The non-toxic swaps our kids actually reach for…

Every time we send our kids back to college I want to stock them with things that make everyday life a little easier — from the bathroom to the kitchen. And after a few rounds of this, I’ve figured out which things come home empty and which ones come home untouched. This list is the first kind. #RedmondPartner #affiliate

We love all things Redmond in this house, and my kids love it when I stock them up with our favorites. And I have a discount code for to use on your entire purchase!

You can use my code CITYGIRL on their website for a discount on any of these.

1. Redmond Clay

This is the one I always send first. It’s ready-to-mix bentonite clay in a jar, and it earns its shelf space because it does about six things instead of one. Face masks. Oily skin. All the everyday uses you end up finding once you have it around. When you’re living in a dorm room or a first apartment and there is not a lot of counter space, one jar that covers a bunch of bases is worth more than five bottles that each do one thing.

Why I love it: it’s mined right here in Utah, the ingredient list is about as short as it gets, and it lasts forever.

2. Redmond Clay Facial Mud

If the clay jar feels like a project, this is the no-effort version. It’s already mixed, it comes in a tube, and it goes straight on. It helps absorb excess oil and leaves skin feeling deeply cleansed, which matters a lot more than it sounds like it should when you’re running on dorm sleep and dining hall food.

Why I love it: the clay is especially helpful for college kiddos, and this is the version they’ll actually use on a Tuesday night. Best one on the list for acne prone skin.

3. Redmond Leaf Toothpaste

This is the swap I push the hardest, because it is the easiest one to make. Nobody has to change a habit or add a step. You brush your teeth the same way you already do, twice a day, and the ingredient list underneath it gets a whole lot simpler. That’s it. That’s the swap.

Leaf is their micro hydroxyapatite toothpaste, and the orange vanilla is the flavor that actually gets used up around here. If your kids are skeptical of anything labeled natural, start them on this one.

Why I love it: it’s a simple swap in a routine they’re already doing, and those are the only swaps that ever stick. The ones that require effort get abandoned by October.

4. Real Salt Taco Seasoning

Let’s be honest about what college cooking looks like. It’s ground beef in a pan at 9pm, or chicken and rice, or whatever was on sale. The seasoning is doing all the heavy lifting, and a good one is the difference between a real dinner and something sad.

Why I love it: it turns a quick college meal into something that actually tastes like somebody made it. One shaker, one pan, done.

5. Real Salt

This is the one that started everything for us. It makes everything they cook taste better — and I mean everything, not just the things you’d think to salt. Eggs, pasta water, the top of a piece of toast with butter on it. We send the kosher shaker because it’s the one that lives next to the stove.

Then send the refill pouch right behind it. The salt refill will forever be my favorite thing to send. There is something about mailing your kid a giant bag of salt that just makes me laugh every single time. ?

Why I love it: it’s unrefined, it has nothing added to it, and it’s the single cheapest upgrade to every meal they’ll make all semester.

6. Re-Lyte Hydration

Busy days, workouts, travel home for a long weekend. This is the one our whole family fights over, and we love the drinks more than we can say. Grapefruit and pineapple are our favorites — try those two first before you go ordering a whole variety pack.

Why I love it: college kids are dehydrated constantly and half of them don’t know it. This is zero sugar, it tastes good enough that they’ll actually drink it, and it’s made with Real Salt.

The whole list in one place

• Redmond Clay — face masks, oily skin, a hundred everyday uses
• Redmond Clay Facial Mud — absorbs excess oil, best for acne prone skin
• Redmond Leaf Toothpaste — the simplest swap in the daily routine
• Real Salt Taco Seasoning — fast college meals that taste like real food
• Real Salt + the refill pouch — makes everything better
• Re-Lyte Hydration — grapefruit and pineapple are ours

Use code CITYGIRL at redmond.life for a discount on any of it.

These are the practical college must-haves they’ll actually reach for again and again. Not the cute dorm stuff that looks good in the move-in photo and then sits in a drawer — the boring, useful, everyday things that quietly make their life easier when I’m not there to do it for them.

And this is how WE REDMOND! ??

What’s the one thing you always send back to school with your kid?