10 Healthy Swaps to make in 2025

Happy New Year! If you’re looking to kickstart the new year with healthier habits, making intentional swaps in your daily routine is a great place to begin. This goes beyond what you put IN your body! From skincare to home essentials, these ten swaps below will benefit not only your well-being but also the environment (so double win!!). You can read more about the importance of reducing environmental toxins in my blog post, here.

One thing to remember - you don’t have to do all of this at once!! Cleaning up your daily routine is a long-term goal. It’s taken me several years to make these changes I list below. And I am still improving each year. I am far from perfect!! But one thing I have learned is that small changes over time add up!! And we do the best we can with the resources we have at the time.

My tip if you are just getting started: Pick one or two from this list below and start there. Make a change as you run out of something and swap it for a better, cleaner option. Keep doing that in the other areas as you run out of a product. This makes it more budget-friendly because swapping everything at once would be very expensive and isn’t realistic for us to do.

With each of the ten categories that I list below, I also share what I personally use!! I find this helpful because knowing what brand to get is one of the hardest parts, it is very overwhelming! I have tried a lot of brands over the years and found staples I keep going back to time and time again for these key areas. Those are the products I share below.

*Note- the links I share below are affiliate links where I receive a commission (at no extra cost to you!). I share these links because these are the brands I personally use and love. And I think you will love them, too! My hope is that it makes swapping to cleaner products a bit easier and less overwhelming! Knowing what to get is the hardest part in my opinion, and has taking several years of trial and error to find brands I love.

Here are 10 healthy swaps to consider in 2025:

1. Upgrade Your Skincare

Over a decade ago, the importance of clean personal care products was not as well-known as it is now, and good ones were hard to find. But luckily, the beauty industry is shifting toward more non-toxic, eco-conscious products - so you can find them more easily than ever before!! Making it a no-brainer to make the switch. If you haven’t already, this year work on swapping your conventional skincare (loaded with synthetic chemicals and endocrine disruptors) for more natural, safer and healthier options.

  • What I use for skincare: I use the holistic European brand Oliveda for my skincare. It’s waterless and in place of water, the products contain an organic elixir from olive trees. I find it perfect for achieving that natural, healthy glow - it’s sooo good! I am a consultant for the brand and can send you a personalized skincare recommendation when you fill out this form. You can read my breakdown of the brand and what I use, here.

2. Switch to Natural Deodorant

Ditch antiperspirants containing aluminum and parabens in favor of natural deodorants. Natural deodorants have come a long way and perform just as well - so it’s time to make the switch if you haven’t already!! Using a natural deodorant is one of my top recommendations when you are switching to non-toxic products, since we apply our deodorant to our underarms every single day (very close to our chest!). Parabens are known endocrine disruptors that can mimic estrogen in the body. Several studies have shown that parabens can affect the mechanisms of normal breast cells and potentially influence their abnormal growth, leading to increased risk for breast cancer. You can read more about this on BCPP, here.

  • What I use for deodorant: In the last year, I have been using a newer-to-me brand for my natural deodorant called The Yellow Bird. I LOVE it. I really love the price point compared to other natural brands and also find that it performs really well. My favorite scent is the Grapefruit + Lavender one (I have a promo code URBANAPRON to get 20% off!). Another great brand I have used for years is Primally Pure. My favorite is the Blue Tansy scent.

  • If deciding between Primally Pure and The Yellow Bird, I think they both perform really well and are similar in consistency and application. Yellow Bird is a lower price point, so I have been using that one! But you cannot go wrong with either! Both amazing natural deodorant options!

3. Clean Up Your Makeup Bag

Conventional makeup often contains contaminated ingredients, harmful chemicals, and heavy metals. It’s important to look for clean beauty brands that prioritize transparency and use safer, healthier ingredients.

  • What I use for makeup: After Beautycounter closed last year (the clean makeup brand I was primarily using), I have slowly been trying new clean beauty brands as my makeup runs out. Here are the brands I personally use right now: Oliveda, Ogee (I love their bronzer stick sooo much and ANNABECK15 will save you 15%!), Ilia, Well People and Honest. I also recently ordered from Thrive Cosmetics and so excited to try this brand, I have heard great things.

4. Revamp Your HAIR AND Shower Routine

From shampoos to body washes, shower products can be a hidden source of harsh sulfates, plastics, and formaldehyde. We also apply them to our scalp, and then it washes to our feet where we stand in it. Like skincare, there are more natural hair care products on the market now, making it easier to make the swap!

5. Choose A SAFER Laundry Detergent

This one has been a hard one for us to switch especially with little kids who get so dirty! But, it’s an important one. Why? Because standard laundry detergents can be full of synthetic fragrances and chemicals that linger on your clothes and skin. Switching to a more natural laundry detergent will be more gentle on your skin! And instead of dryer sheets, which also hide harmful chemicals, opt for wool dryer balls!!

  • What I use for Laundry Detergent: My favorite are these laundry tablets from Blueland. I put 2 tablets in a load, right in the washing machine with the clothes. You can read my Blueland review, here. My husband prefers to use the brand 9 Elements (this is a safer option than most on the market, but choose their Eucalyptus or Lemon scent for a more natural option and less fragrance allergens).

  • What we use instead of dryer sheets: Wool Dryer Balls! You can find on Amazon or a lot of different sites. I love these so much! I throw two in the dryer with a load. You will never buy dryer sheets again! I keep them in a basket above our laundry, so it’s easy to throw in a load and also put back in the basket after the load is done. This ends up being more affordable since you buy once and use over and over and over!

6. Reevaluate Cleaning Supplies

Many household cleaning products contain harmful chemicals (that also pollute the air inside your home). Switching to a more natural cleaning product is a great idea as you live a more non-toxic lifestyle. I am talking about all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, hand soap, window cleaner, bathroom cleaners, sanitizer wipes…

  • What I use for my cleaning products: I swear by the brand Branch Basics. It’s one concentrate that you then fill up spray bottles and add water. Their all-purpose spray is our most-used cleaning product!! We’ve been using this brand for years and I cannot recommend enough. Get a starter set, and you will be all set for basically any cleaning need in your home! (my promo code “urbanapron” should get you 15% off all starter sets!)

  • What I use for hand soap: I love this brand Everyone that I get on Amazon. I get the refills and fill these glass soap dispensers with it! I love for the kitchen and bathrooms.

  • What I use for sanitizing wipes: I opt for Seventh Generation when I need wipes for around the house. You can find at Target.

  • What I use for Dishwasher Detergent: We use Seventh Generation

  • What I use for Dish Soap: I prefer this Seventh Generation one.

7. Switch to Compostable Bags

Plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose and are a major contributor to pollution. It’s well overdue that we all try to reduce the use of them!! Swap them for compostable options that break down much faster and are safe for the environment. Plastic sandwich bags also contain harmful chemicals, so using a compostable option is not only better for our earth, it’s better for our health, too!

  • What I use for trash bags, sandwich/gallon bags: I use the brand called Holdon. If you have been following me for a while, you know how much I love the mission behind this brand! You can read my review, here. It’s our go-to!! You can find on Amazon or the Holdon website (my promo code “urbanapron” will save you 15%!)

8. Go Glass Over Plastic

Plastic storage containers can leach harmful chemicals into your food over time. Replace them with glass containers that are safer, more durable, and better for the environment! You can find glass storage containers at any large store like Walmart or Target, or on Amazon. For your kids, swap their plastic plates and glasses for bamboo! And opt for glass or stainless steel water bottles over plastic.

  • What we use for storage containers: We have had our containers for several years and have ones like this set at target.

  • What we use for kids plates and cups: You can find a lot of great bamboo options on Amazon. I also find a lot of great ones at Target that we love - we have these! I linked several plates and glasses from Amazon that we have - here.

9. Burn Fewer Candles

Conventional candles made from wax and synthetic fragrances can release toxins when burned. Reduce your candle use or opt for candles with beeswax and essential oil fragrances. Or, use essential oils and diffusers to scent your home. I also love making natural simmer scents on the stove with fruit, spice and herbs.

  • What I use to scent our home: I love using natural essential oils and diffusers! Make sure you are using 100% essential oil.

10. Hydrate Your Skin with Safer Body Lotion

Our skin is our largest organ, and if you are applying lotion to your entire body, make sure it’s a safe option -it’s important! Especially if you are applying it 1-2 times a day. Why? Because traditional lotions include chemicals and fragrances that can irritate your skin and harm our health. In the US, there is a “fragrance loophole”, and the term “fragrance” on a label can hide hundreds of harmful chemicals and brands don’t have to disclose anything that is under that term, nor do they have to get any of the hidden ingredients approved or safety screened! So, I try to avoid anything made in the US with that term, especially when I’m unsure about the brand’s safety priorities. I opt for fragrance-free lotions. Also avoid “parabens” and anything ending with “paraben” because there are common in body lotions and are hormone disrupting chemicals.

Final Thoughts

I hope that round up is helpful!! It’s where I started and I feel really good about the changes I have made over the years, and continue to make into the new year. There are a lot of things in life we cannot control, but what we apply to our skin and use in our home is one thing we can control. And that is enpowering to me!

Also always remember - making these healthy swaps in 2025 isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Each small change you make has a ripple effect on your health and the planet. Start with one or two swaps and build from there. You’ll be amazed at how these simple shifts can lead to a cleaner lifestyle and healthier, happier you!!

Which of these swaps will you try first? Would love for you to share. You can connect with me over on Instagram at @urban.apron or comment below!

clean living, Healthy LivingAnna BeckHealthy Living, clean living, non toxic beautyComment