/chemicals. Sometimes I forget to wash my face at night and then I break out from wearing it overnight. The idea of having all those harsh chemicals near my eyes sort of weirds me out. It's not natural, but to be honest, it's been hard parting with the same products I've been using for years!
New:
Powder: Physician's Formula Organic Wear Pressed Powder
Blush/Bronzer: Physician's Formula Organic Wear Blush and Bronzer
Mascara: Physician's Formula Organic Wear Mascara in Black
Pros: It's all organic and natural materials in the make-up - nothing bad for my skin or for the environment. It makes my face feel awesome and clean and soft and it comes off easily (especially the mascara). The mascara doesn't leave my eyelashes brittle and hard. I like the colors - they compliment my skin nicely.
Cons: Expensive. $4 dollars more per container than my old powder, and it's hard to find. I still haven't been able to find the eyeshadow (I may just have to order it online). The mascara burned my eyes a bit the first time I wore it and my eyes watered - but I'm guessing that's because I've been wearing the same waterproof mascara for 7 years and my eyes were like "what is this stuff!?" because it hasn't been a problem since. Granted, it not being waterproof is kindof a bummer, although I'm sure it's better for my eyes.
So there you have it - those are the products we've switched to using organic in. So far, we love it. Seriously. Stuff is still clean and to me it feels even cleaner because there aren't any chemicals that can hurt us, our puppy, or our home. I mean, it's nice knowing Anya can lick the linoleum without having to worry about if she's licking chemicals.
Do you guys use any organic/natural stuff? Are you planning on switching anytime soon or are we just crazy?
Love,
Vanessa, Stephen, and Anya
P.S. Be on the look out for Stephen's up-coming blog...
