9 Clean Beauty & Personal Care Products That Work

I have been using L’Oreal Voluminous mascara for years.  Any other diehard fan out there?!  It’s just the only mascara that gave my lashes enough shape without clumping them together.  Other mascaras even make them look THINNER than they regularly are.  

I figured mascara would be one of those things I could never find a clean swap for.  I was willing to give up and just use the toxic stuff.  After all, by then I had a pretty clean lineup for the rest of the products on my counter.  Well that was all until I found TARTE’s Gifted Amazonian Clay mascara.  

It’s considered a reparative AND volumizing mascara that’s infused with Amazonian clay. It’s said to deliver a 406 percent increase in lash volume, which I can’t deny.  And it helps to repair and rebuild the lashes for the long term.  Amazonian clay apparently is known for intuitively restoring hydration and the skin’s texture, and it works to hydrate and replenish dry and brittle lashes to prevent fallout.

Seriously, it’s good. It gives me the same effect as when I use that beloved grey Voluminous mascara with gold top. This one, however doesn’t have parabens, sulfates or phthalates. It’s also vegan and never contains mineral oil, sodium lauryl or gluten. 

Use this mascara instead of L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara. 

I’ve tried a lot of clean, organic shampoos.  Man, I thought it would be an easy switch.  A lot of them, I’ve found, leave my hair feeling brittle, definitely a lot dryer, and just blah.  I have a lot of hair too; it’s thick, with a bit of wave and definitely lots of volume.  So finding a good shampoo that made my hair smell good, feel soft, and that wasn’t super toxic was a BIG challenge for me.  

Enter Bumble & Bumbler’s Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil line.  Typically most Bumble & Bumble products rate pretttttty toxic, not horrible but not good, because of their fragrances. But this one includes six natural oils that are super hydrating and can help dry, coarse, frizzy hair. 

This shampoo rates a 4 out of 10 in toxicity on the Think Dirty app (download NOW if you haven’t already). That’s a really good number for me when I take in all the factors of the good results compared to other alternatives.  No parabens, sulfates, phthalates or alcohol that dries out hair. 

Use this shampoo instead of Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo. 

Oh my gosh, have I tried enough natural deodorants to give up!  I mean I’ve literally gone back to Secret deodorant several times after being so frustrated that I can’t seem to find a deodorant that doesn’t make me smell funky. 

I want to scream it from the rooftops now that I found Primally Pure, and the sensitive version to be exact, that has finally given me the protection I need during my day. 

One thing to note, however, is that it is NOT an anti-perspirant.  We’re supposed to sweat, and we’re hurting our bodies when we try to block that important daily process. That being said, once you use natural deodorant for a few weeks or months, you’ll find that you really aren’t sweating as much as you were before, because you most likely are on the road to detoxing your body from those funky chemicals that were making you stink in the first place!  
I know you might not believe me, but I’ve seen a huge difference in the past few weeks. You just need to be patient.  I can’t recommend this deodorant enough!  I have the Sensitive in Lavender because I get pretty bad razor burn there, but I know the other scents and variations are probably just as effective. 

Primally Pure’s ingredients include tallow from grass-fed cows and organic and fair trade coconut oil.  I also love that the product is packaged in BPA-free plastic twist tubes.  

Use this deodorant instead of Secret Shower Fresh pH Balance Deodorant.

It’s incredibly important to thoroughly wash ALL of your makeup off your face and neck every night in order to keep your face looking and feeling fresh, and to remove any lingering chemicals or added substances from your skin.  

My absolute favorite makeup remover is by One Love Organics.  In fact, I think the entire WOM team is obsessed with this very product.  It basically made me start to enjoy washing my face; it’s a luxurious, non-stripping oil that smells absolutely incredibly and it effortlessly lifts away all impurities and makeup.  

It also plays double-duty and restores your natural moisture barrier of the skin and pH balance.  I’ve found that a lot of cleansers, even organic ones, can leave the skin feeling really dry.  This oil has the absolute opposite effect. I’m OBSESSED.

Use this makeup remover instead of Clinique Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent.

Nail polish cannot be good for you with all those fumes, right?!  Yes.  Back in 2015, the EWG reported that most popular polishes contain a suspected endocrine disruptor called triphenyl phopshte, or TPHP.

I’ve tried several organic, all natural brands of nail polish and keep coming back to the only one that really works as well as my favorite OPI and Essie polishes…Smith & Cult.  But this brand is free from formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl, and it gives me peace of mind when I have it on my fingers 24/7, while also saving me a boatload of money by avoiding the nail salon. 

Use this nail polish instead of OPI Mod About You. 

Ah, dry shampoo.  Many of us use this stuff A LOT.  So it should be a bit alarming that it usually comes with a long ingredients list. 

I’ve been using OLO’s dry shampoo for awhile now; it smells amazing but never overpowering, and it blends really easily in my brown hair.  It includes good ingredients too; think a unique blend of highly absorbent Georgia Kaolin Clay, hyularonic acid, and silica rich bamboo extract.  It successfully works to soften, strengthen and nourish your hair in between shampoos and whenever you need a little va-va-voom. If you’re putting it on your scalp every day, don’t you want it to be working double-duty for healthy locks, too?! 

Use this dry shampoo instead of Suave Professionals Keratin Dy Shampoo. 

Body wash is a super easy switch, in my opinion.  Dr. Bronner’s is an age-old, super clean and simple solution that comes in several different scents.  I personally love this unscented, mild version as well as the Peppermint and also the Almond. All of the formulas  are made from natural ingredients, and it’s very gentle on soft skin.  Added bonus? You can use it for about 20234928304 purposes too.  Five generations and 150 years of soapmaking have proven the safest way to stay clean.  Read about the amazing Dr. Bronner’s story here. 

Use this body wash instead of Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash. 

Use this face sunscreen instead of Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 30. 

Another really simple clean swap is with laundry detergent!  Even the seemingly safe option at Target or Walmart is probably laden with chemicals and fragrance that will disrupt your body’s vibes.  Think about how much time you spend in your bed sheets, wrapped in your towels and wearing your clothes!

This laundry powder is incredibly clean, and just as easy to use as all powder laundry detergents. Now that I’ve gone all natural with this step, I literally never consider going back.

Use this laundry detergent instead of Tide Mountain Spring Turbo Powder Laundry Detergent.