A Non-Toxic Cleaning Expert's Guide To A Healthy And Relaxing Nighttime Routine
Welcome to Pillow Talk: A series where founders, designers, and other inspirational creatives share their dreamy bedtime routines and nighttime rituals. Today, Allison Evans, co-founder of non-toxic cleaning brand Branch Basics, spills on her nightly routine that involves blue light-blocking glasses, air purifiers, and non-toxic beauty.
The first thing I do every single night is clean — and I'm not just saying that as the founder of a cleaning company. After my husband and I put our kids down together and read stories, I head back to the kitchen and multitask by cleaning and meal prepping for the next day and going through work emails on my phone. I put on my BluBlockers —which block artificial light that studies show disrupts sleep — and catch up on last-minute emails before completely unplugging: phone on airplane mode, wifi shutdown, televisions off. All steps to create an environment free of EMFs that can get in the way of sleep. This is also the only time of day my husband and I have alone, sans work/kids/chaos, so making sure we've had a proper catch-up on the day's events is really important to me.
Honestly, I'm not a sheet person — as in, as long as they're free of pesticides, I can deal with just about anything, and I love that more and more places (like Target!) are carrying clean options. A good pillow is a different story: I used one by OMI for years until switching to Savvy Rest, which I adore because you can take "stuffing" out to adjust to your preferred firmness. We also use and love our organic duvet by Gaiam, which has sadly been discontinued.
These days, I'm obsessed with Coyuchi's nightshirts and totally stand by their commitment to organic fabrics. They're so comfortable.
As a wind down, I then move onto my beauty routine. I pretty much stick to [an] all non-toxic, clean beauty skin routine. I love Primally Pure's cleansing oil, toner, and amazing Blue Tansy Cream. I try to dry brush nightly as well and have recently been ending my day with a cold shower to further stimulate my lymphatic system, wash off the day's impurities, and close up my pores.
I see a naturopath regularly who has me on a plethora of food-based supplements and homeopathics, so my vitamin and supplement routine is always changing based on my body's needs. The "steadies" are usually high-quality B Vitamins, Quinton seawater, and a probiotic.
Finally, I can't sleep without my AustinAir purifier which doubles as an amazing white noise machine. Right before going to bed, I put my phone on airplane mode, and swap my BluBlockers for an organic silk eye mask — ready to sleep tight!