In July, I started a new journey to living more consciously and making more sustainable purchases. Part of this was to remove as much plastic from my life as possible, especially one-use plastic. In the world we live in, going completely plastic-free is not only next to impossible but to do it is a huge financial burden which I wasn’t up for. When I do get the chance, however, I choose to buy products that are sustainable instead of plastic, and when no other options are around (or affordable) I find a way to reuse the plastic or recycle it. When you’re first starting this sustainable journey I found that starting with your bathroom is actually the easiest. The are many more plastic-free alternatives and you replace these products less often so they aren’t as hard on your budget. These are my latest plastic-free products for your bathroom.
The Reusable Razor
This beauty is a game-changer. I had my eye on a Leafshave razor but you could consider them the Rolex of razors. At $100, they were too steep for my wallet especially if I decided that a reusable razor wasn’t going to work for me. The one thing that the Leafshave does have that others don’t is the flexing head. For men especially, I think this razor might be a must if you can budget it.
I, on the other hand, went with the classic rose gold Reusable Razor. My local Zero Waste shop, The Zero Market, had them in stock and for only $30 I thought it was worth a shot. I absolutely love this razor. I will admit it takes a couple shaves to get used to it but my shave is still close, I’ve only nicked myself once and I’m still on the first razor head. (The razor comes with 10). Not only that, but the replacement razors or cents compared to the $3-4 a piece you pay at the grocery store.
When you’re done with a blade simply twist off the razor head and store the used razor in a box. When you’ve collected a whole box (Which will take you years) you can drop it off at your local steel recycling facility.
Feel the quality of the weighted razor. Make your bathroom a bit prettier with the rose gold. And know that you’re doing the world a favor every time you shave (For lots of reasons!)
Davids Toothpaste
The first “healthy” toothpaste I ever used was Toms. This is why I’ve never used healthy toothpaste. It was disgusting. Then when I started this journey I tried the homemade paste that my local shop produced. While it left my mouth feeling sparkling clean it too was disgusting. So my last-ditch effort to use a non-chemical, healthy toothpaste and strive for the plastic-free was Davids.
Lord have mercy, this toothpaste is amazing. Let start with the flavor. It tastes like real toothpaste. A softer minty flavor but sweet and not like some health food crap that you have to force yourself to put in your mouth. This stuff is actually good and doesn’t make me dread brushing my teeth!
Next, it comes in an aluminum tube with a turn-key to help you get every last drop out of the tube. I will gift the turn-key to friends and family for their own tubes of toothpaste as each box comes with a key. While these tubes are $10, much more than Colgate, they last a really long time and are so worth the health benefits, taste, and lack of waste. You can also find that at Target or from your local Zero Waste shop. I highly recommend them!
If you’re looking for a good toothbrush to add to your plastic-free products in your bathroom, I LOVE the F.E.T.E toothbrush that I found at Natural Grocers but you can purchase online too. Here’s the thing, a toothbrush is a toothbrush for me. I like this one because both the brush AND the packaging are not plastic. Most bamboo toothbrushes come in a plastic package which defeats the purpose. So I stick with F.E.T.E.
Makeup Removal
I’ve been on the struggle bus these last few months with my skin. The dry weather in Colorado, combined with the cold of Winter and the fact that my skin just seems to hate me right now means that I have acne and dry spots and misery oh my! I switched off of harsh soaps (that come in plastic tubes and guarantee my beauty, which never happens) and instead went to an oil. This seems counterintuitive to every thing we learned about our skin as teenagers but the when you look into Ayurvedic teachings, oil is the key to happiness.
This makeup remover is from my local zero waste shop but can easily be reproduced. Just get a glass bottle tincture and fill it with oils. This one has olive oil, jojoba oil, and hemp oil. But coconut oil and sesame oils are other great options and used in Ayurveda. (Coconut for Pitta constitutions and untoasted sesame for Vata.) You can use the oil all over your face or just as an eye makeup remover.
I also invested in small pads to wipe my face with that exfoliate and provide a deep cleaning without having to use one-use wet-wipes or a Kleenex to wipe off the oil on my eyes. You can buy these at the Package Free Shop or make your own out of an old towel. The two of these together make up my nightly skincare routine followed by Eminence Calming moisturizer, which sadly still comes in plastic but is literally the only lotion I can find that keeps me hydrated, calms my skin, and is all natural.
Plastic-Free products for your bathroom
These plastic-free products for your bathroom are a great way to get started on your plastic free journey. If you want more products you can find a few more in this blog post about the start to my plastic-free journey. I started with just my bathroom because it felt manageable. When you walk into a store with the lens of avoiding plastic you’ll become overwhelmed with that number of products that are made with plastic.
So start small. One room at a time, one product at a time, when you can make the switch. Most likely you won’t get rid of it all but in the areas you can do. Together, all of use choosing a few less plastic products will make a world of a difference. Even better, when you can buy local and handmade it helps out a small business, supports your local economy, and gives back to the planet. That’s my kind of conscious living!
