The Most Important Clean Beauty Swaps You Can Make Today

Clean Beauty is all the rage these days, which means every brand with a good marketing team is eager to label themselves clean and natural. That unfortunately doesn’t mean they necessarily are. As time has gone on, we’ve realized that slathering on chemicals daily on and in our bodies, shockingly isn’t good for them. With that, we’ve realized some solutions. While going fully natural can seem challenging or costly, there are some clean beauty swaps that are more important than others.

Clean beauty doesn’t have to be challenging or cause you to go broke. In fact, it should be simpler and easier than the alternatives. The cleaner the product, the more pure it is which means it’s probably filled with ingredients and products we already use or know.

Below are the most important clean beauty swaps you should make today. Both to help your health, and honestly, look and feel better while you’re at it.

Hands down, my favorite clean beauty brand is CoCoKind. They create wonderful, trusted, and affordable products from skin and body care. I’ve been using them for years. Check out my affiliate link here.

Deodorant 

This will always be number one. If you are still using generic deodorant, and/or deodorant with aluminum you need to stop. Like right now. The science and data have spoken- traditional deodorant causes cancer. Your armpits are direct access to your lymphatic system, which means if we smother toxic chemicals there every single day of our lives, we are certainly making it hard for our body to fight that shit off. 

Switching to natural deodorant can be a slightly touchy subject. People don’t want to stink- I get it. There are also so many choices and with a slightly pricier tag and the very real risk of BO, people don’t want to investigate and make the switch. I have been using natural deodorant for over 10 years. They are for sure not all equal and some definitely don’t work. Good news- I have found the ones that do. 

Crystal deodorant is a game changer. It freaking works- every day, all day, all year. It doesn’t randomly stop working like most or only last for a few hours. It doesn’t make you smell worse before you smell better. It just works. It’s also one of the few products I can find literally all over the world and the price tag is usually very minimal.

While I haven’t tried a crystal deodorant that didn’t work, my absolute favorite is this one by Simply Divine Botanicals. It’s pricier than some, but the company I stand behind 100%. It smells good, it feels good, and I genuinely think it helps with my lymphatic system and circulation. Just an added bonus. You can purchase it here on Amazon.

Lotion 

The second most important clean beauty swap you need to make is your lotion habits. Our skin absorbs everything we put on it. So those chemicals- yeah, they’re getting a front row seat to our blood and body through our pores everyday.

My ultimate go to lotion and just all over beauty balm is coconut oil. It’s accessible, it’s reasonably priced, and it has so many purposes. I cook with it, I do hair masks with it, I solve any skin issue with it, it helps heal scars, you can use it to oil pull and of course, it’s the ultimate moisturizer. It’s as clean as you can get. 

I also highly recommend almond oil, but it’s not as sustainable. Shea butter is fabulous as well, especially if you have really dry skin and need something more heavy duty. I also like to use aloe vera during the summer since it’s lighter and less greasy. I will just put a few drops of coconut oil to help seal it in. 

Shampoo

If you’re still using tresemme or pantene, you need to upgrade. The sulfates, parabens and chemicals in traditional shampoo are not only toxic but it’s actually damaging your hair. If you have issues with dull hair, excess oil, or especially, dandruff and scalp issues- you should definitely make the switch to natural hair care.

There are so many amazing brands that range all over the spectrum, depending on what you need. OGX and Shea Moisture are really affordable and accessible- it’s sold internationally and in all the Targets. I also love Alaffia– all of their products actually- and a portion of all proceeds go to empowering women.

I’m also super into shampoo bars lately. They’re zero waste, usually very affordable, and many local brands and companies make them, so you can support small businesses. 

Sunscreen

This one is super important, not only for your body, but for the environment. Recently, we’ve learned how toxic the sunscreen chemicals are to the ocean and its inhabitants. So, it’s definitely time to make the switch for both you and our marine friends.

A tricky thing about natural sunscreen is finding one that isn’t really thick and filled with zinc so you’re wearing white paste everywhere. I personally love Pacifica for this reason. They even have ones with a little bit of bronzer in them, so if the summer season is just starting and you’re super pale- they can help you out. Plus, they smell friggin amazing. You can purchase them here on Amazon, or at most Target’s, Ulta beauty’s and drugstores.

Alternatively, and less girly, Supergoop and Beauty Counter are incredible. They will cost you a bit more, and are harder to find in stores.

Toothpaste

Both your gums and your teeth will thank you. Switching to natural toothpaste has never been easier, really. You can find affordable brands just about anywhere. My personal favorite is charcoal toothpaste. It’s amazing for natural teeth whitening, as well as a powerful detoxifier, meaning it will vastly improve gum health. My staple brand is Hello and they carry it at most supermarkets.

A less common tooth line that I am a huge fan of is Dr. Harry’s. You can find them at most natural food stores on the west coast, and of course, here on Amazon. They make the most powerful, clean and unique tooth products I’ve ever used. From the tooth paste, powder, and mouthwash, this stuff is a god send, especially for those with unhealthy gums and teeth.