How to Start Sustainable Living, Natural Living for Beginners
Sometimes it can seem overwhelming when you finally decide to start living more sustainably and more naturally. Everything from your toothbrush to your mattress can seem like a toxic piece of plastic that needs to be dealt with immediately. Or sometimes, you get wrapped up in replacing the paper towels, the toilet paper, your fancy clothes, and your rugs, and never deal with some of the essentials like your diet, the products you put on your skin, and cleaning supplies. But where to even start? Today we'll be talking about my experience with natural sustainable living and my suggestions for getting started on this more natural lifestyle.
How to Start
1. Make a List of Priorities
A huge hangup for getting started with natural living is the overwhelming realization that probably close to everything in your house could be safer, more sustainable, and replaced with something more "natural." Every item in your home has in some way and at some time proven to be some sort of endocrine disruptor, earth destroyer, or irritant, and honestly, it feels like a losing battle. And to be frank, if you start off tackling everything, it will easily overwhelm you and you will make a little progress without making any real lifestyle changes that will last. For example, my aunt comes over all the time and a common conversation topic of ours is making sustainable swaps and healthy living. One time, she was talking to me about her mattress, and how she had recently read about the toxins mattresses release into our air and our bodies over the years. She said additionally there are made with products that have low frequencies that aren't good for our circadian rhythms or the breathability of our skin. Then she told me that she was replacing her mattress and sheets with an all-organic Avacado wool mattress with 100% organic cotton-certified sheets. I was impressed. It made me wonder if should replace our recently purchased mattress that my husband and I had purchased. However, after thinking it over, and considering the price it would cost to make such a large swap, I was hit with the thought. The money I could have saved, which toggled at an upwards of several thousand dollars, easily could be used to make other more affordable swaps in our home, which may benefit our health and wellness a great deal more than a new mattress would. So that got me thinking, and I realized how easy it can be to get overwhelmed by all the little (and big) things that we can replace in our homes to make them more sustainable and more natural. The key is to ask yourself what do I use EVERY DAY and start from there. If you are still wearing polyester underwear best make that change before switching out your mattress. Below is my personal list of priorities that I use before deciding what swaps to make in my home.
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- What Am I Putting Into My Body: The food we buy; vitamins; balanced diet; nutrients
- What Am I Putting Onto My Body: Our skincare; wash products;
- What Am I Breathing Into My Body: Air purifiers; scents for the home; diffusers
- What Am I Wearing On My Body: The clothes we wear the most; undergarments; pajamas
- What Else Am I Doing That I Can Do Better: Minimizing stress; making large and small swaps when financially able; being mindful about waste; making changes where I can
For me, my personal priority is the food my family and I eat. Before we make any swaps in our home, we make them for our diet. Before we budget for skin care, we budget for food that is organic, nutritious, full of protein, and created with minimal ingredients. I personally believe, that for our family, it's worth the time and effort to make sure the food we are bringing into our home and the food we are eating is as healthy as it possibly can be in our current circumstance. I prioritize this above all other health swaps which means I won't switch out our skincare products until I can ensure we can consistently buy food that will nourish our bodies while being as safe as possible for our situation (our situation being that we have an unfinished kitchen). After that, I focus on our skincare and products we use every day, like deodorant. I have not yet touched my makeup products because right now that's not a priority and I do not wear makeup enough for it to be considered a "usual" skincare product. For some people, makeup is their daily go-to. For me, I wear it on occasion, like when my brother graduates, or when I am going out to dinner for a special occasion. But for you, makeup might be a priority, and so, that may be at the top of your list as one of the first skin care products you swap in your home. My skincare products include my face wash (Toups & Co.), my moisturizer (Vitamin E Oil), my toner (Witch Hazel), our deodorant (Think), and our toothpaste (Burts Bees). Only recently have I replaced my lotion (Argon Oil) and Shampoo (Babo Botanicals), while replacing our conditioner is still on the list of things to swap (Jajobo Oil). This sort of gives you an idea of how I approach the swaps in my home. And this list doesn't necessarily refer to ALL things within each category. So for example, when we were renovating the house, we bought an air purifier (Air Doctor) before we made the swaps to some of our skincare. The reason is that it was a priority (with renovations) to have cleaner air than it was to have cleaner skin care. However, we have yet to replace our Yankee-scented candles and diffusers with natural alternatives. Instead we just simply got rid of and stopped using them, because replacing them is not important right now. I hope that makes sense.
2. Eliminate the Products You Already Have
Now you may be thinking, "Okay, now that I've got my priorities in order, I know where to start." And while yes, this does help you know where to start making purchases, I wouldn't start making purchases quite yet. Why? Because you haven't eliminated the toxins in your home. Why buy sustainable and natural products if they are simply going to cohabitate with your toxic ones? What will inevitably happen is you will build up clutter in your home of products that are toxic or that you are not using but that take up space while you are bringing in new things. So for the sake of sanity and for your health get rid of or use up the products you have before purchasing new ones. If you are fine throwing away full bottles of shampoo and conditioner and replacing them immediately, that's up to you, however, if your goal is to also live sustainably my suggestion would be to finish the products you own first and then purchase new ones. This also makes it less overwhelming on your wallet. Some items, like synthetic fiber clothing, mattresses, and bedsheets can be donated depending on the quality, and paper products can be used up completely before you switch gears. There are very few things that can't be reused by someone else or used up by you before you swap them out, so when I say "eliminate" I don't necessarily mean throw away, I mean, "get out of your house." So by that logic, you make the call. This is the reason I haven't replaced my makeup. Because I use makeup so little, I literally still have a full bottle of foundation and mascara from my wedding makeup and I probably won't invest in new stuff until I finish those items or until they go bad. So even though I'm super tempted to purchase Toups & Co's mascara and mineral foundation, I am going to wait because right now, even though skin care is important to me, cost it would take to replace the makeup I wear only a few times a year could be better spent swapping out other things in our home.
3. Make a List of Unpurchasables
Now you're probably thinking, "Okay FINALLY we get to the purchasing" but actually, not quite yet. There's one final thing before you go out and make swaps for your home and this step is by far one of the most important. For me, when I get in a buying mood, it is hard for me to stop buying. Let me give you an example. So recently, for my birthday I was given "play money" by friends and family with the stipulation that this was not for my husband, not for the house, and not for the baby. In this case, I decided I would buy some much-needed summer clothes that hadn't been at the top of the priority list but now were "fun thinks" that followed the stipulations of "something bought for myself." I really wanted a pair of linen shorts and some summery linen or silk blouses that I could dress up or dress casually. I purchased a pair of linen shorts I had been eyeing on Etsy and went on ThreadUp for some blouses. Only, when I started looking up blouses I saw so many cute ones that I knew would compliment my aesthetic and body shape that wasn't in alignment with the type of clothing I wanted to own. They were either synthetic fibers clothes or they were two sizes too big. I've bought xl and xxl linen dresses before out of a whim from Goodwill because I think, "I can make it work" but then get frustrated at the way it hangs off my body when I go to finally wear it. Into the scrap pile, it goes to be made into something for our home and I'm down another dress. Additionally, I recently purchased some nursing t-shirts that were made of polyester thinking it would be an exception to the "no synthetic fabrics rule." A couple of wears and several washes later and I'm already back to wearing my comfortable cotton t-shirts over the nursing ones. The synthetic clothing already looks dingy and worn and there are milk stains I can't get out. Polyester also irritates my skin and causes me to sweat profusely so I always feel gross and worn down when I wear them. Another wasted purchase and another example of why I should stick to the rules I set for my purchases. So what are my rules in regard to clothes? Well, for one they have to fit because no matter how many times I tell myself I'll alter it or will wear a belt or that I'll just make it work, it doesn't work and it ends up being a waste. Second rule, it has to be linen, cotton, silk, or wool and I don't prefer blended fabrics. This can be very hard, especially when I feel like shopping, but it's a necessity that I set this expectation for myself BEFORE going and making purchases otherwise I can get carried away. Now for me, my weak spot is clothing and food. So when I buy clothes, I make sure I remind myself of the rules, and the very few times I go to the store by myself (which isn't often) I write a list and I only buy the things on that list. Not only does this help me keep out the things I don't want in my home, but it also helps me minimize my tendency to spend. So clothing might not be your problem area, maybe it's scented lotion or hand sanitizer. I know that's my aunt's weakness, but it's good to know what yours is and make boundaries for yourself that help support your lifestyle.
4. Make Purchases as You Need Them
Now finally, on to the fun part - purchases! However, I don't suggest you try and do this all at once. At this point, you may have some ideas in mind that you can switch out right now and that's great. Write those down and additionally, decide which alternatives you are going to replace them with instead. I like to start with the EWG website. It can be a little bit tricky to navigate so here's the link to the skincare products and how they rate for safety and healthy and here's the link for cleaning products. If you visit their site it's probably best if you use your computer since their site is easier to navigate on a computer. I try and make sure the products I am using rate at least a one but preferably are EWG Verified. The site will tell you what ingredients are in your products are why they rate higher on the scale of danger. Be sure to look at why a product is rated at a certain level because sometimes the rating is due to the lack of information or because it is a common irritant or allergin (like citrus or some products with flower extracts) but often the products are rated poorly because of endocrine disruptors, respiratory disruptors, or in extreme cases ingredients linked to cancer. So the EWG website is a good place to start when trying to make sustainable swaps. Additionally, I look at ingredients. Two good rules of thumb are "if you can't pronounce the list of ingredients it's probably not safe" and "if you aren't comfortable ingesting something that you put on your body, it's probably not safe." Not only does this approach minimize the likelihood that you are going to get "greenwashed" but you will also be able to determine what ingredients DO work for your body. For example, after years of using coconut oil products and coconut oil itself, it just does not work with my body. It makes my skin oily and my hair greasy for days after I put it in (even after several washes). So I've ditched the coconut oil for my personal use. However, my husband uses it all the time for his hair and skin and has no problem whatsoever. Not all products will work with all bodies and skin types. For me, I realized that aloe vera was a common product in the skincare products that worked for me, so I started using straight aloe vera from our aloe plants to treat my acne. Now, that works perfectly for me and I've gradually moved towards a more natural skincare. Another solution is to start with Rowe Casa products or Toups & Co. I personally trust Rowe Casa because I have been following Jill Rowe's journey since the beginning, however, Toups & Co. also has great products that have minimal natural ingredients. Another benefit of these companies is that between the two of them, you can pretty much replace any product in your house. I have not personally used all of their products, however, my aunt uses Rowe Casa products for everything and is starting to also switch over to Toups & Co. for her deodorant and makeup. So far, she's been very pleased with everything she's gotten. It can be overwhelming once you actually start doing the research into products and ingredients, that's why I suggest just tackling one thing at a time. When you start noticing your shampoo getting low, start doing the research now so that when you are out you can feel confident making the switch to something that is going to be better for your body. If you try and do it all at once, most likely you won't be able to do the research into each product to make truly informed and educated decisions. That's why I suggest you do the research when a need arises that way it doesn't become a constant stressor in your life. Remember emotional and mental health, is just as important as physical health.
5. Make Exceptions
And lastly, make confident exceptions to your natural living. "What, but I thought the whole goal is to not make bad decisions, what do you mean?" What I mean is this: you cannot make everything safe and you cannot make every sustainable and natural swap in your home. There will always be something out there that is more natural, more sustainable, and healthier for your body and the planet. It's just a fact, and to try and stress ourselves out making every perfect decision is going to overwhelm you it's not going to be worth it. Stress is just as toxic for your body as any toxin so don't trade chemical toxins for hormonal toxins, it's not worth it. There will be things (like an Acavado Organic Wool Mattress) that you just can't afford to change in your life and that's okay. Sometimes it's not a battle worth fighting and there are going to be things like that. Besides the mattress which I clearly haven't purchased, my confident exception which I have no intention to change is my monthly Brazilian wax. I don't know what chemicals or toxins are in the wax itself, I don't know the effects of hair removal, and I haven't looked into alternatives. But I'm not going to. I acknowledge that this is probably not something that is not great for my body, but it is something that makes me feel great about my body and honestly, I understand that sometimes exceptions need to be made. The key is to know they are exceptions and to be confident about it. Just because you have exceptions, doesn't mean you aren't being mindful. It doesn't mean you are being unhealthy. And it most definitely doesn't mean you're failing. If you look at everything as if it's something you have to change, you are never going to be able to enjoy the changes you are making for your body and for your wellbeing. So take a deep breath, make a mental note of the things you are making the decision NOT to change, and be confident in that decision because of all the other decisions in your life that you have done for yourself and your family.
Sustainable Living Vs. Natural living?
On a podcast recently I heard someone say something along the lines of, "If it comes down to being better for the environment or better for my health, I always choose the environment. So if a product is greenwashing but it comes in a decomposable container I will choose that over the natural product in a plastic one." Here's my quick thought on that statement. One, the product itself that you are using has an effect on the environment whether that was in the production of the product or the elements of the product that are being redistributed back into the environment through the air, water, or decomposition. If those products are not good for you, the chance is they are also not good for the environment which means you are not actually making a sustainable decision about a product. Now plastic is definitely a problem, and if I could pass legislation banning the creation of plastic, I would be the first to do so, but here's something my mother-in-law told me. "The best way to be sustainable is to reuse products." Recycling in many areas has proven to be a scam and there is no truly decomposable plastic so in the cases that you must use plastic if you can reuse it, that is best. Now Rowe Casa products almost always use glass, and every Cliganic product I've bought has also come in glass, so there are definitely options out there that don't require you to buy plastic. But buying greenwashed products that come in "sustainable packaging" is not actually sustainable or good for the environment.
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