My Journey Transitioning to Clean Living & My Favorite Clean Brands

I often get asked why I’m so passionate about clean living, and the answer is always the same:
“Because it changed my life.”

Back in 2018, I was battling a horrible hormonal imbalance that led to severe anxiety and frequent panic attacks. I was desperate for answers and what I discovered was eye-opening: stress and environmental toxins were two of the biggest contributors to my hormonal chaos.

Stress wasn’t surprising. But environmental toxins? I was like, “Say what?!”

That discovery launched me into a deep dive that ultimately changed everything—from my health to the products in my home.

What Are Environmental Toxins?

If you’ve never heard of them, here’s a quick breakdown:
Environmental toxins are cancer-causing chemicals and endocrine disruptors, both human-made and naturally occurring, that can wreak havoc on our health by disrupting our biological systems.

To simplify it: endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones. They overstimulate our systems, confusing the body and throwing it off balance.

How Toxins Get Into Our Bodies

You might be wondering: “How is that even possible from something like body lotion or shampoo?”

Here’s the deal—your skin is your body’s largest organ. It’s designed to protect, but it still absorbs about 60% of what we put on it. That means your skincare, makeup, shampoo, and even cleaning products have a direct line to your bloodstream.

And the stats are scary. According to a survey cited by the Environmental Working Group

“Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm”

Making the Switch to Clean Living

The saddest part? This isn’t common knowledge. There are no big red warning labels on our shampoo bottles or body lotions. But once I learned the truth, I knew I had to limit my toxic load.

So, I did a full clean sweep—ditching anything with parabens, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, aluminum, and more.

Want to know which ingredients to look out for?
Check out this article on the Dirty Dozen of household ingredients.
Or download the Think Dirty app. It lets you scan barcodes and see how toxic your products really are.

The Results of Going Toxic-Free

Within a few months of switching to toxic-free living, my hormone levels began to stabilize. My cycle normalized, my anxiety symptoms faded, and I started to feel like myself again.

Today (2020), I’ve been symptom-free for over a year.

Was clean living the only thing that helped? No. I also:

• Worked on regulating my nervous system

• Returned to a consistent practice of prayer and meditation

• Learned the art of slowing down

But I know that switching to non-toxic products played a huge role in restoring my health and peace of mind.

Where to Start with Clean Living (Without Overwhelm)

I get it—this can all feel overwhelming (and expensive!). Trust me, I don’t think you need to go as dramatic as I did—aka filling an entire trash bag with toxic products overnight. (I think my husband almost had a heart attack.)

Instead, transition slowly. Start with what you use most often, and swap out products as they run out. The good news? There are so many clean alternatives now.

I’ve spent the last year testing countless clean make up brands, skincare products, and household essentials. Below are my top picks—brands that are not only non-toxic but also actually work. 
The other option, for those who are more ambitious is to make some of your own skincare products. If that interests you, you can check out my recipe for DIY Whipped Tallow Balm and Tallow Face Cream.

My Top Picks For Clean Beauty Brands

Toups & Co  (Make-up & Skincare) – This brand is everything! This is my go to for clean makeup and skincare. My favorite products are their eye liner, brow pencil, and their cream cheek tint. For skincare I love their Glow Serum and their Frankincense Face Balm. Check out all of the products in my clean skincare routine here. All of their skincare and makeup products are both the cleanest and best performing that I have found on the market. And I have tried A LOT of different brands.

Primally Pure  (Skincare & Home) – This is the first brand that made my transition to clean living so seamless. They primarily carry skincare and beauty products such as, cleansing oils, anti-aging serums, moisturizers, body butters, etc. But they also have expanded into selling some home products. They are on the higher end, cost wise but so worth it. 

Odele (Shampoo and Conditioner) – It is so hard to find a clean shampoo and conditioner line without synthetic fragrance! Odele to the rescue. I have tried SO many different shampoos and conditioners over the years and this one wins over them all. I love that this shampoo creates a good lather and leaves my hair feeling so clean. And the conditioner leaves my hair feeling so soft and tangle free.

Puracy (Natural Body Wash) – Puracy products are all 100% organic and cruelty free, which I love! And their body wash smells like heaven and leaves my skin feeling SO clean, even after a really crazy workout.

100% Pure (Cosmetics) – This is one of my favorite all natural cosmetics brand. My favorite is their eye liner and mascara.

Illea (Cosmetics) – This is hands down my favorite clean brand for foundation, as well as several other cosmetics. 

Branch Basics (Household Cleaner) – The reason I love this brand so much is because of it’s streamlined, simplified approach. Branch Basics is essentially just one concentrate that works for all of your household cleaning needs. All you do is buy their concentrate and then add differing amounts of water based on if you’re needing laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, foaming wash, etc. And it works SO well!

I hope that is helpful! If you have any questions about toxic free living in general, or about my personal journey with toxic free living, don’t hesitate to reach out! Or if you’d like more information on how to make the transition to clean living, check out this podcast episode, where I interview Primally Pure founder and CEO, Bethany McDaniel. I wish you the best on your clean living journey!

xo, Mandy