Sustainable Home: A Wellness Resource
Welcome- I'm so glad you're here.
This guide was created as a thoughtful, educational resource for anyone who wants to make more informed choices about the products we bring into our homes and use on our bodies every day. In a world filled with conflicting information and overwhelming marketing claims, my goal is to offer clarity, simplicity, and support.
At Sanctuary, we believe a home should feel calm, functional, and restorative — and that wellness extends beyond how a space looks, into what surrounds us within it. After my own cancer diagnosis, I became deeply committed to understanding how everyday products can impact long-term health. What began as personal research has grown into a resource designed to help you navigate personal care and household products with greater confidence, without fear or perfectionism.
This guide is meant to meet you wherever you are. Whether you’re looking for quick, practical swaps or a deeper understanding of the science and policy behind them, you’ll find both here. Small, intentional changes can make a meaningful difference over time.
Start Here.
Choose the path that feels right for you.
Option 1: Quick Start
(Best for busy people who want immediate action)
If you want a simple, practical starting point:
Download my free Ingredient Cheat Sheet.
Use the app it introduces to scan the products you already own and see clean-to-concerning ratings.
Replace the most concerning products first.
Explore the Shop My Favorites section for thoughtfully vetted options that make the process easier.
This approach allows you to make meaningful changes right away, without needing to research everything on your own.
Download the Cheat Sheet → (scroll down the page)
Browse Shop My Favorites →
Option 2: Deep Dive
(Best for people who love learning and understanding the “why”)
If you’d like a deeper understanding, this resource is designed to work like educational building blocks.
Each category begins with policy and regulation, because understanding how products are governed provides important context for everything else — including certifications, label claims, ingredient transparency, and product recommendations.
I recommend starting with Personal Care & Cosmetic Policy and working your way down each page as your knowledge and confidence grow. You don’t have to learn everything at once. Focus on one category at a time and return whenever you’re ready.
If you are in it for the long haul you’ll find:
A clear explanation of how products are regulated in the U.S., and how that compares to other countries. Understanding the role of agencies like the FDA and EPA can help bring context to ingredient and safety conversations.
Policy & Regulation Basics
A breakdown of meaningful third-party certifications — such as OEKO-TEX, MADE SAFE, Cradle to Cradle, and more — so you can recognize standards that reflect stronger health and sustainability practices.
Certifications to Know
Practical guidance on label reading, common marketing terms, and the ingredients or materials that are worth paying attention to.
What to Look For
Curated product suggestions that reflect safer, more sustainable choices — shared as a starting point for those who want help narrowing the options.
Shop My Favorites
Why I Created This Resource
My interest in sustainability and ingredient awareness became deeply personal through my own health journey. After being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33, I began looking more closely at the everyday exposures we often don’t think twice about — from personal care products to cleaning supplies to the materials we use throughout our homes.
During treatment, my oncology team shared a number of pre-vetted, research-based resources, and I spent time exploring information through trusted medical libraries and evidence-informed sources. That foundation was incredibly helpful, and it opened the door to learning more about how ingredients are regulated, what standards exist, and where gaps remain.
From there, I continued to educate myself more deeply — not through social media trends or influencer-driven advice, but through reputable organizations, scientific literature, and established safety databases.
What I discovered was both eye-opening and, at times, overwhelming: many products on the shelf are not regulated as strictly as most consumers assume, and navigating safer choices often requires more personal research than it should.
That realization is what inspired me to create this guide — a grounded place to share what I’ve learned, highlight trustworthy standards, and help others make choices that feel empowering, realistic, and aligned with their values.
This photo was taken during a chemo treatment. I chose to try cold-cap therapy to help preserve my hair — not out of vanity, but simply as a way to hold onto a sense of normalcy during a life-altering experience.
Just weeks after treatment ended — celebrating with my husband and so grateful to have made it to my best friend’s wedding.