3 Easy & Helpful “Less-Toxic” Shopping Tips
When I first began my “less-toxic” journey in 2021, the thing that overwhelmed me the most—besides the decluttering process—was taking on the challenge of shopping for products with my newfound outlook. How would I know what products to purchase? Where would I find products that fit my expectations and met my standards? It was a lot to think about every time I walked into Target’s beauty section or when visiting new makeup sites.
As I’m coming upon one year since embarking on this adventure, I wanted to share a few of the best practices and tips I’ve discovered and cultivated while shopping with a “less-toxic” intention.
If you’re in the early stages of your own “less-toxic” journey and still aren’t sure about what ingredients you’d specifically like to avoid (in nail polish, makeup, skincare, etc.), then I encourage you to make the time for that preliminary research before you start any major shopping endeavors. It’s a lot easier to find products you’re comfortable with after you’ve figured out what red flags you want to keep an eye out for. Please check out the list below for some research starting points to help you with this before you begin shopping…
“Less-toxic” research resources:
Visit my “less-toxic” page for info on nail polish ingredients and other resources
Check out sites like the EWG for quick product research
Use the Google Scholar search engine to find scientific reports and studies on specific ingredients and chemicals
Make sure to get your information from scientific, verifiable, reputable sources
If you have any specific more “medical” or healthcare-based questions before or while researching, please make sure you reach out to your trusted healthcare provider
Okay, now let’s get onto the shopping tips!
#1 Beware of “Greenwashing”
“Greenwashing” is a term coined in recent years to explain how companies sometimes use indefinable marketing tactics to make their products sound more “natural and healthy” than they actually are. In my opinion, this can come in the form of actual phrases, words, and descriptions and/or product design elements and aesthetics. Here’s a list of some marketing terms to watch out for…
“Greenwashing” terms to pay attention to:
“Non-toxic”
“All-natural”
“All-free”
“10-free”
“5-free”
“Free from”
“Plant-based”
These phrases don’t have clear definitions, so don’t just take them at face value! Another helpful tip might be to watch out for product designs that feature a more “natural” or aesthetic or plant-themed design; these things are not inherently “bad,” but just be mindful of the fact that a design by itself doesn’t automatically deem a product “good for you”—only ingredients can determine that based on your personal research and opinions.
#2 Always read the labels
Going off of Tip #1, don’t just pick up a product based on what it looks like upfront. Flip it over, turn it around, peel up the sticker, look on all sides—if you can’t find ingredients right on the product, look up its name and the brand to access the list on the brand’s website or the store’s page. If you can’t find the ingredients online either, you could try contacting the brand to ask them to provide an ingredient list. I don’t necessarily love when a brand isn’t upfront about their ingredient list, but sometimes it might be such a specific product, it’s buried in their database, so keep this method as an option just in case.
If you’re not sure what exactly to look for on the label, pay attention to ingredients that don’t sound natural or have roots of other names you might already know. Keep an eye out for signs that might indicate something is, on one end of the scale, organic or, on the other end, even genetically—modified. See how many ingredients you can spot that actually sound like actual ingredients! Pay attention to labels that are the same length as the product or contain weird things you wouldn’t want to use just because of how they sound. Even these simple shifts in your thought process can help you sift through inferior items.
#3 Make a reference list
If you have trouble remembering the names or name variations of ingredients you’d like to avoid (I know I do!), then make a list on a sticky note or on your phone and keep it handy for reference whenever you’re shopping.
When I’m inspecting a label and spot something that looks similar to an ingredient I already know I’m not a fan of, it’s so helpful to know what other names that ingredient goes by or if this similar-looking one is actually something totally different.
For added detail, try color-coding ingredients that are high-priority-avoidance for you or mark off ones that you don’t tend to see very often. You can totally customize this resource down to one you’re able to easily transport.
I hope you found this post helpful and that these tips make you feel much more confident next time you’re shopping! If you have any more questions, please feel free to send me an email, DM me on Instagram, or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer as well as I’m able.
If this post inspired you to start your “less-toxic” journey or keep on truckin’ with the one you’re currently working through, then I hope you’ll also grab your very own FREE 10-page “less-toxic” journey planner to help you organize things like ingredient research, shopping lists, and more by clicking right here to download it.
What are your tips for “less-toxic” shopping? What’s your process? Comment below if you’d like to share!
Have a polished rest of your day,