I walked past a stand at my local supermarket, and the ‘natural’ look of it made me stop and check out the products: Aeroguard’s range of insect killers.

On the front, I noticed the wording “100% Plant Based Active Ingredient”. Then I noticed that this ingredient accounts for 3% (3.0g/L), so 0.3% of the total formula.

I flipped it over to see exactly what was inside. It said: only the ingredients you need; for more information visit www.aeroguard.com.au

That was my first flag. Why not tell us on the label what is inside?

So. I jumped online and this is what I found.

Let me break down my observations based on my research and knowledge:

👁️ BHT, also known as butylated hydroxytoluene – EWG.org states that it causes moderate irritation of eyes skin and lungs (read more) and this study, which compares BHT, BHA and Vitamin E, states that although concentrations in food, drugs and cosmetics are probably harmless, specific toxic effects to the lungs have only been observed with BHT, and BHT induces liver tumours in long-term experiments.

👁️ Geraniol as fragrance – this is naturally occurring and found in plants like Neroli and Geranium, however, I do wonder if it is synthetically produced. I believe it is used for its insect-deterring properties.

👁️ Parrafin – petroleum-based.

👁️ Peg-40 – made by combining castor oil with ethylene oxide (highly toxic, known carcinogen; concerns over contamination within the ingredient).

👁️ Alkyl alcohol ethoxylate – impurity concerns with this synthetically produced ingredient and among other issues, is believed to be toxic to aquatics (you’ll note the ‘environmentally hazardous’ image on the bottle). Read more.

👁️ Methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone – these preservatives have some heavy use restrictions and been associated with lung toxicity, skin allergies and toxicity to wildlife.

I talk more about some of these ingredients on my list of questionable ingredients, here.

As usual, I’ll stress the importance of moving through this journey of awareness, and awakening, at your own pace. If you want to empower yourself with the knowledge to read product labels with confidence, sign up for my Becoming a Label Detective online short course.

If you want to use this product, please do so – at least you’re somewhat informed of some potential risks. 

Me? I wouldn’t touch it. I wouldn’t spray it around my home. I wouldn’t allow it to spread over anything my family, or my pets, walked on, sat on, ate, drank or touched.

I wish all manufacturers (cleaning and home care) were required to fully disclose their ingredients at the point of sale, like cosmetic manufacturers are. That would allow us all to make our own conscious, and informed, decisions when shopping.

You can join over 11,000 other people who are passionate about these laws changing, and sign my petition here. Please 🙏

Imagine my excitement when I received a phone call from the awesome people at GoodnessMe, asking if I’d be interested in being their Clean Beauty Advisor?!

The answer was YES.

I didn’t even think about it. I didn’t care what was ‘in it’ for me, I just knew straight away that this would be the perfect way to gently influence people to try truly natural products, rather than resort to the (often) greenwashed, ‘pretend natural’ mainstream products available. I was thrilled to have the chance to oversee what goes into their boxes, and into homes, all over AU and NZ!

GoodnessME is a subscription, product-sampling service; there is a beauty box and a health box available. Basically, you sign up to receive a box full of goodies to try out. It’s a great way to sample products and discover what you love before you commit to buying the full size. It’s also a fab way to learn about brands out there, trying to do what is best for humans and habitat.

I wanted to dedicate space on my website to explain my processes when deciding if a product ticks the boxes for me.

Together with GoodnessMe, we pledge to bring you the best possible premade beauty and personal care products available.

I L.O.V.E do-it-yourself, you guys probably know that about me.

I make 95% of everything my family and I use on our bodies and in our home. I will always advocate for natural DIY because I firmly believe it is the best way to be 100% sure of what you’re using.

I totally understand that DIY isn’t for everyone though, and even if DIY is your ‘thing’, it may not be something you want to do all of the time, or for every product you use.

That’s where my collaboration with GoodnessME comes in!

Each quarter, the GM team sends me a list of products from brands that wish to be included in their box. I pour over, and research, each ingredient and give my recommendations.

I have declined a few products because their ingredient lists don’t meet my standards (for example, fragrance and preservatives like phenoxyethanol are firm no’s from me).

I need to be clear that on occasion you may see the odd ingredient that in isolation, or at a high concentration, wouldn’t usually make it through. For example, colouring or sodium benzoate: while I’m not the biggest fan, sometimes, when a product is otherwise top-notch, and these ingredients are included as a very small percentage of the final product, it may make it through.

80/20 will always be my motto (I talk about that here). Let’s give ourselves permission not to be ‘perfect’ all of the time (gosh, that’s stressful and impossible!).

Remember, I am helping GoodnessMe pick the ‘best of the bunch’.

In my notes to GM, I make my opinion on all ‘firm no’ and ‘I’m not a fan but it’s not the worst’ ingredients, clear. At the end of the day, I give them my recommendations, but the final call is theirs, and theirs alone.

I truly hope that more of you discover the goodness that is GoodnessMe – they are doing great things for us all, and they’re giving many little hero brands a platform to become recognised and shine!

Watch the Summer Beauty box reveal here!

This post contains affiliate links.

Urgh, we all know (and dread) the zap that static electricity causes.

According to Oxford Languages, static electricity is a stationary electric charge, typically produced by friction. I remember as a kid, rubbing my feet on carpet and zapping my brother (and anyone within arms-reach to be honest!). That was fun, but what’s not fun is when you’ve got a shirt, or skirt, that relentlessly sticks to your body!

You might notice it to be particularly noticeable after removing clothes from the drier, and when the weather is dry. The type of fibre also plays a role in how staticky clothing can be; I notice synthetic materials, like nylon and polyester, to be more of an issue than cotton or hemp, for example. So when purchasing new clothing, try to avoid the synthetic stuff (although this can be difficult these days!)

How do we get rid of static electricity?

Well, David Harris, a physicist and curator of the Physics Museum at University of Queensland says that the best way to get rid of static is to discharge it.

One of the best ways I have personally found to discharge static in an outfit is to ‘ground’. Have you heard of it? Grounding (or earthing) is basically getting your bare feet on, well, the ground or earth. So simple, and it offers a crazy number of health benefits too. Alexx Stuart taught me all about it – you can read more here.

Think about how we tend to live these days… We’re typically in rubber/plastic-soled shoes when outdoors, or we’re inside houses and buildings; we’re in contact with earth less than ever before in history. So when static is an issue, it needs help to go away: when you’re getting ready to go out, and static rears its ugly head, get outside and place your bare feet (hands work too) onto the earth. It’s worked for me; hopefully, you find success in this little trick too!

Here are some other tips and tricks to try:

Tip 1 – Use vinegar as a fabric softener

The theory here is that vinegar helps to keep clothes soft, and soft clothing creates less friction, therefore less static. I only ever use this recipe or plain white vinegar as fabric softener, and I rarely have issues with static.

Tip 2 – Dry clothes on the line

It’s free, the sun kills bacteria and it gets you outdoors – winning! Of course, rainy days are an issue here, but rather than a dryer, opt for an indoor clothes horse. Either way, rain or shine, avoid those energy-sucking machines at all costs!

Tip 3 – If you must use a clothes dryer, use dryer balls

Not only do these reduce drying time, but they also reduce static – here are some natural, wool dryer balls to check out. You can also get them here – use the code “Krissy” for 5% off your order. I’ve heard a few safety pins on a sock also help when using a clothes dryer.

Tip 5 – Moisturise your skin

This is a great recipe if you fancy some DIY.

Some of these tips I’ve had personal success with, others are floating around as suggestions on my social platforms. I’d love for you to leave a comment if you have any other useful tips to add!

This post contains affiliate links. Please read here for more information.

The jolly season is almost upon us and I know people are starting to think about gifts for their favourites!

I do believe Christmas can be done naturally, it can be done on a budget, and it can be just as merry (even more so) when the health of people and planet are taken into consideration.

I’ve spoken about simple gifting ideas here, and ways to have a more sustainable Christmas here. I also have a free Christmas eBook here – see, lots of tips, tricks and recipes to give you a greener Christmas!

Well, I have another trick up my sleeve!

I’m so excited to share this little gift idea with you, something perfect for the kids (5-12 is the target age group but I do believe it would work well for a broader age group too)! 

This is guaranteed to keep the kids entertained, and happy, and productive, and excited, for hours!!!

Make & Play Gift Hamper

Why not put together a hamper of ingredients and a copy of Make & Play, and make a kid’s day?!! It would even be perfect for a family of kids, and that makes this gifting concept even more affordable ?

Including the book, colouring and one bottle of essential oil, this hamper works out to be under $80 (of course, this depends on whether you buy in bulk, and how many colours and oils you include).

Depending on your budget, you could include more or less than what you see pictured.

The ingredients I’ve included cover 10 recipes from Make & Play:

⭐️  Lip Balm

⭐️  Foaming Sludge

⭐️  Bath Bombs

⭐️  Wobbly Jelly Soap

⭐️  Soapy Dough

⭐️  Doughnut Moisturising Bars

⭐️  Paper Paint

⭐️  Puffy Paint

⭐️  Driveway Clay Chalk

⭐️  Spotty Goop

The breakdown of ingredients are as follows, along with approximate costings:

Activated charcoal powder, 1 tsp – 50c

Arrowroot flour, 385g – $1

Beeswax, 35g – 3.5

Bicarb soda, 220g – $1

Chia seeds, 10g – 17c

Citric acid, 85g – 70c

Cocoa powder, ½ tsp – 5c

Epsom salt, 30g – 20c

Gelatin powder, 10g – 40c

Liquid castile soap, 200g – $7

Olive oil, 100g – 60c

Salt (fine), 170g – 15c

Self-raising flour, 80g – 10c

Shea butter, 75g – $1.50

White clay, 105g – $3.4

Colouring, x3 – $7.5

EO, x1 (optional) – $10

Lip balm tubes x5 – $4

Moulds (arrow/hearts/doughnut/bath bombs) – $10

Paintbrush x1 – $1

Of course, to save on costs, you could include enough ingredients to cover 2 or 3 recipes – it’s up to you! The most common ingredients, used in Make & Play can be found via this link – it should help you decide.

Grab the book here!

Find ingredient suppliers here!

So there we have it. A super fun gift idea, under $80 that will keep the kids happy for hours on end! Enjoy 🤩