Less is more

Non-toxic living in not only about buying clean products. Reducing ways in which we come into contact with harmful chemicals is equally important. Buying fewer products is therefore part of a clean living journey.

Instead of trying to memorize trillion-letter-long hazardous chemicals that are part of nearly every single product we buy, we can make it easier for ourselves – by buying less. Consuming less not only helps with our anxiety that so often accompanies our shopping as we search for the “right” product. It is also a more sustainable choice for our planet. And it will save you some $$$ too!

I can give you a boring but a real-life example. I never buy diaper creams for my 1.5 year-old. Why? Because I never use wet wipes to clean his bum – I wash it with some water and gentle soap instead. I’ve always found it’s more hygienic that way + preservatives in wet wipes can cause allergic reactions. In those very rare cases I notice a small rash, I use 100% organic almond or coconut oil – the same oil I use as a moisturizer for my skin and sometimes for the boys as an after-sun. So in just one step, I avoided 3-4 products: rash cream, wipes, baby lotion and probably a wipe warmer. AND all the toxic chemicals that often come loaded with the first three products and EMF radiation that comes with the latter. 

This example may not work for you but I hope that you get my point: before buying a new product, you can first ask yourself: do I really need it? Can I supplement it with what I already have at home? Or better yet – can I make one myself?

I’ve always approached non-toxic living is a lifestyle rather than a purchasing list. There’s nothing wrong with going back to basics. Even if fierce marketing campaigns want us to believe that we somehow become inadequate buy not spending our hard-earned money on their “must-have” products. 

Less is more.