Time for a really honest confession: I struggled hard with my Indie Apothecary pick for February! Part of the struggle with switching over to chemical-free beauty and skincare products is getting used to new textures, new formulas, and a new routine. Thinking of making the switch? Indie Apothecary has just published a wonderful blog post and accompanying worksheet to help ease your switch to green beauty and skincare products! They answer your tough questions, lay out the benefits and the harsh truth behind big brand names and provide you with a step by step guide to help you meet your health and beauty goals. As an added bonus, eco-friendly, green beauty products always have beautiful packaging. Can we all just admire the Evy Jo & Co minimalist design? Those are the kinds of products I want cluttering my bathroom counter!
Now let's get into the nitty gritty on this month's picks. The powdered toothpaste was the most difficult product for me to wrap my head around. I've used toothpaste that foams for the last 28 years of my life so to switch over to something that doesn't do that made me feel like my teeth weren't getting clean. It goes without saying that that is a mental hurdle to jump over because my teeth certainly were clean! The texture was off-putting at first and the lack of foamy lather after a few swishes had me wondering if my teeth were even getting cleaner. Ridding the notion that foaming and bubbles = clean is still a facet that I'm working towards understanding, even after a few solid months into making the change!
I've wanted to whiten my teeth for a long time since I've always been a bit self-conscious about them. Despite the hefty amount of money invested into my teeth to make them perfectly straight (you should have seen them before my braces!) they are still very large chompers. Someone once told me my front teeth looked like tombstones so, you know, it's always been top of mind to make sure that my larger than life pearly whites are just that: pearly white. I'd heard about oil pulling and the health benefits (the benefits of oil pulling goes beyond whiter teeth!) and had contemplated giving it a try before I was gifted the Coco Rinse Kit by Kismet. The 14 day kit was a no brainer--and with mint flavoured coconut oil at that! It was a simple way to ease into oil pulling and see if it was something for me. Thankfully Kismet Essentials reached out to me on Instagram and gave me some tips for oil pulling before I started the 14 day rinse kit. The most important tip I got from them was to run the oil sachet under warm water first to liquify the oil since coconut oil solidifies at room temperature. If you're contemplating giving this a try I'd strongly recommend this tip! I can't even imagine how horrible it would have been had I squeezed solidified coconut oil into my mouth *facepalm* I gagged a few times and didn't last the recommended 20 minutes most days but I got over that hurdle and managed to give it a try! I didn't notice a huge difference in the colour of my teeth but I think whitening them is going to be a longer process for me. After all, there's a lot of surface area to cover!
Whether it's trying organic oral care or whether it's pursuing a goal, asking a tough question, or pushing your personal boundaries, getting over hurdles is a real thing in every day life. I feel like I've encountered more of them lately and it's a test of my patience and strength. Early last fall I declared that I was on a journey to a better version of myself and I was trying to get there a number of ways. Being conscious of what I'm putting in and on my body was the start, and exercising was a close second. I'm happy to say that I've succeed in sticking firmly to both, but that doesn't mean the hurdles stop. The powdered toothpaste was a very, very tiny hurdle in the grand scheme of things but it was something I needed to get over. Oral care will continue to be a part of my beauty routine. I don't know if I'll ever love it but I will continue to use it because I know it's good for me!
Can you relate to overcoming hurdles? Have you ever changed part of your routine, knowing it's best for you, but reverted back to your old ways? Or, have you ever tried powdered toothpaste and have any tips you can share with me? I'd love to hear how you overcome the challenges life throws your way, however big or small. After all, we're all in this thing called life together!
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