Finding inexpensive natural products

So you’ve read all about the scary toxic things hiding in products these days, but you’re worried it will take too much green to go green? Not so fast!

I know a lot of the skincare and makeup I feature is a little on the higher end, but truthfully I have never been a drug store beauty queen. The allure of Sephora and department store beauty counters always won out, so most of my replacements are on par with that price wise, but trust me, it’s not all May Lindstrom rainbows and Tata Harper butterflies over here! I too have to watch the wallet, so I’ve rounded up some of my favorite inexpensive natural products.

My favorite drug store product is Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. This can be used to clean ANYTHING gently and safely. Some uses include face and body wash, shampoo, hand soap, baby wash, makeup brush cleanser, dish detergent and a variety of other home cleaning needs. I use it in the hand soap dispensers in my home and I use it to clean as well. They make it in several scents and even make an extra gentle, unscented one for babies.

Where to buy: Most grocery/drug stores and natural stores Cost: about $10 for a 16 oz bottle (but pricing varies)

Looking for a good toner? Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel is non-toxic, safe and effective. It smells wonderful and won’t break the bank.

Where to buy: Most drug stores Cost: $8.60 for 12 oz bottle

The do-it-all champion of the beauty world is…. (drum roll please) Coconut Oil! Surely by now you’ve heard about all of the wondrous things this can do for you. Makeup remover, body balm, facial moisturizer, shave cream, conditioner, heel cream, hair mask- this product is your one stop shop for all your personal care needs. Penny pinchers and diva’s alike keep a jar of this around. It makes a great moisturizer for little ones as well! It’s relatively cheap and can be found at most grocery stores. Look for a version that says organic, cold or expeller pressed and virgin.

How about an affordable line of skincare and bath products that perform wonderfully and are free of any yucky chemicals? Meet Acure Organics, your new best friend. They make everything from face lotion to dry shampoo. They even have argon oil face wipes! I truly can’t say enough about how much I love this line. Price wise, they are comparable to most name brand drug store products (think Neutrogena, Aveeno, etc) and even cheaper than some. Some of my favorites are their soaps and body washes, brightening facial scrub, argon oil conditioner, and I can’t get enough of their lotions. You can find them at Whole Foods or most natural online retailers.

My favorite line of baby products is Honest Co.. Are you surprised they’re on the cheap list? Yes, their diapers are pricey but the baby products aren’t, especially if you subscribe to a bundle. You can get any 5 products for $35 and I’m no math wiz but, isn’t that $7 per item? Not bad when you’re talking about natural sunblock, rash creams, baby lotion, laundry pods and more. I have had great success with all of their baby products and a lot of their cleaning products, although I didn’t love their dish detergent or bathroom cleaner.

Subscribe to a bundle here. Cost: $35

A word on diapers: I blogged about my favorite natural disposable diapers here, and as you know, there’s not a lot of cheap, safe options out there that perform well. If you can’t afford non-toxic disposable diapers, I would strongly encourage you to consider cloth diapering. I know that sounds really inconvenient, but sooo many toxic and gross chemicals are put in diapers (even chemicals that have been banned in tampons) and your little one spends almost all of their time with them up close and personal to their delicate parts. Curious about the nasties in conventional diapers? Read up on it here.

What about makeup? That gets a bit trickier, but it can be done! Some drug store brands that have kicked a lot of toxins to the side are Almay Pure Blends, Physician’s Formula Organic Wear, and Burt’s Bees has some balms and glosses. Just be sure to read your labels as these brands are not always clean. For a list of ingredients to avoid (and even print out to take shopping with you) read this and this.

Good luck! And as always, if there’s a certain product you need a cheaper, non-toxic version of just email or leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help!