If you'd told me a few years ago how much time I'd spend thinking about dish sponges, shampoo bottles and laundry sheets, I probably would have laughed.
But once I started looking more closely at my gut and hormone health, I also started questioning some of the products I was using every single day.
And microplastics were a big part of that.
Research into micro and nanoplastics and human health is still developing, and there's a lot we don't know yet. But we do know that these tiny plastic particles are making their way into the human body. A recent systematic review looked at 25 studies measuring micro and nanoplastics in living humans. Researchers are investigating associations with inflammation and other health outcomes, although the evidence isn't yet strong enough to say that microplastics directly cause those conditions.
For me, that was enough to make me think:
If there are really easy ways I can reduce some of the plastic in my everyday routine, why wouldn't I?
Not panic. Not throw everything in the house away. Just make better swaps as things run out.
And honestly, that's the whole idea behind AussieKind.
You don't need to become a low-tox expert. You don't need 47 browser tabs open researching ingredients. And you definitely don't need to replace your entire house this weekend.
Pick somewhere to start.
Start ridiculously small: hand soap
Think about how many times you wash your hands.
It's one of those products we buy, use, throw the container away and buy again without really thinking about it.
The AussieKind Hand Soap Starter Set gives you an amber glass pump bottle and a hand soap tablet.
When your soap runs out, the bottle stays. You simply refill it using another tablet according to the directions.
Why I like this swap: it's easy. You don't have to change the way you live, and you can keep reusing the same bottle rather than repeatedly replacing it.
If the whole low-tox thing feels overwhelming, start here.
If you're looking at plastic in the kitchen, start at the sink
This was one of the areas I started looking at very differently.
Dishwashing is something most of us do every day, which means our dish soap, sponge and scrubber get a lot of use.
Instead of looking at just one product, I wanted a simple way to make the whole sink setup a little less plastic-heavy.
The Kitchen Essentials Starter Kit includes a Dish Block® solid dish soap, PVC mesh soap holder, Swedish dishcloth and wooden pot scrubber brush.
Why make the swap?
For me, it's about being more conscious of the materials I'm using repeatedly in my kitchen and choosing reusable or solid alternatives where they make sense.
And there is another benefit I hadn't really considered before: solid products don't need to come diluted in a bottle of water. You're buying the concentrated product and adding water only where it's actually needed: at your sink.
Less stuff. Less unnecessary packaging. Same everyday job.
Want to tackle the cleaning cupboard?
This is probably one of my favourite changes because once you've got the bottles, you've got them.
The Refillable Home Essentials Starter Set gives you refillable options for three things most homes use constantly: all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner and hand soap.
You get two labelled 500 ml amber glass spray bottles with starter cleaning tablets, plus the Hand Soap Starter Set.
Why I prefer refillables: you're not buying another complete plastic bottle every time you finish your cleaner. You keep the bottle and replace what's inside it.
It's a really simple change, but it's one you repeat over and over again.
Or just do the house in one hit
If you're anything like me, there's also the“okay, I've read enough, just tell me what I actually need” option. 😂
That's why I created the AussieKind Complete Low-Tox Home Kit.
It covers cleaning, dishes and laundry with two amber glass spray bottles, six cleaning tablets, laundry sheets for 40 washes, a dish soap bar, pot scrub brush, three reusable cloths and a quick-start guide.
Why choose this one? Because I've basically done the product hunting for you.
Rather than trying to work out which swap to make first, it gives you a practical starting point across several of the things you already do every week.
No research. No overwhelm.
Then there's the bathroom...
This was another big one for me.
Once I started thinking about how much plastic packaging comes through the bathroom, bottled shampoo and conditioner suddenly seemed like a pretty obvious place to experiment.
The Shower Essentials Kit includes a Solidsilk shampoo bar, conditioner bar, Casa Agave® woven soap bag and your choice of body bar.
One of the things I particularly like about bars is concentration. Traditional bottled products contain water; solid formats can avoid transporting that water as part of the finished product.
Why make the swap? For me, I wanted fewer plastic bottles in the shower and products that made sense for the way I was trying to change my home.
And no, it doesn't mean you need to suddenly have a bathroom that looks like an off-grid wellness retreat. 😂
It's shampoo. Just without the bottle.
Your face counts too
If cleaning products aren't what interests you, start with something you actually want to change.
The Essentials Face Kit includes an ONYX facial cleansing bar, Luna charcoal facial sponge, Solidsilk® Illuminating Facial Serum and a lip butter.
I think this is an important part of the low-tox conversation: you don't have to make the same swaps as everybody else.
If you're more interested in what you're using on your skin than what's under your kitchen sink, start there.
Always check the individual ingredients and directions, particularly with skincare, and decide what's right for your skin.
And yes, even deodorant
This one has actually surprised me.
The Underarm Care Starter Kit includes a petite Underarm Detox™ Bar and 60 g Solidsilk® deodorant in a refillable tube, with Earl Grey or Desert Rose & Citrus options.
Once the deodorant is finished, you keep the tube and refill it.
Why I love that idea: deodorant is another everyday product. A small change to something you use constantly can become part of your normal routine very quickly.
And judging by the men who came to my market stall while their wives were looking at plants and ended up buying underarm products, apparently this one isn't just for the women. 😂
So, where should you actually start?
Honestly?
With whatever you're about to run out of.
That's how I think low-tox living becomes realistic.
Don't throw away a perfectly good bottle of cleaner because Instagram told you it's terrible. Don't empty your bathroom cupboards into the bin and spend hundreds of dollars replacing everything.
Use what you have.
Then when something runs out, ask yourself:
Is there an option I'd feel better about replacing this with?
Maybe that's a refill instead of another bottle.
Maybe it's a solid shampoo instead of liquid shampoo in plastic.
Maybe it's changing your dishwashing setup.
Maybe it's simply replacing a synthetic item with something reusable where it makes sense.
One swap becomes normal. Then you make another.
That's pretty much how I got here.
The science around microplastics and human health is continuing to evolve, and I'm definitely not interested in fearmongering or pretending we can eliminate every exposure from our lives.
I just don't think we need to wait until we know absolutely everything before making some really simple changes.
A healthier home doesn't have to happen overnight.
Start with one thing.
Want to read more?
The following review included 25 human studies and discusses both reported health associations and the significant limitations in the current evidence.
Tran HAA, Ng JJ, Tang DH, Yong CT & Ho AFW (2026), Health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in humans: systematic review of in vivo evidence, Environmental Health, 25, 26.