7 Of My Favourite Bath & Body Products

When I did my first degree in hotel management (at which time I was a vegetarian), I learnt all about what cleaning products are made of. Until that point, I had absolutely no idea nor interest in that topic, and simply used the products that my family had been using and ones that advertisement told me were good.

During my studies I found out that most of the ingredients in the conventional products I was using were harmful to the environment – and also bad for our skin.

I took a closer look at the products I had in my cupboard and realised that most of my beauty products were also pretty bad for me and the environment.

It wasn’t fun to cut out my beloved Pantene shampoo and other bath products, especially because it takes a while until all the nasties get flushed out from your hair. During the transition period my hair felt greasy, lacked shine and it wasn’t as curly as it normally is.

At the same time though, my sensitive and super dry skin really appreciated that I had turned towards natural products. While I was using special products to help with my dry, sensitive skin, most of them did the opposite. Paraffinum lidquidum as an ingredient makes your skin feel moisturised at first, but it’s just a film layer on top of your skin.

Since using natural bath and body products, I have never looked back and am happy knowing that I’m not only avoiding unnecessary harm to the environment, I’m also protecting my skin.

Here are some of my current 7 favourite products. All of them are natural, vegan and free from nasties.

1. Good Things ‘Stay Clear’ Purifying Cleanser with Mango & Blueberry (find on Target Aus). I have purchased several Good Things products before and have loved all of them (especially their masks). I bought this in Target on a whim and also really, really like it. It’s very gentle, has a pleasant fruity smell and is really cleansing. Even though you can remove tinted moisturiser, concealer or blush with it, you have to use another product to remove eye make up (I normally rely on coconut oil for that task).
2. Australian Pure Beauty ‘Pores Be Clean’ Exfoliating Face Scrub for sensitive skin (find on Woollies here). I love me a good scrub, but some can be quite harsh for your skin and leave your face red and irritated. This one is the best ones I’ve tried yet – it is really gentle but thoroughly exfoliates the skin on your face and smells pretty good too. It’s gentle enough so that you can use it more than once a week and also lathers nicely so it’s easy to distribute on your face and even easier to rinse off.
3. Now Solutions ‘Xyli White Cinnafresh’ Toothpaste Gel (it’s here on iHerb). I have been using this toothpaste on and off for a few years now (switching it up with a peppermint toothpaste) and just love it. I absolutely adore cinnamon and this is the only reason I bought this product to begin with. You don’t need a big amount of it and it really does leave your teeth feel super clean whilst the cinnamon is oddly refreshing. Additionally, when you have a craving for something sweet, this really helps combat it. I have to say though that I absolutely cannot attest for the claim it’ll make your teeth whiter. If you want a whitening tooth paste, I would not buy this one.
4. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap (available on Dr. Bronner AU). At the moment I’m using the ’18-in-1 Hemp Rose’ kind, but there are so many more that I like. Last time I checked not all of their products were vegan, and some also contained palm oil (even though it says it’s from fair trade production, I’d rather not buy anything with palm oil in it), so make sure you read the label. This is honestly my favourite shower gel ever, and I’ve been using it for a good 5 years. I switch up the scent every so often, but my favourites are rose, lavender and citrus-orange. It creates a lovely foam, is easy to wash off and leaves your skin feel super soft. You also only need a small amount, which is not always common for eco shower gels.
5. Essano ‘Rosehip Intensive Hydrating Body Lotion’ (can be bought on Priceline). I discovered this body lotion when I first moved to Australia a year ago and have been using it since. I’m nearly at the end of my second bottle, so when you look at how long a bottle is lasting you, it’s really not expensive. I love this products because I absolutely adore the smell. It’s just one of those floral scents that you want as a perfume. But most importantly, it actually does what it says on the package and leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated after I use it. Love it and I don’t think I will change my body lotion anytime soon. Bonus point for the pink label 😉
6. Crystal Essence ‘Mineral Deodorant Roll-on’ in Pomegranate (you can find it here on iHerb. The spray bottle is actually better value, but this size is perfect for travelling). If you have used natural deodorants before, you will know that not all of them work the same way. To this day, I would say that Rexona/Sure produce the most long-lasting deo I’ve ever come across. But then – do you actually NEED a deodorant that will keep you smelling fresh for 36+ hours? Not really. This natural deodorant really does work for a day, I even ran half marathons wearing only this and I wasn’t smelly afterwards. It doesn’t contain any aluminium or other nasties, which I find really important. So many people use natural shower gels, body lotions etc. but then slather on a chemical deo on top. I also really love Tom’s of Maine Deodorant Stick in Lavender, and I change both those deodorants up regularly.
7. Eco Store ‘Coconut & Vanilla Handwash’ (buy directly on their website). I love this brand and this hand wash is one of my favourites. It smells amazing (if you like coconut and vanilla) and it’s also really moisturising. Bonus point is that you can still smell it after you used it. This is one of those natural soaps that’s easy to lather up into a foam and it also washes off nicely. The company makes different scents of this soap, but I prefer this one.

Most of the products can be purchased online or found at Woolworth stores (I buy the face scrub, body lotion and hand wash there), though I bought the facial cleanser at Target. I also regularly buy things on iHerb. Shipping takes a while because the company is based in the US, but they have absolutely amazing products and you can not only get beauty things there, but also supplements, herbs and food items (for example nutritional yeast, peanut butter, vegan sweets, pasta). You can even get Dr. Bronner products on Asos!

ETA: none of this is sponsored and there are no affiliate links in this post.