Similar to the last post on reducing plastic from your kitchen, I will be sharing some easy eco-friendly tips for you to try in the bathroom!
There are tons of single-use plastic in the bathroom, but you can also find many sustainable products without plastic at supermarkets or zero-waste shops.
1. Natural Loofah Sponge
Made from a dried gourd, loofah (or luffa) sponge is a great alternative to a regular plastic bath sponge.
I used to love the bath sponge from supermarkets because it's so easy to lather up the soap but realized it's also a ball of plastic...
On the other hand, a loofah sponge is made from natural material and biodegradable.
At first, it felt a little hard on the skin, but after running it under hot water and soaking completely, it was soft enough to scrub the body!
It didn't feel too harsh after a few uses, and it gently exfoliates the skin.
Make sure so soak it thoroughly so it lathers up well!
It does pose a higher risk of growing bacteria than a regular sponge, so don't forget to maintain it properly.
To clean, always wash off any remaining soap after each use and pat dry.
For a deep cleaning, soak the sponge in a diluted bleach mixture for 5 minutes and dry completely.
2. Bamboo Toothbrush
According to an article by National Geographic, a billion toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the U.S. alone.
Some studies show that a plastic toothbrush takes hundreds of years to break down, and those that were made in 1930's are still not decomposed yet.
In contrast, bamboo can be broken down in about 6 months, reducing the waste in the soil.
I got this GreenPanda toothbrush from Whole Foods!
Store it in a dry, cool place after use. With proper care, it should last at least 3 months.
3. Silk Floss
Flossing is so important when it comes to maintaining your teeth.
Just like any other plastic products, the dental floss has so many negative effects on the environment from seabirds and sea animals choking on it to polluting the soil.
So I got my hands on vegan floss from R Planet, a local zero-waste brand.
I would highly recommend this over conventional floss - it's thick so you get a nice grip but thin enough to go between teeth easily. It has a slight mint flavor, so you get a fresh breath afterwards.
On top of being biodegradable, the container is also made from glass & mental, so no plastic at all!
They also sell the refills, so once you get the container, you can just buy the floss itself.
4. Make Your Own Toothpaste
Toothpaste was one of the things I wanted to make my own.
The conventional toothpaste comes in a plastic container and was nearly impossible to reuse/upcycle the package.
I learned the recipe from @ainalife and have been using it for a few months now.
You can reuse an empty container to store it, so kills two birds with one stone.
I found all of the ingredients at a local supermarket (mostly Down To Earth and Kokua Market), but they are also available online.
5. Shampoo and Conditioner Bar
I was always curious about these bars from ethique and am so glad I made the decision to switch from bottled shampoo/conditioner!
Started in New Zealand, this brand is 100% plastic free.
I used to prefer shampoo with silicone so was a bit scared to use this non-silicone shampoo, but so far my hair is THRIVING.
All you have to do is wet your hair and the bar throughly, massage the bar onto your hair (slide it up & down for 3-4 times), then wash and rinse as you would with liquid shampoo.
It lathers up super quickly, so make sure to watch how much you use😂
Same thing for the conditioner bar, wet the bar and slide it through hair and massage onto any knots you may have.
To be honest, it took some time for my hair to adapt to the new way of shampooing, but my hair started to feel soft & silky after a few days or so.
After each use, place the bars on a soap dish or coaster to make them last longer.
They even sell storage containers!
I have been using it for 3 months now (and recently found out my mom uses it too lol), and I still have more than 1/3 left.
The initial investment might seem more expensive than some of the regular shampoo bottles (around $15/bar), but bars definitely last longer :)
How did you like the sustainable tips on the bathroom essentials?
Stay tuned for more tips and how you can make small changes that will turn into a bigger impact!
Thank you for reading, please feel free to drop any comments/questions!
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