Natural Products ~ Deals, Recommendations, Request for Input (original) (raw)

I stopped by Target this Earth Day and they gave me a free re-usable mini shopping bag and some coupons and samples of some of their “green” or natural products. This got me thinking about the subject of natural, chemical free, & environmentally sustainable products. What’s legit and what’s “greenwashed” (i.e. pretending to be natural because it’s profitable). Plus, I'm on a budget & don't have the time or skill to make much from scratch at home.

I suffer from migraines, so I try to avoid food additives and I want to do a post on foods in the future, but let’s start with non-food items. I've been wondering what products I use that also contribute to my migraines. Perfume is an obvious culprit.

These are some favorites of mine but I want your input. What are your preferred natural items? What have you heard about what’s legit and what’s not?

  1. At Target, I like Method and Clorox Greenworks. I admit, I have doubts about if Clorox Greenworks is legitimately natural as it claims simply because of the Clorox name (that said, I still use real bleach for certain things, because it's the ultimate germ-killer). I've heard Method doesn't do animal testing which is an entirely different & equally important subject; each of the other items on this list claim they don't do animal testing.

  2. I recently tried the Honest Company, which sells cleaning, beauty and baby items that are majority natural and chemical free. I love their leave-in conditioner and veggie-wash & I want to try their dryer sheets (since the chemcials in dryer sheets come in direct contact with our skin) and their natural insect repellant and sunscreen. If you sign up as a "referral" with this link (http://honest.com/accept_invitation/263205) you can save $10 off your first order with promo code Invited10 or save 40% off a subscription with code PlumDistrict40 .

  3. I really like Pacifica Perfume. They make perfumes I can wear without triggering a migraine which is rare for me. I tired their room scent diffuser and didn't think it was very effective, though. Pacifica stuff is kind of pricey in my opinion. You can find it at Whole Foods as well as Pacifica’s own website. They're offering free shipping on orders over $25, until May 12 with code FreeShip25.

  4. A room scent-diffuser I really like is my lavender one from NEOB Lavender Botique .This is a lavender farm with a boutique and farmers market presence in Niagra-On-the-Lake, Ontario. I visited a few years ago and the owners were very nice. I enjoy their lavender and rose handsoaps, bath bombs, and the lavender diffuser. Friends always comment on the pleasant but not over-powering lavender scent it gives my house, and I feel good knowing I'm not breathing in unnatural chemicals. And it's always nice to buy directly from the producer, not a corporation or middle-man.

  5. I love Ahava natural body-care products. I've used the lotion, mask and scrub. Their website is having a sale right now and I can also find some of their products at Ulta and Target. They're kind of pricey but I thought the mud mask and body lotion were worth the price. I look for them to go on sale at Target.