One Year of Low-Tox Living: What I’ve Actually Learned After a Year of Making Swaps

One year ago, I started shopping with The Wellness Company. At the time, I didn't have some elaborate plan to completely overhaul our home. I wasn't throwing away every cleaning product, replacing every bottle in the bathroom, and starting over from scratch all at once. I was simply paying attention and wanted to do better.  And that little shift ended up changing more than I expected.

Why I started making swaps

For me, this wasn't about becoming the person who has a perfectly “low-tox” home. It was about becoming more intentional about the products we use every day.Cleaning products. Laundry products. Personal care. Things we use around our daughter. Things that sit on our counters, go down our drains, get washed into our clothes, and become part of our everyday routines.

1. You don't have to change everything overnight.

This is probably the biggest thing I'd tell someone starting out. You don't have to walk through your house and throw everything away. Honestly, that's not realistic for most families. We've made changes gradually. We used something up then I ordered a replacement from The Wellness Co.  A year later, we have switched basically every product in our house over. With that being said, I still like to light a candle every once in a while and we still grab fast food when we’re on the road. 

2. I've become WAY more aware of what I'm buying.

Before, I honestly didn't think much about most of the ingredients in everyday products.

Now? I read labels. And once you start paying attention, you start noticing things you never thought about before. I'm not saying I understand every ingredient or that I have every answer. I absolutely don't. But I do feel more intentional about what I choose to bring into our home.

3. “Low-tox” doesn't have to mean perfect.

This one is important. I still have products in my house that someone else might not consider “low-tox.” I still eat things that aren't perfectly clean. I still use things because they're convenient. I am not interested in creating another impossible standard for myself. For me, this has always been about making better choices where I can—not being perfect. And I think that's what has made these changes sustainable for me.

4. The products actually have to work.

One thing I’ve really loved about this past year is that I haven't felt like I’m constantly searching for something that might work better. We’ve genuinely liked the products we've brought into our home, and they’ve held up to our everyday life. And when I say everyday life, I mean real life. The stain remover has been put to the test on the kind of clothes that make you wonder how they possibly got that dirty. The laundry detergent has handled Brenton’s landfill work clothes, and it has kept up with all the dirt, dust, sweat, and whatever else ends up on his clothes. The deodorant has survived long summer rodeos—for both Brenton and me. And that's probably one of the easiest ways for me to know if something actually works. If it can make it through a hot summer rodeo, I'm impressed. 

From laundry and stain remover to personal care and the everyday products we use around the house, we've really liked everything we've tried. That has probably been one 

of the biggest surprises for me. I expected switching products to mean compromising on how well they worked. Instead, we've found products that work and fit the changes I wanted to make in our home. And after a year, these aren't products I'm just trying anymore. They're what we shop for. 

5. I've stopped thinking about low-tox as an all-or-nothing lifestyle.

This might be the biggest mindset shift of all. I used to think making these kinds of changes meant you had to be ALL IN. Now I see it more as: What can I change today? Maybe it's laundry detergent, maybe it's a cleaning product, maybe it's shampoo, maybe it's what you use on your baby's skin, maybe it's nothing today. You can make one change without completely changing your life.

6. I've learned what actually matters to ME.

After a year, I've started to figure out which swaps are important to our family and which ones just aren't worth stressing over. And I think that's something everyone has to figure out for themselves. There isn't one perfect checklist. There isn't one perfect home. There isn't one perfect way to do this. It's about finding what fits your family, your budget, and your priorities. Thankfully, the Wellness Co. made our swaps affordable and convenient. 

One year later…

Do I think our house is perfectly low-tox? Nope. Do I still have things I'm learning about? Absolutely. But do I shop differently than I did a year ago? 100%. I'm more intentional. I read more. I ask more questions. I think about what I'm buying instead of automatically grabbing whatever I've always purchased. And I've found products that have genuinely become part of our everyday life. That's what this last year has really been about for me. Not perfection. Just being a little more intentional with what we bring into our home. 🤎

Curious where to start?

I put together more information on my website about the products we use, why I made the switch, and how the shopping side works. And if you've been curious about the business side, October may be a really good time to ask questions because of the current incentives. You don't have to commit to anything just to learn more.