I started researching and eventually educating on all things low tox living because of my oldest son. I was pregnant for the first time and it was the first time I realized the importance of ingredients and what things are made off in terms of how it can affect our short and long term health. Fast forward 16 years and I have a teen who has grown up in a “lower tox home”…. Is he perfect? Nope. Even with having me for a mom, he is far from perfect. He wears polyester jerseys, and will often tease me or roll his eyes saying “oh no that has microplastics/ phthalates/isn’t organic”… but guess what? Just the fact that these concepts are in his vocabulary means he has been listening and some of the lessons have been absorbed. It has been so fun seeing him mature and “get” certain things and want certain better quality things as he has grown: from food to products. Having gone through it makes me feel more at ease with my other two kids because I know that by just growing up in my house, many of our habits are going to stick to them ! So if you are a mom or dad to a kiddo of any age: keep doing what you are doing!
Case in point: this list.
Here are 7 items that he uses on a daily basis, really likes, and that are lower tox. Did he choose them for himself? No- I did LOL but he loves them and would buy them moving forward because he genuinely likes them… and if you have a teen you know how hard getting that approval is!!
Anyway, here are truly teen boy approved low tox items
LOW TOX DAILY USE PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Innersense Quiat Calm Curl Control
Primally Pure Dry Skin Cleansing oil. Discount code: 3LITTLEPLUMS
Aleavia Face Wash (for those without dry skin- he used this prior when he had oilier skin)
Osea Ocean Cleansing Mud. Discount code: AIDASPICKS10
Primally Pure Unscented deodorant Discount: 3LITTLEPLUMS
Just Ingredients deodorant (our backup brand)
LOW TOX SHOWER ESSENTIALS
When he was younger we relied on low-tox shower gel/shampoo combos marketed to young kids… but at some point preteens/ teens need something stronger! I feel like there is a lag in the clean beauty market for this age group: as a parent I don’t want to spend a fortune on shampoo for my teen boys (which I might on my own shampoo but I also use it more sparingly lol) but I want him to have clean ingredients. These brands I find are a good midpoint…. They work well and have great ingredients and aren’t over the top pricey.
Attitude Sensitive Natural shower gel
Attitude Super Leaves amplifying shampoo
Aleavia Enzymatic Body cleanse
He wanted something comfy to sit in in his room, I wanted something multipurpose that would work for friends/family who sleep over and that looked nice…. But didn’t want all the nasty chemicals or materials…. This is one of the low tox fines I am most proud off and that everyone in the house loves… but especially my oldest son.
( we chose white with green outline)
ORGANIC UNDERWEAR
He has been using organic underwear since he was really young, but the first weeks after the fire where we lost our home and everything we owned we were gifted underwear for the boys that had polyester….. it was interesting to see that he asked to buy better underwear after a week … he could feel a difference! These are the brands he currently has in his closet
Opok : Discount codę: aidaspicks
Cottonique Or on their website
Looking for smaller sizes?
Boys organic boxers we have used (and currently use with my 13 year old) here
ORGANIC MATTRESS WITHOUT: FLAME RETARDANTS, PFAS NOR FOAM
This Savvy Rest mattress (Discount code: AIDASPICKS ) I found ideal for growing boys/men. Teen boys particularly go through a crazy body transformation in the teen years (usually) where they might start at age 13 at 5 feet and grow to 6 feet by age 18! Because of this I chose this particular mattress that is made up of 3 natural latex layers that can be reconfigured if you need the bed to be firmer or less firm…. Its pricey but sleep at this age (for boys and girls) is essential for brain/ emotional/muscle recuperation/detox health etc.
ORGANIC COTTON POLO SHIRTS FOR SCHOOL
Again, not his choice, but he is happy with them. Most school uniform polo shirts are made with polyester and thus give off microplastics (as well as chemicals used in the production and dying of polyester). Whether your kids use kids or adult sizes, organic polos are easy to find and an easy switch that is worth is considering they are using these every single day for many hours a day.