10 Low-Tox Swaps to Instantly Safer DIY Beauty & Home Products
Small changes can make a big difference!
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If you’ve been thinking about switching to more natural products for your home and body, but feel overwhelmed about where to start — you’re not alone. Between confusing ingredient labels and endless “green” marketing claims, it can be hard to know what’s truly safe. The good news? You don’t need to throw everything out or spend a fortune to begin your low-tox journey.
Making simple, low-tox swaps is the easiest way to start creating a healthier home and beauty routine. By replacing just a few everyday products with DIY versions made from natural ingredients, you can reduce your family’s exposure to harsh chemicals while saving money and living more sustainably.
Since I got started with making my own natural cleaning and beauty products, my mindset has always been to take it one step, or one DIY, at a time. There is an endless amount of information out there on how to make almost every item you can think of in your home, but I guarantee you will become overwhelmed, and give up, if you try to do it all.
My suggestion is to start with the low tox swaps that will make the biggest impact in removing chemicals from your home, and build your list from there. Most of these products only take a couple of minutes to make, and you don’t have to make them all the time.
In this post, I’ll talk about 10 quick and easy low-tox swaps you can make right now — from gentle skincare and body butter to safe cleaners and outdoor sprays. These beginner-friendly ideas use simple ingredients like Castile soap, vinegar, coconut oil, and essential oils, so you can feel confident knowing exactly what’s in your products.
And if you’re ready to take your DIY journey a step further, don’t miss the freebie at the end of this post — my Free Getting Started Guide that walks you through how to make your own bath, beauty, and home products with only a few simple ingredients. It’s the perfect resource for anyone who’s ready to ditch toxins, save money, and start creating a natural lifestyle that truly works.
10 Swaps for Natural Cleaning and Beauty Products
I’ve ranked these swaps in order of what I believe will have the greatest impact in removing chemicals from your home. However, that also all depends on what you commonly use in your home. So, all of them will make an impact.
They are easy to make at home, and you can switch up the ingredients to make each product work with the ones you have already.
The great thing with these swaps are that they will not break the bank, but actually save you money!
1. Swap: Store-bought hand soap → DIY Castile Hand Wash
- Why: Have you ever noticed how dry your hands get after washing them? That’s because commercial soaps often contain synthetic fragrance, sulfates, and preservatives that strip natural oils. Since we all wash our hands several times a day, making this swap is huge! It’s one of the easiest to make, and one of the biggest impacts.
- DIY Swap: Mix Castile soap + distilled water + carrier oil + essential oils (like lavender or sweet orange).
- Benefit: This low-tox swap creates a gentle, moisturizing, and safe option for the whole family — with no harsh detergents.
- Recipe: Here are some links to my easy beginner recipes for a Foaming Hand Soap and a Moisturizing Liquid Hand Soap, depending on your preference and what pumps you already have.
2. Swap: Chemical surface cleaner → Natural All-Purpose Spray
- Why: Many surface sprays include ammonia and VOCs (chemicals used in many common products) that irritate lungs and skin. We may not think much about these since we are not directly applying them to our skin, however you most definitely are breathing the chemicals in while using them – ever choked on the smell of your cleaner? Touching surfaces that have
- DIY Swap: Combine equal parts white vinegar, water, and lemon or tea tree essential oil.
- Benefit: Naturally disinfects, cuts grease, and smells clean — with no toxic fumes that make you gag.
- Recipe: You can find my vinegar free recipe in the following post: All Purpose Cleaner.
3. Swap: Chemical filled bathroom cleaner → All Purpose Bathroom Cleaner
- Why: Many commercial cleaners contain harsh chemicals such as bleach, ammonia, and phosphates, which can be harmful to your families health and the environment. All-natural bathroom cleaners are just as effective (if not more) as commercial ones. It’s a cleaner home without the toxins.
- DIY Swap: Use eco-friendly and natural ingredients like cleaning vinegar, sals suds or castile soap, lemon and water.
- Benefit: Sparkling clean bathrooms without harsh chemical residue.
- Recipe: Check out my favourite Bathroom Cleaner and Shower Cleaner recipes.
4. Swap: Dryer sheets → Reusable Wool or Cotton Dryer Balls
- Why: Dryer sheets release synthetic fragrance and coatings that cling to clothes. These will then be transferred to your skin when you wear them. I never use dryer sheets on my kids clothes, because it would always cause irritated and itchy skin.
- DIY Swap: Use wool or cotton dryer balls with a few drops of lavender or lemon essential oil to add a fresh scent.
- Benefit: This is a non-irritating option that is creates static-free clothes. It’s also zero waste, and helps your laundry dry faster.
- Recipe: These can be made by hand if you knit or crochet. My sister makes amazing 100% Cotton Dryer Balls that you can purchase HERE.
5. Swap: Fabric softener → White Vinegar Rinse
- Why: Store bought softeners contain quats (linked to skin irritation).
- DIY Swap: Add ½ cup of white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle.
- Benefit: Naturally softens clothes, removes buildup, and deodorizes. Your clothes will be softer and WILL NOT smell like vinegar.
6. Swap: Store-bought face scrub → Honey & Coconut Oil Cleanser
- Why: Conventional face washes and scrubs often contain microplastics, harsh sulfates, and synthetic fragrances that can strip away your skin’s natural oils. The harsh abrasives and chemicals can also cause irritation, dryness, and sensitivity — especially for those with delicate or acne-prone skin.
- DIY Swap: Combine raw honey + coconut oil + a pinch of baking soda.
- Benefit: Gently exfoliates, balances skin, and fights bacteria naturally. It also effectively dissolves dirt and makeup, so you can also replace your store bought makeup remover with this 1 swap.
- Recipe: Check out the only face wash recipe I will ever use HERE.
7. Swap: Dishwasher Detergent Pods → Non-Toxic DIY Dishwasher Tablets
- Why: Most commercial dishwasher pods are one of the most toxin filled products out there. They contain synthetic fragrances, chlorine bleach, and phosphates that can leave chemical residues on dishes and pollute waterways. The residue left on dishes, can then enter your body and cause health issues.
- DIY Swap: Combine washing soda, baking soda, citric acid, and water to form simple DIY dishwasher tablets. Add a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil for a fresh scent and extra grease-cutting power.
- Benefit: Leaves dishes sparkling clean without harsh chemicals, reduces plastic waste, and keeps your kitchen air and water toxin-free.
- Recipe: Check out my recipe for a DIY Dishwasher Soap Tabs and a Rinse Aid to add to your wash cycle for added benefits for spotless dishes.
8. Swap: Body lotion → Whipped Body Butter
- Why: Many lotions contain mineral oils and preservatives that can clog pores and cause skin irritation. Most also contain synthetic fragrances that can cause health issues for many people.
- DIY Swap: Melt and whip shea butter, cocoa butter, or mango butter with a carrier oil of choice. Add in a few drops of essential oil for added scent and skin benefits.
- Benefit: Deeply nourishing, long-lasting moisture from pure ingredients that will not irritate your skin.
- Recipe: The only body lotion I use is found here: Shea Whipped Body Butter.
9. Swap: Air freshener spray → Essential Oil Room Mist
- Why: Aerosol sprays release artificial scents and hormone-disrupting phthalates.
- DIY Swap: Mix distilled water, witch hazel, and your favorite essential oils (like citrus or eucalyptus).
- Benefit: Instantly freshens air and linens without synthetic fragrance.
10. Swap: Bug spray → Natural Outdoor Spray
- Why: DEET-based sprays can irritate skin and smell strong.
- DIY Swap: Combine witch hazel, rose water, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, and lemongrass essential oils.
- Benefit: Repels bugs safely for the whole family and smells amazing outdoors.
- Recipe: The best bug spray recipe can be found HERE. This recipe not only repels bugs from biting in the first place, it can also be used to sooth bug bites if needed.
And that’s it, there you have my top 10 Low-Tox Swaps to Instantly Safer DIY Beauty & Home Products.
Like I’ve mentioned a few times, you don’t have to make them all at once. Start with one you maybe already have the ingredients for already, and see how you like it. Then, move onto the next product.
How to Start a Low Tox Lifestyle
These simple swaps are just the beginning!
You may still be feeling a little overwhelmed with where to start, and all the ingredients you need to have, to get started. From these swaps, you may feel like it’s so many ingredients to buy, but it’s not! You can start with what you have, and build from there.
If you’re ready to start making your own bath, beauty, and home products safely and confidently, download my Free Getting Started Guide — it includes 4 beginner recipes I’d suggest starting with, an ingredient checklist with the only ingredients you need, and step-by-step instructions to make your very first product!
