Paleo Household, Supplements & Personal Care

TIPS ON TAKING CARE OF HOME... AND SELF...

This is another tricky section for us here in the UK. We’d love to recommend any companies that we can approve of so do let us know if you are aware of any brands or suppliers who you rate by emailing us here.

If you are wondering about whether your ‘clean’ brand is ‘clean enough’, please email us – we’ll be happy to guide you and will add your suggestion to the lists below.

You will find both ‘yes’ and also ‘caution advised’ in the sections below. The key thing to understand here is that there are two main focuses of ‘cleaning product companies’ (whether for your house or for yourself). These are:

Things that are good for the planet – eco-friendly, organic etc.
Good for the humans – i.e. non-toxic, low inflammation

These two aims don’t always coincide: so your ‘green’ product might be good for the planet but not so great for your skin and overall health.

THIS LIST IS REALLY SMALL!!! We need to build it – and we need your help. If you know of a healthy household products company… let us know!!!

You Naturally Powerful – now, these are not strictly Paleo because they use wheat proteins. However, they have informed us that there are no traces left of wheat in the final product. The benefit of them is that they are based on essential oils and plant power. And, fairly miraculously, they work.

Bulletproof Homebiotic – not strictly “household cleaner” but a household mould and mildew protector, essential for keeping out toxic moulds in your home.

Making Your Own: this is by far the easiest option when it comes to cleaning products. Vinegar, baking soda and water can do wondrous things. Just pop onto YouTube and search for ‘natural household cleaning’ – and prepare to be amazed. Just remember, everything that uses the natural products listed above is… natural. Anything that is a ‘hack’ using tumble dryer sheets, detergents and washing powders… avoid!

CLAIM TO BE GREEN BUT ARE REALLY QUESTIONABLE

Method – we’re not linking this because it’s ubiquitous and can now be found in every supermarket. This is the prime example of being good for the environment NOT being good for human health. Method (and Ecover, see below) are eco-friendly but not always human-friendly. Also… often their products just don’t work for the surfaces they’re supposed to clean.

Ecover – as above, eco-friendly and human-friendly are two different things. Ecover make regular use of perfumes and fragrances which are both unnecessary and can aggravate the most sensitive.

Again, this list is depressingly small. The trick with personal care is, much like household products: what is good for the environment is not always good for you. It also, most of the time, doesn’t work!

Cleansers/Shampoos & Moisturisers, Creams, Lotions

Mother Dirt – for so long this was unavailable in the UK. Then, Functional Self brought us this range of cleanser, moisturiser, shampoo and “mist” but stock was variable… Now, it’s in Whole Food Stores AND at Content Beauty in London, and in their online store.

The USP of Mother Dirt can be read about on their US site. Think ‘bacteria-laden spray continuing GOOD bugs (really!) and a range of cleaning products that work wonders for your skin and don’t remove the bugs from your skin’. Now there is quinoa in some of the cleansers … but this is highly, highly unlikely to be any sort of problem for most. Be aware – the cleaning products DO NOT contain the live bacteria – this is all in their AO+ Mist, but the cleansers preserve the microbiome of your skin, so if you use in combination with the Mist ensure that those good bugs you’ve put on there don’t get washed away…

If you want to read our Paleo In The UK review of the Mother Dirt range, click here.

Organic Trevarno Skincare – another very natural company – utilising lots of high fat oils and butters with very few added ingredients. There are some good products, and a great selection. Some of the cleansers have more emulsifiers than others – and we would caution those who don’t do well with very oily products to be careful. However, from what we have seen we are very impressed with the purity and “Paleo-ness” of these soaps, cleansers and creams/lotions/moisturisers.

Alitura – again Functional Self make natural, effective Paleo living possible – the Alitura range has a fantastic genesis story, fabulous ingredients… and they may be expensive but they really work. Read the founder’s history here, then treat yourself to something luscious. And the best thing about it? All things are unisex. Which means the men can still look cool and the women don’t have to suffer for beauty. Brilliant brand, A+ Rated.

Inika Organic – not everything is entirely pure here – there are acids and some more chemical-based ingredients than other ranges. That said – this company provides huge varieties of makeup in many shades, types and varieties AND they also sell Makeup Remover which is mostly oils, a beautiful cleansing water and facial oils.

Annemarie Borlind – a fabulous whole range of beauty products, cleansers and everything you are looking for for ‘natural beauty’. Most products are completely natural, organic and non-toxic. However, BE WARNED – most products will contain ingredients that the very sensitive will struggle with: maltodextrin, alcohols and things like squalene are in some products. These aren’t, therefore, completely “Paleo” but this doesn’t rule this brand out – they’re one of the best of a bad bunch. Just be careful if you know sensitivity is a real issue for you. However, if you’re just attempting to clear your cleansers of toxins and chemicals, this range (VERY broad) is fabulous.

Toothpastes

Redmond Earthpaste Natural Non-Fluoride – this links to peppermint, but also comes in Lemon (great for kids), Spearmint, Cinnamon and Wintergreen (sort of neutral). This is literally like clay, it’s even a grey colour. It tastes… yeah, pretty vile. But it really is Paleo and it really is safe for use for all ages. And available on Amazon (happy days…)

Grin 100% Natural – contains a few non-Paleo ingredients but tastes much more like proper toothpaste that your kids (and you) will enjoy. Far less toxic than Colgate (but that’s not difficult to do…)

Green People Spearmint – we don’t ordinarily love Green People, but this one’s for the kids (and the parents who need to get kids to brush their teeth). Much more minty but still harmless.

Saaf Skincare – really pure, non-toxic, all gluten-free, corn-free and basically the most “Paleo” that skincare comes. With a Facecare and Bodycare range, their products are not unlimited. However, the idea behind “Paleo beauty” is that less is definitely more. This is a mindset shift from ‘needing’ hundreds of products. Within the Paleo approach you’re focussing on nourishing principles from the inside out. For that reason, the few products from Saaf really are all you will need in your bathroom/beauty regime…

Akamuti – Our perspective? This is a bit more of the oils and Shea butter style skincare which you will be used to if you have ever looked for ‘natural skincare’ before. That does not make it at all bad – it just may be slightly heavy for those with supremely sensitive or challenged skin/health conditions. That said, the range is huge and all products are supremely ‘natural’. Our favourites? The African Black Soap and their outstanding range of Cold Pressed Oils

Inika Organic – not everything is entirely pure here – there are acids and some more chemical-based tints than other ranges. That said – this is a far better option that your conventional makeup brands and they have the benefit of providing many shades, types and varieties of makeup. And the range is HUGE! They also do a Makeup Remover which is mostly oils and beautiful cleansing waters etc.

Functional Self are going to feature here – with a fabulous collection of household accessories – everything from branded mugs and flasks to EMF protectors, sleep aids, screen protectors, water/shower filters and a screwdriver (nope, no idea…). A great store where you can get a wider variety of ‘safety’ products for the home.

Berkey Water Filters are by far our favourite solution for filtered water. They have both UK and Europe affiliates that are easily searchable by google. All of these get kickbacks as affiliates but they’re very evenly priced. If you know your water is fluoridated (many supplies in the UK aren’t) then you may need the fluoride filters – we all have one of these personally and none of us have gone for this added option. Berkey also do shower filters and some very pretty glass jugs, which are much better for storing water than plastic!

There are countless supplement companies around today. Not all of them are providing good quality, healthful products. There are whole websites dedicated to this:

Labdoor – the best supplement verification site we’ve found: checks the product for promised ingredients, for other/non-listed ingredients, for quantities and for quality. Great if you know what you need but not which company to buy it from.

Examine.com – so we’ll admit that we’re biased and would prefer you worked with a professional to construct your supplement regimen. But we’re also realistic and know that for many people this isn’t going to happen. Examine shows you all the research to bust the myths around supplements and show you whether you really need to take them, what doses are required for efficacy and whether you should believe the hype about the latest nutritional/supplement craze.

Companies with Paleo and Gluten Free Supplements

Fully gluten free products are not easy to come by. A LOT of supplements have corn derivatives, and these are potentially cross-reactive to anyone who really suffers with gluten allergies. The work of analysing which supplements are and are not contaminated with potential gluten, corn, soy and/or inflammation-causing agents is more than a full time mission. Additionally, we here at Paleo in the UK believe that obsession about perfection in this area actually plays a role in sensitising people due to the upregulated sympathetic nervous system activity which occurs as a response to when you feel that everything in life is potentially threatening.

So, beyond the preamble, are there any supplement ranges we’d endorse totally? Yes – though each product MUST be individually validated for allergens.

Designs for Health – you can purchase this range from Amazon or from Amrita (below) and they make high quality, high potency, effective and safe supplements for every health concern

Pure Encapsulations – priding themselves on being hypoallergenic, these supplements are pure, as the name would suggest, but also effective. Purchase on Amazon or on Amrita (below)

Thorne Research – here you get quality, though some ingredients are corn-derived so if that’s of concern just email them to check. Very supportive customer service who will answer questions as required. Recommended by many leaders in the Paleo space.

Seeking Health – Dr Ben Lynch is one of the Functional Medicine sphere’s best known doctors. Specialising originally in the MTHFR mutation, his supplement line boasts the full gamut of vitamins and minerals that he observed were most needed in clinical practice. Our favourite products are the special, optimised Pre-Natal range of a multivitamin and flavoured protein powders (pea protein so Paleo but not AIP). Because of his clinical and biochemical pathway knowledge these formulations really cover the bases for pre-pregnant and pregnant women. Find all of these, and more, on Amrita Nutrition (below).

Supplement Stockists

If you’ve clicked on any of our links you will know that Functional Self are one of our faves – many lines stocked (including Bulletproof, Alitura, Mother Dirt, Restore, Rosita and also their own range, of which the coconut oil is genuinely lovely).

Amrita Nutrition – a one-stop shop for every brand you could want – Designs for Health, Seeking Health, Innate Response and so, so many more. Some supplements you need a Practitioner’s name to purchase. If you link your account to our founder, Victoria Fenton (do this in the settings) then your support will help our website in a small way.