Hey ya’ll.

As I wrap up my 22nd week of pregnancy, I wanted to share some of my favorite natural skin care/beauty products.

While it’s incredibly important that we put high quality stuff IN our bodies, it’s also important to put healthy, non-toxic stuff ON our bodies. The skin is our largest organ and absorbs the products we use topically.

Here’s a running list of my top picks and a little explanation about each. Click the links to order some for yourself!

(Start: top left, End: bottom right)

Hello Toothpaste: It tastes like ice cream and leaves my mouth feeling fresh and minty!  love the biodegradable packaging and the “Sweet Mint” flavor has no Sodium Laurel Sulfate!

FatCo Stank Stop: This stuff is LEGIT. I just recently bought this because my pregnancy hormonal shift had my usual deodorant… errr… not working so well. This stuff smells amazing and works like a charm!

Herban Cowboy Deodorant: Outside of pregnancy, this deodorant was the tops! I love the smells and the branding is cute too! No aluminum and includes other clean ingredients like rice starch, rosemary, parsley, and sage extracts.

EO Shampoo and Conditioner: I have a secret… I struggle with dandruff. It’s lame. I’ve tried a bajillion things to help calm it down but short of using Head and Shoulders™ Chemical SH** Storm Shampoo, this stuff has been the best yet. Lots of awesome botanical ingredients and I LOVE the rosemary mint aroma. It’s my favorite essential oil combo and I plan on having it diffusing in my baby’s room at all times.

Humphrey’s Organic Witch Hazel: A very refreshing and cost-effective facial toner. This stuff also makes a great antiseptic for cuts, scrapes, and other possible pregnancy related “boo-boo’s” post-birth (i’ll let you imagine that one). I don’t use toner everyday but it’s especially nice after a day of cooking to revitalize my skin, remove the day’s gunk, and leave my face feeling fresh and clean without having to go through a whole rinse/wash/towel process.

Trader Joe’s Jojoba Oil: This is a great Tj’s branded version of a slightly more expensive product. I’ve talked about Oil Cleansing before so go check out that post for more info. I used to use coconut oil a lot but after a few years, it began to make my skin a little unpredictable. Jojoba has been a great substitute and my skin loves it. I mix a little in with the FatCo Oil Cleanser!

Acure Skin Brightening Facial Scrub: I was gifted this by a dear friend whom I met at Whole Foods while she was sharing lots of info about various skin care products. This one has stuck with me as a favorite. The scrub isn’t too harsh and leaves my skin feeling soft and wonderful. I use it about once a week and the bottle lasts FOREVER.

FatCo Cleansing Oil: Check the Jojoba Oil description for the link to Oil Cleansing, but FatCo’s oil product is TOP NOTCH. It smells so wonderful and is chock full of awesome, nourishing oils! Here’s the info straight from the product page:

“Lavender essential oil is known for its ability to tone, revitalize and heal skin problems including acne, oily skin, dry skin and sunburns. Rosemary oil can reduce inflammation of the skin, regulate oil secretions, and clear acne blemishes. It stimulates skin cell renewal and improves dry or mature skin & reduces lines and wrinkles. Lemongrass oil has an ability to increase blood circulation, therefore it helps to reduce inflammation.”

SOLD.

Raw Shea Butter: I’ve been using Shea Butter as a lotion/moisturizer for about 5 years now.  I’m also a huge fan of cacao butter and coconut oil. Something about the earthy smell of the shea just captivates me. It’s so buttery and soft and functions as an amazing “carrier” for any essential oil scent you want to add. Great for stretch marks, sunburns, or itchy skin.

Urban Moonshine Digestive Bitters: Not skin care but it is one of my new favorite things. It comes in a travel size and works to help ease acid reflux, indigestion, nausea, etc… all the fun parts of pregnancy, obvi. Better than Tums™.

Rosemary Hydrosol from Lancaster Creations: Another refreshing toner-like product. I got this as a gift from my in-laws. It’s a fantastic way to revitalize the senses midday or even before bed. I love the rosemary essence and the cool mist.

Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil: I will pour a little of this in a warm bath or spray on right before a shower. It has been well documented that we western humans tend to be particularly deficient in magnesium. This product helps make up for that. This helps calm the nervous system, relax muscles and aches, it also helps the insomniacs out there get to sleep faster. You can also boost your magnesium by drinking Natural Calm, but this topical version helps relax me in a totally different way.

FatCo Body Butta: Last but not least, another great offering from the awesome people at Fatco (formerly Fat Face). This Lavender-Sage (another GREAT chaparral scent combo) lotion is a MUST for bedtime. Made from tallow, favorites like shea butter, avocado, and aloe vera. This version includes magnesium oil which helps CALM your body before bed (just like Ancient Minerals!).