Tag: safe swap

Safe Swaps for Melatonin

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I’ve seen so many desperate mommas lately looking for help with either their sleep or their kids’ sleep. Anyone who knows me personally knows my 16 month old Willow has struggled with sleep since she was born. I also have never been a good sleeper with my biggest issue being falling asleep. Because of this, I’ve tried A LOT of safe sleep aid products for myself and Willow.

What I’ve used for the girls and/or myself:

Lavender Essential Oil – rolled on bottom of feet

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – dropped in mouth

Earthley’s Goodnight Lotion – rubbed on tummy and legs

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – consumed during the day

Epsom Salt baths before bed – in bath

Green Compass Sleep Boost – in belly button

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – consumed before bed (would recommend for age 3+ starting with 1/4 jelly)

My thoughts/experiences:

Lavender oil used on Willow & myself – Noticed no improvement

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Helps me fall and stay asleep but not the best thing I’ve tried. Helps Adeline fall and stay asleep.

Eathley’s Goodnight Lotion – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Adeline loves it for her growing pains.

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – Noticed no improvement for Willow.

Epsom Salt baths before bed – Noticed no improvement for sleeping but does help calm both kids and make bedtime routine a little easier.

Green Compass Sleep Boost – The FIRST thing that has genuinely improved Willow’s sleep. Since starting it she went from waking 4-5 times a night to 1-2 and sleeping 2-3 hour stretches to over 6! All the hallelujah hands for this one πŸ™ŒπŸ™ŒπŸ™ŒπŸ™Œ

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – Only tried myself so far and they work amazingly. These help me fall and stay asleep the best of anything I’ve tried.

Links (it means the world to my family when you use my links to shop!):

$10 off Green Compass – https://jessicaderico.greencompassglobal.com/share/573327

Cherry Juice – https://amzn.to/3SUFwKI

Epsom Salt – https://amzn.to/49I5tCW

Earthley – https://earthley.com/ref/dericoj/

Let me know if you try any of these and how they work for you! And for more content like this, make sure you’re in my wellness community -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/

Stay well!

Safe Swap – Body WashΒ 

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Let’s take a look at some ingredients you want to say no to in your

𝔹𝕆𝔻𝕐 π•Žπ”Έπ•Šβ„ πŸ§Ό

βœ–οΈPhenoxyethanol-it is damaging to your DNA, neurotoxin-especially to babies. It is a very “green washed” ingredient.

βœ–οΈFragrance-any given fragrance mixture can contain up to 3000 chemicals and has been linked to reproductive issues, respiratory distress, allergies, and more.

βœ–οΈBHT-used as a synthetic preservative and is linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, and many more health concerns.

There are several more toxic ingredients to look out for but these are easy to spot!

Safe Alternatives

*Alaffia (the ones that do not contain fragrance)… Click here-> Alaffia Body Wash

*Crunchi Charcoal Body Bar… Click here -> http://www.crunchi.com/jessicaderico

*Carina Organics… Click here-> Carina Organics Body Wash

*Branch Basics

Our skin is our largest organ and it has the ability to absorb up to 64% of what we apply to it and some studies have shown our underarms and privates can absorb 100%!😳

It takes a minimum of 26 seconds of some ingredients we apply to our skin to be absorbed into our blood stream. So it is very important that we pay close attention to what we apply daily to our bodies!πŸ’—

As always I am happy to take a look at an ingredient list for you to help decipher if it is safe or not!

Happy Bathing!🧼

Safe Swap Sunday – Tissues

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I do not purchase tissues. I’ve never had a need for it. I have toxin free toilet paper auto shipped in bulk and that works just fine! For those of you who do love having a box of tissues in your home, though, it’s time to ditch and switch for sure!

If you go with a conventional brand, Kleenex for example, you’ll be getting a daily dose of:

❌ Mineral oil  

❌ Formaldehyde

❌ Chlorine bleach

❌ Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLF) 

❌ Dioxin

πŸ™…πŸ»β€β™€οΈ That’s gonna be a no for me…

If I were to buy tissues, I would buy them from the same place I buy TP, Who Gives a Crap. 

βœ… No trees harmed – made with 100% bamboo

βœ… 50% of profits donated to help build toilets

βœ… Biodegradable 

βœ… No inks, dyes, or scents

Good for the world

They’re B Corpβ„’ certified for the highest standards of social and environmental impact, making them a company I’m proud to support.

Remember, we vote with our dollars. Companies are going to continue to sell and make toxic garbage if we continue to purchase it. Ready to ditch the toxic tissues and grab some toxin free? Here’s a link to grab $10 off for ya: https://www.talkable.com/x/kYIJPf

Dropping Some Truth

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I wanted to drop some truth in here really quickly… πŸ˜™

I want everyone to feel comfortable commenting on this blog and joining me over in my wellness community on FB no matter where you’re at on your toxin free journey. If you’re as crunchy as it gets or if you haven’t started going toxin free at all yet, but you’re interested in learning about it, I don’t ever want anyone to feel judged or to ever feel like I am perfect. So, I want to share the real me, flaws and all, with all of you! ☺️

I started my toxin free journey in March of 2018 and I’m STILL not 100% toxin free in all areas of my life, and to tell you the truth, I may never be. My fiancΓ© and I talk about balance a lot and how important it is to us to keep our sanity.

THERE ARE A FEW SAFE SWAPS THAT WE JUST MADE, ALMOST TWO YEARS INTO OUR JOURNEY. THOSE ARE:

Switching razors

Switching toothpaste (I was still using Toms even though I knew it wasn’t the best option)

Going from ziplock bags to reusable silicone bag

Switching things in our kitchen like cookware, food storage containers, and mugs

THERE ARE A FEW SAFE SWAPS I AM STILL PLANNING ON MAKING BUT HAVEN’T YET BECAUSE OF TIME, MONEY, ETC. THOSE ARE:

Plastic wrap

Using plastic straws when out

Water filter

Birth Control

AND, THERE ARE A FEW SAFE SWAPS I MAY NEVER MAKE BECAUSE I FEEL MY HAPPINESS HONESTLY DEPENDS ON HAVING BALANCE IN THESE AREAS. THOSE ARE:

Dunkin’ Donuts coffee

Candy (while I don’t buy the toxic stuff for myself anymore, if someone gives it to me, I’m gonna eat it, I just am)

Mani/Pedis

Not worrying about what we eat outside of our house (or special occasions like when I wanted cookie cake and wine for Mother’s Day!)

Moral of the story: Just because you see me posting about living a clean, toxin free life that doesn’t mean I’m perfect in every area all the time. So, whether you haven’t started your toxin free journey yet, you’re in the beginning steps, or super duper crunchy, you have a place in my group! I’d love to welcome you in with open arms https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/