Eco-friendly toiletries and household cleaning products

Our environment is so overloaded with hidden toxins that it’s important that our kids are protected as much as we can do. One step is using eco-friendly cleaning products in the home along with toiletries. Luckily, there’s numerous options now to keep our kids safe.

In regards to cleaning products, you can make your own homemade solutions or opt for the numerous non-toxic options available in the stores. I’ve been thrilled with the recent availability at both the traditional stores such as Target / Walmart along with the specialty stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I really like the dishwasher gel sold at Trader Joe’s. It has a nice lemony scent and it goes a long way. They also offer plentiful hand soaps and even a multipurpose bath and shampoo soap.

When it comes to doing laundry, I’ve used both the Trader Joe’s brand and most recently I’ve opted for the mainstream Arm and Hammer brand. I buy the big jug that lasts a long time. Arm and Hammer makes a perfume & dye free formula but I’ve learned the scented Arm & Hammer formulas are still very non-toxic and you get that added fresh scent.

In regards to showering, most recently I’ve had the kids wash with Neutrogena Rainbath body wash. It’s a nice mild soap but it’s getting more difficult to find. I’ve had to order online for shipment. It comes in an original mild scent or you can select other scents. The Neutrogena products have maintained a non-toxic stance and I feel safe with their products.

Hair products can have hidden nasty chemicals so I ventured toward the Aveda salon products for both myself and kids. My younger son worries about his hair looking nice. He wears a somewhat longer style now to fit in to his school of rock “rocker” look and I purchase him the men’s Aveda shampoo. There are also many other salon brands that have gravitated toward a non-toxic stance such as Paul Mitchell.

Some important toiletries to watch out for is sunscreen and bug spray in the summer months. In regards to sunscreen, I recommend choosing the mineral formulas that use zinc in place of chemicals. I’ve found the mainstream Coppertone Sport mineral formula to contain eco-friendly zinc without the toxic chemicals. When choosing a bug spray, Hello Bello makes a nice non-toxic formula. Hello Bello also makes many other products and is a nice option when looking for natural products.

Kids on the spectrum may be more sensitive due to their sensory issues and choosing eco-friendly products helps their body feel more calm. Thankfully, we’re in an age where green products are plentiful and therefore not difficult to find. I definitely appreciate, for example, when we travel and stay in a hotel room and the complimentary toiletries are green products. It just provides an added convenience to the trip.

Let me know if you have any questions regarding eco-friendly solutions as I’ve been researching products for some time. Even the SoftSoap brand hand wash recently removed the toxic chemical Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and replaced with Sodium Laureth Sulfate. It almost sounds like the same chemical but there is a significant difference in properties. SoftSoap is now a fairly non-toxic hand soap.