My Daily Natural Living Essentials (Full Routine + Products)

If you’d told me five years ago that I’d be the kind of mum who makes her own cleaning spray and gets genuinely excited about a new glass water bottle, I would have laughed. But here we are — and honestly? I’ve never felt better about how our family lives.

The thing is, natural living doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen making everything from scratch or throwing out every single product in your home overnight. For me, it’s been a slow, gentle shift towards choices that feel good — for my body, my kids, and our home.

Today I’m sharing my actual daily routine and the natural living essentials I reach for every single day. No fluff, no impossible standards — just the real stuff that’s made a genuine difference for our family.

Morning: Starting the Day Without the Toxin Overload

My morning routine used to involve a chemical cocktail of mainstream skincare, synthetic fragrances, and whatever was on special at the supermarket. These days, it looks a lot simpler — and my skin has never been happier.

I start with oil cleansing using a simple blend of jojoba and castor oil. It sounds counterintuitive to put oil on your face, but trust me on this one. It dissolves makeup, balances oil production, and leaves my skin feeling nourished rather than stripped. I follow with a few drops of rosehip oil and a natural mineral sunscreen on days I’ll be outside.

For deodorant, I switched to a natural magnesium-based stick about three years ago and haven’t looked back. Yes, there was an adjustment period (about two weeks of wondering if I’d made a terrible mistake), but now it works better than any antiperspirant ever did. I’ve linked the brand I use below — it’s Australian-made and lasts for ages.

I also do a quick tongue scrape and brush with a fluoride-free toothpaste. Small changes, but they add up.

Throughout the Day: Kitchen and Hydration Essentials

The kitchen is where I probably spend most of my time (hello, three hungry kids), so it made sense to focus a lot of my natural living efforts here.

My non-negotiable essentials include:

• Glass or stainless steel water bottles — we ditched plastic years ago, and I genuinely notice when I drink from plastic now. My kids each have their own stainless steel bottles for school.
• A good water filter — we use a benchtop gravity filter that removes chlorine, fluoride, and heavy metals. The water tastes noticeably different, and the kids actually drink more of it.
• Glass storage containers — for leftovers, meal prep, everything. Plastic containers leach chemicals, especially when heated. Glass lasts forever and doesn’t stain from last night’s bolognese.
• Cast iron and stainless steel cookware — I slowly phased out our non-stick pans over a couple of years. Cast iron takes a bit of getting used to, but once it’s seasoned properly, it’s actually naturally non-stick.

For food, I focus on real, whole ingredients as much as possible. I’m not perfect — we definitely have fish fingers in the freezer for those chaotic dinner nights — but the foundation of our meals is simple: vegetables, quality proteins, healthy fats, and minimal processed stuff.

Cleaning: Simple Swaps That Actually Work

I used to think natural cleaning products meant everything would be a bit grimier. Turns out, that’s absolutely not true — and my home smells so much better without synthetic fragrances everywhere.

My cleaning caddy contains:

• White vinegar — for windows, benchtops, and mixed with bicarb for drains
• Castile soap — diluted for mopping floors and washing dishes
• An all-purpose spray — I make my own with water, vinegar, and essential oils, or use a bought natural brand when I’m short on time (this is the brand I swear by for ready-made options)
• Bicarb soda — for scrubbing sinks, freshening carpets, and about a hundred other things
• Wool dryer balls — replaced our dryer sheets years ago and work brilliantly

The switch to natural cleaning was honestly one of the easiest changes we made. It’s cheaper, there’s less packaging, and I don’t worry about the kids touching surfaces or the baby putting everything in her mouth.

Evening: Winding Down Naturally

By evening, I’m usually touched out and exhausted (can any other mums relate?), so my wind-down routine is all about simplicity.

I diffuse calming essential oils like lavender or cedarwood in the living room while the kids do their bedtime routine. We’ve replaced most of our candles with beeswax options — they burn cleaner and don’t release the petrochemicals that regular paraffin candles do.

For the kids, we use a simple natural body wash and a gentle magnesium cream before bed. Magnesium has been a game-changer for helping everyone (including me) sleep more deeply. My eldest used to take forever to wind down, and the difference since adding topical magnesium has been noticeable.

I keep my own evening skincare minimal — cleanser, a hydrating serum, and whatever balm or oil is on my bedside table. No twelve-step routines here. Just nourishing ingredients that actually absorb properly.

The Mindset That Makes It Sustainable

Here’s what I really want you to take away from this: natural living isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress and intention.

I didn’t overhaul everything at once. I started with one swap — I think it was switching to natural deodorant — and built from there. Every time something ran out, I looked for a better alternative. Some things stuck; some things didn’t work for our family. That’s okay.

The goal isn’t to live in a toxin-free bubble (impossible anyway). It’s to reduce the overall load on our bodies so we can thrive. When you think of it that way, every small change matters.

And honestly? Most of these swaps have saved us money over time. Glass containers last years. Vinegar costs almost nothing. Quality cookware doesn’t need replacing constantly. It’s a win all around.

Over to You, Lovely

I’d genuinely love to hear what natural living essentials you can’t live without — or what swap you’re thinking of making next. Drop a comment below and let’s chat about it!

If you found this helpful, feel free to share it with a mum friend who might be starting her own natural living journey. And if you want more practical tips like this, check out my post on Simple Swaps for a Low-Tox Home or How I Transitioned My Family to Real Food (Without the Tantrums).

We’re all in this together. 💚