Being an outdoor family is never boring. There is always some new place to explore or some new activity I want to try. I think we get out as often as we do because we eat healthy, exercise, and do our best to use natural products. I have always advocated for healthier food and support real food diets. But I wanted to talk just a minute about healthy products for our body and home. I think it’s important to avoid harsh chemicals and unnecessary additives when possible. Don’t you?

Natural Products

For a second year in a row, I attended ShiftCon, an eco-wellness influencer conference. The event focuses on organic and all-natural products, organic foods, political issues, education, and advocacy. ShiftCon 2016 was held in New Orleans and was the biggest to date with over 50 vendors. I found some new products and brands promoting healthy living and home that I wanted to share with you. Some are brands that I use with new products I want to point out or new brands that are offering healthy living products perfect for active families.

Laundry & Cleaning Products

Molly’s Suds Liquid Laundry Detergent

Molly’s Suds has laundry cleaners that get your clothes clean without harsh chemicals and additives. I have used their laundry powder and wool dryer balls with great success. They now have a new liquid laundry detergent. This ultra-concentrated liquid is gentle on fabrics, but tough on stains. It is gentle enough for sensitive skin and for use on delicate fabrics like sleeping bags.

Just like all the other Molly’s Suds products, this liquid detergent is free of all the things you don’t want in a cleaning agent. It’s unscented, preservative free, dye free, and no harsh chemicals.

biokleen Dish Soap and bac-out Products

biokleen offers eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products that are mineral based and super concentrated. The two products I really like are their dish soap and bac-out fabric refresher. 

The dish soap is phosphate free and contains only plant based ingredients. So it’s one that I can use at home and when I’m outdoors. Outdoor specific dish soap can be expensive and is full of added ingredients that make it undesirable for our family. I can get this as fragrance free or with natural lemon thyme extracts.

Biokleen’s  bac-out products are enzyme based odor and stain eliminators. They clean and refresher with the  help of essential oils  and citrus extracts. The fabric refresher is something I can use to get the smoke smell out of camping gear and clothes without harsh fumes or chemicals.  It tackles pet odors too. Next on my want to try list is their bathroom cleaner.

Dietary Supplements

MegaFood hosted a keynote lunch with Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, MD. I learned so much from her keynote speech and have begun reading her book, Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and More. Prior to this lunch, I thought I was getting all the nutrition I needed from my food. Unfortunately, I learned that this wasn’t true and that a good quality supplement is needed.

MegaFood Multivitamins

I have been taking the MegaFood Multi for Women since the conference. It’s a plant based multivitamin and mineral dietary supplement. I really like how much better I feel. I have been dealing with anxiety issues for many years. Lately, my triggers aren’t as sensitive and I just feel all around better. I just received a bottle of the MegaFood Adult B Centered multivitamins. Vitamin B supports cognitive health and has been helped to improve anxiety issues.

 

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

I have heard people and fellow bloggers rave about Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for some time. They were at ShiftCon last year, but I didn’t really understand the importance of taking supplemental collagen. This was the first time I tried it and I really liked  it. Collagen is essential for the body and is needed for skin, hair, nails, bones and joints.  As I get older, I notice a significant change in those things. I am willing to age gracefully, but am open to natural supplements that help me get out and be active. Adding supplemental collagen helps with improve skin moisture, reduces signs of aging, and increases joint flexibility. I received a large container of Collagen Peptides and have been adding it to my morning coffee. I can see a positive change in my skin texture and my joints don’t hurt as much when the weather changes.

Skincare

Goddess Garden Organics Sun Repair System

I love Goddess Garden Organics sunscreens and have used them for years. They are free of harsh chemicals and are effective at protecting my skin outdoors. Being an outdoor active family, we go through a lot of sunscreen and this is the only brand I use.

They have a new skincare  line that I am excited about. Their Sun Repair System is a day and night routine that helps reverse past damage and protects against future exposure. I like the natural ingredients each products contain. I’ll have to know how I like it after a few weeks.

Redmond Clay and Earth Paste 

I was introduce to Redmond products at Type A Parent Conference last October. They are a natural company based in Utah. They produce Earthpaste toothpaste, Real Salt, ad Redmond Clay.

I really like their Earth Paste toothpaste. It doesn’t suds up like normal toothpaste and doesn’t contain fluoride.  It uses Redmond Clay, essential oils, and real salt to naturally clean the teeth. I’m not sure which I like better, the lemon or the peppermint.

Bentonite Clay is now a staple in my hiking first aid kit. It’s a natural product and can be used over 1000 ways. Add a little water to a small amount of bentonite clay to make a paste to put on cuts, insect bites, bee stings, burns, and cuts. The clay draws out the impurities and you wash it out before it dries completely. It can be used on the face to help with acne too. You can get the clay in powder form and in a premixed tube.The premix is what I have in my kit because it’s easier to travel with and the powder I have at home.