10 Household Essentials for Eco-Moms

Reader Contribution by Ali Lawrence
Published on May 11, 2016
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You’ve heard of that mom — the one who has a natural solution to every ailment that strikes her child, who makes her own cleaners and laundry detergent, who somehow has her kids trained to crave organic vegetables over fruit snacks. This type is often known as the “crunchy mom” or “eco-mom.”

Eco-moms are loosely defined as women who initiate green living and maintain natural lifestyles and households. In parenting, cleaning and cooking, these women look for the most clean and natural alternatives to keep their bodies and homes free of chemicals and toxins. And more and more parents, and people, are leaning toward a crunchier lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking for a gift for an eco-mom in your life or you want to start taking a more natural approach to your own household, the following ten items are essentials.

Photo by Fotolia/taka.

1. Essential Oils and a Diffuser

Headaches, sore throats, colds, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, pain, allergies — you name the symptom, and there’s an essential oil designed to alleviate it. Diffusing essential oils eliminates the need to turn to over-the-counter pain relievers or antibiotics. Making your own essential oil blends for use in a diffuser than you may think, watch our video to learn how.

2. Himalayan Salt Lamp

These dim lamps are like natural air purifiers as they work to eliminate dust, pollen and contaminants from the air. Believed to improve your mood and energy levels while relieving your kids’ allergies and asthma symptoms, these lamps have several benefits for moms and babies.

3. Dr. Bronner’s Soap

Eco-moms love this popular, natural line of soap. Made with high-quality, pure ingredients, Dr. Bronner’s soap is well-known for its versatility. You can use Dr. Bronner’s soap for everything from washing your face, hair and body, to doing dishes and laundry, to scrubbing toilets and washing windows.

4. Glass Water Bottle

These trendy water bottles are a must-have for moms and kids. Eco-mamas like these because the glass and lids are BPA- and phthalate-free. The majority of these are sturdy, lightweight and easy for kids to hold.

5. Ceramic Cookware and Nontoxic Kitchenware

Since moms tend to do much of the cooking, they will want nontoxic cookware that is scratch resistant, easy to clean, and free of chemicals and heavy metals.

6. Coconut Oil

This is the most versatile and useful investment for any mom. While it’s a healthy fat to use for making granola or almond butter, it also serves as a natural moisturizer for skin and hair. Coconut oil is great for healing eczema and diaper rash, but also for removing your makeup or relieving stretch marks.

7. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another versatile household item. Whether using it as a facial toner, an all-purpose cleaner or an aid for an upset stomach, eco-moms will always want to have apple cider vinegar on hand.

8. Microfiber Cloths

Cloths with microfiber technology, such as e-cloth or Norwex, allow you to clean without using harmful, chemical-laden products. Adding only water to a microfiber cloth cleans 99 percent of bacteria, so your family can be spared exposure to extra cleaning chemicals.

9. Reusable Bags

These can be cute and trendy, often decorated with quotes or themes that appeal to either your values or aesthetic preferences. Simple, recyclable totes come in handy when moms are heading to the farmers market or the grocery store.

10. Loose-Leaf Herbal Tea

Tea is similar to essential oils in the sense that there’s a tea leaf for every ailment out there. Specific herbal teas can aid in digestion and sleep quality, boost relaxation and happiness, relieve allergies and so much more. Some are known for their benefits while pregnant or breastfeeding as well.

While you may think crunchy, eco-moms do a lot of extra work to live more naturally, these essential items provide more benefits and reduce their stress levels in the long run.


Ali Lawrence is a tea-sipping writer who focuses on healthy and sustainable living via her family blog Homey Improvements. She was born and raised in Alaska, and dabbles in PR, Pilates and is a princess for hire for kid’s parties. Find her on Twitter @DIYfolks.

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