We know the life-changing, radiant results that come from filling your body with clean, whole organic plants. So it’s no shock that the same can be said for the things we use each day between mealtimes. Like processed foods, many of the products we use to get ready each day, from our teeth to our personal scents, contain toxic ingredients that threaten our health on a long-term basis.
The good news is that a simple swap can have a profound, lasting effect on our health. We’ve gathered the intel and ingredients that our very own Sakara founders, Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle rely on to honor their bodies and defend themselves against toxicity and compromised microbiomes.
Strip away what isn’t serving you, then supercharge your self-care with their favorite clean routines.
Healthier Hydration
Water is critical to flushing out toxins and providing cells with H20. One of the pillars of Sakara nutrition is eating water-rich fruits and vegetables, which helps you to absorb water more slowly, keeping you hydrated longer and reaping the benefits of fiber and phytonutrients along the way. This is in addition, of course to drinking your eight glasses of water a day. And the quality of the water you drink is just as important as the quality of the food you eat.
A study found more than 200 unregulated chemicals in the tap water of 45 states (including contaminants such as weed killers, refrigerate, rocket fuel component perchlorate). Water can typically also contain other harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic mercury, and chlorine. These toxins can build up in our blood and organs, doing more harm long term than the good of staying temporarily hydrated.
Swapping out tap or distilled water (which can pull minerals from our bodies) ensures you are getting the cleanest, most nourishing hydration. Whitney and Danielle love Rising Springs Water for this reason. Sourced from the Sawtooth National Forest, one of the deepest natural springs that flow through silica quartz crystals, the water is infused with energy and minerals and has no trace of contamination for 16,000 years. “It’s so important to drink clean, living water,” says Danielle. “Rising Springs water is rich in natural minerals that support deep nourishment.”
To uplevel a hydration habit, turn your water into a detoxifying elixir of heath. Detox Water Drops are packed with antioxidant-rich chlorophyll that aids in digestion, gut health, immunity, and liver function. Just a few drops help keep things moving through your GI tract and improves liver function by binding to harmful toxins and heavy metals—all while maintaining an optimal balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. This boosts immunity, regulates hormones, amplifies energy, and clarifies skin.
For best results, Danielle makes it part of her nighttime ritual. “Adding Detox Water Drops to my water before bed is an essential part of my routine,” she says. “Just a few drops support digestion and toxin elimination, oxygenation, and gut health.”
Mind Your Mini Microbiome
Your mouth is the first step in the digestive process. In fact, your mouth is your body’s second-largest microbiome (after your gut), so looking after it properly is a critical part of caring for your health. But oral care has long been overlooked as a key step in the digestive process that needs as much love and care as our larger microbiome.
Much of the toothpaste found on the market today include harmful chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, and fluoride which have a lasting negative impact on our health. (Synthetic fluoride is linked to a variety of health issues including acne, thyroid dysfunction, reproductive issues, and cardiovascular issues.) These toxins can disrupt your gut microbiome as well as your mouth’s delicate bacterial ecosystem. Eliminating chemicals from your oral care ensure that they don’t make their way into your bloodstream.
Integrative dentistry (or holistic dentistry) focuses on caring for the health of the oral microbiome; providing the safest, most effective, and 100 percent natural products. Whitney and Danielle, both passionate microbiome advocates, have discovered a toothpaste and floss that are effective and safe for your mini microbiome and beyond.
Revitin Toothpaste was developed by Whitney’s own dentist, Dr. Gerry Curatola, and is the first prebiotic natural toothpaste. the prebiotic nutrients work to nurture and balance the mouth’s natural ecology with nutrients for optimal long-term oral health and total body wellness. In addition to the harmful chemicals mentioned above, Revitin is also free of fluoride, gluten, dye, GMO, peanut, sugar, and Xylitol. “I am obsessed with oral care,” says Whitney. “Revitin is so safe that my dentist says you could put it on a cracker and eat it!"
Toxin-Free Floss
We know that flossing daily is critical for good oral health. What many don't realize is that there are harmful toxins lurking in that small tube of string. “Coined ‘forever toxins,’ PFAs, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, can stay in your body for years, disrupting endocrine channels,” says Whitney. Typical floss is made out of plastic. This makes it water-resistant but also makes it an endocrine disruptor. Plastic gets stored in your fat tissue, causing hormone disruption. Harvard conducted a study that linked harmful chemicals (specifically PFAs) in the majority of flosses on the market to increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Like toothpaste, there are cleaner alternatives that gently care for your teeth and gums while eliminating the risk to your health.
We don’t have to choose between clean and effective products. We can and should have both.
Whitney and Danielle use and recommend Cocofloss as a clean alternative. Dentist-formulated, it uses a delicate weave (500 plus) of cleansing microfilaments that scrub away debris and cavity-causing plaque without the use of toxic ingredients like parabens or PFAs. Cocofloss is infused with coconut oil, a soothing antimicrobial, and a light coating of microcrystalline wax, making it cruelty-free and vegan. Along with these two healthy mouth superheroes, Dr. Curatola also recommends eating organic fruits and vegetables to keep the mouth’s pH and microbial terrain in balance, regular exercise to improve circulatory function which prevents decay, and stress management to improve salivary function and overall tooth and gum health.
Sensible, Safe Scents
Smell is one of the most emotional senses we possess. And because we all have our own unique body chemistry, we react and respond to self-care products like deodorant and perfume differently. Conducting a clean sweep of your personal and home fragrances is key to finding a scent that is protective, pleasant, and most importantly safe for your system.
Conventional deodorants contain a lot of potentially harmful ingredients that may affect fertility, hormone balance, and pose a risk to disease. Think about it: Your lymph nodes are located near your armpits so it’s important to be mindful of what you are putting there. Similar to the mouth, what goes on the skin can get into the bloodstream. The most common offenders in non-natural deodorants include parabens that may interfere with the way your body produces and regulates estrogen and other hormones; aluminum—a metal that can cause gene instability in breast tissue, causing a change that can promote the growth of cancer cells; and Triclosan, a known endocrine disruptor and because it is stored in body fat, can also have an impact on thyroid hormone concentrations.
Your mouth is your body’s second-largest microbiome after your gut, so looking after it properly is a critical part of caring for your health.
A cleaner option is a natural deodorant. Its chemical-free profile is often the reason many doubt its effectiveness. But here, patience is a virtue as part of a commitment to overall wellness. “It can take time for your body to get used to using a natural deodorant and to find the one that works best for your body chemistry,” says Danielle. “But it’s absolutely worth it when it means removing harmful toxins such as parabens and aluminum, from your daily routine. We don’t have to choose between clean and effective products. We can and should have both.”
For both Danielle and Whitney, that means Corpus Naturals, a plant- and mineral-based formula with elevated, truly natural scent profiles. In addition to being completely clean, each of their six scents is made with renewable hydroelectric and solar energy. Unlike the gloopy, seemingly homemade natural deodorants of the past, Corpus is a high-quality, luxury formula that was created by body care and beauty experts. Making the switch to a natural deodorant like Corpus has little to no underarm detox period—a time frame where you may sweat or produce some unpleasant body odor. And giving up the pore-blocking, harmful chemicals in non-natural deodorant is well worth any transition.
Most commercial perfumes and scented candles on the market, including those labeled "clean," typically rely on synthetic ingredients. Synthetics are new molecules created in a lab that mimic the aromas of the natural world. What makes this category even trickier to navigate is that a fragrance labeled “clean” can still contain synthetic ingredients. How? There are three categories for fragrances: Traditional, clean, and natural. Products in the traditional and clean areas contain synthetic chemicals, many derived from petroleum, that are linked to endocrine disruption and cancer. So is there truly a clean fragrance?
Enter Heretic Parfume, a fragrance company that uses raw plant materials (our favorite) that smell amazing on you and around your home. “I love Heretic for its natural ingredient sourcing and its provocative scents,” says Danielle. “I light a candle after dinner as part of my evening wind-down ritual. The scents are never overpowering, but rather complement my environment beautifully.” The magical manifestation of Douglas Little, Heretic produces thoughtful, all-natural fine fragrances for the skin and home space. He brings a reverence for the power of plants to his fragrance formulation, thinking about the energies different fragrances create and the feelings they evoke. Heretic scents and candles combine conventional scent making with therapeutic properties of plant extracts to create functional fragrances inspired by ancient traditions. Their ingredients are 100 percent natural, free of synthetics, vegan, and never tested on animals.
A favorite of Danielle’s is the Dirty Grass, made from a full-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD oil which imparts a deep green character to the notes of grassy vetiver, violet leaf, and fresh lemon. The result is an earthy sweetness that grounds and soothes.
Using thoughtful personal and home fragrances like Heretic ensures you are not absorbing harmful chemicals into your system or releasing them into the air of your home. With the natural power of clean fragrance, you can safely allow it to envelop you and turn your space into the mood-altering experience it is meant to be.
Experience inner-outer shifts through your clean, self-care essentials, and join The RE:PROGRAM. This three-week journey is designed to restore your body, reset your mind, and refresh your routine. You'll receive mindful products curated by Sakara founders, Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle alongside weekly lessons and exercises from Dr. Mariel Buquè and life-changing Sakara nutrition. Reserve your spot.
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