Switching to natural products can be incredibly beneficial for your overall health. If you aren’t accustomed to choosing natural or organic bath and body products, it might feel a little overwhelming to walk into your local natural store and see how many options there are. Each brand claims different accolades and focuses, so how do you know which is best for you? First, you’ll have to decide what you’re looking for in a product. Once you know that, there are a few basic steps you can follow to find the best products for you.
Read Labels
You can Google search “What is the best natural toothpaste for braces?” or “Natural deodorants that really work” and find lists and blogs all claiming they have the best products. What you really need to know, though, is what you want to avoid in your products. Natural products pride themselves in leaving out ingredients that aren’t supportive of your health, so if you know what you don’t want, it makes finding what you do want a lot easier.
The easiest way to see if a product aligns with what you’re looking for is to read the label. Maybe you’re particularly sensitive to a specific chemical like Diethanolamine (DEA) or your skin is sensitive to synthetic fragrances. Read through the product ingredients of anything you’re considering to make sure they’re free of these substances.
Alternatively, you might know exactly what you do want in a product. For example, maybe you’re looking for a water-based natural deodorant. Reading the label can help you to evaluate if the ingredients are safe for you personally and also what base the product uses.
Look for Certifications
Another easy way to choose a natural product that aligns with your needs or values is to look for any certifications the brand or product has received. It’s not uncommon for products to display certifications like certified organic, non-GMO, or vegan. These can help you narrow down products to only brands that align with your personal beliefs and goals.
Do a Quick Search
Brands can only fit so much information on their packaging, so sometimes you might want to do a quick search while you’re standing in the aisle. Researching the brand can help you learn more about what they value in their products and what they’re doing to make things more natural. This can be especially helpful if you need a more detailed ingredients list for a specific product or are wondering about the brand’s stance on a particular issue.
Try It Out
If you find yourself reaching an impasse between a few different products, sometimes the only way to find your favorite one is through trial and error. Lots of natural brands align along with the same set of values, so their products are likely to be extremely similar. This doesn’t mean your body will react to them all the same way, though.
Buying a sample size or tester of a product is an easy way to use it a few times and see if it’ll be your next go-to product. You might find you don’t like the feel of one product or another isn’t giving you the results you hoped for. Keep trying different brands until you find one that works with your personal body chemistry and needs.
Stick With It
Once you find a brand you love, stick with it! Remember that sometimes it can take a while before you start seeing results with natural products, so if you’re initially happy with a product, try to hold out for those long-term gains. You can also start to explore the rest of their products and branch into natural products in other areas of your life. Add a natural shampoo and conditioner to your cart next time, or a bamboo toothbrush and fiber floss.
Finding natural products can seem difficult when you aren’t sure what to look for. Look at the labels, notice certifications, do a quick brand search, and try out new brands to find one that works for you.
Author: Finnegan Pierson
