All things spooky—and I'm not talking about Halloween!

Hi my Powgirls!! It’s really spooky season. 🎃🧡

I know Halloween is creeping up on us, but the kind of spooky I’m talking about is the hidden nasties that can be found in what we eat, put on our bodies, and are even breathing in.
I’m so excited to get into this topic because I feel like it’s one I’ve spent so much time chatting about and unraveling the impacts of in my own life, so I can’t wait to share some of my findings and hopefully give you some ideas as well.

Spooky Sweets & Snacks 🍬
Since it’s 🍭candy season🍭, of course I’m going to get into a huge problem Americans in particular face—harmful food dyes, especially in candy. I’ll never forget visiting London for the first time in years, and seeing the aisles of processed candy and junk in the ‘American’ food section at the grocery store. Unfortunately for us, food regulations are significantly less strict here than in other parts of the world, so it falls on us to do our own research and make our own informed decisions surrounding the foods we’re consuming & giving to our families.

If you have a sweet tooth and enjoy a candy moment, I’m all about honoring your cravings—just try to opt for something naturally sweetened with fruit instead of chemicals that wreak havoc on your health. The same goes for snacks. Most chips, cookies, and processed foods are made with spooky af ingredients you can’t even pronounce and don’t want to be consuming regularly. My go-to snack swap is Chomps Beef Sticks (use code POW for 20% off your first order!), fresh fruit, cheese, or high-quality dark chocolate if I’m craving something sweet.

Spooky Skincare 🫧
I’ve spoken about skincare I think more than any other topic, because it’s a journey I’ve really struggled with and a category I’ve have had to make countless product swaps in. You already know my go-to brands are ClearStem and Roccoco Botanicals, but it doesn’t stop at what you put on your face. Everyday products we don’t even think about like deodorant with aluminum in it and soaps & lotions with harmful dyes, chemicals, and fragrances are something to be super mindful about. Before I try a new product I love to plug it’s ingredients into ✨this✨ ingredient decoder, where it gives me a breakdown of each ingredient and the purpose it serves in the product. It’ll then let you know if it’s beneficial for your skin, or harmful. This has helped me make so many educated swaps and has prevented me from trying new things because of the potential harm they could cause, so now it’s my favorite tool to use when I’m shopping for new skincare products. I usually do a big skincare restock this time of year, so if you’re like me and want to save some coin, use code POW for 20% off your first ClearStem purchase.

Spooky Cleaning Supplies 🧼
When I began to make skincare & body care swaps for toxin-free, fragrance-free alternatives, it honestly never would’ve crossed my mind that the products I was using to clean, to do my laundry with, etc. contained so many harmful ingredients as well. The next problem was finding products that were truly toxin-free, not just greenwashed packaging, that actually cleaned and didn’t smell awful. Trust me when I say I’ve tried everything so you don’t have to. 😅 When I found Branch Basics, I couldn’t be more excited. I use all their products religiously, and besides vinegar & baking soda, it’s the only cleaning products we keep in the house. Their hand soap, all purpose cleaner + laundry detergent are some of my faves!! If you want to grab some for your non-toxic home too, use code POW to get 15% off your starter kit.

Spooky Air Quality!! 💨
If you listened to this week’s POW episode, you heard me chat with the lovely Mike Feldstein and learned all about the importance of air quality and purity, especially in your living spaces. Mold, pet dander, VOCs, toxins, allergens, and more can all get into your lungs and contribute to serious long-term health conditions ranging from skin issues to migraines, brain fog and more. Before having Mike on the show and before I even met him, I purchased a Jaspr Air Purifier, a commercial grade air purifier, and could not believe I didn’t get one sooner.

It ramps up when I’m cooking and really eliminates any odors, especially from having Arnie & Lulu in the house. It’s been so beneficial to my health as well, even showing health metric improvements in my blood work & Oura ring data. I’m so excited to share that I’ve partnered with Jaspr to bring you an absolutely insane 40% discount, so commerical-grade, high-quality filtered air can be even more accessible than ever. Just use code POW at jaspr.com by 11/05 to get $400 off your purchase! And if you haven’t listened to this week’s episode and want to learn a bit more about the impact that air quality has on your health, be sure to checkout this week’s episode here:

I hope you have a happy Halloween, stay safe & have so much fun. Can’t wait to chat soon!!

xx Mari 🤎