Pumpkin spice and…everything not so nice? For nearly a decade fragrance has been compared to secondhand smoke. Harmful ingredients linger in the vague label of fragrance. Companies hold no legal obligation to disclose what these ingredients may be or how they may impact our health. This is how fragrances and chemicals sneak into our homes.
Motherhood presents a perfect opportunity to go fragrance-free and reduce the chemicals in our homes by swapping out products. This can often be a daunting and expensive task. I always recommend making a list of items that may be harmful and slowly chipping away finding replacements as you run out of the product.
Below I have compiled five fragrance-free product swaps to get you started:
Deodorant
Lume. You may have seen this brand on Instagram. It has a lot of out-there marketing campaigns, but it really can work. Lume drops a lot of the hormone disrupters from their ingredient list such as aluminum. While also leaving baking soda, which is a common solution that can be irritating. It works with your body chemistry to prevent the bacterial reaction that causes odor. Lume does have some natural fragrances, but without full disclosure on what is in them scent-free is safest.
Skincare
Certain brands have had us fooled into believing we need a different scent for our morning and evening, but these scents and the ingredients tied to them come at quite a cost.
If you just want one skincare product on your counter this one is it. Columbia Skincare’s Probiotic Complex is designed to work in harmony with your skin and the microbiome of your skin while also stimulating collagen production and healing environmental damage from free radicals and other sources. While all of Columbia’s products are produced with natural ingredients and no added fragrance, their complex delivers an extra punch as it doubles as a facial mask or even an aftershave for men.
Makeup
We can all smell (insert generic makeup brand name) powder in our minds if we think about it, can’t we? Yes, but that isn’t a good thing!
Thank you to our girl Central Mass Mom contributor, Robin, on this one! My hunt for hormone-safe makeup that actually works has been a daunting one. But she has me covered now with… SEINT makeup. This makeup lasts all day with no dryness, and I’m certainly not broadcasting my entrance to any room with it!
Hair Products
Those shampoo commercials… are not good for anyone!
Phillip Kingsley’s “No Scent No Color” shampoos and conditioners bring a no-artificial fragrance experience to start your day. They offer a variety of formulas to achieve beautiful results for any hair type and without any gender basis to a fragrance they’re perfect for sharing!
Candles
Honestly, you’d be surprised but simmer pots can fill most homes with an amazing natural fragrance. Just toss a big pot on the stove and boil a few cups of water with herbs or fruits that will fill your home with a non-toxic fragrance. You can even use a crockpot to concentrate scent past the kitchen! Lately, I’ve been tossing in oranges and cinnamon and starting to embrace the fall season. Lemons are also fantastic for helping with odors. There’s a bonus with this chemical and fragrance-free swap by using the liquid to make fun-scented natural play dough. Two for one!
