Detox Your Daily Routine: Non-Toxic Product Swaps for a Healthier You

Written By Ayesha Hafeez

At Ayla Wellness, we believe that protecting your hormonal health starts with simple, conscious choices in your daily routine. In our last blog post, Hormonal Havoc: How Everyday Chemicals in our Environment Disrupt Women’s Health, we dove into how everyday environmental exposures, from plastic containers to beauty products, can disrupt your hormones. Now, we’re following up with practical, non-toxic swaps to help reduce your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and support your hormonal wellbeing.

P.S. You’ll find our favorite products linked throughout the blog—just tap on the pictures to shop.

Why Make the Switch?

From synthetic fragrances to harsh preservatives, many conventional household and personal care products contain ingredients linked to hormonal imbalances, fertility issues, and other long-term health concerns. Choosing non-toxic alternatives isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress and protecting your health, one small step at a time.

Clean Beauty: Makeup & Skincare That Loves You Back

Conventional cosmetics often contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances—all known or suspected endocrine disruptors. These clean beauty brands prioritize safer ingredients without sacrificing performance:

Top Clean Beauty Brands

  • Saie Beauty: Minimalist, dewy makeup with eco-conscious packaging

  • ILIA Beauty: Skin-centric makeup powered by skincare ingredients

  • RMS Beauty: Organic, non-toxic formulas with a cult following

  • Kjaer Weis: Luxury performance makeup with certified-organic ingredients

Availability in UAE: ILIA and Saie Beauty are available in Sephora and Cult Beauty. RMS Beauty is also available in Cult Beauty. Kjaer Weis is available in Revolve and Ounass.

Tip: When browsing at Sephora, look for the “Clean at Sephora” badge, it’s your guide to products formulated without over 2,700 questionable ingredients.

Clean Skincare Essentials

Your skin absorbs much of what you put on it, so why not nourish it with safer choices?

Gentler Alternatives

  • Cleansers: 

    • True Botanicals Renew Nourishing Cleanser

    • Cerave Hydrating or Foaming Cleanser

    • Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser

    • EQQUALBERRY pH Balanced Daily Glow Gel Cleanser 

  • Moisturizers: 

    • Varuza Ultra Moisturizing Derma Facial Cream

    • RMS Kakadu Luxe Cream

    • True Botanicals Ginger Turmeric HydraGlow Cream

  • Sunscreen: 

    • Thinkbaby SPF 50

    • Supergoop Mineral Sheer Screen

    • Purito Centella Green Level Sun SPF 50+

Look for labels like fragrance-free, EWG Verified, non-comedogenic, and hypoallergenic when shopping locally in UAE pharmacies or online via Sephora Middle East, Namshi, or The Green Ecostore.

Clean Fragrance: Smell Great Without the Toxins

Fragrance is one of the most overlooked sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Synthetic “parfum” blends often hide phthalates, which are linked to hormonal imbalances and allergic reactions. Clean fragrance brands are changing the game by using transparent, non-toxic ingredient lists and safer alternatives to traditional perfumes.

Top Clean Fragrance Brands

  • Rosy & Earnest: The first fine fragrance line to receive EWG Verified® certification. Their “Be Rosy” and “Be Earnest” scents are crafted with full ingredient transparency and no hidden toxins

  • Henry Rose: Founded by Michelle Pfeiffer, this line is known for complete disclosure of ingredients and avoiding known endocrine disruptors. Clean, sophisticated, and cruelty-free

  • Dime Beauty: Affordable, vegan, and clean. Dime fragrances are formulated without phthalates, parabens, or synthetic dyes. Popular scents include "Lovely Dreams" and "Dans Les Bois”

Skylar: Hypoallergenic and free of common allergens, phthalates, and synthetic dyes. Their lightweight, buildable fragrances are perfect for daily wear.

Availability in UAE:

  • Henry Rose and Skylar are available for international shipping through iHerb and Revolve

  • Dime Beauty can be ordered directly from their website with international shipping options, or through Amazon.ae (limited availability)

  • Rosy & Earnest is currently available through select clean beauty retailers that offer international shipping to the UAE (e.g., Shop Good, Credo Beauty, or The Detox Market)

Tip: Look for terms like “phthalate-free,” “ingredient transparency,” and “natural fragrance” when shopping. Avoid generic “fragrance” or “parfum” on labels unless the full breakdown is listed.

Clean Deodorants: Why They Matter

Traditional deodorants and antiperspirants often contain aluminum compounds, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates - ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin. Aluminum, for example, is commonly used to block sweat glands but has raised concerns about long-term health effects. The chemicals found in traditional deodorants are also suspected of interfering with hormone balance due to their potential to act as endocrine disruptors.

Switching to clean deodorants allows your body to sweat naturally while neutralizing odor with plant-based or mineral ingredients. Look for products that are free of aluminum, parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances, and that use natural odor-fighting agents like baking soda, magnesium hydroxide, or activated charcoal.

Clean deodorant recommendations

  • Native Deodorant – Aluminum-free, available in unscented and natural scents

  • Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant - Contains probiotics, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants for gentle odor protection

  • Nécessaire The Deodarant Gel - Contains 5% AHA (mandelic, gluconolactone, lactic), niacinamide, chamomile for natural odor protection

  • Kopari Coconut Deodorant - Coconut oil-based, soothing and moisturizing for sensitive skin

Availability in UAE:

  • Kopari, Nécessaire and Native deodorant are available on Amazon UAE

  • Salt & Stone deodorant is available at Sephora

Non-Toxic Home: Clean Without the Chemicals

Your laundry, dishes, and air quality impact your endocrine system just as much as skincare. Try these cleaner options:

Home Product Swaps

  • Laundry Detergent:

    • Attitude’s Nature+ Laundry Detergent

    • Ecover Zero Sensitive Laundry Liquid

    • Seventh Generation, EcoEgg

    • The Laundress Unscented

  • Dish Soap:

    • Ecover

    • Method

    • Branch Basics

    • Nature Clean

  • All-Purpose Cleaner:

    • Method

    • Blueland

    • Molly’s Suds

    • DIY mix of vinegar + essential oils

  • Air Fresheners:

    • Avoid aerosols and opt for

    • Activated charcoal, essential oil diffusers or plants like peace lilies and snake plants

Availability in UAE: Find many of these at Spinneys, Organic Foods & Café, The Green Ecostore, Amazon.ae, or iHerb

Non‑Toxic Candles

Candles can bring warmth and calm, but conventional ones made with paraffin, synthetic fragrances, or metal-core wicks may release harmful chemicals like benzene, toluene, phthalates, and lead. The solution? Opt for candles crafted from natural waxes (soy, beeswax, coconut), essential-oil scents, and organic or wood wicks.

How to Spot a Clean Candle

  • Wax type: 100% soy, beeswax, or coconut, not paraffin or ambiguous "wax blend"

  • Wicks: Cotton (unbleached), hemp, or untreated wood, free of metal cores

  • Fragrance: Pure essential oils or phthalate-free natural perfumes

  • Certifications: Look for labels like “Made Safe,” USDA Certified Biobased, or clear ingredient transparency

Recommended Candle Brands

Resources for Safer Shopping

Not sure where to start? These tools and apps make it easier to decode product labels, check for toxic ingredients, and make confident, cleaner choices:

Recommended Apps

  • Think Dirty: Scan the barcode of personal care products and instantly see how "clean" they are. Think Dirty gives you a score and breaks down harmful ingredients

  • EWG Healthy Living: Combines EWG’s Skin Deep® and Food Scores databases to rate both personal care and household products

  • Yuka: Rates food and cosmetic products based on health impact and suggests better alternatives

  • INCI Beauty: Offers detailed ingredient analysis using the INCI list on skincare and makeup labels

Loved these product swaps? We’re working on a space that brings clean living to your fingertips.

Join Ayla’s waitlist to stay in the loop as we curate more thoughtful routines, just for you.

Ayesha Hafeez
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