Knowledge is Power: Our Non-toxic Philosophy

The fact is: we live in a toxic world. (Yes, that can be both emotionally and physically).

And unless we want to live in a cave in the middle of nowhere, we are going to come into contact with ingredients in everyday products that are less than ideal for our health.

We always put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect (which is of course unrealistic). We constantly strive to provide the best for those we care about, especially our little ones. Hence, we easily go down the rabbit hole of non-stop research and instead of gaining clarity, we are overloaded with conflicting information.

Trust me, just try Googling “egg yolks”.

Egg yolks are a superfood in one article, and the enemy in another? (In case you're wondering, I eat the yolks.)

We need to remind ourselves that perfection is not the goal. Instead, we should strive for consistency over perfection.

Change and new information can be overwhelming- information overload, anyone?

Therefore, instead of forcing so much information down our throats at once, what is more useful is to create a solid foundation of knowledge and principles.

This can be much more empowering. Arming yourself with the right principles allows you to stand strong behind the decisions you make in taking steps forward in your health journey.

Personally, non-toxic living has slowly grown to be an important piece of my life. Are all the products I use non-toxic? Definitely not. But what brings me comfort is having the knowledge and consciously deciding whether or not to use a particular product.

Think about what you eat. Sometimes, even though you know that sugar is not good for you, you still choose to consciously eat a slice of chocolate cake because you want to enjoy a day out with a friend. The same thing can be said with products. Once you know how to judge the product, you can then decide for yourself whether or not you want to consciously use it.

These principles have translated into how we crafted our non-toxic philosophy at Fig & Olive.

Instead of being dogmatic about the use of certain ingredients, or following trendy buzz words, we stay firm in this concrete set of principles.

A closer understanding of our philosophy and the science behind our products: 1. We are not into greenwashing, but we believe in non-toxic living.

Many companies use greenwashing (a manipulative form of marketing) to deceive people into believing that their products are safer than they actually are through buzzwords and “natural-looking” packaging.

However, not all chemicals or synthetic ingredients are toxic. On the other hand, just because a label reads “plant-based” or “all-natural”, it does not guarantee the product is truly clean.

Therefore, we focus on using non-toxic ingredients in our formula instead of these buzzwords. In fact, we even define what “non-toxic” means instead of using it as a marketing term. Each ingredient is examined to make sure it meets our definition of non-toxic: a score of 3 and below on EWG’s skin deep database. (insert link)

2. We test the products extensively ourselves in our daily lives first before claiming efficacy.

We make non-toxic products that actually work… really well. We don’t want to sell something that we ourselves would not use daily.

3. We pay as much attention to the ease and simplicity of use to enrich your experience. When you have full confidence that the product you use is safe and works effectively, even the most tiresome chores become surprisingly pleasurable.

From the minimalist packaging to the highly effective formula, our cleaning products promise to enrich ordinary moments within your homes.

What are the principles and philosophy you make your decisions on? In this world of overwhelming amounts of conflicting information, we encourage you to take this first step of creating a strong foundation of values to think critically make the best decisions for yourself.