I first discovered label free living in this article from Apartment Therapy and since then it’s greatly altered how I go about buying and using things in my home.

For starters, what is brand less living? Very simply it is the practice of living without brand names in your home. Take a quick mental tour of your home right now and think of how many times a day you look at a brand name or advertisement label in your own home. I’m talking cereal bags, plastic shampoo bottles, cardboard laundry detergent boxes, you name it. Think of them all. Now consider how looking at those every day makes you feel. Do they soothe your spirit? Do they make your home feel more relaxing and inviting? Do they make your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room look high-end and elegant? For me the answer was a resounding no.

So I started practicing this method and since then I have fallen in love. My home looks classier, cleaner, and even more organized! After giving this a go for 2-3 months here are my top reasons to live as brand free as possible:

1). It brings peace and beauty into my home
I see hundreds of advertisements every day on billboards, TV, clothing, and online. When I’m at home I want to give my family, my guests, and myself shelter from this blizzard of ads. Let’s be honest, the company advertised and you bought the item. Boom-they got what they wanted. So why on earth should you have to keep advertising for them? In your own house?!

Living  label free also gives me the power to choose what beautiful containers I’d like to surround myself with and use in my personal space. Seeing as most of the containers household supplies come in are ugly, loudly colored, or mismatched it makes sense to want something nicer looking.

If your house is like a face then picking and choosing your own pretty containers is like…I don’t know…getting your ears pierced for the first time. You suddenly have this totally new and beautiful way to style and present yourself.

2). It’s cheaper
Since switching to label free living I now buy (or make) my laundry detergent, bathroom cleaner, hand lotion, etc in bulk. Then I just refill all my pretty glass, porcelain, and metal containers as needed from the bulk supply. This is much much more cost effective than buying household products in small plastic containers that repeatedly get thrown out.

It’s also a tremendous time saver! When I run out of conditioner I love that it only takes a trip to my supply closet for a quick refill instead of a not-so-quick trip to a crowded super store to buy yet another bottle. Speaking of buying another bottle…

3). It’s better for environment
I’m no longer constantly throwing away the small disposable plastic containers most household products come in. I’m also not burning fuel running to the store as often. It’s true that the bulk containers eventually get used up and have to be replaced but the amount of plastic waste I’m generating has definitely decreased. That makes me happy. :)

4). It offers protection from graceless/unkind visitors
Okay, guys, I’m being vulnerable here. When I invite someone into my home and they judge me based on what brands I use it sucks. Like massively sucks. I try my hardest to avoid judge-y, unhappy people like that but occasionally you happen to be related to one or it’s a friend of the family and you can’t avoid it. Removing brands and labels from my home quietly and gracefully eliminates this issue.

Ironically, I never hear complaints from these visitors when they can no longer can tell what kind of products and food I’m using. When the container looks expensive they mistakenly assume what’s inside must be expensive too. A small trick for small minded people. :)

6). It encourages homemade stuff
Since switching to “brand-less” living I’ve started making my own laundry detergent, bathroom cleaning solution, floor mopping solution, eye liner, and even face powder. It’s really fun! When you see how much money you save by switching to bulk it makes you wonder how much more money could be saved by making the bulk supply yourself. #youvebeenwarned

5). It’s one more way to practice being mindful
There are many brands and labels I do display in my house. We have a liquor shelf in the kitchen and because the bottle shapes and labels are very beautifully designed it doesn’t stress me out to look at them. I actually enjoy seeing them every day!

I also have a shelf of board games in my living room. The game boxes are very colorful and exciting with beautiful artwork so it gives me pleasure every time I look at them. I love displaying those for my guests and myself.

 It’s not about hiding every brand logo or advertisement label. It’s about deliberately choosing what you want to look at and absorb every day.

*****

 What do you think? Would you ever try brand-less living?