Personal care swaps that matter

My First Makeup Bag

I still remember my first trip to Sephora. I was so excited to fill my basket with makeup and skincare products and felt so grown-up and put together. At the time, I didn’t think about the product ingredients. I just assumed that if something was sold in a major store, it must be safe. I didn’t imagine that years later, I’d slowly replace almost all of those products with cleaner ones.

Two of my very first swaps were deodorant and tinted moisturizer, simply because they were products I applied every single day. Once I realized how often I was putting them on my skin, replacing them became an easy place to start on this journey.

Why This Category Matters

After cleaning products, personal care and makeup are the most impactful place to focus. We apply these products directly to our skin, sometimes daily, over many years. Our skin absorbs a portion of what we put on it, and repeated exposure over time can add up, especially with products that stay on for hours.

Many people are surprised to learn that everyday personal care products can contain ingredients linked to irritation, sensitivity, or hormone disruption. This is especially true for babies and young children, whose skin is thinner and more delicate. In many cases, simply switching to cleaner, fragrance-free washes and creams can make a noticeable difference.

Start Small, Stay Consistent

You don’t need to replace every personal care item at once. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s awareness. Making a few thoughtful swaps over time can significantly reduce unnecessary exposure without creating stress or waste.

For me, starting with just two products helped build confidence and made the process feel doable. And swapping items as they ran out enabled making these healthier choices to be a part of my routine instead of another “to-do” on my list.

Read Labels Without Overwhelm

I remember the first time I turned over a product to read the ingredient list. The words were long, unfamiliar, and honestly, intimidating. I had no idea what most of them meant or whether they mattered.

Over time, learning what certain ingredients were used for and how they could affect the body helped things make sense. Understanding labels wasn’t about becoming an expert overnight, it was about learning enough to make informed choices and feeling confident in the swaps I was making.

Today, I focus on a few key ingredients and choose brands that prioritize ingredients’ transparency, which makes shopping far less overwhelming.

Where to Start

Deodorant – we apply daily in a sensitive area of our bodies. Many conventional formulas contain aluminum compounds that block sweat, even though sweating is one of the body’s natural ways of regulating temperature and releasing waste. Replace your deodorant with this Primally Pure Vanilla and Citrus Deodorant.

Body wash – we use it on large surface areas of the body, often every day. Replace your body wash with Carina Organics Sweet Pea Moisturizing Body Wash.

Facial moisturizer – we apply it at least once, often twice a day. And it stays on the skin for hours. Replace yours with Crunchi Hydration Duo.

Tinted moisturizer or foundation — we wear them for extended periods, usually layered with other products. Replace with Crunchi Sunlight Tinted SPF.

Helpful Tools to Get Started

Resources like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database and apps like Think Dirty are helpful starting points. Either type in your product’s name or scan its barcode and it will give you an ingredient list with toxicity ratings and cleaner product alternatives.

Always remember, a healthier home is built gradually, through informed choices, consistency, and the understanding that small changes, made intentionally, truly do add up!

Key Ingredients to Avoid

Limit these common additives:

• Synthetic fragrance / parfum: An umbrella term that can represent hundreds of undisclosed chemicals used to create scent. Because these ingredients are considered trade secrets, they don’t have to be listed individually, making fragrance one of the most important ingredients to avoid.
• PEGs / PPGs (polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol): Petroleum-derived ingredients used to improve texture or absorption.
• Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that may irritate sensitive skin.
• Parabens (such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or ethylparaben):Preservatives that can mimic estrogen in the body and may interfere with natural hormone balance over time.

Trusted Brands to Explore

When looking for cleaner personal care and makeup products, start with brands that have ingredient transparency. These are a few reputable brands to explore across different categories:

Deodorant & Body Care

• Primally Pure
• Carina Organics
• Pipette

Makeup & Skincare

• Crunchi
• Well People
• Ursa Major
• Ilia
• Fitglow Beauty

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 985)