5 Simple Eco-Friendly Tips To Add To Your Routine !

Being eco-conscious about my day-to-day actions is something really important for me. Whether it is in my eating and buying habits, or my beauty routine, I try as much as possible to reduce waste and use natural ingredients. So in today’s post, I want to share with you 5 eco-friendly tips that are part of my routine and that you could integrate into your routine as well. Whether it is to reduce waste, to prioritize natural ingredients over chemicals, or to save money, these tips are worth trying. Let’s start!

1-Soap bar instead of shower gel

The first tip I suggest is to use a soap bar instead of shower gel. Most shower gels are in a plastic container and a lot of them are not even recyclable. Using a soap bar will give the same result, but without creating waste. Moreover, using a soap bar is a great way to support local small businesses and artisanal artisans. My current favorite soap is Taïga a la canneberge from Les Mauvaises Herbes. There are cranberry seeds in the soap that exfoliate the skin which is a great two-in-one!

To know more about my favorite eco-friendly beauty products click here!

2-Bamboo toothbrush

Did you know that over a billion toothbrushes end up in landfills every year in North America? (BamBrusch) Moreover, your toothbrush will take about 1000 years to decompose. (thebamandboo) Isn’t scary? Hopefully, bamboo toothbrushes are there to save the case and will take only four to six months to decompose. (bluerockliving) Some types also have some charcoal integrated into the toothbrush which whitens the teeth. When your toothbrush is worn-out you simply have to put it in your compost or your backyard! Click here to see which one I am currently using (this brand can be found in most drugstores).

3-Homemade makeup remover pads

Think about it. Let’s say that you put makeup on each day of the week except the weekends, this makes 1,825 one-time use makeup pads that go directly in the garbage at the end of the year. To be more eco-friendly about it, you can simply make your own makeup remover pads that you put in the washing machine after use. To do so, cut two circles of the same size in a sweet fabric for the skin such as cotton. Then, sew the two circles together with a sewing machine or with some sewing thread and a needle. If sewing is not your thing, it can be found easily in a drugstore.

4-Homemade beauty products

I received a wonderful book about how to make your own beauty product last Christmas and since then, creating my own products is a new passion. With a few ingredients from your kitchen such as coconut oil, sugar, and essential oils you can make a great scrub that will take off the dead skins and make it soft. It is also possible to create your own shampoo, conditioner, lip scrub, face moisturizers, and more!

Pinterest is a great platform to find homemade cosmetics recipes and there are also many books on the subject. Making your own beauty products is not only good for the environment but also for your wallet! Indeed, you can save a lot of money by creating your own products instead of buying them. Here is the link to a wonderful blog (French) that contains recipes to create your own cosmetics: https://lestrappeus.es/recettes/.

5-Zero-waste shampoo

Like shower gels, most of the packaging for shampoos is made of plastic. Moreover, drugstore shampoos can contain harmful ingredients such as sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and more. (genesiscareer.edu) Hopefully, handmade cosmetics companies such as Lush create bar shampoos that are adapted to your hair type and that are waste-free. I am currently using the one called Honey I washed my hair, and I loveee the honey-toffee scent.

A shampoo bar will make approximately 80 washes*, which is the equivalent of three bottles of traditional shampoo (Lush) Thus, by switching to a shampoo bar you will not only have a more eco-friendly routine, but you will save money and use products that are actually good for you hair!

*Don’t keep your shampoo bar in the shower because the humidity will melt it, which will reduce his “life expectancy”. I made the mistake the first time I bought one and trust me, you do not want to wash your hair with playdough;)

This is it for my 5 eco-friendly tips to add to your routine. I believe those simple changes can make a big difference for the environment and also for your wallet! Who knows? Maybe you will discover a new passion for creating your own cosmetics:). Do not hesitate to share in the comments what are YOUR eco-friendly tips that we can all integrate into our daily routine.

À bientôt!

Juliette

References:

https://www.bambrushes.com/blogs/news/7-ways-your-plastic-toothbrush-is-evil#:~:text=1)%20Over%20a%20billion%20toothbrushes,around%20the%20globe%20each%20year.

https://thebamandboo.com/blogs/the-bam-boo-blog/how-long-do-bamboo-toothbrushes-last#:~:text=A%20plastic%20toothbrush%20may%20take%20about%201000%20years,in%20the%201930%27s%20is%20still%20out%20there%2C%20somewhere.

Genesis Career College: 8 Ingredients to Avoid in you Shampoo and Conditioner

https://www.lush.ca/en/hair/shampoo-bars/honey-i-washed-my-hair/9999905563.html