This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. All items listed are products that I have personally purchased, and I have used and /or continue to use.
In the past, packing for travel was challenging and time-consuming for me. Decisions about what clothes to pack were only one part of it. Figuring out what products I needed to bring and what would fit in my toiletry bag was not fun.
In the past, I’ve spent more time than planned in Sephora and searching online for the best products. Then I was introduced to a paraben-free, nutraceutical-grade skincare line.
Since that time, I’ve saved countless dollars and hours that would have been spent testing and returning products.
When people talk about simple tweaks that reduce effort and increase value, this is a big one for me.
By reducing the number and types of products that I use, it has simplified my morning routine, decreased my packing time, and contributed to better overall health.
A few things I learned:
- According to a 2014 article published by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the average person living in the U.S. is exposed daily to more than one hundred chemicals from cosmetics, soaps and other personal care products.
- Many products that are assumed safe include ingredients that are untested and unregulated.
- It’s known that some chemicals can and do enter the bloodstream through topical application. Eliminating these chemicals can reduce the potentially day-in and day-out toxic load on the body.
Spring Cleaning for Self-Care:
- Just like food, cosmetics and personal care products have expiration dates, usually 12 – 24 months.
- For those products without an expiration date, here’s a general guideline: The closer to the eyes, the sooner the product should be replaced.
- Throw away any travel-size toiletries older than 2 years.
- Toss anything with aluminum, fluoride, or paraben preservatives.
- Go to the Environmental Working Group’s website for guidance and education on product ingredients. Pay close attention if potentially harmful ingredients are included in the products that you use. Be particularly mindful of those products that do not wash off your bodies, such as lotion, creams, and oils.
- Check out your city’s Household Hazardous Waste program to see if they will accept discarded cosmetics and perfume.
- Search here for places to safely dispose of expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.
- Replace fluoride toothpaste, especially for children.
- Substitute bubble bath or anything you soak in, with sea salt, Himalayan salt, Epson salt, and essential oils.
- Instead of aerosol room fresheners, fill a spray bottle with filtered water and a few drops of an essential oil that smells delicious to you. Lavender, lemon, and orange are classics.
Taking stock of your medicine cabinet and discarding expired products can streamline your personal care routine.
What’s more impactful is the potential for decreasing your body’s toxic load by reducing the consumption of unneeded or possibly harmful chemicals.
If you think the pursuit of good health is expensive and time-consuming, try illness.
~Lee Swanson
What are you taking stock of and clearing out this spring? Please share your thoughts in the comments.