My Go-To Low-Tox Personal Care Products for Spring 2025

Quick and Easy Ways to Vet Products

Here’s how you start: 

You don’t need to be a chemist to choose safer products. Tools like the EWG Skin Deep Database, Organic Bunny, and Mamavation website make label reading a breeze. 

1. Scan for Seals and Certifications

EWG Verified (Environmental Working Group)

Why it’s important: This seal ensures that a product is free from harmful chemicals and meets high standards for safety and transparency. It’s one of the most trusted seals in the clean beauty industry.

USDA Organic Seal

Why it’s important: The USDA Organic seal guarantees that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic and grown without harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. It’s the gold standard for organic products.

NSF Certified (National Sanitation Foundation)

‍Why it’s important: NSF certification ensures that products meet strict safety, quality, and environmental standards. It's especially important for verifying safe manufacturing processes and ingredient purity.

Non-GMO Project Verified

Why it’s important: This seal means the product is free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). If you want to avoid GMOs in your beauty and skincare products, this is the certification to look for.

Made Safe Certified

‍Why it’s important: The Made Safe® certification ensures that products are made with safe, non-toxic ingredients. It guarantees the product is free from harmful chemicals that could pose risks to your health.

2. Scan for Red Flags

Watch out for ingredients like:

• ‍Fragrance/parfum/perfume: umbrella terms that may hide hundreds of chemicals, including hormone-disrupting phthalates.‍
• Phthalates (e.g., DEP, DBP, DEHP): linked to hormone disruption and reproductive harm.‍
• Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (e.g., DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea): associated with cancer and allergic reactions.‍
• Parabens (e.g., methylparaben, propylparaben): known endocrine disruptors.‍
• PEGs & Polysorbates (e.g., PEG-40, Polysorbate 20/80): can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen.‍
• Oxybenzone: a chemical sunscreen agent that is a known endocrine disruptor, linked to hormonal imbalances, and harmful to aquatic life.

If you're managing hormone imbalances, inflammation, or chronic illness, reducing your exposure to certain preservatives is important. Ingredients like phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate, benzoic acid, and anything ending in “-quaternium” can add to your body’s toxic load.  While some of these show up in “cleaner” products and may have small amounts, it all adds up over time. When your health is already compromised, taking a “less is more” approach can make a real difference.

3. More on the EWG Healthy Living App

Ingredients scoring above a 3 on EWG are typically best avoided. Try to stick to products with ingredients rated 1–2. Check out a quick walk-thru of how to use the EWG app on Instagram!

4. Start at the Bottom

Preservatives and additives are usually listed last — look there first! If you're managing hormone imbalances, inflammation, or chronic illness, reducing your exposure to certain preservatives is important.

My Top Clean Picks

These are the items I have used, along with a few that I’m excited to try next. I wanted to provide you with a variety of brand options to choose from. Just like we switch up our grocery lists and home decor, it’s totally normal to want to try different products, especially depending on the season.

Note: Always check individual products, as formulas can change over time.

Makeup

1. OGEE Complexion Stick: Great coverage and great on-the-go product.
2. OGEE Contour Set
3. INIKA Organic Liquid Foundation: Love this brand.
4. Fitglow Beauty Natural Liquid Foundation
5. 100 % Pure Foundation
6. Suntegrity Impeccable Skin SPF Tinted Moisturizer
7. Fitglow Beauty Mascara
8. Emani Natural Healthy Lash Mascara: Less clumps than other low-tox brands.
9. Agent Nateur- Holi Growth Mascara: Amazing for length and volume, but may require combing as it can clump slightly.
10. 100 % Pure Ultra Lengthening Mascara
11. INIKA Eye Pencil: It goes on smoothly. I love this pencil!
12. Withsimplicity Eye Shadow
13. 100% Pure Eyeshadow

Face Washes & Cleansers

1. OGEE Liquid Gold Cleansing Oil: My fave. Light, smells wonderful, effective, gentle.
2. Fitglow Beauty Makeup Detox Cleanser 
3. Fitglow Beauty Calming Cleanser
4. 100% Pure Cucumber Cloud Foam Cleanser
5. Aleavia Purifying Facial Cleanse
6. Primally Pure Cleansing Oil: Comes in 2nd! A bit thicker, but so nourishing for your skin.

Moisturizers, Face Oils & Serums

1. OGEE Activated Botanical Primer: My fave. Very hydrating and makes your skin smooth.
2. OGEE JoJoba Glow Face Oil
3. OGEE Indigo Dream Renewal Face: Cream. My fave. Pricey, but so amazing.
4. Fitglow Beauty Cloud Collagen Oil
5. Cliganic Jojoba Oil
6. Ogee Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Another fave. Plumping and moisturizing.
7. Fitglow Beauty Cloud Collagen Oil 
8. Earth Harbor Aurora Superfood Luminence Ampoule
9. Suntegrity BB Cream SPF

Body Wash & Soaps

1. Aleavia Cranberry Body Cleanse: My fave. Gentle on skin and leaves you feeling clean.
2. 100% Pure Coconut Shower Gel
3. Attitude Boy Wash For Sensitive Skin
4. Beekman 1802 Soap Bar
5. Dr. Bronners Pure Castille Liquid Soap
6. The Honest Company Eczema Soothing Cleanse Body Wash

Deodorants

1. Primally Pure Vanilla Citrus Deodorant: My fave. Gentle, yet effective for us sweaty girlies.
2. Curie White Tea Deodorant
3. Hume Supernatural Roll On Deodorant

Hair Care

1. Innersense Hair Bath: I love this for fine hair.
2. 100 % Pure Healthy Scalp Shampoo: Great for fine hair and eczema.
3. 100 % Pure Healthy Scalp Conditioner
4. 100 % Pure Glossy Locks Shampoo
5. 100 % Pure Glossy Locks Conditioner
6. Pacifica Salty Waves Texture Spray
7. John Masters Organics Hair Spray
8. Earth Harbor Beach Waves Hair Texturizer
9. Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse: This has been my go-to to add a bit more curl to my hair.

Sunscreen

1. Badger SPF 30 Daily Unscented. Love this.
2. Babo Botanicals SPF 50: Love this too!
3. Coco Kind Daily SPF
4. Pipette Mineral Sunscreen
5. Suntegrity Mineral Sunscreen

Baby & Kids

1. Pipette Baby Shampoo & Body Wash: I used this for years with my son.
2. Alaffia Baby + Kids Shampoo and Bodywash: This makes your skin and hair so soft.
3. Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Shampoo & Wash Bar
4. Hello Fluoride Free Toothpaste
5. Happy Tooth Kids Toothpaste

Toothpaste & Oral Care

1. Essential Oxygen BR Organic Toothpaste
2. Hello Fluoride Free Toothpaste. Works good.
3. Happy Tooth Toothpaste 
4. The Humble Co. Floss Sticks. Use these every day.
5. Cocofloss
6. Radius Sponge Floss

Nail Polish

1. withSimplicity
2. 100 % Pure- ZERO Nail Polish. Love this brand. 
3. Ella + Mila Professional Nail Polish

Keep in mind that low-tox nail polishes and other products do not contain as many ingredients that make them thicker, harder, or last longer. These nail polishes will typically start to chip after 48 hours. 

Don’t Forget to Double-Check

Even great brands update their formulas. Always cross-check ingredients on EWG before repurchasing. A little vigilance goes a long way.

Being Your Own Product Advocate

The best part of being a knowledgeable consumer is that you get to take control of what goes onto your skin. I recommend reading my blog posts to stay informed and simplify your journey. 

My goal is to empower you to identify and toss products with harmful ingredients and replace them with truly safe alternatives. Let’s push makeup brands and companies to provide products with cleaner, less toxic ingredients for the benefit of our health, pets, and planet.

Let’s Hear from You!

What are your favorite clean swaps for personal care? Drop a comment or DM me on Feather & Nest’s Instagram — I’d love to feature your favorites or answer any questions! Here’s to feeling good, glowing naturally, and simplifying your routine one safe swap at a time.