Hello, Clean Living… (Apparently I Live Here Now)

So… here we are. I’ve officially fallen down the clean-living rabbit hole — and honestly? I didn’t jump. I face-planted right in.

If you’ve been following my saga of food sensitivities, autoimmune weirdness, ER visits, and “why does everything burn my face?” moments, this probably won’t surprise you. But something shifted these past few weeks, and I want to share it while it’s still fresh.

The Boiling Point (AKA: My ER Wake-Up Call)

For most of my life I’ve been the granola girl in the room — the one reading labels, avoiding conventional skincare, and telling my high-school friends that their makeup was going to age them (…I regret nothing).

But a few months ago, my health completely crashed.

My autoimmune symptoms blew up.

My food list shrank to bone broth, clean meats, and not much else.

One wrong bite and my heart would race like I’d sprinted up a mountain.

The night I ended up in the ER with tachycardia was the moment everything stopped. I remember thinking:

“If I don’t get to the root of this, I might not be here for my family.”

That’s when I finally surrendered my fear and handed the whole mess to God.

The Detox That Changed Everything

The next day, things started clicking.

A practitioner put me on a two-week environmental liver detox: no personal products, no fragrance, nothing “natural” that wasn’t truly clean.

Strip everything → reintroduce slowly → watch for reactions.

Shockingly, I felt better.

My skin calmed down.

My brain fog eased.

My body stopped screaming.

And then I realized:

as long as I kept using products full of irritants, my immune system didn’t stand a chance.

Cue me, late-night researching ingredient lists like it was my new religion.

Rebuilding My Life, One Swap at a Time

Every time I swapped something toxic for something truly safe, I gained a little more ground.

I wasn’t doing it perfectly — far from it. I was a messy bun mom in survival mode, living in leggings, trying to get through each day without collapsing. But I kept going, because it was working.

And somewhere in that process…

I realized I didn’t just want to get better.

I wanted to help other women avoid the mess I’d been stuck in.

I knew what it felt like to be overwhelmed, terrified, confused, and sick.

I knew what it felt like to not know where to start.

If sharing my story could shorten someone else’s suffering — even a little — then it was worth showing up.

Why I Started Showing Up on Camera

This is the part that scared me the most.

I didn’t feel “put together.” I didn’t feel like someone who should be talking about skincare or health on video. I felt messy and raw and not at all like the polished people who make this look easy.

But my desire to help was bigger than my fear.

So I made myself show up — sweaty, tired, real — because what mattered wasn’t the perfect lighting or hair… it was giving other women hope.

I kept thinking:

“If this journey helped me this much, maybe it can help them too.”

That’s what pushed me past the discomfort. That’s what got me in front of the camera when I wanted to hide behind it.

If You’re Starting Your Own Clean Swaps Journey

Here’s the truth I wish someone had told me:

• You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight.
• You don’t have to be fearless — just willing.
• God meets you in the small steps.
• And your messy “in progress” life is enough.

I’m still learning. Still swapping things out. Still trusting God with my health and my story. But if this journey has taught me anything, it’s that even the tiniest change can make room for healing.

And if you’re starting too — I’m cheering for you.

The Basics: Where I Started My Clean Swaps

When I first began this process, I was overwhelmed. So I gave myself permission to start small. If you’re just beginning too, here are the first swaps that made the biggest difference for me.

1. Kitchen Swaps

These were shockingly impactful because you use them every single day.

• Switch plastic containers → glass or stainless steel.
  (No phthalates, no endocrine disruption, no weird smells.)
• Ditch Teflon → choose ceramic, cast iron, or stainless.
  (Especially if you have autoimmune issues.)
• Swap seed oils → healthy fats like grass-fed butter, tallow, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
• Choose filtered water — even a simple countertop filter.

Small, boring kitchen changes = huge wins for inflammation.

2. Household Swaps

This was the phase where I realized I didn’t need my home to smell like a synthetic cookie.

• All-purpose cleaner → non-toxic concentrate (or vinegar + castile soap).
• Synthetic fragrances → essential oils or nothing at all.
• Dryer sheets → wool dryer balls.
• Air fresheners → open windows + houseplants.

These swaps lowered my reactions dramatically during my detox.

3. Skincare & Makeup Swaps

This was the hardest emotionally, but the most healing physically.

• Fragrance-free everything at first.
• Simplify your routine: cleanser, moisturizer, SPF — that’s it.
• Choose products rated well on EWG Skin Deep (my literal best friend at the time).
• Replace the worst offenders first: foundation, moisturizer, deodorant.

Your skin is your largest detox organ. Treating it kindly matters.

How to Start Without Getting Overwhelmed

• Swap one thing a week.
• Finish what you already have — no guilt.
• Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.
• Let your budget set the pace.
• And remember: progress beats perfection every time.

Peace, love, and joy in who we’re made to be,

Brenna xo