Create an Eco Personal Care Routine: 4 Low-Waste Swaps
One of the hardest areas to be more green in is beauty and personal care. Think of all the tiny chap stick, mascara, face wash, and eye cream tubes that you have in your household. Now multiply that by how many households there are. That's a lot of waste created!
The beauty industry is constantly growing and changing. Most conventional beauty and personal care packaging is made of plastic, or a mixture of metals, plastic, and glass. These tiny pieces are hard to clean and recycle. Luckily, there are proper recycling programs out there that now exists for these products, but what if we did something to reduce this waste in the first place? That's where your local refill store comes in. (: Here are four of our favorite low-waste swaps to help make your personal care routine a little more eco-friendly.
Plastic-Free & Refillable Deodorant
This swap can be tricky, but it's one that makes a difference. It is nearly impossible to recycle plastic deodorant tubes with all of the tiny pieces involved, so most of them get tossed in the landfill. There are tons of eco and natural deodorants on the market, but they're all formulated very differently. It can be tough to find one that works for you and your body, but we're doing what we can to make it easier. (; That's where Little Seed Farm deodorant cream comes in!
We carry this deodorant not just because it's eco-friendly, but because it actually works. It's a 24 hour performance deodorant cream that doesn't stain your clothes or irritate your underarms. It keeps you smelling fresh all day long, and comes in a variety of lovely scents. Not only is this deodorant plastic-free, it's also refillable! Check in with us to see if refills for your scent are available, and don't forget to save your jars when they're empty.
Lip Balm in a Compostable Tube
We're all about advocating for people to only buy what they need, but we think everyone can agree that it's almost impossible to have just one lip balm on hand. Lip balm is one of those things that can easily get misplaced, so it's nice to have a backup or two. But because of this, it's also one of the most wasteful beauty items in the industry. To help reduce your lip balm foot print, one option is to choose options that come in compostable or recyclable packaging. Our favorite is this natural lip balm. It comes in a paper tube that can be composted at the end of its life. It's also locally made here in Wisconsin!
Bar Soaps for Hands and Body
Bar soap has been around for thousands (yes, thousands) of years. This is one of the most cost effective and simple swaps you can make today to reduce plastic use. Many of the bar soaps on store shelves are made with synthetic additives and fake fragrance, which can potentially irritate and dry your skin. Natural soaps that are made in small batches are typically made using higher quality oils, butters, and essential oils. These can be gentler on skin and the planet. Most bar soaps come wrapped in paper, or some even come "naked" with no packaging at all.
For use in the shower and next to the sink, we carry a variety of bar soap options. Our Driftless Skincare Bars are locally made with natural ingredients. We carry a variety of scents, and even some seasonal ones around the holidays! These can be used for both hands and body. Our Notice Body Bars are specifically formulated to be used as body wash. They create a silky and bubbly lather without drying out your skin. We carry a few different scents, so check out each one for the different scent profiles and benefits!
As long as you take care of bar soap by keeping it dry between uses, it can last quite awhile! And since you're paying for a more concentrated product, you can often get 2-3 bottles worth of soap out of one single bar. They also make great gifts. (;
Refillable Face Cream
For items where you can't get a "naked" or package-free option, refilling is the way to go. Most skin care on the market is not refillable. Instead, thousands of tubes and containers are thrown away every year, only for another container to be purchased in it's place, and the cycle repeats itself. We're happy to provide options from brands that focus on offering refills, such as this Aloe and Mallow Face Cream! Not only do you have the option to refill the container, but this gentle moisturizer is made with natural ingredients that your skin loves.
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At the end of the day, using up what you have and only buying what you need are two of the best things you can do for free to be more eco-conscious. And when you're ready to make the switch to better options, come visit us! For more sustainable beauty and personal care, check out what we have in Bath & Body.