NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by an AI tool. Please forgive any typos or errors. Cleaning up your products Cara: [00:00:00] Hi everyone today. We're talking about how I started to clean up my product list at home and personal. All the products mentioned in this podcast are not official sponsors or affiliates to my podcast, but I do have personal links from being a customer of theirs that I will provide that will help you get money off your first purchase or free gifts with your first purchase while also giving me credit, which is always helpful. So I can give you guys feedback on other products that I may have not tried. So those will be in the show notes and I can't wait to get started. INTRO: Welcome to floductivity, a place to inspire and empower women to embrace self-love and self-development for the perfect balance of productivity. I'm your host, Cara Dempsey. And I share ways to connect to your intuition through self care cycle planning, spirituality, wellness, and everything in between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. If this [00:01:00] is your first time. Welcome. And if you've been with me here before, thank you so much for coming back. I'm so excited to join you in this journey. As we learn together. Cara: cleaning up. My products was probably one of the first places I started on my wellness journey after seeing an alarming amount of products and how they affected women's hormones. I was not going to take this lightly. I also realized that natural products were more expensive. And so I've tried to find ways to keep them on a budget. I'm not an expert on clean products, but I can share the ones that have helped me in the past. My journey began with deodorant and it was my hardest one to crack. I had to switch for so many reasons. My body was having a reaction and I would get rashes in my armpits, but when I would use any type of deodorant, it was getting so bad. I could barely lift my arms. I have somewhat figured out why I have the rash, but finding a deodorant [00:02:00] that didn't cause pain was my main concern. I realize most name-brand deodorants have metals in them and can cause many different issues. You can do your own research if you'd like, but here are some reasons why you should consider switching to a more natural version of deodorant because antiperspirants are applied often and around near the breast. Some reports claim that chemicals could be absorbed through your skin and can cause estrogen like hormonal effects. Alzheimer's and breast cancer have both been linked to aluminum compounds found in antiperspirants and some might even contain infertility, toxic chemicals, ekes. , so this was a big one. Why I changed. I knew that some of my issues were probably related to my hormones and that was why I ditched the deodorant. As soon as I could. We are supposed to sweat and using antiperspirants can cause bacteria buildup. I had tried so many deodorants, like all the well-known natural ones, but once I found this particular company, (add clip of little seed farm ) I never looked back. Little [00:03:00] seed. Farm only uses the highest quality, natural, organic ingredients supporting responsible farming techniques and ethical business practices worldwide. Their solar panels on their farm generate a hundred percent of the electricity used to produce their products and operate their business farm I'll warn you. It's a paste, which is different, but I do use the bamboo applicator that you can buy from them. My favorite scent is the charcoal, because I feel like it gives the most scent protection and can really help. When I am working out a sweat. My runner up is the Jasmine green tea. And the benefit too, from ordering from them is you can try to free samples if you pay for shipping. And a pro tip is every time I order, I add the free samples to my cart. Since I'm already paying for shipping and meet the free shipping requirements, they are great for travel and it's always nice to have extra. So I don't have to pack the whole jar. I had gotten my husband, the [00:04:00] charcoal bar soap awhile back, probably a couple of Christmases ago. And it's one of his staples. He absolutely loves it. I recently got him two other cents for a gift, but the buyers actually lasts so long that he has not had a chance to try them yet. So stay tuned for. I love the elasticity serum and the antioxidant serum. I had gotten a gift set that came with a Jade roller, and I love that as well, to be able to use those serums, with the. I had also gotten a holiday scent pack that is vanilla peppermint, which I love peppermint. so there's deodorant and body oil, so if you were to get them around the holidays, just be aware there's a little bit of a cooling effect. It also came with the peppermint healing hand aid, which, I'm obsessed with, especially when I was a hairstylist during the winter time. This was the best thing for having my hands in water. I still love it. I just don't need it as much as I did as a [00:05:00] hairstylist. They have the healing hand aid as a regular plain scent. which is great. It just doesn't have that, vanilla peppermint smell, which, I'm obsessed with. I've gotten both scrubs. They're both great. The charcoal detox does have salt in it. So keep in mind, do not put it on any cuts cause it will burn. Next up was trying out Grove. I'm sure most of you have heard of, uh, I had heard of it for a very long time. I fought the idea of getting Grove because I don't like being in subscriptions. I can't control, but I feel like how they have their setup. It's very different. They give you an option to review your cart about. Before it's going to ship and you just have the option to push it out, , on another week, another month, whatever works best for you. So it is a subscription that leaves you in control of when you're ordering. And that's what I need in a subscription. Cara: I like grove because they also give you free products. When you [00:06:00] choose the ship now, option, it gives me an option to try products. I probably wouldn't have purchased. I've tried quite a bit over the last two years, but I'm going to share my regular slash favorites. As for cleaning products, Mrs. Meyer's all purpose. Sprays are great. Basil has been my favorite scent I buy the refill bottle as well for a more cost effective option. Laundry detergent was a hard one for me to switch. I really thought that I didn't get sent to. Because it was better, with the well-known brands, but I still was reading how they affected hormones and I knew I needed to make the switch. And I was able to do that because of the option of trying a free product. And I found one that I love it is method Mango, ginger. They also have the dryer sheets and just understand that normal dryer sheets are really not good for women. And these are very different. They have a different texture. So if you decide to try that, just keep that in mind. It just takes some time. I actually just [00:07:00] stopped using dryer sheets and just thought I was never going to be able to experience them again. And once I came across the scent, mango ginger, it seems very different, but I love it. I also use the Molly suds, peppermint laundry powder. It is great to brighten lights. And when I washed dirtier items and I also use it to freshen up towels, I did not think that the peppermint laundry powder would go well with the mango ginger, but they seem to somehow mesh together in a way that doesn't seem. I've switched my body wash to method. my favorite sense are nourish, hydrate, and peace. There are other ones that I've tried, but those seem to be my favorites. I am obsessed with the cure, radically rejuvenating under eye hydro mask. They are great just for a little pick me up. I try to do them often, but sometimes I forget. And if you're ever traveling and you want to just give yourself a little treat, they're just like in their own separate packs. I also love [00:08:00] the organic vitamin C and revitalizing organic sheet mask. It is a nice refresher. I don't know how to explain it, but it makes you feel like you've been out in the sun, but in the most hydrating, glowing kind of way. And again, it comes in its own package. So if you're traveling, you can just pop it in your bag versus like a tube mask. I have tried a few different types of multivitamin. And the one that I have been using lately is the honu her health superfood infused women's multivitamin. I seem to like it. I haven't noticed a big difference in many different types of multivitamin. So I'm always willing to try new ones, but this is the one that I've been using for a while. And I do enjoy. Another, one thing that I've come across lately is the beauty by earth coffee, bean awakening, eye cream. It's just nice in the mornings. When I know I have to go out and about, and I want to make sure that it doesn't look like I just rolled out of bed. [00:09:00] Other products worth mentioning are the method toilet cleaner, the Grove concentrate, glass cleaner. And to be honest, I haven't found a glass cleaner as good as Windex, but , once I changed to using a squeegee versus a microfiber towel, it was a game changer. So I've found that I don't need. The power of Windex. When I use a squeegee, , I would recommend just go get a squeegee. Now, if you hate doing windows, as much as I have. Intro for #11: Are you looking to have a more easeful and purposeful life? Well, planning around my cycle has changed my life. And I know with this concept, it can help other women take on the test. At the right times for more productivity. I created a free cycle planning principles to help guide you. Understand your cycle. For your work and home life. Visit Caradempsey.com/cycle. Or check the show notes. Cara: I do use a lot of essential oils for my diffuser and when I make homemade cleaners. So I do get [00:10:00] the orange and lemon essential oils from Grove as well. There is the hello, fresh spearmint fluoride-free toothpaste. that has been good. It is definitely a change when you are moving away from a known brand. So if you decide to do that, just be aware like most natural products, there will be a time where it just takes some time to get used to. I do also get the Mrs. Meyer's hand soaps and plum Berry has been my kids' favorite, but we've, we've gotten a few different ones and have been happy with a lot of them. And of course I have to get peppermint around the holidays. the next one I'm going to talk about it was a hard switch for me, but once I made the switch, I realized that it was much better for my body. I began to think about women's disposable items like pads and tampons. I started to read a lot about how tampons, especially from the known brands, have chemicals in them that are not great for us. Cara: I've been interested in using a menstrual cup, but I had a friend tell a story that kind of scared me and pushed me away from that. And I had heard a lot about Thinx, which is a [00:11:00] washable period underwear. And so I thought I would give it a shot. I fell in love with this idea so much that I slowly started to build a complete set to almost get me through my whole winter or menstrual. It has allowed me to witness my flow versus just using an item to stop the flow again. It's one of those things that you really have to get used to, in the beginning. So just be aware if you decide, I really jumped right into it and never looked back. Again, you know, do what's best for your body? My favorite from things hands-down as asleep shorts, they are so comfortable. I wish I had a pair for every day and every night, if you were to start with one, these would be at hands down. I may be wearing them during this recording. The training shorts are great for when I actually go out and about, they are actually athletic shorts with the underwear built in. I have them in green, in black. So I have a couple of pairs to get me through the cotton briefs are a great option because they have regular [00:12:00] and super absorbency. They have changed the design since I purchased them, but I like the old version. So I could only imagine the new version being better. And I hope to try them out. The air, hip hugger. They are great because they are lightweight and great for those in-between days. Sometimes some of these underwear, they are a very heavy and material. Of course, they have to have some sort of absorbency material. These are the latest version and they just, they help you when you're in between where you don't really want to wear anything, but you also want to make sure you're protected. The hip hugger also has many different absorbency options. I found that it is my favorite, normal underwear in this brand. I like to go with super or heavy because you just never know when you're out and about, and you want to make sure you are protected. It really took some time to get used to something like this. In a normal underwear option, I would like to be full coverage, but a very, very light material. These are kind of the [00:13:00] opposite. You need to have that absorbency. So you have to have a heavier fabric. I prefer the apparel when I'm out and about, or I will address in a way that the lines of the underwear aren't obvious. So just keep that in mind when you switch to something like this, I think that would be when using a cup of sorts would eliminate this, but again, I haven't had the urge to try one yet, but maybe the summer will be the time I go for that. So I had mentioned that I make some homemade products for house cleaning. I make a granite cleaner, honestly. I think I make it like once every two months I try to have multiple bottles. So what I make it at once it's a bigger batch. And then that way, all I have to do is refill my main bottle underneath the sink. This recipes for a 16 ounce bottle. So again, if you're making multiple sizes, you can do the math yourself, but for a 16 ounce bottle, it is a fourth cup rubbing alcohol three to six drops of dishwashing liquid six to eight drops of essential oil, which I think is probably optional, [00:14:00] but I use orange because I like it to just have like a light scent. And then you just top it off with water. I also make a shower. And my trick with this is most shower cleaners that I've tried to make clog a spray bottle. So again, I make it in a bigger container, multiple containers, and I add it into a dish wand. And it's a scrubbing tool and a container at the same time, I keep it in the shower and it just takes me a few minutes. And I find that when I do it that way, I don't push off cleaning my shower as much as I used to when I would have to spray it and wipe it down, just makes it very easy. So with that, I have another little tip with this. But first, I'm just going to tell you how you can make it easily. all it is is two cups of vinegar and two tablespoons of Dawn dish soap. I would break out in a rash anytime I use shower cleaners. So this one was a must for me because I would get so lightheaded with shower cleaners. So, The tip for this is my husband hates the smell of vinegar. So I had seen [00:15:00] something a while back that if you were to take a big container and you put vinegar in it and you just put orange peels in and you just add the vinegar and you can keep it in there for a very long time, I'd say to get the most scent out of it, at least wait a few weeks, but we've had the same jar that I just kind of add more orange peels and add more vinegar as I use it up. For the last two years and it is fine. It's the vinegar keeps the orange peels from getting gross. So yeah, if you ever use vinegar for cleaning and you don't like the smell that I would highly recommend to in that. So remember with both those cleaners that I mentioned, I always make them in and other bottles so that I don't have to make batches as much. And then it's just easy to refill and you can always just look and say, oh, I used that last of those big battles. I'll just keep in mind that I have to make a batch of stuff. But those really only take a couple of minutes and they cleaned. Just as good, if not better, because of how I've used them. I like the granite cleaner [00:16:00] because it leaves my countertop shiny and it gets all the Yankees off. And the shower cleaner has been a game changer in my household. A another thing that I make is a baking soda powder. I had seen, you know, like vacuum powders before, and this is ultimately what it is. It's just. Baking soda with some essential oils to kind of fresh it up. I was sprinkle it in my sink and leave it overnight or for a couple hours. And then I use a dish scrubbing brush and dish soap, and it gets my sink super clean. So it really works well on stainless and. When I put essential oils in there, it is very fresh freshening. I guess you can say. So the trick with this is I've used a pasta, a glass pasta jar, and then I poke holes in the top of it. So I've made my own little shaker with it. So I would just put about a fourth, a cup of baking. And then sprinkle, you know, three to four drops of essential oil and layer it and just kind of shake it as you go. So some sense that I've [00:17:00] used is my go-to is orange or lemon or both, but in the fall I will do like a cinnamon, vanilla and orange. And in the winter I will do a vanilla and peppermint. So you can always change it up for a little bit more of a seasonal smell. Getting rid of candles and wallflowers, we all know, and love was one of the hardest changes for me. I love things to smell good, but the more I kept reading how bad they are for us. And I love things to smell good. So I still haven't figured this one out. I've actually made my own candles and I'll be honest. They are a lot of work. And they don't smell as good. And that's just kind of that I do still make my own candles cause I do, love a candle and I like to like them a lot. And it's just been a more cost-effective option, but just know that you have to save your jars and you have to do a lot of work for it to be a cost effective option for you. So that's not for everyone. but it's working for me right now. I found some rooms sprays on grove but none have taken the place and I can [00:18:00] get really sensitive to smell. So buying online could make that tough. I've come to terms that nothing will be the same. And my husband is ecstatic, cause he's always complained about how strong the kettle. Grove has had, some candle sense that I've actually really liked. I think there was an evergreen one for winter and there's like a brown sugar vanilla one, but they're not very big. They don't last very long. but they help take the place of what I really want a candle to smell up the house. There are some products that I haven't found the right solution for like Dawn dish soap. But hopefully as I cleaned up my products, I come across me once to share. We're trying to take micro shifts in our house for a better environment, like using, reusable sandwich bags for lunches. We try to keep, fabric towels for hand drying versus paper towels. We. I'll usually carry our own ruse, reusable water bottles, and we also have reusable straws as well. When we do need to buy, from regular stores, we try to stick to big box stores. So we save on packaging and it also saves money. [00:19:00] another little tip that I've used is a washable duster. I find it actually works better than like the Swiffer dusters when I spray cleaner on it. And we definitely aren't perfect, but I would love to hear any tips on how you've cleaned up your products in your house. You can, email me and share your tips because, you know, I find that you really only can do what's best for your family. And sometimes you just don't know until someone else tells you about it. So I hope this episode was useful for you. Maybe opened your eyes to some products that maybe you've heard of, and you've been wanting to try. Like I said before, I'll have the links to the stores and the show notes, and I will make notes of all the products that I mentioned. So that way you can look and understand. I think with Grove, sometimes they are out of certain products, so that product may or may not be available. So I probably won't have specific links to those products, but again, you can search, when you go to check out their site, So, again, please share with what has helped [00:20:00] you in your household. And I can't wait to hear about it. Intro for #11: Thank you so much for joining me this week. If this was your first time. Welcome. And if you joined me for previous episodes, thank you so much for coming back before you go, make sure you share my podcast with a friend or subscribe. If you haven't yet. Those few seconds make a big impact on my podcasts and I'd be grateful for the support. Check out the show notes for links mentioned in today's episode. Visit Caradempsey.com/12. I created a free resource to help you plan your home and work life with your cycle in mind. Remember it doesn't have to be a huge life change. But doing a little bit, each day could make your life have more ease. You can find this resource caradempsey.com/cycle or in the show notes. Thanks for joining me in today's episode. Of floductivity until next time.