Hey! So I asked a question on my Instagram page, if you guys wanted me to share the plastic free and natural beauty swaps I’ve made over the last year or so, and the answer was a resounding yes! Therefore as promised, here is a collection of things that I use on a day to day basis. Full disclaimer here- I am not promoting any of the brands or companies below, I don’t receive any freebies or commission nor am I giving skincare advice. These are genuinely products I’ve discovered, love using and want to share with you all.
Beauty Products That Are Better For Me & The Planet
When I first starting looking into and learning about sustainable production and consumption, it naturally led me to look at areas in my own life. It’s made me question what I buy and where I buy it from, but also what it’s actually made from. So as well as reducing plastic and waste, I’ve moved towards more natural products too, making an all-round healthier choice, not just for the planet but for me too!
Ok so first up let’s take a look at....
Toiletries:
Soap & Soap sack- Switching to a bar of soap is a lot easier now that so many stores sell them. But just because it’s not a bottle of shower gel doesn’t mean its not filled with nasties. I’ve tried a few different natural soaps but have settled with Bean and Boy (who I discovered are local to me in Essex- which made me love them even more). They have a great range of scents to try, are natural and I found the bar to last me the longest (approx. 4 weeks). I use this with my Hydrophil soap sack which is a great plastic free alternative to a standard shower puff. No more scratchy lathering and is great for using up any small scrap bits of soap you have left.
Shampoo- A natural shampoo bar is great alternative to ones filled with crazy amounts of chemicals often in hard to recycle bottles. I’ve been using the 2 in 1 shampoo bar from Zero Waste path for over a year now and I’m still loving it! I have naturally oily hair and so even with washing my hair 3 times a week, one bar still lasts me around 5 months. The 2 in 1 version is PH balanced which I found to be much better for me after trying their non-balanced version. My hair feels thicker and healthier and being 2 in 1 means that I save money on buying conditioner too.
Deodorant- Now as someone who perspires easily when stressed or anxious, I was dubious I would find a natural deodorant that would stack up to my trusted spray. After trying a couple of natural stick options without much success, I discovered this deodorant balm by The Natural Deodorant Company. My favourite is the active mint & eucalyptus one, it’s stronger than their standard version and is perfect for my skin. I feel fresh and with no irritation, even after shaving. I discovered this company is also based in Essex- I’m not biased I swear! Although more expensive than my old deodorant, it actually lasts me longer, with a jar usually lasting me 6 months.
Toothpaste- This is my most recent swap. I was nervous about swapping to a natural toothpaste as I didn’t like the look of the tablets or powder versions that I had seen. I use a toothpaste from Georganics which has the same consistency as my usual toothpaste and a better taste! I buy the 60ml jar which lasts me around 6 months, so the cost is actually about the same as before.
Razor- It makes me feel so guilty when I think about the amount of plastic disposable razors I have sent to landfill over the years. I’ve been using this razor from Bambaw for over a year now and it performs just as well if not better than the disposable versions. It’s a great investment- the blades last ages and they’re so cheap to replace. One tip I would say though is to use a shaving soap. I bought this solid shaving soap and brush from Wild Sage & Co and it has been a game changer! The razor works so much more quickly and effectively now. A little really does go a long way too and it smells divine! I pair this with an exfoliator from Upcircle which again is natural and is made from upcycled coffee grounds.
Skincare
I don’t know about you but I end up having so many different products- face wash, moisturiser, serum, face masks, exfoliator, eye cream, suncream – the list goes on and that’s before we get on to putting on our make-up. It’s easy to accumulate a lot of plastic bottles in our day to day skincare regime so these are the swaps that I have made.
Face Wash & moisturiser- I buy mine from Evolve Beauty an organic and natural beauty company. Both come in glass bottles, you can order one with a pump to begin with and then just order a bottle with an aluminium lid from there on in so you can ruse the pump and save on plastic waste!
Face serum, mask and exfoliator- These I buy from a company called Upcircle who I have been following for a couple of years now. Again their products are all natural and they upcycle ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. All their products come in glass jars or aluminium tubes. You can even buy this range in Sainsburys now.
Face Rounds- I dread to think how many disposable cotton pads I used to go through each year. I used to buy them in a pack of 2 from the supermarket creating 3 lots of plastic each time I purchased. Before that I used to use face wipes which are even worse as many contain plastic. I invested in a pack of 16 washable makeup pads and have been using them regularly for over a year now. They come with a little bag that you can wash them in- just pop them in the washing machine and they’re ready to be used again! Equally if you have a flannel at home you can use that too!
Make-up
I would say that this area has been more trial an error in getting the right makeup for me. Even though its been a bit of a pain, after watching BBC’s “Beauty Laid Bare” documentary I’m glad I made the decision to change the make-up I’m using to more natural options. Full disclaimer here I haven’t been able to go entirely plastic free with my make-up. My mascara is still in a plastic tube, and the lid on my foundation and eye liner is plastic. However compared to what I used to have, I’ve reduced by around 90%. So most of my makeup comes from a brand called ZAO. Again a natural beauty company and they create these bamboo cases where you can buy refills which come in paper that you can pop into the case when you are finished with the old one. This is the first type of refill system I’d seen and I think its genius! It means you can make your own palettes up too which is fun. The foundation I couldn’t find the correct shade nor one that sat on my skin properly and so after seeing it recommended on Instagram, I gave Madara a go. I tried some samples first and I’m pretty pleased with the results.
Nail Varnish
Now I used to have a whole bag of nail varnish, half of which I never wore! After trying the other products from Zao I thought I would give their nail varnish a try. It lasts around a week which is pretty good and doesn’t contain all the nasties that usually is found in nail varnish. They come in glass bottles with the lid being made of bamboo. I use one of my exfoliating washable make-up pads (I make sure I keep the same one to use on my nails) with Fresh Therapies nail varnish remover. It takes off the nail varnish pretty easily without staining the nails and the bottle it comes in is made from glass with an aluminium lid.
And that’s it! Like with any product swap its all about trial and error. It’s always best to use up what you have first and then explore a good alternative. I’ve changed these over many months so don’t feel like you need to spend loads of money right away. Just start with something that you use the most and go from there.
I hope that was helpful! If you want to make some eco friendly swaps on your desk as well as your beauty cabinet, then check out our latest stationery products here.