by Lisa McLean of Beautyful Naturally blog
Firstly. What does low-tox mean? Low in toxins.
What are these toxins? They are chemicals that are used in products we use around the home and on our skin. They include ingredients made from petrol, sulphates, parabens and artificial fragrances (to name a few)
What’s the issue with these ingredients? It is estimated that around 13,000 chemicals are used in cosmetics but only around 10% have been tested for safety!* The beauty industry is self-regulated so ingredients used can be varied and we don’t know how they are affecting our health. You need to learn to decipher the ingredients list and consider only buying products that have fewer ingredients that look like chemicals, more ingredients sourced from nature and ideally organic in nature. A bonus is that they tend to be eco-friendly and be in recyclable containers.
Why should low-tox products be on our shopping list? We use skincare products every day. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and it absorbs a lot of what we put on it. Our bodies are dealing with environmental toxins every day and this affects our health. If we can control the level of toxins we have to deal with then why wouldn’t we? This is especially important for our kids because they are growing and their bodies can be overwhelmed. Kids can also have more of a reaction to these chemicals. We really all need to decrease the toxin load in our bodies for better health.
We don’t need to use products with lots of chemicals because there are so many great natural and organic brands available. You can pick them up on your weekly shop at an affordable price, you just need to know what to look for!
Here are three brands I recommend that you can but on your weekly grocery shop. Their products are made from naturally sourced ingredients and without the toxic ‘nasty’ ingredients:
ECO STORE
One of the first eco and low-tox brands available in supermarkets originating from New Zealand. Price wise they are on par with the popular brands filled with toxins but these have no nasties, are not tested on animals, safe in our waterways and 100% recyclable packaging. Items you can grab include hand soap, bar soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner as well as a great range of washing products in the cleaning aisle!
- Available from Woolworths, Target, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse & Harris Farm
NATURAL INSTINCT
An Australian brand offering lots of beauty products for face, hair and body and now they have a Sun Screen too! They have an impressive list of ingredients that aren’t in their products on their website! Also not tested on animals, vegan-friendly, grey water safe and recyclable packaging.
- Available from Woolworths and pharmacies.
ECO BY NATY
Excited to see these baby wipes in the supermarket aisle this week! A Swedish brand that is Eco-Certified so you can be sure it is safe for baby and without the toxins. They also offer nappies and skincare. Seeing brands like this pop up more regularly in our local store just shows that the demand is on the rise and more people are using them.
- Available in Woolworths and IGA
Have you tried these brands? What are you favourite low-tox products?
Want to discover more beauty essential low-tox products you can grab at the supermarket? Download my mini-guide from my website and why not join my #gonaturalfeb challenge! Read all about it here – www.beautyfulnaturally.com
