4 Things to Know Before You Switch to All Natural Hair + Skincare
Over the last five years I have made a HUGE effort to clean up my bathroom cabinet. I started by switching my shampoo and conditioner and have since switched to clean haircare, skincare, deodorant, and cosmetics. Starting is the hardest part-and that’s where I come in. I poured a TON of time and effort into researching ingredients and products when I made my switch so I’m saving you all the time and hassle by writing it all here in one place so that you can easily refer to it when you’re ready.
What I want to share with you first are the four biggest things to know when beginning your nontoxic journey because yes, it’s a journey, but I choose to think of it as a little extended vacation for your body that lasts, well, forever, because the changes you make NOW are going to lead to a happier, healthier, cleaner you.
- DO NOT feel the need to switch all at once. Yes, going ‘clean’ can be really expensive when you talk about throwing out ALL of your shampoos, conditioners, hairsprays, body soaps, facial cleansers, serums, masks, and tossing your entire makeup bag into the trash in one swoop. Start with a product or two and build from there as your time and budget allows. I’ve even put together some skincare bundles here to help you ease in as light or heavy as you like. The point is that you’re making the switch-NOT that you’re making it in a day. Give yourself grace.
- Track your progress! There seems be a bit of an assumption that the minute you ditch the toxins and slather on the nontoxic goodness that you’ll see results overnight. While, yes, that would be lovely, it’s more than likely not going to be the case. If it were, that would be the equivalent of losing 10 pounds after cutting sugar out of our diets for a day. It’s a journey so please, please, PLEASE take a ‘before’ photo before you make the switch and then take weekly photos to track your progress. While you might not notice much of a different from a Monday to a Tuesday, chances are you WILL notice a difference from one month to the next.
- Remember that what you put IN your body is just as important as what you put ON it. There are so any additional contributors to our hair and skin health like stress, diet, age, and exercise and they all play a role in how our hair and skin looks and feels so be mindful of that as you make the switch. Sometimes you have to dive deeper than just your skincare to get to the root of your skin troubles. Take each step of this journey with an open mind and surround yourself with companies that can share tips and tricks along the way. My favorites to follow are @HealthyYouByAmy, @PrimallyPure, @RMSBeauty, @BeautyCounter and @MonatOfficial.
- When it comes to your hair and skin, feeling good is even more important than looking good. It’s so important to make a mental shift while you’re in the midst of making the physical product switches. In the end, you aren’t really JUST switching deodorants, you’re making a healthier lifestyle change and that is so exciting! Take note of how your body feels when you sip more water throughout the day and how nontoxic skincare can mimic a spa experience every single night. Yes, you ARE going to look great but feeling the glow is going to make your actual glow even glow-ier 🙂
Easy peasy, right? Making the switch doesn’t have to be scary, it doesn’t have to happen in a day and it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice looking or feeling a specific way. Now, about those bundles I chatted about–I have put together both some nontoxic haircare and skincare bundles for you to peek through. All you have to decide is where you’re going to start. When I started, all I did was swap my makeup wipes for a cleansing oil. That’s it. One product. So get excited, girl, because your nontoxic journey is now officially underway and I am SO EXCITED for you! Because I’m a real life gal, just like you, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask me questions at any point along the way. I’m hardly a beauty influencer, but I AM passionate about clean beauty and am here to be 100% transparent in sharing my experiences with you so that you, too, can find success in your nontoxic switch! So what’s next, you ask? Well, once you’ve taken the plunge and grabbed some nontoxic goodies, here’s what you can expect.