Another going green! This time the focus is the bathroom. It’s SO astounding to me how many products can be toxic and bad for you in the bathroom. In all honesty, this is a very on-going place of transition for us because I’m finding this one to be a bit more expensive. I had mentioned in my post about going green in the kitchen that it’s not necessarily my goal to go full zero-waste. But. I do want to reduce our waste greatly. There is SO much waste from the bathroom- literally everything is housed in a plastic bottle or made with non-recyclable materials. So this is an area where we’re still learning, still improving, and still finding things to do better.
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Going Green in the Bathroom
HiBAR Shampoo + Conditioner Bars $13.95 each
I will admit that I was nervous about going to a shampoo bar because I had heard rumors that they don’t lather as well. But lemme say. I LOVE these shampoo and conditioner bars. The shampoo bar lathers so so well, I swear I can get it more sudsy than regular shampoo. The conditioner makes my hair shiny and silky without feeling heavy or like there is product in it. They last a long time, as well, so I’m able to justify the cost. I love that these are natural products and don’t utilize plastic. They are shipped in compostable packaging, so that’s a major plus! (I am running low on the shampoo, so I just purchased a shampoo bar from a zero waste shop near my house. This was purely because it was a little cheaper and more convenient than ordering online, so I’m anxious to see how it works!)
Hello Bello $5.98 (Johnson + Johnson, $4.92)
We switched the kids’ Johnson and Johnson to Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Hello Bello brand. I’m a tad obsessed with them anyway, so give me a clean baby line owned by them and I’m sold. Not to mention, I feel so good about this shampoo/body wash for the kids. I can understand all of the ingredients. It legit just smells like lavender oil, so I know there’s no gross, fake fragrance. It lathers so well and only takes a pump, so it’s lasting longer than I thought it might be, too! The price is really comparable, and I Iove supporting a company whose goal is to provide clean items for a more affordable price.
Jojoba Oil (Makeup remover wipes, $5.97)
I originally tried coconut oil as makeup remover, and it made me break out so bad. I then tried jojoba oil, and it works great! I rub it all over my face, then wipe it off with a washcloth and proceed to wash my face. It creates a few extra steps and that’s a bit annoying, but I’m not even halfway through a container of jojoba oil, and I already feel like I’ve saved quite a few packs of wipes.
I also feel great knowing I’m not wiping super harsh chemicals on my face. I know they do make clean makeup remover wipes, but again, I’m not all about the waste they make and the cost. This is relatively easy, cheap, and a little extra moisturizing, which is nice since I have dry skin.
Botanics Skincare $9.99 for cleanser
In addition to switching coconut oil for makeup wipes, I’ve switched my whole skincare from Dermologica to Botanics. Full disclosure- I received a few items from Botanics as a collab on Instagram. BUT. That was a few months ago. Still use this twice a day and went and bought a few other products of theirs. It’s 82% organic and has really clean ingredients, so I feel SO good about using this on my skin. I am a cheap person, so I think going and buying all of the products at once is expensive. I lucked out with receiving the cleanser, toner, facial oil, and moisturizer as a collab, so then I just purchased the eye cream and night moisturizer.
This was received this about 2-3 months ago and JUST had to rebuy the moisturizer. When I was previously using Dermologica, I had to buy moisturizer about once a month. That was $42 compared to Botanics’ $16, so definitely saving a ton. I also just feel like this is a lot more gentle on my skin!
I’ve also started mixing a drop of tea tree oil into my night and day moisturizer, and I gotta say- I feel like I’ve noticed a bug difference in the evenness of my skin! It’s not so splotchy and my break out areas aren’t quite so red. I tried Frankincense oil for a while because I had heard that was supposed to be good for your skin. Honestly, I didn’t notice much difference with that oil, but I do with tea tree (I know saying I have breakouts is not a selling point for a skincare. I’m mostly blaming my diet and lack of water. It’s just a small area on my cheek that legit will not go away, no matter what. It’s been like, a year. Slowly getting better, though.)
This swap is definitely more of a greener swap than a low waste swap. I’m still trying to find a skin care system that is low/zero waste but that still works, so will do a post on that when it’s found/made!
Bamboo Toothbrushes $8.90 (Oral B, $12.99)
This one has been on my list for a long time! I kept hearing about them but honestly didn’t think toothbrushes were that bad. Then I realized that we change out toothbrushes about every 2-3 months. That’s a lot of plastic we are continually getting rid of. Bamboo is fully biodegradable and a completely renewable resource, so it’s a bigger change than I first thought. I also thought they’d be expensive, but turns out bamboo toothbrushes are way cheaper than the brand we used to buy! Less than $9 for 4 toothbrushes, which will last one person a whole year.
They also make kids’ toothbrushes, so now Zoey and Oliver use those, as well. Full disclosure that I received some free for an Instagram post, but I’ve had them on my to-buy list forever, and I’m obsessed. Whenever it’s time for you to change out your toothbrush, switch to these.
Schmitt’s Deodorant $4.99 (Secret Clinical, $11.99)
Imma just preface with saying that I feel like this is so different for every person. I’ve tried Schmitt’s and Native. I HATED Native. It did not work at all. I literally smelled soooo bad. I’ve used the Charcoal + Magnesium and Lavender + Sage with Schmitt’s and love them both. I still sweat, as natural deodorant doesn’t stop sweat, but I don’t feel like I smell bad at all. However, I know some people love Native and hated Schmitt’s. I’ve also heard good things about Primally Pure deodorant. I think it really varies depending on your body and what you like. I like Schmitt’s not just because it works for me and smells great, the price is SO NICE. Previously I was an avid Secret Clinical person before this. I didn’t even think it worked, but Schmitt’s is half the price. Win win win.
I want to mention that I tried an all organic type deodorant in the cardboard applicator, and it did not work well at all. I stunk, it was pasty, it didn’t absorb in, it was purple, it was gross. Charlotte recently got a zero waste shop, and they sell a deodorant paste that I’m trying to bring myself to try…
Kids’ hello toothpaste $3.99
We were just using the Paw Patrol chemical filled stuff. We recently switched to this for the kids, and I love it! And they love it! The ingredients are minimal and broken down so I know what everything is doing. It’s naturally flavored and fluoride free. The kids seriously would eat this, they love it so much, and it’s $1 more than what we used to buy them.
Bite Toothpaste Bits $7.50/month subscription based
About two months ago, I switched over from traditional toothpaste to Bite Toothpaste bits. I ordered the charcoal ones, and I have noticed a huge difference in the whiteness of my teeth. I truly love these toothpaste tabs. My teeth feel so clean, they’re easy to use, and the foam a good bit- not quite as much as traditional toothpaste, but enough to make me not notice too much. This is a subscription based system, but every month they are shipped in compostable packaging which is great.
I will say that my husband is not a fan of these. Because you chew them a little bit before you start brushing, he thinks they are a little grainy, and it bothers him. If you chew it up pretty fine, it’s not a big deal and doesn’t bother me, but thought it was worth mentioning!
Reel Toilet Paper $30/3 months subscription based
I was apprehensive about this one. Reel toilet paper is a bamboo toilet paper, and it’s a subscription based company (love those, never remember when we run out of toilet paper). I honestly did not even notice a difference with this. It’s soft, not super super thing, and works great. The only thing I don’t love is that the middle roll has some type of coating on it so it’s not compostable, whereas regular toilet paper has a compostable center. However, the amount of water and trees this saves is crazy.
Bar of Soap, $8.99
Soap is one of the easiest switches to make. Bodywashes are full of so many toxic chemicals and fake fragrances, not to mention the numerous plastic bottles we go through every year with them. A bar of soap lasts literally forever, it saves plastic bottles, and it is so easy these days to buy natural, locally made soap. Any small shop you go into in your city is bound to have some type of soap- it’s just the way it is.
Last Swab, $12
I know q-tips do not create a tooon of waste, but it’s definitely waste that adds up over time! While they do have environmentally friendly q-tips that are biodegradable or compostable, the whole purpose is to reduce waste in general. These are a reusable, silicone q-tip that you wash/rinse in between uses.
Patch Bandage Strips, $6.99
Ok so maybe technically not bathroom, but that’s where we keep ours, so I’m including it. We have started going through an astronomical amount of band-aids since my kids are riding scooters and spending so much time outside. I love using these Patch bandage strips- the container and strips are completely compostable, which reduces our trash. These are also made out of bamboo which is an incredibly renewable resource. They also have greener healing options where they include aloe or charcoal.
Things to Change
We definitely still have a long way to go in the bathroom! Like I mentioned above, one of my biggest wants is to reduce the amount of waste and plastic bottles we have here. We’ve come a long way, but I still need to convince Dan to let me switch out his shower products…
We’ll also be switching out our floss when that runs out! There are a few local zero waste shops that sell silk floss in glass container, and then you just buy refills.
I’m also still mulling over switching to a safety razor. I’m so nervous about these! I always cut myself on new razor blades, so the thought of these honestly terrifies me, ha. I’m sure I will do it one day!
Still a work in progress is cutting back on hair products. I do use hair spray (oh hey, baby hairs). I have, however, mostly cut out dry shampoo. I don’t use this often, but I for sure do not have hair that still looks nice 4 days later. I’vet tried a homemade version of cornstarch and cocoa powder and have been less than impressed When I finish my current can, I might try this eco-friendly dry shampoo. Some of these can get pricey, but this kind by Primally Pure is actually really affordable. If I start missing it, I’ll buy that brand, but currently it hasn’t bothered me.
One thing I need to start tackling, as well, is cleaner makeup. I’ll be honest- this is SO overwhelming to me! I know everyone and their mother that wants clean makeup ends up using BeautyCounter, so I may try that at some point. I do wear makeup quite a bit, so I really want to start making better choices here.
Again, the bathroom can be really overwhelming for me because I feel like EVERYTHING we use in there is toxic or housed in plastic. This is a lengthy switch over to get everything to where I want it to be. But we are taking baby steps! Getting there slowly, and any improvement is better than nothing!
I’d love to hear where you’ve gone more green in the bathroom! Or ways that you reduce your waste! I’m always thinking I overlooked something, so share you knowledge with me!
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