Since I relaunched my blog in August 2016, all of the beauty products I’ve featured on my blog have been natural. I used to blog about every beauty brand and used many traditional products, however I became more aware of the ingredients used in many of these products and therefore decided to make the move to more natural products.
I can never see myself switching back to buying mainstream beauty products, and I know I’ll never wander into the beauty section and come out with Maybelline or L’Oreal ever again. I’ve discovered some incredible beauty products that are natural and work just as well (or even better!) than some of the products I used to use. It’s also made blogging for me more fun as I don’t feel like I’m just writing about the same products as everyone else!
In terms of skincare and makeup, everything I use is natural. I also use all natural shampoos, deodorant and body lotion. But there are a few products I do use that aren’t considered to be natural and they do contain some of the ingredients I prefer to avoid. The reason I use them is because I simply can’t find a better alternative or they are such a fantastic product, I haven’t been able to find anything that even comes close.
Today I thought I’d share with you the products that I use that aren’t natural. The reason I’m doing this is because I don’t want to give anyone a false impression. It is so hard to only ever use natural products, and to be honest, it’s actually almost impossible. Every day we come into contact with products that contain less than natural ingredients. Using soap in public bathrooms, or inhaling air freshers and cleaning products. My aim is to simply use as many natural products that I can, in the hope that I’m reducing my chemical exposure, and in turn, reducing any negative effects those chemicals might have.
Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo
When I started getting my hair lightened, I knew I was going to have to find a good purple shampoo. Sadly there are only a handful of natural alternatives on the market, and these are not only expensive, but have mixed reviews. The Fudge Shampoo is absolutely brilliant and takes all of the brassy tones out of my hair so easily, and gives me that ashy colour that I love. It’s also cheap and easy to buy here in NZ too. I use this only about once a week, so it’s not something I use on the regular and am therefore happy to keep it in my bathroom. I am looking into alternative options that are slightly less harsh though, and I think I may have found one so I will keep you updated!
Schwarzkopf Heidi’s Heat Styles Heat Protectant
Hair products are the thing I struggle with the most in terms of good quality, natural products. A natural heat protectant is so hard to find, and I was worried I was doing damage to my hair, so I headed to the supermarket to purchase this Schwarzkopf one. I used to use this heat protectant before I swapped to green products, and I have nothing but good things to say about it. Also, since this product only usually goes on the ends of my hair and not so much the scalp, I’m not worried about using this every few days.
Schwarzkopf Strong Styling Hairspray
Again, it’s SO hard to find good natural hair products! Many of the natural hair sprays are sticky and leave my hair looking either wet or oily. I use hairspray maybe once every week or so, so I have purchased this Schwarzkopf one for when I need to keep my hair in place. Again, it’s totally not natural but the limited amount of times I use it and the fact it’s usually going on the ends of my hair (to hold up a messy bun!), I’m not too worried!
Loving Tan Ultra Dark Mousse
Generally when I want a hit of tan, I’ll opt for a natural tanner like the Tan Organic Tanning Oil, however when I need a seriously dark tan, I’ll opt for this Loving Tan Mousse. This product isn’t natural, however it is slightly better than some of the other chemical tanning products on the market. It offers a really dark tan, that I have been unable to find anywhere else, and it’s also one of the few fake tanners that I can use on my face without breaking out. That being said, I don’t use this product a lot, but I do like to keep a bottle of it in the cupboard for special occasions.
Dettol Handwash/Santizer and Kitchen Cleaner
A few months ago, I was all about making my own hand soap from my Dr Bronners Castille Soap (in fact you can check out the recipe here). While it’s a good everyday hand soap, I was just a little worried that it perhaps it didn’t kill quite as many bacteria and bugs as a standard store bought soap. I’m a little bit OCD when it comes to germs, so I decided to go back to my Dettol Hand Soap which kills 99.9% of bacteria. I also use the Dettol hand santizer for when I am out and about, and the concentrate for wiping down the kitchen benches. This just gives me my peace of mind that everything is scrubbed clean and no one is going to get sick. Both of these Dettol products don’t contain triclosan which is that awful chemical often found in hand wash, so they are slightly better than some others available on the market.
Hair and Beauty Salons
Like every other girl, I like to treat myself to the occasional facial, massage, or other beauty ritual. And quite often the products they use aren’t natural. But I have to be completely honest and say that while I’m getting an incredible massage or facial, generally the last thing on my mind is the ingredients that they use! I also get my hair done with blonde highlights every few months, and again the dye and toners used aren’t natural. And you know what, that’s okay.
