Natural Products I’m Loving Now: Summer Edition

One of my missions in motherhood is to reduce the environmental toxins my family and I are exposed to that are everywhere and can be detrimental to our health. I also want to help others with that same task, which can be daunting. I started this feature, Natural Products I’m Loving Now, as a way to share the natural products I’ve come to trust and love.  I want to help you take some of the guesswork out of finding products that are healthy for you, our environment, and actually work.  The Summer Edition is here!

Aubrey Organics Natural Sun SPF 30 Unscented Spray for children

Sunscreen is an essential part of summer, but it can be such a chore.  Last summer I used a sunscreen bar from Moody Sisters on Etsy, but they don’t carry it in their shop anymore.  I liked the bar form as it was easy to apply to my squirmy kids, but was still natural, chemical-free.  I love the convenience of a spray form, but most spray sunscreens are not natural and the FDA has warned that they should not be used on children.  This Aubrey Organics sunscreen is a nice compromise.  It’s a spray bottle, but does still need to be rubbed in.  Even with the need to rub in, the spray feature makes the application process easier.  It does go on very white, as most mineral-based sunscreens I’ve tried do, but it rubs in better than most natural sunscreens.  I think it’s because it’s not quite as thick.  It’s also totally unscented, which is awesome. We’ve been using this all summer at the pool and it works great. Not one sunburn to speak of. I highly recommend this sunscreen if you are looking for a natural, mineral-based sunscreen for you or your kids.

Primal Pit Paste Natural Deodorant Lavender

Aaaah, I’ve finally found a natural deodorant I can recommend!  I should show you a picture of the deodorant graveyard in my bathroom. I have tried countless natural deodorants, and none of them have worked for me.  Some of them will work if I keep reapplying, but this one works even if I don’t reapply.  It just works.  This Primal Pit Paste was actually recommended to me by one of my readers and I only wish I would have tried it sooner.  It is not an antiperspirant, but restricting sweat via aluminum is not healthy.  Research shows that aluminum produces toxic, oxidative stress on the brain and is linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  This natural deodorant has only ingredients you can feel good about putting on your pits:  organic coconut oil, organic shea butter, organic arrowroot powder, aluminum-free baking powder, and essential oils.  I love the lavender. It comes in a paste form that you need to rub into your armpits. If this bothers you, it also comes in a bar form, but I have no problem rubbing it in.  It’s just like rubbing in lotion, but it’s thicker and not sticky at all. I could not be happier about this deodorant and am so glad I found a natural deodorant that works!

Coconut Oil as an Eye Make-Up Remover

I’ve long known about the benefits of coconut oil and that it can be used as a moisturizer, but I really didn’t love using it on my skin as I don’t like the greasy feel.  After having so many problems finding an effective, yet natural eye make-up remover, I decided to give coconut oil a try.  Wow! It works so well! And I don’t mind going to bed with coconut oil residue around my eyes as it is supposed to be great for wrinkles.  Win! I put some coconut oil in a small mason jar and use cotton pads to remove my eye make-up before bed.  It works better than any eye make-up remover I’ve tried, natural or not.

Kodiak Cakes Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix

In general, I like to make my pancakes from scratch or use my own, homemade pancake mix.  Sometimes, though, the convenience of a purchased pancake mix is hard to beat.  When I saw Kodiak Cakes on Shark Tank in April and that their mixes only had natural, recognizable ingredients, I was intrigued.  Their mixes use whole grain flours and no sketchy ingredients like most pancake mixes out there. I picked up a box at Target and gave it a try.  It produces wonderful pancakes!  You only have to add water to the mix, so these mixes are perfect for camping or traveling.  We have used the mix for our summer travels and it’s been great.

This is not a sponsored post; these are products I have tried and loved on my own.  Some links, however, are affiliates links.  Thank you for supporting my blog endeavors in trying to get the message of healthy, natural living out there!

Looking for more natural products I’m loving?  Check out past editions of this feature here, here, here, and here.