Hey guys! I watched this documentary last weekend, Stink, on Netflix and it got me thinking about what we truly put in our bodies. As far as food goes, it’s pretty simple to put healthy options in our diets, greens and beans and all the works. But what about the other half of what we come in contact with? The soaps and shampoos, shouldn’t those be healthy for us too?

When people think of “Healthy Living” they think “organic living,” in the most basic of definitions, organic means crops that are grown with fewer pesticides and livestock (meat or poultry) raised without added drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals.

What most consumers don’t know though is that the term Organic is only strictly regulated when a product is agricultural. So, organic kale is highly regulated by the National Organic Program (NOP), but NOP has fewer regulations in place for things like organic soap. Today we’re going to see how expensive it is, and how reliable it is to buy and use only organic external products.

Walking into my usual Kroger Store, I easily located the Organic sections for food and for products. Brands like Simple Truth, Mrs. Meyer’s, Toms, and Schmidt’s are what stuck out to me in the products aisles.

We’ll start with the popular Kroger organic brand, Simple Truth. The marketing page on Simpletruth.com, assures customers that “these foods [and products] provide a simple, uncomplicated, and trustworthy solution to the challenge of simply better living.”

First the Simple Truth products: Simple Truth Organic Facial Cream Cleanser ($8.99), Simple Truth Organic Moisturizer ($8.99), Simple Truth Organic Body Lotion ($6.49), and Simple Truth Organic Face Wipes ($5.99).

When researching, what better way to truly get a grasp of the product than to go straight to the public? One Reddit user, Heaveninherarms, says “I can’t comment on their integrity, but from what I know about organic certification […] it’s a joke process. So, I wouldn’t rely on it too much. […] The Simple Truth campaign is just a marketing scheme to get more revenue.”

I won’t disagree that Simple Truth is a marketing scheme, but I can argue that with the information provided to the general public is truly organic.
Simple Truth Organic All-Purpose Cleaner ($2.99), Simple Truth Cleaning Wipes ($3.49), Simple Truth Compostable Kitchen Bags 12 Pack ($4.99), and Simple Truth Organic Body Wash ($6.49).

Vitacost.com assures that all Simple Truth Organic products are free from 101+ harmful chemicals. Including such chemicals like Acetylated Ester of Mono- and Diglycerides, Sulfur Dioxide, and Ammonium Chloride. Which, coming from someone who has firsthand experience with chemicals that are damaging to the hair and skin, this is excellent news that these chemicals are excluded from Simple Truth Organic Shampoo and Conditioner ($4.29 each).

Next is the name brand Tom’s, they we’re less popular at Kroger and only had a few options for toothpaste and toothbrushes.

One Amazon user by the name of Wfd823, left a one-star review saying, “[…] this toothpaste is the worst thing to ever happen to my mouth. It tastes horrible and left my whole mouth coated in a yucky-tasting film. […] I was also irritated to see that it contains SLS.” Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a foaming agent used in most toothpastes and shampoos. Tom’s Organic Whitening Toothpaste ($4.59) also contains carrageenan (linear sulfated polysaccharides) which is a chemical with thickening and stabilizing properties.
In conclusion, Tom’s Organic Brand is not in fact Organic. Let down again by the marketing schemes of capitalism.

One product that was on the shelves was only marketed in the deodorant section, although their website promotes much more; Schmidt’s.

Schmidt’s Organic Deodorant ($7.99), is certified vegan and cruelty free. Many amazon users are complaining of a concerningly intense rash and hard bumps after seven – eight days of use. But the evidence is there, and this product seems to meet the requirements and is 100% organic (or at least 95% organic according to USDA restrictions).

Last but not least is Mrs. Meyers’ brand, mostly in the cleaning product section at Kroger, their website is also mostly branded for cleaning products.

TreeHugger.com gave a detailed review of the Mrs. Meyers’ brand products, assuring that “Mrs. Meyers’ products aren’t pretentious or boastful; just efficient, simple, balanced, and comfortable ways to make your day a little cleaner.”

Mrs. Meyers Liquid Dish Soap ($3.99), Mrs. Meyers Laundry Detergent ($12.99), and Mrs. Meyers Fabric Softener ($10.99).

The average amazon buyer agrees that Mrs. Meyers is a reliable and truly organic line of products.

So, now we’ve got What to buy and Where to buy it, but how expensive is it? We’ve all heard the horror stories of how eating an organic diet costs an arm and a leg to maintain.

Shopping at Kroger my main total was: $96.55.

However you budget it might work for you, but for me with my $600 a month income, I’ll choose to settle for the 97 cent shampoo from Walmart.

I hope this was helpful – or at least interesting – for you guys! I really enjoyed writing it and doing the research and going out to find first hand pictures! Let me know what you want to hear from me next!

Till Next Week! ❤