Clean It Up

In this episode, Jess and Julie will discuss the household cleaning brands they use (because obviously they're both obsessed with the same brands). It's been quite a journey to find the cleaning products that are clean, eco-friendly, and actually work, and they could go on forever about how much they love these brands (or how much one of the brands they *thought* they'd love disappointed them).  They'll discuss how great it is to have a small amount of go-to companies to shop from (saving on shipping costs helllooooo) and how they love having just a couple of multi-use products at home versus a lineup of products that have limited uses.  Their favorite household cleaning brands are: Branch Basics (check out their full User Guide for tips and tricks for how to use Branch Basics Concentrate on EVERYTHING!) Whoa Nelli (the pod cleaning favs: the Natural Scouring Powder and Natural Cleaning Scrub. Note- you can buy refills for all of their products!) Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

In this episode, Jess and Julie will discuss how apple picking, decorating, pumpkin carving, and dressing up for Halloween can be incredibly wasteful. I mean, think about it- how many costumes have you purchased over the years and only used once?! They'll review how to make all of these fall activities a little more eco-friendly, from making the most of your pumpkin guts to re-using an old bridesmaid dress.  And here is an blog post about preserving fall leaves naturally! Why buy fall decor when you can just collect it from your backyard?! Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

You've heard about ~fragrance~ a lot on the Clean It Up Pod.....always in angered, distressed tones and with alarming sound effects. In this episode, Jess and Julie will go into more detail about the regulations (or lack thereof) around fragrance ingredients and why this is problematic for the consumer. They'll discuss the EWG and ThinkDirty ratings for fragrance (or "parfum") as an ingredient and how this can drastically change how "clean" a product is.  If you have a cosmetics ingredient (good or bad!) you'd like to learn more about, share it with us, and we can talk about it in a future episode! Here's information from the EWG about Fragrance as an ingredient.  Want to read more about the FDA's outlook on fragrance? Check this out.  Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected] 

Sometimes, amongst all of the bad news in the world, it's just nice to focus on the positive. Though they're often harsh on mainstream companies, Jess and Julie devoted this episode to acknowledging efforts from ~corporate America~ to be more eco-conscious (some efforts are better than others....but it all counts). Stay tuned for more episodes like this, and feel free to pass along any good news you find to be featured in the future! Companies featured in this episode are: Olay Patagonia Trader Joe's Levi's Madewell McDonald's Coca-Cola Starbucks Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

Jess and Julie talk a lot about toxins in our skincare, makeup, cleaning products, and shower routines, but there are tons of toxins and pollutants in the air we breathe....yes, even the air in our houses!! In this episode, they'll discuss plants that not only act as beautiful decor in your home but actually filter out some of the most common indoor air toxins! The information in this episode is based on a 1989 study from NASA, called "Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement", and you can read that publication here.  Jess and Julie have very different perspectives on plants- Julie loves collecting plants and they bring her endless joy and Jess is just trying hard not to kill another plant, but both of these BFFs can agree that low maintenance plants are the best. In the episode, they'll go through the list of plants that NASA studied but also give you some advice as to which of these air filtering indoor plants may be fit for a plant lover like Julie or a self-described black thumb like Jess.   Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

Your fave eco-conscious BFFs have spent a lot of time talking about environmentally friendly swaps that have been easy. It's way more fun to discuss the success story swaps than it is to talk about the failures. Jess and Julie will take it one step further in this episode by revealing which eco-friendly swaps they just can't even imagine themselves trying! With topics from reusable toilet paper to tongue scrapers being discussed, you can expect to hear the word "ew" a lot..... Some products mentioned in this episode are: Reusable ear cleaner LastSwab Bamboo Toilet Paper Smartliners Reusable Overnight Pad, Heavy Flow Pad, Daily Liner, and Thong Liners Tongue Scraper Organic Hankie LastTissue 24 Sheet Reusable Organic Cotton Toilet Paper Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

You've probably heard of maskne- it's the acne and irritation you get on the area of your face where your mask sits, and it can be hard to avoid especially when it's hot and humid out! In this episode, Jess and Julie will discuss one of their favorite ways to treat skin that needs a little TLC:  the other kind of face mask! They'll discuss some popular face masks and then they'll give you a list of some of their favs. Self-care can be hard, especially during this chaotic time, but the 10-15 minutes that a face mask requires is worth every second.  Some products mentioned in this episode are:  Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Paper Mask  Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay  Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial  Herbivore Blue Tansy Invisible Pores Resurfacing Clarity Mask  Brown and Coconut Healing Kale Mask  Acure Brightening Face Mask Cocokind Sea Kale Clay Mask  Cocokind Chlorophyll Mask  Cocokind Turmeric Stick  Biossance Squalane and Glycolic Renewal Facial  And here is the New York Times article entitled "Maskne Is the New Acne, and Here's What Is Causing It". Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

In this episode, your fav clean beauty obsessed BFFs put on their masks and took a trip to Target for some research......I KNOW, the sacrifices they're willing to make for the pod!!!! They went through the cleaning, laundry, and beauty sections to find out if "Clean at Target" held up to their standards and discussed the spots that were great successes as well as those that use some improvement.  Along the way, they found some great clean and/or eco-friendly options available in other sections of the store like in the sunscreen or toothpaste aisle! The craziest part is that they both left the store with only items they needed........ Some products and brands mentioned in this episode: NBD W3ll People Mineral Fusion Cocokind (duh) Dr. Bronner's Shea Moisture Native Raw Sugar SunBum and BabyBum Zak! drinkware KleenKanteen metal straws Natural Home Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

In this episode, Jess and Julie will be discussing hair removal products, which can be incredibly wasteful and full of toxic chemicals. They'll discuss shaving products like shaving creams/gels and razors, as well as other methods like hair removal creams, waxing, and sugaring.  Some products mentioned in this episode are: Plastic Free Pursuit Shave Bar Soap Package Free Shop Shave Soap Bar Elevated Shave Cream Skintimate Shave Gel Billie Shave Cream Rose Gold Safety Razor from NoToxLife Leaf Razor Flamingo Wax Trio Sugar Me Smooth Hair Removal Kit Here is more information on the Terracycle and Gillette razor recycling partnership. And more details about how Nair works can be found in this Healthline article. Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]

In this episode, Jess and Julie talk about a topic that stinks- literally! Switching to clean deodorants has not been easy for these two BFFs, and they'll share some of their fails.  They'll explain where B.O. comes from, and what the difference is between antiperspirant and deodorant.  While they admit that neither one of them has found their "forever deodorant", they're both able to offer some clean, eco-friendly options that may be worth a shot, and they'll talk about why switching to clean deodorant takes serious adjustment.  Some deodorants mentioned in this episode: Old Spice Tom's of Maine Pretty Frank (formerly Primal Pit Paste- this is news to us!) Schmidt's Myro Primally Pure Charcoal Deodorant Native Acure Taos AER Next Generation Clean Deodorant by Vapour Rocky Mountain Soap Company Liquid Crystal Deodorant LOVEFRESH Super Strength Deodorant Secret Aluminum Free Deodorant Biossance Squalane and Bamboo Deodorant And here is a CNN article about the decrease in deodorant sales during quarantine! Working from home? Now may be the time to experiment with natural deodorants!! Have a topic you’re dying to hear about? A product you want us to review? Want your question to be featured on our next episode? Let us know on Instagram.com/CleanItUpPod or by e-mailing [email protected]