If you haven’t heard my weird liver story yet, let me summarize it for you. Once upon a time, I had one single beer at a concert a few years ago and got so sick. I thought nothing of it, maybe it was food poisoning? A month later, the same thing happened with one single beer. I had also started to feel very groggy and run down in life, I was just so TIRED. I couldn’t figure out why- I was always working out, I’d always been pretty healthy… flash forward a few doctor appointments later (they told me I probably just had a virus.. multiple times… and offered no other support besides seeing a GI and liver doc). My liver enzymes had been constantly elevated, I now had to take antibiotics for an infection in my gut, AND they had found a hydrosalpinx in my Fallopian tube… plus an ovarian cyst.

It was all a bit overwhelming at the time for a young, healthy mid-late-20s girl..

It was so overwhelming that when I found all this out, I went off the birth control pill because I was terrified I could never get pregnant (because of the hydrosalpinx).

This is when the detox began.

Over the years, I’ve progressively transitioned things (it’s been about 4 years now since I started on this path).. my skin has gotten immensely better.. I magically “healed myself” from the cyst and the hydrosalpinx (per the reproductive endocrinologist.. who also told me all of this could’ve been caused by birth control..)

I started learning about all of these toxins and how they can easily overload your liver, a poor organ that takes so much and is completely forgotten about.

But you ask anyone in conventional medicine, and unless they’ve been through it, they won’t agree. They may say there’s no treatment. Or I could’ve been prescribed more medication – which would’ve maybe helped current symptoms, but would’ve made my liver worse over time.

So here we are… on my journey of healing and living a low-tox life. These are some of the things I LOVE and have switched to over the years — all of which are less toxic than other common day things you might find at your local store.

Branch basics – We use this for everything. It has no scent though I have added essential oils to it before! We use it as a spray and as our laundry detergent. I once had the foaming hand wash too but it got stuck a lot, so I haven’t bought that since. Otherwise- love this and oxygen boost for cleaning everything!

Force of nature – This is a disinfectant. You mix it up and it lasts for 2 weeks! It smells like bleach and it is powerful but it does fade as the days progress. I use this with laundry (I spray it on things with odor) and when we’re doing a deep clean- usually when someone is sick.

Tubby Todd – Yes I have read things saying this isn’t the “cleanest” out there, but we like it and it hasn’t caused us any issues (rashes or anything of that nature). I like to stock up whenever there’s a sale!

Wool balls – I believe we also got these from Branch Basics! I’ll put essential oils on them when we dry our clothes, so much better than dryer sheets (which are a big pore clogger—did you know that?!).

Essential oils: Listen, I won’t sell these to you but I know you know someone who will- ha!! I use doterra but I’ve also seen some on Primally pure that I would buy. Of course there’s also young living. I have a “fancier” diffuser in our kitchen but I also have a regular, plastic, not as breakable diffuser in my daughter’s room (because…toddlers). It changes colors and she loves that when it’s on! It was cheaper but it has worked well for us!

Beeswax candles – I love candles but the fragrance in them is so bad for you! I have tried a few brands and personally love Hon’s Honey, but you can find a few on Etsy and even some on Amazon!

Thrift shopping – I haven’t bought any clothes brand new in awhile, and I love it! I have really fallen in love with the minimalistic way of life, and while our house is a bit crazy because…kids. I find myself cleaning things out frequently and just getting rid of them or donating them! I’ve bought multiple things for myself and the kids off thredup– where I’ve also donated AND sold clothes too. It’s not going to make you a ton of money selling things, but I am just happy to get rid of excess, truly!

Toothpaste – While I will go back and forth and use some “regular” toothpaste with fluoride here and there, I generally use Risewell, which is filled with hydroxyapatite to help remineralize teeth. I get this for the kids as well!

Body wash – I have gone through a few of these but I currently love Necessaire.. but I’m also weirdly obsessed with the smell of eucalyptus at this time of life, so that’s probably why.

Deodorant: I’ve tried a few here- I don’t go through deodorant quickly, but I really want to try Primally Pure next time I run out as I think it’s the cleanest option. I’ve also used Native, which I like and currently Necessaire because I’m always bundling things for free shipping if I can, and since I use their body wash, I just added this bad boy onto it. Again, love the eucalyptus smell.

Dry shampoo: Primally Pure. This is not an aerosol, it’s a powder! I have used it for years and I love it.

Shampoo and conditioner: So.. rumor has it my favorite skincare brand is making a shampoo.. but until then, I’ve been using Necessaire and I like it! I have a hard time finding a good shampoo and conditioner for my scalp, but this one is okay. It’s nothing amazing, in my opinion, but it’s good.

Facial care: I could talk for days about CLEARSTEM. I’ve tried the face wash (which I go back and forth between theirs and face reality currently). I love their serums- bounce back is incredible and definitely recommended for anyone age 30+ who might be downsloping from their collagen high. You can always use my code Palmer for 15% off year-round, but they also will have other deals for holidays and Black Friday sales (I usually announce on my IG)— my code will then change your discount too (like right now, it’s 26% off through the end of November!)

Swedish Dish Rags: I hate using a million paper towels and my husband apparently LOVES to do that (womp). I bought these in hopes I could cut down on that waste and save us a few paper towels here and there- it has worked! I’ll frequently use these when there is just a water spill or whenever there’s not a ton to wipe up! You can throw them in the dishwasher too – so easy to clean!

Reusable bags: Stasher bags are by far the best BUT they can be pricey. I have some stasher bags (they’re dishwasher friendly, microwave safe, etc) and I also have this brand that is not dishwasher or microwave safe (I use these for my 1 gallon freezer meal prep). Both are good options just depending on what you’re looking for and there are of course more out there!

Water filter: We bought a Hydroviv filter a few months ago to filter out our sink water! It does slow down the flow of the cold water, but it’s cheaper and way easier to install than a reverse osmosis filter and will filter out a lot more than your typical brita. They personalize them to your zipcode too!

Coffee creamer: I go back and forth between wanting a latte and wanting a black coffee just depending on my mood and my taste buds that day. I’m absolutely all for indulging and listening to your body when you need something sweet, but a lot of the times I just want a little extra flavor – but nothing crazy. This creamer HAS to be frothed/mixed/blended in, you can’t just dump it in your coffee (you will be disappointed). I use one of these frothers (it’s nice to be hands-free) but you could also use any of the handheld ones!

Bidet: Okay I was always weirded out by bidets in Japan but I honestly regret not using them sooner- I freaking love bidets now! We bought ours from Tushy a few years ago and it was also a lifesaver postpartum (IYKYK). We also get their toilet paper because most toilet paper is bleached and nobody needs a bleached bootyhole.

Caraway Pans: These are the non-toxic ceramic pans that you may have seen on social media. We cook A TON in our house and I felt like it was a priority for us to have a good, clean set of pots and pans (our other ones were old anyways). We’ve now had this cookware set for 2 years and still love it! It’s absolutely an investment (like most things on this list), but a worthy one.

Hope this helped you get an idea of things you might be wanting to switch to! I’m always progressively trying to make more sustainable switches and I usually post about them on Instagram as well.

Be sure to follow along (@thesleepdpt) or email me if you ever have questions 🙂

**Some of these links are affiliate links, some are not! All of these are items I currently use.