8 Natural Hygiene Tips for All Seasons

It’s important to take care of yourself all year round. Here are some easy ways to moisturize your skin, clean and whiten your teeth, freshen your breath, and reduce chemical ingredients in your hygiene routine.

This feature was written on behalf of Tom’s of Maine®. All opinions are our own.

Freshen Your Breath with Baking Soda

Use baking soda as a quick, cheap, and easy breath freshener. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a cup of water and swish some in your mouth as mouthwash. You can even add a drop of peppermint essential oil for minty freshness!

Whiten Your Teeth with Tom’s of Maine

Regularly brush your teeth twice a day with toothpaste made from natural ingredients. Luminous White™ is Tom’s of Maine’s most advanced whitening toothpaste ever, offering whiter teeth in 2 weeks.* It’s safe on enamel and formulated for everyday use. Luminous White by Tom’s of Maine is made up of biodegradable or mineral-derived ingredients and doesn’t contain artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It’s also gluten free!

*by removing surface stains vs. regular fluoride toothpaste

I was impressed by the perfect minty flavor of this whitening toothpaste; not too strong for either me or my kids. Luminous White by Tom’s of Maine creates a nice lather while brushing and it’s gentle on the gums. I appreciate that this toothpaste contains Sodium fluoride because our water in Idaho doesn’t have fluoride in it. While fluoride is helpful for strengthening your teeth, it’s much better to have it in a naturally formulated toothpaste that you spit out, rather than ingesting it through your tap water.

Luminous White by Tom’s of Maine is made from ingredients derived from corn, coconut/palm oil, seaweed, Xylitol (sweetener from Birch trees or corn), and Xanthan gum (from vegetable matter). You can find all the ingredients found in this Tom’s of Maine toothpaste here.

Tom’s of Maine is a trusted name in natural personal care and oral care for over 47 years, offering truly natural products that are better for your body and the environment. All Tom’s of Maine products are made with no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances or preservatives, nor are they tested on animals. The company even donates 10% of profits to human and environmental goodness and Tom’s of Maine packaging is recyclable through TerraCycle.

Reduce Facial Shine with Cornstarch

If you struggle with oily or combination skin, you know the frustrations of having a shiny face. I used to apply pressed powder up to 5 times a day before I discovered a natural solution for a shine-free face: cornstarch! I keep a small container of cornstarch in my makeup kit and brush it on as the final step of my makeup routine. I brush a small amount of cornstarch on top of my foundation and blush and the cornstarch keeps my face shine-free all day long! Cornstarch is amazing to achieve a shine-free face and so inexpensive!

Soothe Your Skin with a Cucumber Yogurt Mask

1 tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. pureed cucumber

Mix up a soothing cucumber and yogurt mask for your face! Combine 1 tbsp. plain yogurt, 1 tsp. honey and 1 tsp. pureed cucumber in a small bowl and mix until combined. Gently massage the yogurt mask onto your face, avoiding your eye area, and allow the mask to dry. Rinse your skin with a warm water, pat dry with a towel, and apply your favorite moisturizer.

Use Gentle Skin Exfoliators

You don’t need to use engineered products to achieve softer skin. The ebody Eye Cleansing Pad uses super fine cleansing fibers with a little soap and water to create a rich lather of micro-bubbles that clean deep into pores. It gently removes eye make-up and mascara, as well as skin impurities and excess oil. The Eye Cleansing Pad replaces the need for chemical-based make-up removers or cleansing lotions with its natural fibers for a deep cleanse.

I loved using the ebody Eye Cleansing Pad! Most makeup removers I have used have left my skin feeling greasy and oily or they sting my eyes if I happen to get some in them. That is not the case at all with this product! All you have to do is add water and gently rub off your makeup. I tend to rinse it and continue a couple times until all of my makeup is gone, but it is so easy and so nice to not have a soapy product to deal with.

Remove Dead Skin with a Sugar Scrub

Mix up your own homemade sugar scrub to smooth away dead skin cells, leaving your skin feeling softer and refreshed!

1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
1-2 drops of essential oil

You can easily make homemade sugar scrub with sugar, olive oil (or coconut oil), and a few drops of essential oil of choice. Lavender or orange essential oils are lovely aromatherapy choices. Gently rub on the homemade sugar scrub, concentrating on rough skin areas. Use smoothing motions to rub the sugar skin over your skin, arms and legs. Avoid applying the sugar scrub to sensitive skin areas, breakouts, and eczema. Rinse off the sugar scrub with warm water and follow with your favorite body wash (if in the shower) or moisturizer.

Moisturize Dry Skin with Pure Shea Butter

Shea Butter is an amazing natural moisturizer when applied to dry skin, hands and feet. Raw Shea Butter does take a bit of time to absorb into the skin so it’s helpful if you can apply it and cover with socks or moisture gloves. Shea Butter is an ingredient in many natural products, so why not go for the source and use it in its raw form?

Vinegar Rinse for Shiny Hair

Vinegar is a great natural hair rinse for removing dirt and oil from your hair and restoring your locks to their natural shiny state. I used to use an apple cider vinegar wash once a week in the shower and I need to get back into this routine for winter, when my hair tends to be more dingy. Add a splash of vinegar in a cup along with some water. Be sure to close your eyes and pour the mixture over your hair, gently rubbing it in as your pour. Fully rinse the vinegar out of your hair, air dry or blow-dry, and style as usual.

What are your favorite easy and natural hygiene tips? Do you have any tricks that you absolutely couldn’t live without? Health and beauty can be quite practical and budget-friendly with a little creative innovation!