Where Kinda Crunchy Shea began…

Becoming kinda crunchy Shea was a dream that I didn’t know I had until my first daughter was born.  I guess you could say it started when I pregnant, really.   Check out my blog post on “what my doctor said that made me want a natural birth” to learn more about that.

Once she was born, she pretty quickly developed skin rashes from store-bought products that were supposed to be baby friendly.  That’s where my hunt began for ‘clean’ products.

That was a daunting hunt.  We tried a few different products.  The first one that made her breakout was Aveeno Baby nighttime lotion.

We switched to Honest Company lavender products and those seemed to work.  I didn’t know much about ingredients then, I just trusted that what the company said was true!

Turns out Honest Co. products are greenwashed- meaning they claim their products are ‘clean’ and ‘natural’ but there are ingredients in there that are not clean or natural at all.  However, I didn’t learn this until a couple of years later when my second daughter was born. We continued to use Honest Co. products and that broke out my second daughter’s skin.  On the hunt again…

I asked around and did some searching and we found vanicream products.  In terms of ‘natural,’ they aren’t bad.   There aren’t a lot of ingredients in their products, with minimal preservatives.

*FUN FACT* Did you know that if your lotion or skincare product has water in it, it has to have a preservative?!  I learned this once I finally switched my own skincare.

Once both of the girls’ skin was under control and we found products that work, it was time to change my own skincare.

Honestly (and kind of embarrassing to admit), I used Bath and Body works products.  I loved things that smelled good and loved the fun packaging.

Now, I can’t even go into a Bath and Body Works store.  Even walking by gives me a headache!

Anyway, I ended up finding a brand called MIG Living.  Their ingredients are ethically sourced, and the smells come from essential oils and not a bunch of fake “fragrance.” 

Honestly, I was skeptical when I switched.  Would they really work?  Are they really natural and clean?

The answer to those questions are both YES!  I love my MIG cleansing bars and waterless lotion!

Waterless lotion means no chemical preservatives…just natural, pure-Earth goodness!

Once I switched and believed in the MIG products, I started telling everyone about them.  So much so, Kinda Crunchy Shea was born.

The thing is, being Kinda Crunchy is more of like being in the gray area. We have made many product switches over the years and continue to make switches frequently.

*Confession Time* 😆 I won’t give up Clorox wipes! We don’t use them often, but I keep them around for when I feel like the germs just need to go!

When Kinda Crunchy Shea started in 2020, I was just on Instagram! I can’t believe how much this brand has grown and I am so thankful I get to share all things “kinda crunchy lifestyle” with you.

You’ll notice that within Kinda Crunchy Shea, we talk about babywearing, breastfeeding, cleanish living, natural birthing and stay at home mom life.

It is very important to me to share all aspects of being a kinda crunchy mom! And I have so much more to share!  Feel free to click around this website and find me on Instagram, where I hang out the most!

Welcome to Joyful Lactation! 💜