I thought it was about time I updated this post on our zero waste bathroom swaps. I’ve found some amazing brands doing wonderful things and love all the products we now use. The added bonus is that I’ve actually saved money!
This time two years ago our shower and bathroom surfaces were littered with bottle upon bottle of plastic packaged products that I would very rarely use. “I can’t get rid of them though”, I think to myself, you know just in case I need that random bottle of gifted shower gel shoved to the back of our over flowing cupboard.
The clutter is overwhelming and I can never actually find what I need, rummaging through baskets filled to the brim with plastic bottles, tubs and packets of random face masks that I never use. Sound familiar?!
I buried my head in the sand about what was actually in the beauty and toiletry products I was regularly using, never mind their packaging.
Then I decided to try and reduce our plastic use. The Bathroom was one of the worst culprits in the whole house and it was so overwhelming I had no idea where to start or what to do.
I decided enough was enough. I went through every item.
Do I use it? How old is it? Does it need replacing?
I gradually minimised my huge collection of products and then slowly started to replace items as they ran out, with products packaged in less plastic, or even better zero waste. And for ones that contain natural ingredients.
Spoiler alert, it’s actually fun! There is a whole new World of zero waste bathroom swaps to be made. That’s before you even venture into cruelty free beauty products. You will love exploring!
Since making the change I know a lot more about the ingredients in the products I use. My bathroom is calmer and a bonus, my skin is actually better.
Simple Zero Waste Bathroom Swaps
If you have some sustainable living goals this year, your bathroom is a great place to start. I get a lot of questions asking for my favourite, simple, zero waste bathroom swaps so here are some of my current tried and tested favourites;
Shampoo Bar – swap your bottle of shampoo for a bar. This is one of my favourite swaps. I wouldn’t go back to normal shampoo now. I use any from Lush. These are the easiest to use and don’t require any rinses. I’ve also recently discovered Ethique who I would also definitely recommend. All their bars are great, including their moisturiser bars for your body.
Conditioner – Unfortunately I’ve yet to find a conditioner bar that I love. My hair is thick and dry and needs all the moisture it can get. If you don’t have this problem I would recommend Ethique or HairyJane. I have also used the lavender and rose geranium hair conditioner from Wild Sage & Co which comes in a glass bottle or conditioner from The Body Shop.
Sun Lotion – Green People is our go to, a great company, their organic, reef safe sunlotion comes in sugar cane packaging. Have a look at our review.
Bubble bath –
Reusable Face Wipes – This zero waste bathroom swap has saved me so much money over the last couple of years. I have a mixture of hand crochet and bamboo rounds. I store them in a glass jar and then when I have used them, put them in a little string bag that I wash with the towels. You can find these in any online zero waste shops, your local refill market or Etsy. My current favourites are these from Earth Bits as one side is rougher and the other is super soft.
BambooToothbrush– I use a bamboo toothbrush for travelling as I am so used to using an electric toothbrush now.
Toilet paper – Go onto any zero waste forum and this one will also be a hot topic of debate! I’m not completely sure what the answer is on this at the moment, however brands to check out are EcoLeaf, Who Gives a Crap, Renovo and some UK supermarkets are bringing out recycled rolls wrapped in paper.
Safety Razor- I love using a safety razor. Am I slightly scared of it? Yes. But only a little. I’ve used one for over a year now and I’ve only nicked myself once and that was on my finger when I dropped it. This is the Safety Razor I have.
Plastic Free Period Products – Check out this whole post I have on how to have a green period. If you don’t get on with a cup there are plenty of alternatives on there.
Shower gel – If you really can’t give up on your shower gel there are plenty of natural, cruelty free procuts available. Some come in refillable bottles or even glass. But give a bar a go. My favourite are from Conchus they leave my dry, sensitive skin feeling nice and moisturised.
Hand wash – Swap your bottles of handwash for a bar of soap. We use these coconut coir, compostable soap rests to lay them on top of so that they don’t go all soggy.
Natural deodorant – I made the switch to natural deoderant last year. You can read all about how I got on. My favourite natural deodorants are Native Unearthed or the Natural Deodorant Co.
Want to know just how to start making little changes that can all add up to a big difference. Then Join ‘Make The Change’ Sign up for our 6 week email e-course and for your invitation to our closed, supportive Facebook group.
