While I do enjoy getting things without having to pay for them, that’s not what this post is about today (sorry!)
When I say write that I love “free” stuff, it means I love things that are free of harsh chemicals. Check out a pic of my new Burt’s Bees shampoo bottle:
Free of sulfates, free of parabens, free of phthalates, free of petrochemicals, and free of unnatural fragrances. I’m in “free” heaven! I wish everything I bought was “free”!
I went a little overboard at Target the other day and bought as many Burt’s Bees items as I could. I also picked up a few things from California Baby, which is my favorite brand for all things related to bathing my kiddos (it’s also a great face wash for adults).
I love how in the United States “free” products are easy to come by. In Croatia, it’s difficult to find true “free” products. For instance, for babies they advertise “organic” and “healthy” products, yet I could not find one single product that was truly “free” of all the harsh chemicals that it should be free of. The closest thing sold in Croatia like that was Mustela, and that’s not a 100% “free” product (has PEG and/or sulfates). Also, in Croatia, I could not find one sulfate-free shampoo for adults anywhere in the stores – not one! This was really frustrating, and that’s why it makes happy that even places like CVS and Target in the U.S. sell these “free” products!
Some people who are on a tight budget might be turning their head at the high cost of “free” products (the irony in that statement!), but for my family and me, what I’m getting (health!) greatly outnumbers the cost and justifies the purchase. Like I mentioned in this post earlier, I don’t think it’s worth it to sacrifice my family’s health just for the sake of saving a few dollars.
So far, I’m loving my Burt’s Bees products. I’m not too keen on the “cotton” smell (it’s doesn’t quite smell like cotton) so I will probably try out a different smell next time, but it does get the job done and my skin and hair look better than before. California Baby products, as always, are just amazing and definitely pass the “free” test as well.
Do you use “free” products? What are some of your favorite brands?
I love Burt’s Bees too. I’ll be a first time mom in April (yay!!) so I’ve been looking for a line of baby products that I can use on my baby to be. I’ve narrowed it down to Burt’s Bees and BabyGanics. Did you know that Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox? Thought that was an interesting pairing.
Oh wow, didn’t know that! They must have bought “Burt” out because it was originally started by a guy named Burt who made lip balm out of beeswax. Check it out: http://www.burtsbees.com/c/story/history/burt-s-story.html
For babies, I LOVE California Baby – it’s aboslutely my favorite. I did see BabyGanics on the shelf, but I haven’t checked it out yet… that’s on the list for next time!
It’s a great story how Burt’s Bees came to bee (pun intended, haha). They sold back in 2007 I believe. Anyhow, I’m going to check out California Baby too! Haven’t heard of that line. Thanks! And I love reading your blog. Your posts on cloth diapering is what took me to your site originally and I’ve been hooked ever since.
That’s great to hear – you made my day!
I knew you’d be able to help me! I came here hoping to find recommendations for a sulfate-free shampoo. I had a slight debacle with my hair and vaseline and had to super strip my hair to fully remove the vaseline. I did some research and went to Ulta to find a lightweight shampoo with argan oil that was all natural (I remembered you mentioning sulfates once). Found Dermorganic, bought the trial sizes because the sales girl said I won’t want to use it more than 2 days because of my naturally straight hair and oily scalp. Turns out that my hair isn’t oily if I don’t strip the natural oils away with sulfates. Who knew?! I’m washing my hair less often, it’s bouncier and I’m getting complimented constantly…and I’ve only used it for a week. I want to find a natural shampoo without the added oils for my regular shampoo, plus I can’t afford to always use Dermorganic. I’m going to Target tomorrow to pick up some Burt’s Bees!! Thanks!
Let me know how it works out! My hair is reacting VERY well to the sulfate-free Burt’s Bees shampoo. My only gripe is that the cotton smell isn’t my favorite… but I’m due to buy a new bottle this week, so I might try a different smell.