A PURE Breakfast Date

I was recently invited to a fun blogger breakfast event at the gorgeous Tanglewood area home of Estela Cockrell, founder of Switch2Pure. It was so much fun catching up with other Houston blogger friends over delicious and healthy bites and tasty drinks in her house, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays – be sure to scroll through for photos of it, along with some of our favorite bloggers.We also got to preview some of her favorite items from her new website, Switch2Pure, which is well-curated website with the best clean and organic products.

Estela started our time together telling us all about why she started this company. She and her children have battled various auto-immune issues for a long time and for a while, she was dealing with mysterious symptoms due to food allergies, immune disorders and Lyme disease, without really knowing what was causing them. Once she started doing more research, however, and figured out exactly what was causing them, she vowed to take a closer look at the products that she and her family were using every day. And she didn’t like what she found. She found complicated labels that made it hard to differentiate the good from the bad ingredients and she found “crunchy” healthy products that didn’t do what they promised. So, she decided to curate her own website of products that are safe, pure, clean, natural and nontoxic, yet effective and luxurious. Gotta love a woman who makes helping others simplify safe products her mission!

After the talk and delicious gluten and dairy free treats, we got to head into her work area and sample some products. I was amazed at how luxurious they are for “safe” products. Estela pointed out to us which ones are her very favorites and I snagged a few things to bring home and try out. Here’s what I started with, along with a brief review of (and link to) each product…

The Nurture Your Nest Natural Cleaning Non Toxic Kit – I have small children and I certainly do not want my cleaning products causing them harm. Enough said.

Kaia Naturals Charcoal Deodorant – The idea of endocrine disruptors from the store shelf deodorants being placed so close to my lymph chains in my underarms every single day was enough to make me decide to make the switch immediately. So far, I’ve liked it. The brand tells you to expect a detox period when quitting regular antiperspirant, but so far, I haven’t noticed that. I think it comes a bit later on, though.

InVitamin Charcoal Toothpaste – Same goes for what I put into my mouth. I definitely don’t want harmful toxins here! While the idea of black toothpaste makes me a little uneasy, Estela assured me that the lightly minted taste is good and that it also whitens teeth – bonus! So far, I’ve really liked it. It’s far less sudsy than normal toothpaste, but I don’t mind that at all. Just rinse any that you spit into the sink immediately and the black color comes off the porcelain super easily.

Rare Elements Pure Natural Shampoo Hydrating Hair Bathe Shampoo – This one smells amazing and Estela promises that it does wonders for your hair. Yay for that! I’m super picky about what shampoos I use. I don’t like the ones from the grocery store that leave a wax buildup on your hair. I feel like I can also use less amounts of the more expensive ones, so it ends up being about the same amount of money investment-wise. So far, I LOVE this one and use only a dime-sized amount each time. And, I feel like it allows me to not have to wash my hair every single day. Yay for that!

Rare Elements Essentials Daily Vegan Natural Masque Conditioner – There was a “lite” conditioner option as well, but I like a good mask-like conditioner, since I only put it on the ends of my hair (the ponytail area) which tends to get a little dry or get split ends between hair cuts. I like this one a lot so far. I put it on and wait about 3-5 minutes before rinsing it out. Like the other Rare Elements products, it smells amazing and lasts a really long time!

Rare Elements Marula Cocktail Leave in Conditioner – I’m LOVING this one so far. It smells amazing (like the shampoo) and leaves my hair feeling so soft and hydrated. I only use two sprays per day and then come it through, to keep my hair from being oily.

Kaia Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth – Estela told me that these are perfect for after you leave the gym, but have to go somewhere else before going home to shower and I agree. They are refreshing and smell great and are a good quick refresh after a sweaty lifting session at the gym. And heaven-knows I’m rarely headed home to shower after I work out, as much as I’d like to be. A mom’s life is rarely boring!

Source Vital Free Micellar Water Cleanser – Estela swears by using this a “precleanser” before cleaning your face and so far, I have loved going the same thing. I feel like it gets my face extra clean, removing makeup and then washing my face for cleanliness. It has essential oils in it and leaves my face feeling clean, but not “stripped.”

Honey Belle Organic Facial Soap – In all honesty, of all of the products I purchased, this is the only one that I might not rebuy. It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t LOVE it like I loved the others. On all of the other products, I am hooked! On this one, it’s good, but not something I’m obsessed with. I think maybe my skin is getting a bit drier as it gets older and I prefer something more hydrating for me. It does foam beautifully and smells great, however. I currently keep it in my shower, rather than using it every morning and night and it’s great for that! I love that it’s a clean and safe product, though, because your skin is definitely your largest organ, so its important not to put toxins on it!

After hearing Estela’s story, I was inspired that the switch to pure ingredients in the beauty, cleaning and food items we use every day really is getting easier every day, especially with websites like Switch2Pure. And the payoff is worth the investment of time to seek them out. In the case of the items at Switch2Pure, I was amazed by how low the prices on most items were. Usually, I feel like there is a pretty steep markup for “clean” items, but not here. There are well-priced items that are still organic and toxin-free.

Below are a few more photos from the party. It was such a fun event and I was so grateful to be included! Girl-time is such a rare treat these days and learning about safe products that I love at the same time made it all the more fun! Have you tried any of the products above or are you obsessed with any clean, non-toxic products that I should know about? Let me know in the comments below! I love sharing knowledge!