provisions journal | non-toxic swaps edit
a guide to start your non-toxic journey
If you caught our rebranding post last week, you know that The Plastic Detox on Netflix is what sent me down a complete rabbit hole. But here’s the thing — as I started researching, I had to remind myself that given the world we live in, it’s nearly impossible to cut every single ounce of plastic out of your life unless you live off the grid. For the average person, it’s hard to do.
So we are doing the best we can with what we can control, and honestly, I think that’s all any of us can do. It’s the same 80/20 rule we apply to food — prioritizing whole foods, but not always perfectly nutritious (caprese grilled cheese with a side of Siete potato chips on a Friday night, anyone?) — you simply can’t live 100% toxic-free in this day and age. And we’re not swapping everything at once either, because let’s be honest, not everyone can afford to do that right now.
But what I realized going into this detox is that we’d already made more changes than I gave us credit for. Glass storage containers, stainless steel pans, wood cooking utensils, compostable sandwich bags — those have been part of our everyday kitchen essentials for years now. And more recently we made the switch to cotton and linen bedding. But watching The Plastic Detox made me look at the “stuff” still left in our home through a completely different lens. I didn’t realize how many hidden chemicals and plastics were still quietly lingering — in things we were using every single day.
Note: If you’re curious about the research behind phthalates — the synthetic chemicals found in plastics, fragrances, and personal care products that can affect hormones and overall health — this study from the National Institutes of Health is a good place to start: Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human Health
A few of the swaps we’ve made
Skincare & beauty
Our skin is the largest organ on our body, which makes it so important to be cautious about what we put on it. I’d already ordered new skincare from Primally Pure before this detox — their baby bar as face wash and their everyday balm for moisturizer. No harmful chemicals, nothing that bothers my skin, and I can actually pronounce what's on the label. One more recent swap in this category: I switched from SNS to Manucurist gel polish for my nails. Their Green Flash formula is vegan, up to 84% plant-based, and 12-free — and I'm no longer soaking my nails in acetone to remove it. Their Green Oil cuticle oil is just as clean, 99% plant-based. My nails have genuinely never felt better.
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Tea bags
I don't know why it took me this long to think about microplastics in tea bags after we had moved away from single-use coffee pods a few years ago (when I realized we were heating up plastic and aluminum into our coffee and then drinking it). Now we use these compostable coffee pods, then I found Rishi Tea last year — loose leaf or plant-based sachets if loose leaf isn't your thing. Their masala chai is one of my absolute favorites.
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Razor
I kept putting this one off. I knew about the harmful chemicals and endocrine disruptors in conventional razors’ built-in shaving cream strips but couldn’t justify spending $45+. I found one through Desesh for $20 — still more than I used to spend but half the price of everything else I found.
Tip: One thing worth knowing if you make the switch: don’t apply pressure the way you would with a standard razor, let the weight of the razor do the work. Hold it at about a 45 degree angle, use a simple combo of soap and water, and go in short strokes.
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Candles and scent
If you have plug-in air fresheners, I’d encourage you to toss them. You are quite literally burning plastic and chemicals into the air you breathe every day. The good news is there are better options. My dad used to make a simmer pot occasionally around the holidays when we were growing up. There’s even a combination I found that smells just like a Williams Sonoma store — water, lemon slices, peppercorns, fresh rosemary, and a splash of vanilla extract simmering on the stove. So simple and so good. For candles, Fontana Candle Co is a brand I found recently — they actually smell natural, not like a chemical version of something from nature that release toxic chemicals like formaldehyde into your home. Their Cypress Sage Patchouli is our favorite so far. It’s worth the switch!
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Laundry
One more worth mentioning is laundry detergent — something we’ve actually been mindful of for a while now. Meliora is the brand we use — it’s scented with essential oils, comes in eco-friendly packaging, and they offer refills. If you want to add a fresh scent to your laundry, try adding a few drops of this organic cedarwood essential oil onto 100% wool dryer balls. The subtle, natural scent is so good and once you try it you’ll wonder why you ever used synthetic dryer sheets.
The point of all of this isn’t perfection. There is so much to unpack in this space and our main goal with The Healthy Dose and now Dose of Provisions has always been to make this feel doable, not overwhelming. So follow along in this series as I keep finding swaps that actually work — ones that help decrease your plastic, BPA, and phthalate exposure without turning your whole life upside down.
xx
Victoria
The Full Provisions Shortlist
Everything mentioned above plus items we currently use or love, organized by category — and a few things currently on our wishlist
Skincare + Nails
Primally Pure — Baby Bar Soap · clean minimal ingredients, plastic free
Primally Pure — Everything Balm · clean pronounceable ingredients
Manucurist — Green Flash LED Gel Polish · vegan, 12-free, plant-based
Manucurist — Nourishing Cuticle Oil · 99% plant-based
Bathroom
Me Mother Earth — Bamboo Electric Toothbrush Head
Milk + Body — Peppermint Eucalyptus Mini Shower Steamers · essential oil scented
Desesh — Metal Safety Razor
Desesh — Lavender Tea Tree Turmeric Hand, Body & Face Zero Waste Soap Bar
Kitchen + Home
Bamboo Switch — Bamboo Pan Scraper
Fontana Candle Co — Cypress Sage Patchouli Beeswax & Essential Oils Candle
Meliora — Lemon Lavender Clove Laundry Detergent
Pantry
Rishi Tea — Organic Loose Leaf Tea · masala chai and chamomile medley are my two favorites right now
Wishlist ✦
Vorda — Diffusers & Essential Oils
Briiv — Eco-Friendly Air Purifiers
Suri — Plant Based Electric Toothbrush · a friend recommended this brand she uses — love that it’s plant based!
If you found something here worth sharing, send it to a friend and invite them to join the collective — more provisions coming soon.
A note: some links in this post are affiliate links. This never influences what I recommend — I only share products we genuinely use or brands we trust.