Creating a Non-Toxic Home: Jamie Lake's Simple Approach to Clean Living
I have been a long time fan of Fill Up Buttercup, a local refill shop in Costa Mesa, California, dedicated to keeping toxins and plastics out of our body, home and planet. The bright and sunny disposition of the shop always uplifts me and softens the sometimes serious subject of non-toxic living.
Still, it took me years to begin my transition toward a non-toxic household — I was intimidated by how big that transition would be. When I was no longer able to stand the harsh fumes from my regular bathroom cleaners, I knew it was time to commit to the transition and threw out those commercial cleaners for the last time.
That’s when I revisited Fill Up Buttercup, took my time to ask about their items, and where to begin the process of switching out all the products in my home that contain toxic ingredients. Luckily, Jamie Lake, owner of the store, was there that day, and patiently explained how each product works and how to make the transition easy. Her simple approach took all the pressure and concerns away, and I immediately felt the need to book an interview with her to share her years of experience and insights on clean living.
Q:
What made you decide to start your own business and open Fill Up Buttercup?
A:
Fill Up Buttercup sparked from two of my biggest passions, non-toxic products and cleaning up plastic pollution. When I first got into learning about product ingredients and the zero-waste lifestyle, it was tough to find a place where I could actually see and smell everything in person. Everything was online, which was frustrating because I ended up with a bunch of plastic packages, totally defeating the purpose. I wanted a local spot to refill all my non-toxic products without tossing another plastic bottle. Somewhere our community could feel confident that they didn’t have to investigate each ingredient and find products that clean, work well and are eco-friendly. That’s how Fill Up Buttercup was born! I figured if I needed this, others would too. Originally my idea was to have a mobile truck. Instead, in March 2020, I was teaching yoga at the time and the studio owner had a small space available. It was low rent and 200 sq ft, so it was an easy place to start and it just snowballed from there. We eventually moved into the center we are currently at in January of 2021. We started by renting one unit and then knocked down a wall and expanded into the second unit, so it grew rather quickly.
Everything we carry in the store we have used ourselves. My husband and I try everything first and make sure the products I carry in my store really do work. I joke that my husband is my quality control guy. He is very particular, so if he says it doesn’t work then it doesn’t make it into the store. I also wanted to create a lighthearted and uplifting atmosphere where people can get educated or inspired but not feel intimidated. All of us at the store are already living this lifestyle, so people in the community can come in and have a casual conversation with us on easy ways to make swaps.
Q:
How long ago did you convert your home to a non-toxic household, and what difference(s) did it make in your family?
A:
I started learning about product ingredients because my father has multiple sclerosis. In my search for different healing modalities to help him, I discovered the toxic loads our bodies can carry. While many people focus on the food and water they consume, I realized that the products we use on our bodies and in our homes are just as important. I would say it took me about 3 years to transition our products! We were a big Costco family, always buying in bulk and multiple bottles at a time so I wanted to work through what I had before finding a more non-toxic and eco-friendly alternative.
It’s been about 7 years now since I’ve transitioned the majority of our products to non-toxic. The biggest change I noticed was a tremor I had completely disappeared. It wasn’t anything major but all the doctors I went to see said that I was fine, that some people are just built that way. I noticed once I had the majority of my products switched over in my home, especially the products I put on my body, like perfumes, lotions, and creams, my nervous system just calmed down and I didn’t shake anymore. This can show up differently for everyone; maybe it’s allergies, eczema, hormonal imbalances, etc.
Until you give your body a chance to destress and heal, you don't realize the effects toxic ingredients can cause.
If you look at the labels of many common household cleaning agents, they say to use their product in a well-ventilated space, wear a mask and gloves, but most people don’t do that. I have many customers referred to me by doctors, but specifically house cleaners with malfunctioning thyroids and other health conditions, because they are breathing those toxic fumes all the time. I always tell people if they want to keep using those products make sure to keep them in the garage or in a back shed somewhere instead of inside the house, because the product seeps out in your home air even when they are in closed containers. That’s why when we walk down the detergent aisle in stores we can still smell the products inside the bottles.
“If you were to ask me what to swap out first, I would say laundry detergent, because it’s on everything. We are sleeping in sheets, wearing clothes, drying ourselves off with towels that have all been washed by our laundry detergent. Just how heavy fragrances cling onto fabric they cling onto our skin and get into our system.”
Q:
What are some of the ingredients found in most commercial products that can be detrimental to our health?
A:
That is a very long list. First of all, I want to note that household cleaners in the U.S. are not required to disclose their ingredients list. Beauty products are required to (with the exception of fragrances) but household products do not. So that’s just something to think about, that we don’t even necessarily know what’s inside each household cleaner. That’s why I like to work with small businesses and get to know them on a personal level. That way I know they have people’s best interests in mind when formulating their products and what they are actually putting into their products.
I’m sure a lot of people already know about phthalates, parabens, dyes, and fragrances being endocrine disruptors which means they can wreak havoc on our hormones. One thing I want to mention is that not all fragrances are bad. We’ve sort of come to this notion that fragrances are bad and essential oils are good, which is not always the case. Not all fragrances are bad and not all essential oils are good.
You can find phthalate- and paraben-free fragrances. Look for companies like Dip Already who use strict guidelines when creating their scents that are set by a third-party company like Credo Beauty.
A new study in 2018 found that there was a link between abnormal breast growth in young boys and regular exposure to lavender or tea tree oil. Key chemicals in these common plant-derived oils were found to wreak havoc on the endocrine system. For this reason, I always tell moms to buy unscented everything if they can or to rotate the scents. I know it’s not as fun but soon you will smell something unscented as more of a clean scent than all these heavily scented items whether it’s with fragrance or essential oils.
Another common ingredient I want to talk about is formaldehyde. I don’t know how many people know this, but formaldehyde is used in our toilet papers and paper towels to make them fluffy. It is a known carcinogen and we’re just rubbing it every day on our bodies. That’s why I opt for bamboo toilet paper, it is better to use than recycled toilet paper, because we don’t recycle as much regular paper the way we used to. Instead, we recycle receipt paper, which contains BPA, which is also a known carcinogen.
Q:
How can someone begin the switch to non-toxic living in an easy and cost-effective way?
A:
There are many different approaches you can take to start making the switch. We have a lot of information on our blog or on our @fillupbuttercup Instagram page. There are also many apps now that allow you to scan products on the store shelf and it tells you if there are toxic ingredients in those products and what’s a better alternative. Yuka and Healthy Living by Environmental Working Group are two good examples. If you enjoy learning and want to do some research first, that’s a great place to start.
Another idea, as you run out you find the alternative. This shouldn’t be an overnight thing. That wouldn’t be sustainable for your pocket or the environment. Use up what you have and once you are out of, say laundry detergent, you can find a better alternative. Our products are available via shipping or you can come visit our shop in Costa Mesa to see and smell the products in person.
There is a misconception that buying non-toxic products can get pricey. And it certainly can, if you want to get fancy, but it doesn’t need to be. I always tell people, you can go as expensive or as cheap as you want when it comes to buying products. We are all being marketed by companies to use many different products for cleaning, but really, we can use the same 2 products that can do everything. Castile soap and baking soda can be your new best friends.
If you were to ask me what to swap out first, I would say laundry detergent, because it’s on everything. We are sleeping in sheets, wearing clothes, drying ourselves off with towels that have all been washed by our laundry detergent. Just how heavy fragrances cling onto fabric they cling onto our skin and get into our system.
It can be hard to decide which is more harmful and needs to be replaced first. With cleaning products, you’re not using them 24/7, whereas with something like laundry detergent and beauty products, they are on our skin, in our hair all the time. That’s why I just tell people not to stress over it, use up what you have, and then replenish it with something better. Sometimes, the stress and fear can make us feel worse than the actual products.
Q:
What are some of your most popular products at Fill Up Buttercup, and are there any customer testimonials from using them?
A:
The basics are very popular at our store, like hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, and conditioner, where people just come in and refill. So we are constantly replenishing those items. Other than those, we carry a few brands that are our customers’ favorites.
Dip Already is one of our most popular brands — they make salon-quality shampoo and conditioner bars. They make your hair so soft and silky it’s unbelievable. (Rumor has it we will be getting our own limited-edition Fill Up Buttercup scent!)
There is Honey Bee Hippie — they make a lot of nourishing skin food and products like lip balm, whipped tallow butter (which is trending right now), and honey face wash. They’ve blown up in popularity, we can’t keep their products on the shelf. After you try them it’s easy to see why!
Another local family business is Iron Lion Soap. It's ridiculous how much soap we order from them, and they have a very interesting story. The owner used to do a lot of jujitsu and had a crazy case of ringworm and couldn’t get rid of it, even with prescription medication. They created a bar of soap with tea tree oil and he started handing them to all the guys at jujitsu which got rid of the ringworm issue completely. They have so many different scents now and you will always find their Deep Earth bar in my shower.
Lab.Otanica is another local brand that’s very popular. I have been using their skincare products probably most consistently since I opened the store, and they’ve done unbelievable things for my skin. One of my go-to's is the B-Magic Regenerating Cream, I can’t stop using it. There’s also the Ceremonial Body Elixir which is an oil-based moisturizer for the body that hydrates your skin very well.
The last one I want to mention is No Tox Life., We sell a ton of their products, especially the Earl Grey Deodorant, which you can refill. I keep ordering more and more of those but somehow still sell out so quickly. What makes them so popular is that it’s a deodorant that actually works. I always recommend their Underarm Detox Bar first for customers who want to transition to a natural deodorant. Their detox bar contains charcoal, clay, and loofa pieces and will reset your underarms back to homebase.
As far as testimonials go, I had one customer who came into the store with a serious case of psoriasis on her legs. I had her try the Iron Lion Soap, their Wyn bar specifically. Three weeks later, she sent me pictures of her legs and the psoriasis was completely gone. She had been suffering from it for a few years and had tried everything but nothing had worked, so she was very excited. I’ve also had a ton of customers (my husband included), who talked about how their eczema had cleared up from using some of our products, like the Tallow Butter from Honey Bee Hippie as well as the B-Magic Regenerating Cream, and the Wyn bar soap from Iron Lion Soap. It’s good to keep in mind that it’s a slow process to transition to clean, non-toxic and low-waste living. It is a balance of body, mind, and spirit.
Jamie Lake is the founder of Fill Up Buttercup, a non-toxic zero waste refill shop that has become a community staple. With 18 years of experience as an insurance broker, Jamie transitioned to entrepreneurship with a focus on sustainability. Her shop, which started in a small 200 sq ft space, now thrives as a larger storefront and was recently named Small Business of the Year in Orange County.
A certified yoga instructor, Jamie approaches both her business and life with a philosophy of leading with heart. She believes in the power of mindset, echoing the words of Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right," and the wisdom of Leo Tolstoy, "Everyone thinks about changing the world, but no one thinks about changing themselves."
Through Fill Up Buttercup, she aims to make sustainable living accessible, leaving customers feeling empowered and confident in their ability to adopt a non-toxic and zero-waste lifestyle that positively impacts their homes and the planet.
You can connect with Jamie and follow Fill Up Buttercup on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Check out all of their clean and sustainable products at FillUpButtercup.com. Use Discount code: Soulove at checkout for 10% OFF of all orders, in store or online.
