(Almost) Plastic-Free Bathroom
How’s Plastic-Free July going? Have you been reducing your single-use plastic? Isis and I went to Raleigh over the 4th to visit friends. I prepared snacks, refilled my glass gallon jug at the grocery store (numerous times), had my to go cups, utensils and straws AND still struggled! We hit up this trendy food court, Morgan Street Food Hall (NYC friends think Pennsy Food Hall but bigger and no Cinnamon Snail), for a snack post Science Museum. I got some french fries for us to share and Isis really wanted ketchup. I checked every vendor and they only carried individual “to-go” ketchup packets in plastic. I was torn as Isis’ asking for ketchup turned more into demand and on a way to a meltdown. I gave in and we used 3 ketchup packets. My friends joked that I need to start carrying a small glass bottle of ketchup in my purse. Watch out Hillary- I’m going to be carrying all the condiments in my purse! It’s these situations that I find the hardest- I think I am prepared with my cooler bag, glass and stainless steel containers and then BAM spontaneous french fries that MUST have ketchup! As I’ve said before it’s not about being perfect but doing the best we can. And if you live in the Raleigh area it would be totally awesome to encourage the yummy food vendors to find compostable food containers for all the food they serve.
Anyhow on to the topic of this post…the bathroom! The bathroom is another place to begin looking into replacing products that contain harmful chemicals and are packaged in plastic. I remember in middle and high school being a bath and beauty product hoarder. I had at least 3 different kinds of shampoo and conditioner in the shower with other bottles under the sink, 25+ bottles of nail polish, numerous gels, mousses and hair serums, countless bottles of body wash and lotions (because Bath and Body Works was having a sale), body spray, numerous kinds of deodorants, face wash, astringent, face creams, make-up, and the list goes on and on. Most of these purchases were based on smell not how well they worked. When I think now about how many chemicals I was washing and then lathering on on a daily basis and throughout the day it makes my stomach hurt.
The good news is with so many bath and beauty products it’s easy to begin to make changes….so many opportunities!
Here are some of the plastic-free things you can find in my bathroom these days
In the Shower
Stainless steel safety razor & homemade shave cream
Bar soap that comes package free
Homemade shampoo bars (newly listed my Etsy shop)
Apple cider vinegar hair rinse
On the Shelf
Make-up - mostly homemade in upcycled containers
Deodorant - Crystal, homemade spray and homemade pit paste
Homemade moisturizer
Essential oils to mix in with homemade moisturizer depending on mood for they day
Bamboo toothbrushes with compostable bristles
Toothpaste & Floss- We as a family struggle with floss and toothpaste. I’ve had a hard time finding vegan floss that is waxy enough to fit between the teeth without falling apart and comes in plastic-free packaging. We also have not found a toothpaste that we love that does not come in plastic. I have made tooth brushing powder in the past but it is hard to compete with the minty fresh feeling of commercial tooth paste.
Other Stuff
Diva cup and reusable pads (collecting dust - one of the perks of being pregos!)
Contacts - A few years ago my optometrist switched me from bi-weekly contacts to daily contacts. I was a little freaked out about the amount of waste wearing a new pair of contacts everyday makes. Then I learned that you can save the lens packaging as well as the lenses and send them back to the company. Woot woot!
Toilet paper that comes without any plastic packaging and is made from recycled paper (I give a crap!)
What are your favorite plastic-free bathroom products? To celebrate plastic-free July and the bathroom I am offering a 10% when you purchase $10 or more worth of products from my Etsy shop. Click here & happy plastic-free-July shopping!