After six years, I can finally call myself zero waste. JUST KIDDING. I can’t call myself zero waste and don’t even after six years of attempting to fit all my trash into a mason jar (yeah right). That’s just not feasible for most people. I’m sure you’ve heard the quote “We don’t need a million people doing zero waste perfectly, we need a million people doing zero waste imperfectly”. Now, I’m not sure who said that, so if you know, drop it in the comments for me, please and thank you! I’ve sort of been ignoring the zero waste aspect of my life, well, just not sharing it on here. So today we’ll start it back up again because I have so much to share! Here’s an in-depth look at my almost zero waste bathroom. And stay tuned because I plan to do my husband’s stuff too!
So, why go through all this?
Why is it important to be plastic free /non toxic/ zero waste all the crunchy stuff in the bathroom? First, because it’s a pretty simple place to begin. There are fewer products in those spaces (for me at least). I used the Dave Ramsey snowball effect method when swapping to a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Bathroom and the laundry were the first things I adjusted when going zero waste.
Second, because ALLLLLLL that poison (yeah, most of it is poisonous/carcinogenic/endocrine disrupting, etc.) and chemicals and synthetic crap, micro plastics and all, gets washed down the drain into our water ways, polluting it from every drain. Yes, it all is run through filters but who’s to say at what level? There are reasons people drink from bottles and use home water filters. Because we are in the age of information and we KNOW that most drinking water isn’t that clean or safe.
Not to mention the marine life that ingests, swims, soaks all that in. Then a lot of the time WE ingest that. So, by displacement, there is someway that we would intake said chemicals. Once we know what these types of chemicals do to the water, we can’t in good conscience continue to live the same way. If we know there is micro plastics in the sea salt because of the amount of consumption happening on the planet, there has to be change made. And we can make those changes in small ways. Perhaps not huge global changes for zero waste, but simply LESS waste, like in the bathroom.
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Inside my zero waste bathroom
I’ve broken these down into the good and the ugly With zero waste alternative I plan to make as the budget allows. Let’s begin diving into my almost zero waste bathroom!!
- Gelmoment hair brush- My mother got me this brush for Christmas this past year and it does the best at detangling my hair after two weeks of not brushing it thoroughly. This is the only brush I may not just toss because I’ve tried a few and they stink. They don’t detangle the mess that is my hair well enough. Also, I have a lot of hair that’s thick and curly and brushing it isn’t as important as washing it. I’d prefer a wooden boar bristle one like this , but I have this for now and I don’t want it to go to waste!
- Copper tongue scraper- I got these for me and my husband because they just enhance the oral hygiene and we both LOVE them and use them every night before bed.
- Bamboo toothbrush with charcoal bristles– My husband prefers these over the plant based handle ones we’ve tried in the past. I prefer them too because I KNOW wood with easily and quickly break down. I could easily pull out the bristles and even use it as kindling for our campfires. I don’t have a preferred brand. There were some on Earthhero.com that I loved because they came with kid sized ones like these too which fit my kids tiny hands perfectly. This might be the easiest swap for a zero waste bathroom. The plastic toothbrush was kept for cleaning use until it’s completely worn down. I’ve had mine for four years and it’s still in perfect shape. What does that tell us?!
- Leaf pivoting razor- GAME CHANGER. Seriously. My mom bought this for me for Christmas a few years ago and I swooned over it. I still do. It feels like a luxury bougie razor. plus it paid itself off with a few months. This is one of those zero waste products I absolutely would recommend investing in, especially if you shave everyday or every other day and use a ton of the plastic ones. These have replaceable blades which you can have either one, two or three in. It works just as well if not better than a disposable razor. Highly recommend.
- Wooden detangling comb- Pretty self explanatory. I use this when my hairs wet and just needs a run through. Usually the major stuff gets taken care of by the brush. But in-between the heavy duty brushing I’ll use this. My sister in law loved this so much when she came and stayed with us that she bought the exact one for herself.
- Kirks fragrance free castile bar soap- Another self explanatory one. Any brand of Castile bar soap is good. This is the most affordable brand I’ve found. It does come in a recyclable plastic wrap but everything else is paper. I buy it in bulk on Azure Standard because I use this for my laundry and my kids. Love this brand.
- My homemade deodorant– Recently, I found a recipe that WORKED and was very cost effective. It was simple, smooth, versatile and washes off as easily as its put on. The recipe is linked and it has been updated for any heavy sweaters out there because I definitely go through those phases!
- Dry brush- An extra thing I use for circulation, exfoliation and lymphatic drainage. Another one of my mother’s wonderful gifts! Not necessary, however I love it and it is a staple in my ‘self care’ routine.
- Homemade soap saver- I made myself one of these because I’m savvy enough with a crochet hook. So I did! They’re available on Etsy and the like, but if you can make it yourself you should! I will post a how to on the blog of this because it was SOOOO simple. It lasts for a long time, and the only replacement I’ve made was the button because it split (it was wooden).
- Organic cotton wash cloth- I don’t remember where these came from because we’ve had them for so long. One side is soft and the other side is exfoliating and they’re organic cotton with little loops on them for hanging up. These are the most similar ones I could find on amazon.
Time for the not so zero waste side…
I chose not to number these because they are simple and most are labeled already.
- Shea moisture shampoo and conditioner- I buy it in bulk at my Costco but have since decided to try shampoo and conditioner bars, which I was always hesitant about because of my thick and curly hair mentioned earlier. The bottles are recyclable and I use them to the very, very end. Once they’re too low to pump, I take off the lid and fill with water as needed. Then I dump it on my head and use the last bit of product. I wash them out then recycle them
- Mascara- I don’t know this brand but it’s the ‘clean’ version which I believe is just a greenwash but oh well. I can’t afford 15$ mascara right now. So I’ll just sparingly use this.
- Gelmoment lip balm- Non toxic, but not plastic free. A great natural chapstick that is beeswax based with essential oils. Thanks mom 😉
- Shea moisture clay face mask– Another natural non toxic product that is just a spa in a cup. I love it and will buy more eventually. This I’ve had for a year I believe so it lasts quite a while and is also recyclable. They may not even make this specific one anymore, but I’ll find an alternative!
- Lush sleepy lotion- When I was pregnant for the first time my husband bought me this and I fell in love. Nontoxic and natural, it smells sooooo delightful, and he always buys me a new one when I run out. It lasts me about a year as well and can be recycled back at the store for points/credit. Some kind of recycling program I’m clearly not that familiar with!
I didn’t take photos of some things because it was vital that I do. Some things I made, others are just standard bathroom items I will switch soon.
- homemade face oil
- homemade hair oil
- homemade hair rinse & toner
- toothpaste (dr. bronners right now)
- floss
- coco kind make up remover
- homemade perfumes from essential oils
List of zero waste bathroom alternatives
- Shampoo & conditioner bars– These have natural ingredients that I understand and know.
- Zero waste mascara– Handmade on Etsy to support small business. Non toxic and recyclable tins.
- Plastic free lip balm- A plastic free tube and natural ingredients. Also supporting small business via Etsy!
- Davids recyclable toothpaste or make my own tooth powder- The Davids seems expensive or I’d have to invest in the ingredients for the toothpowder. I’ll weigh out those options on my own time! I won’t bore you with budget details and recipe trials.
- Compostable floss- This isn’t in the budget so I will find a more affordable option. This option looks the best and seems to be legit. There is just SO MUCH out there now in the way of zero waste bathroom swaps. Even for other swaps, decision overload!
Overall, It’s been a fun journey into researching the different swaps I can make to be more environmentally conscious in the bathroom. I don’t plan to switch my toilet paper. I’m the only woman in the house, so I’ve just gotten very good at conserving the toilet paper we get.
I enjoy using everything I have as I continue to work toward lowering our family’s carbon footprint. From walking to places to voting with our dollar to support what we can, I love all facets of a zero waste lifestyle.
If you have some suggestions for your favorite zero waste bathroom products, drop them in the comments below and we can chat about it!
Be sure to check in soon for some super easy DIY zero waste projects from mending children clothes, to fixing old shoes, to creating that simple soap saver I mentioned!
Cheers to wasting less my friends!
Tayler
