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So let me start off this post by saying that i’m not perfect. Every product in my home is not clean or organic. Every plastic bag I use makes me cringe, yet I still need them. I inherently reach for the cheaper produce item at the story and always have to pause and evaluate if I can do the organic items (hello, they are expensive). I am not perfect.
The point of me saying all that is because I don’t want anyone out there to read this post and think that they are horrible human beings because they don’t use these products or still can’t get on the organic bandwagon. You are awesome. We all have to pick what’s important to us and make little efforts to better ourselves. Right?
Ok, so onto what this post is all about! Pregnancy essentials that are clean and organic.
All these products below are things that I have researched, reviewed and tried first hand. Since this is my first time being pregnant, I honestly had no idea what to use or buy or put on my body, but I knew clean, organic and natural was going to be the better route.
Below are my favorite brands and why I love them, along with a few photos of the products that have made my pregnancy smoother sailing. And below that is my complete list of clean & organic products that I use and enjoy. Hope you guys find these suggestions helpful!
Zoe Organics
This first product is one that I discovered from another fellow blogger, RachLMansfield.com when she was recently pregnant. Since I really had no idea where to turn, but knew I needed some soothing products for my soon-to-be-stretching skin, I decided to give the Zoe Organics – Pregnancy Gift Set
Zoe Organics set out to do something similar to Beautycounter in that they wanted to put products on the market that reduced the toxic crap that’s in a lot of beauty products and use more truly natural ingredients.
Beautycounter
Beautycounter‘s mission is all about clean products and monitored ingredients. Turns out, your food labels aren’t the only ones you should try to read. Makeup and beauty products are just as important.
I have enjoyed using their products now for nearly 5 years and they have been kind to my skin, which is always a plus for me. Having sensitive skin, I try to be careful about using a bunch of new or random products, but this brand has a good track record with anything I have tried!
The main thing to understand about Beautycounter is this:
Chemicals that can cause cancer, reproductive harm, and other serious health issues are not banned in the United States from the skin care and color cosmetic products that people use every day, day after day, and companies are free to make their own judgments about safety.
-Beautycounter
A little scary, right? Well, like I have said throughout this post, you don’t have to be perfect about this stuff. But little changes make a big difference in life, so I try to incorporate some of these products into my daily lineup, but yes, I still have some other cosmetic lines in my bathroom. So you find a few products you want to swap out and feel good about it, don’t beat yourself up trying to throw out EVERY product.
Vitamins
One of the first things you find out after you get pregnant is the need for a pre-natal vitamin. Though I should have been taking a vitamin long before, I just didn’t. So this was the motivation I needed to step up my vitamin game.
For my pre-natal vitamin, I read several articles and spoke with my doctor about what exactly I needed to look for in a vitamin. Here’s the basics of what you need to have in a pre-natal vitamin, though your needs might vary so be sure to chat with your doctor.
- 400micrograms (mcg) of folic acid.
- 400 IU of vitamin D.
- 200 to 300 milligrams (mg) ofcalcium.
- 70 mg of vitamin C.
- 3 mg of thiamine.
- 2 mg of riboflavin.
- 20 mg of niacin.
- 6 mcg of vitamin B12.
- 10 mg of vitamin E.
- 15 mg of zinc.
- 17 mg of iron.
- 150 micrograms of iodine
- For more info, check out THIS article or THIS article
I also have been taking magnesium consistently for the last 7 weeks, though I wish it would have started a lot sooner. Magnesium was prescribed to me (800mg a day) by my doctor to help with my severe muscle tensions and migraines I was having during the first half of second trimester. I really feel like it has been a help, as well as getting pre-natal massages once a month!
All Natural At-Home Remedies
Another thing I have now learned during pregnancy is to get creative with at-home remedies for things that you normally would be reaching for a product to solve.
Since there are a lot of no-no products that you have to avoid or be careful taking while pregnant, I have had to do a little research in trying out some at-home remedies for a few issues I have either developed during pregnancy or always battle.
- Dry mouth: More in the first and beginning of second trimester than currently, I experienced dry mouth, which also made my lips super dry. One day they were so bad I sped to my nearest CVS and practically ran in to get a chap stick to try and help them because they burned so much.
- Athletes Foot: Yeah, not fun to talk about but it is something I struggle with all the time. Normally I would reach for a common drug store product to help, but you can’t do that when pregnant. And since you are producing more blood and your body is most likely sweatier during pregnancy, this could be a newly developed issue for you too.
- Dry skin: Yes, moisturizers help but I found that when you use something that exfoliates your skin first, then moisturize, it actually helps heal my skin instead of just moisturizing alone.
Recipes for at-home remedies for all three of the things mentioned above are below!
Here’s the complete list of items I’ve loved during pregnancy (so far) and you can click on the link to purchase each individual product from Amazon!
Zoe Organics Belly Butter
Zoe Organics Belly Oil
Zoe Organics – Refresh Oil
Garden of Life Organic Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement
Nature Made High Potency Magnesium 400 mg Softgels
Beautycounter Makeup Remover Wipes
Beautycounter Lip Conditioner | Calendula
Homemade Athletes Foot Recipe:
-1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
-4 cups warm water
(combine in a large bucket big enough to fit your feet. Then soak in the solution for 20 – 25 minutes. For best results, do this 3 days in a row.)
Homemade Lip Exfoliator Recipe:
-1/4 tsp granulated or brown sugar
-1/4 tsp coconut oil, softened (not melted)
-1/4 tsp honey
-2-3 drops peppermint essential oil
(mix all together and then smooth on a layer over your lips. Leave on for a few minutes and then gently rub off with warm water. Don’t do any vigorous scrubbing)
Homemade Skin/Shower Scrub Recipe:
-1 Cup granulated or brown sugar (course sugar works best like THIS
-1/2 cup coconut oil, softened (not melted)
-10 – 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
(mix all together in an airtight jar and then store in your bathroom or shower to use weekly.)