I love talking about natural swaps to make, because you guys all know what I big believer I am in making tiny changes over time. That it’s really about the things you’re doing in daily life that add up to your health overall, how you feel, and how your body is operating from the inside out.
And so many things that make a big IMPACT are tiny things, that most of us don’t think about too much. But are so easy to do. Upgrades, I call ’em,
A long time ago, way before Simply Real Health, when Sarah was just walking through life… I spent a ton of time thinking purely about food.
What did I need to eat? What shouldn’t I eat? How much should I eat?
Once I finally unlocked how to answer all of those questions for myself, I realized that I never really thought about the value of what went on my body and around my house. That’s when I started falling in love with all things natural skincare and cleaning products and deodorant and so much more… and I’ll never go back.
But, I get that it’s almost harder for people to wrap their head around natural products like that. Food makes sense, you know? It’s simpler to understand the importance of natural foods… but I think natural additions to the rest of life are just as important.
And, one of the questions I get asked a lot around here is actually about the guys in your life.
You want to know, how can I encourage my husband or my boyfriend or my brother or my dad to try out natural products?
While your girlfriends are usually more likely to try out a natural brand or make the swap to a cleaner kitchen spray… guys can be more….um, hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. Mine included (as you’ll see below)
Which is why I want to talk about this more.
So, today I want to share some of the best swaps we’ve made in this house for my favorite guy around… Kyle! While some things are a def no for him (he doesn’t ever think my desserts are sweet enough… ever), there have been really simple switches & upgrades that he does loves… or at least is becoming more open to.
From deodorant to natural shaving cream, I’m always super happy when he’s willing to try something new. These are some winners!
4 Natural Swaps for the Men in Your Life
01. The Deodorant Convo
You guys, I will sing the praises of natural deodorant until the end of my days. I think it’s one of the most impactful, easy switches to make… and the benefits are SO GOOD.
The thing is, your skin absorbs what you put on it. That definitely goes for what you put on your armpits, close to those important lymph nodes of yours. Truly, those aluminum-filled, heavily scented grocery store deodorants aren’t good for you…
And they’re not good for the guys in your life, either.
So, now let’s be honest: my IDEAL would be if my hubs would switch over to Primally Pure charcoal deodorant — so many of his guy friends use it because their wives bought it for them in their last order……they love it, it smells good (and still ~manly~ enough for a deodorant scent, if you know what I mean), and it WORKS for most. My guy? He refuses to try it and thinks it won’t work for him.
Sometimes, this happens with things for us— I make a decision for me + my health to go cleaner with something….but I can’t force it on him. And he lets me know that. I get away with a lot in our house– I’m in charge of all the food, groceries, cleaning products, bath products, that we use as a household, etc. But there are some things where he just says no. Which is fine and I’ve learned to not push or harp on it…. even if his conventional deod a few years ago made me worry about it.
And I get it. Like, let’s be honest… no one wants to wear a natural deodorant that doesn’t work. No one. I don’t want that either (selfishly, ha). It’s also not a secret that a lot of men tend to just be stinkier and have more sweat glands on the average, than women… it’s just how it is, you know? #biology
So here is where we’ve landed. If you guy is down to try the more natural route, these two are the best ones I’ve found (and tested myself for smell, cool packaging, ingredients etc):
Primally Pure Charcoal Deodorant (or the Tea Tree or Unscented scents)
(I shared my go-to tips to making the natural deo shift a few months ago, and it’s super helpful. Pass the link along to your man along with his new charcoal deodorant, and you’ll be set.)
BUT, a year or two ago, totally unprompted by me, I did see a new deod brand come into our bathroom cabinet. It said it was aluminum free and “natural”, but looked like a store-bought brand. But aluminum free! That’s one of the biggest scary ingredients in most conventional brands, so I consider this a a total WIN for his health.
Kyle loves it and uses it daily, and I feel like it’s a great compromise and def upgrade……but without going fully into the natural one.
I later found out it was Kobe Bryant’s brand, called AOS (Art of Sport), which makes it even cooler, so I get it. I love this scent, and you can get it right on amazon.
02. Ursa Shaving Cream
So, I think one of the craziest things about making natural swaps is when you realize the ingredients that you HAVE been putting on your body.
Take, shaving cream. It’s needed, right? Especially for guys who shave their face on the reg. Like Kyle. Well, a typical shaving cream is PACKED with ingredients that literally no one can pronounce.
I’m talking, like, I don’t even know that the scientists who concocted shaving cream in a lab would even know how to pronounce them.
From sulfates to formaldehyde to emulsifiers like tryethanolamine… there’s a lot of scary stuff in a lot of shaving creams.
Plus, I can almost PROMISE you that shaving cream is probably not a thing your guy is diehard about. Like, they might have a brand that they tend to buy at the store… but no one is truly dedicated to one specific kind of shaving cream, you know?
That’s where the Ursa shaving cream comes in to shave the day (ah, a pun)!
This was one of those natural swaps that I just kind of pushed on Kyle. Like, I literally just put it on his sink. And, he loves it!
It’s the Stellar Shave Cream, and it’s packed with so many GOOD things. The can of Edge could never. From aloe vera to blue tansy to shea oil, there are so many clean and soft ingredients in here… and Kyle LOVES it.
Now, it’s not super lathery… because it’s missing those chemicals that make it so. But, Kyle says it’s a super smooth shave… no lather needed. And it smells so good! The fact that I can get him to have much of an opinion on any shaving cream is pretty incredible, if you ask me.
Also great for women if you use shaving cream (I always just use bodywash– Dr Bronners to be specific, in mint or lavendar depending on my mood).
03. Rake Hair Styling Balm
If you take some time to look around, you’ll see that a lot of natural hair products are simply geared towards… women.
That’s silly, right? Men have hair, too! In this household, Kyle is the one that gets stopped on the street for his (amazing, if I do say so myself) hair. He hates the attention, and it makes me die of laughter everytime. And dang you guys, it’s true. The guy’s got it going on.
And with guy’s hair, the usual toxin and chemical-filled hair products are usually more likely to cause buildup, which can be seen a lot quicker in guy’s hair.
This styling balm was something I ordered on a whim, and we are both so into it.
Here’s why we love it: it’s not a crunchy OR oily finish. No one wants NSYNC gelled hair in 2021, ya know? This balm is great for a style that holds without Lance Bass level vibes.
At the same time, it’s easy to use. Just like the guys in your life probably are, Kyle isn’t going to spend more than 2 minutes (and that’s pushing it) messing with his hair. Just a little dime-sized amount of this styling balm is all he needs… and it holds for as long as he needs it to.
Also great for women’s hair too if you use a balm.
It also smells great… like, wow. I’m talking bourbon vanilla extract, pomegranate extract, rose oil…sexy, really.
Mmmmmmm. Yes, please.
04. Jack Henry Clay Pomade
Soooo I had heard all about this brand, Jack Henry, and was so excited to treat Kyle to #allthethings on Christmas — and I’m so dang glad I did.
All of their products are clean, non-toxic, and plant based… and their branding is SO GOOD, and minimal (which I love).
Kyle liked everything he got from the line, but this clay pomade was a big favorite. If your guy likes using a pomade to style their hair, this is the right one! It’s just made of 4 ingredients (coconut oil, bentonite clay, lavender, and beeswax, so you know I’m obsessed), and it actually works.
Plus, I love a good hair product as much as the next gal, and when I can make Kyle love one, too?
Even better, it’s super helpful for humidity and wet hair, so perfect for this Seattle guy o’ mine.
We’re hooked over here.
They also have a great line of skincare— a cleansing oil, moisturizer, etc that’s next on my list to order and try for him. I almost did for Christmas, but seeing that he doesn’t use anything at all right now on his skin, I thought it might be pushing it. When I told him that, he said he’s totally try it. So there we go. I’ll keep you posted here if he does and likes it, because the ingredients are awesome. I’m trying to get a code too for you guys, so stay tuned.
Placing an order for one of these? Maximize your time by re-stocking your non-toxic beauty cabinet at the same time here. That’s what I call efficient (and a win-win) 🙂
See my favorite Follain beauty & skincare recs here
See my favorite Primally Pure products here
See my favorite misc natural beauty, skincare, bath & household products here