Natural Brands I Recommend
(international and UK-based)
2024/02/21
Finding decent brands for sourcing natural alternatives can be difficult, so here I've compiled a list of some I recommend. I'll update this over time as I find new companies I enjoy.
If I can't find something in local shops or on the online shops I frequent, I check sites like Amazon. I bought my stainless steel tongue scraper there.
Sites like Etsy are also good sources for organic, natural fibre clothing and various other products.
Healthcare
- Oliva: They sell pure olive oil bar soap, produced in Greece. It contains only saponified olive oil, sodium chloride (salt) and water. By far the simplest and best soap I've ever found. It works wonders for my skin, and it's the only thing I ever use anymore, whether it be for my face, hands, the rest of my body, or even for dishes.
- Kingfisher: A brilliant company that sells fluoride-free toothpaste varieties and is incredibly transparent about the ingredients that it uses in its products, and what each of these are used for in the body, along with where they're sourced from.
Food
- These are largely locally-sourced, and you're best visiting local farms for free-range eggs, raw honey, raw dairy (or pasteurised if you prefer, but at least ensure it's organic), grass-fed meat, organic fruits and vegetables, et cetera. Even better if you can visit the farm itself or meet the animals that are to be slaughtered or who have their produce sold to ensure they are being raised comfortably and permitted to live healthy lives. This will impact the nutritional value of the produce for you, as well as the animals' welfare itself.
- I go foraging during certain months, such as in August for blackberries. If you choose to go foraging, make sure it's in an area where you're sure plants haven't been exposed to toxins or pesticides. I like to freeze some of the fruit I pick after washing it, to preserve it for later months when it's out of season.
- Try your hand at fishing sometime. Nothing tastes quite as satisfying as fish you've caught yourself.
- Sostrene Grene: A cosy little shop that (amongst many, many other things) sells very cheap loose leaf tea. In store, you can scoop it yourself and store it in a paper bag. No plastic involved whatsoever. Their fruit teas are delicious, and ridiculously affordable.
- Brew Tea: This company makes brilliant glass and steel tea accessories, and their gourmet loose leaf blackberry and apple tea is some of the best I've ever had. No microplastics here.
- Suki Tea: A lovely little company that sells lovely loose leaf teas. I like their seasonal fruit varieties.
Clothes
- YesFriends: The best natural clothing company I've found so far. An incredibly affordable brand, which I love for its transparency and overall aim. They sell great organic cotton clothing, from underwear to shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, fleeces and hats.
Kitchenware
- LoofCo: A brand I stumbled across in a local shop once, which sells an abundance of natural fibre home and kitchen cleaning products, usually made from loofah or Egyptian cotton.
- Sostrene Grene: As well as being a tea source, this shop also sells many metal, glass, wood and ceramic kitchenware products. I like their stainless steel tea strainers and wooden utensils.