On New Year’s Eve, I sat across from one of my girlfriends, two ceramic mugs of Italian coffee between us. As we sipped our cappuccinos and caught up on life, our conversation eventually came back to the very mugs in our hands.

”A wellness girl I follow recently posted that she will only drink coffee out of mugs in a coffee shop to avoid the plastic lining in the to-go cups. It’s an easy swap I can make in my life, plus holding a real mug is so much more fun, anyways,” my friend shared.

I nodded in agreement and added, “I love that. I’ve really trimmed down my coffee shop cappuccinos in general since learning coffee is one of the heaviest carriers of mold and pesticides. I love my coffee setup at home, so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. If I really want one, I’ll go grab one, but it’s not a daily or even weekly thing anymore.”

Later that same day, I sat across from my mother-in-law and one of her friends. We chatted all things health and wellness, as we always want to make wise choices where we can. We covered the full gamut of disturbing information—storing food in glass vs. plastic containers, avoiding shellfish because they’re bottom feeders, the news of infertility chemicals in Chick-fil-A chicken, and the recent and repulsive Cava health inspection questions.

As we chattered, we all threw up our hands and said, “We know too much!” We know too much of the bad stuff. We know too many ways this world and the toxins within it can harm our bodies. There’s simply no way to live a 100% clean life. It’s not possible on this side of Heaven. 

However, I do believe we can make small steps in the right direction, which add up greatly over time. Each of us will have nonnegotiables and products or practices we aren’t willing to compromise on. Beyond that, though, I’m learning that this health journey, like everything in life, is one more area where I must truly depend on the Lord to keep me safe (and sane). 

Because I believe it’s worth talking about, I’m sharing some of my nonnegotiables when it comes to clean products and practices. This is written from a spirit of what has worked well for me—not an attempt to overload you with information or fearmonger you into change.

It’s worth noting that I didn’t add all these products or habits into my life at once; it was a slow build. I hope your wellness journey is sustainable and supportive for your lifestyle and that these products give you some ideas for the next time you need to replace any beauty and home supplies.

001. Primarily Pure Deodorant

I started using this product in June of 2022. I know, it was bold to try out a natural deodorant in the thick of Texas summer. But that’s exactly what told me this stuff is the real deal. I didn’t get weird BO or sweat like crazy when I switched to this aluminum-free product. This stuff works—for real. Primally Pure has a variety of scents, but my favorites are Blue Tansy and Charcoal. For reference, each large tube lasts me 4 months, so it’s not something I’m having to replace too frequently. 

Other Primally Pure products I love: Coffee Mask, Tallow Body Butter, Dry Brush, Gua Sha stone, Lip Balm

002. Crunchi Skincare + Makeup

I started using Crunchi products around the same time in 2022. The question with clean beauty products is always—but will it actually work? And with Crunchi, I’m thrilled to tell you their products deliver every single time, yet they are 1000x cleaner than anything you will grab on the shelf at Sephora. I started with one of these skincare sets to test what products worked best for my skin. Over the past few years, I’ve landed on the products listed below for daily use. Their products also last a ridiculously long time, so while it would definitely be an investment to swap everything out at once, if you add in one thing at a time, your wallet won’t be hurting + you won’t be replacing these items very often. 

My daily Crunch staples: Facial Cleansing Bar, Toner, Vitamin C Serum, Daylight Moisturizer, Sunlight Sunscreen, Makeup Removing Balm, Flawless Foundation, Blush, Highlighter, Lip Crayon

003. Ilia Mascara

Speaking of makeup that actually works, this is the best clean mascara I’ve found. It works just as well as the drugstore stuff I used to use, and it makes me feel so much better that I’m not putting toxins right near my eyeballs. 

004. Truly Free Dishwasher + Laundry Detergent

Swapping out our dishwasher and laundry detergents felt like a big win this past year. I didn’t want the plastic lining from Tide pods melting on our dishes or our clothes, not to mention the fragrances and other chemicals that both products are filled with. While the Truly Free website looks like it was made in 2010, I have found their products to be strong and dependable. I’m often filled with gratitude when I load our dishwasher with this clean formula, knowing it’s one way I’m helping keep our household healthier. Truly Free often runs great deals where you can stock up on 6 months-worth of products at once, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re thinking about purchasing from them. 

Other Truly Free products I love: Laundry Stain Stick (this is a miracle worker!), Hand Soap

005. Taylor Dukes Wellness Frother

Okay, this frother itself isn’t necessarily a clean product. But it allows me to mix up all my Taylor Dukes Wellness favorites—her electrolytes, Superfood Creamer, and Hot Chocolate, which are some of my most frequent go-tos. All these ingredients are the purest of the pure with no added sugars, colors, chemicals, etc. I can truly tell a difference when I drink these electrolytes vs. when I don’t. I can’t recommend any and all of her products enough. Plus, she has an amazing testimony overcoming brain cancer. You can learn more about Taylor and her business here. 

Other TDW products I love: Magnesium (this has improved my gut health so much, I’d go out on a limb to say I’ll be taking this for the rest of my life), Inflammation Support, Omega, Mineral Salt 

006. Wood Cutting Board

Adding wood cutting boards to our registry last year was really important to me. We use these every other day, if not daily. This minimizes our plastic intake, as chopping veggies and other foods on plastic cutting boards adds unwanted microplastics to the food. This is a really easy swap to make and will last you years and years. 

007. Homemade Salad Dressings

I wrote another blog post about this here, but making my own salad dressing is another one of my nonnegotiables. There are clean and tasty brands out there, but this is one way I save us $$, as the clean salad dressings are pricey. Pro tip: I save minced garlic or marinara glass jars to keep the dressing in. Additionally, a stainless steel immersion blender will take your dressings from thin and oily to creamy and perfectly blended in about five seconds. 

What are your go-to clean products? What are the things you won’t compromise on? I’m so curious—drop your favorites in the comments below!