I’ve been asked to provide examples of what I use in my home for some of the major categories, so here’s an overview. Of course not everything that works for me will work as well for you. We all have different hair/skin/water/expectations that play a role in our product satisfaction. I consider myself a product minimalist. If you are looking for something not on this list, let me know, I likely have a safe recommendation to offer! I originally shared this way back in May of 2013. My product choices have definitely shifted over the years, and you’ll see below that I use a lot of Poofy Organics. I truly believe them to be the safest products on the market, AND they work very well, which can’t always be said for all natural/organic products….
All-purpose cleaner: We all have to clean our homes, from stove-tops, to floors of all types, here is my favorite:
I’m a huge fan of Poofy Organics all-purpose concentrate. I truly use it for everything! This tiny $25 bottle makes ~16 refills of the 16 oz spray bottle! That makes it super economical, and super eco-friendly! Available in Sprinted Mint, or I’ve switched to Medieval blend, which has germ-killing EO’s in it. Also available in a 16 oz, pre-diluted, spray bottle for $10: Link to the concentrate: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1907-medieval-blend-all-purpose-soap-concentrate-organic.aspx
MAMA SUDS: I’ve also heard from many who love Mama Suds all-purpose spray, I’ve not tried it myself, but the ingredients are safe! https://www.mamasuds.com/products/all-purpose-cleaner
In the past I’ve used orange peel-infused vinegar: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494009793947999&set=a.494009763948002.128085.397517646930548&type=3&theater
A thread on the numerous uses for both white & apple cider vinegar: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=630823000266677&set=a.599365280079116.149826.397517646930548&type=3&theater
And don’t forget about hydrogen peroxide, it’s a powerful cleanser & germ-killer, and more & more is my go-to! http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/hydrogen-peroxide-experiments
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Laundry: I used EcoNuts for my 4 years of cloth diapering, never had a diaper rash once in either of my kids, never had to strip diapers once either! And I’ve used wool dryer balls for many years now: https://www.facebook.com/notes/eco-friendly-babyfamily-products-made-in-the-usa/truly-natural-laundry-solutions-soap-nuts-wool-dryer-balls/556789574336687
I do feel soap nuts did an excellent job on our diapers, but our regular laundry is a challenge. We’re a super outdoorsy family, lots of time playing in dirt for the kids, chainsawing piles of wood for my Hubby…. We’ve used, and been happy with, Molly’s Suds, for many years now! We have a 10 year old, top-loading washer. https://www.mollyssuds.com/
Mama Suds offers a liquid laundry detergent that many find to work well too. She offer a 16 oz sample size, enough for several loads, so I say give it a try as well!
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Dish soap: After years of looking for the perfect, safe, effective dish soap, Poofy really is the only one I can recommend… No, it is not cheap. But yes, it absolutely is the safest I’ve found on the market, and it really works too, which is why I can recommend it! https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1911-citrus-punch-dishwashing-liquid.aspx
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Dishwasher: I can only recommend 2 safe options for this category: MamaSuds (powder) & Better Life (gel). MamaSuds seems to have about a 50/50 satisfaction rate in those who’ve reported back to me after they’ve tried it. The great news is, she offers samples for just $5 which gets you a few loads! So I highly recommend giving it a try before committing to a full size bag. I’m having the best results with Better Life myself. We have hard, non-softened, well water & I started having issues with MamaSuds coming out pretty grimy, that’s not happening with Better Life! I have found the best prices from Vitacost, although some of you may be lucky enough to find this locally.
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Hair: This is a very, very tough category. What works for one person does not always work for the next. It has been years since I used a conventional product for this category, so my hair has definitely “detoxed”. I currently wash my hair ~2x/week, and usually it’s with Poofy’s Mighty Mane. I say usually because sometimes I use salonsolids if I have it on hand, which you can read about below. The Mighty Mane line was actually developed with those suffering from hair loss in mind. But so many have found it to be the perfect every day, or a few times/week shampoo, as I have. Poofy also offers other shampoo’s, and you will find others who love those options: orange/lav is a very popular option, there’s also a dandruff shampoo, a 2-in-1, even a lice prevention option! This is in addition to the best-selling unscented baby shampoo (many adults who prefer no scent also use this!). I use a few spritzes of the Mighty Mane Leave-in Spray after my hair has towel-dried. In the winter months my hair & scalp tend to dry out a lot more, then I will use Poofy’s cream conditioner weekly, and just last winter started using the argan hair treatment on my scalp to help with dandruff, and it really worked well! https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1293-mighty-mane-shampoo.aspx
salonsolids is another option that has worked very well for me. I absolutely LOVE the dedication to plastic-free with this option. It’s a powder that you mix with hot water. And it works very well with my hair too! https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2016/12/10/salonsolids-review/
Hair color: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2016/01/05/how-to-hennaindigo-your-hair/
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BABY SOAP/LOTION: I didn’t use any soap at all on my babes until they were several years old. Even now, at 5 & 7 years old, they rarely get soap. A warm bath & wash cloth really does clean them up properly. But since I get asked a lot about a safe, mild baby soap, I will recommend Poofy’s baby shampoo here. It is one of the most loved Poofy products! You will find it, as well as the unscented baby lotion, via this link: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/category/154-organic-baby-products.aspx
Other options: Josiah’s Oils makes a ‘bare’ head-to-toe liquid soap. Dr. Bronners offers an unscented baby liquid.
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Other soap needs: Poofy soap concentrate. Poofy offers many soap concentrates. 1 bottle of this makes numerous 8oz foaming pumps, making it both economical & eco-friendly, the best combo! https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/search.aspx?searchterms=concentrate
MamaSuds also makes a liquid castile that has very minimal ingredients & doesn’t include citric acid, so is even milder than Dr. Bronners- here’s my review of this product & her liquid laundry soap:
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Facial Moisturizer: I used Poofy’s Flawless Face Moisturizer as needed for several years. At night I would dab on the Vivid Eye Serum on top of it, a combo I was pretty happy with. I was also very proud that I got my Mom to switch to the Flawless Face Moisturizer after a lifetime of Clinique, Oil of Olay, etc. She absolutely loves the FF cream! Then Kristina came out with the Flawless Face Pm cream, and so many of us fell in love, my Mom included (I gifted it to her for her 60th B-day, then Mother’s Day, and will keep her stocked). The Pm cream is all I, and many others, use both day & night. It is not heavy, does not make my skin greasy, but takes care of any dry spots I have, and is really doing a great job combating my almost-40 fine lines & wrinkles under my eyes, on my forehead, and on my neck. I’m very, very happy with this cream & will never use anything else! The ingredients are superb & selected to target anti-aging: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1727-flawless-face-pm.aspx
Other options I’m aware of that are safe: MamaSuds age-defying, Josiah’s
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Toothpaste: I do make my own homemade paste, it’s a coconut oil base so it’s not tube-stable. It comes in a 4oz glass mason jar, just like my deodorant. I absolutely love it, so do my kids, and many others! But we’re also huge fans of variety so you will also find a tube of Poofy’s Cherry paste, and more than 1 flavor of Earthpaste in my bathroom!
My paste info: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/buying-clubdeomy-poofy-organics/eco-friendly-usa-homemade-toothpaste/
Poofy paste: 2 options, Cherry which is loved by many, and the Happy Teeth which many will say is ‘spicy’. It totally grew on me, and others will say the same. It leaves your mouth feeling clean & refreshed. But if you can’t handle spicy/hot, this might not be the paste for you. Poofy also offers a toothpowder which any LOVE! https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/search.aspx?searchterms=toothpaste
Earthpaste: My kids love Lemon, we always have a tube of that on hand, and I usually keep at least 2 other tubes in our rotation. They have a peppermint w/ activated charcoal option now, in addition to spearmint (w/o xylitol), wintergreen, cinnamon, and peppermint w/o charcoal too. They also now offer several toothpowders! https://www.earthpaste.com/
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Deodorant: I’ve made my own for almost 6 years now! But I do keep a stick of Poofy’s Jasmine Joy around as of late, the smell is soooooo good that I cannot resist! Here’s the link to the recipe to make your own: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/buying-clubdeomy-poofy-organics/homemade-deodorant-body-scrub-info/
Josiah’s
BlueEgg Farmstore
MamaSuds
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First Aid– I have a whole separate post on this! https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2017/09/06/my-natural-remedy-collection/
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Facial Cleanser– Since I don’t wear make-up, I don’t have a nightly face wash routine. If my skin is oily I use Witchazel as an astringent, which I get from Mountain Rose Herbs. Poofy’s Flawless Face Cleanser is a great option, and you can dilute it 50/50 with distilled water in a foaming pump even! Poofy also offers a Zit Zapper line which includes a face wash. Josiah’s Oils offers an acne wash, and strawberry face wash too: https://www.josiahsoils.com/apps/search?q=face+wash
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 