Plastic waste from personal care piles up quickly. Our routine hair washes, skin creams, oral care, and cleansing products rely heavily on plastic packaging that is used once and tossed. But sustainable swaps help cut back on this waste.
Hair Care
Bottled hair care products like shampoo, conditioner, masks, and serums seem essential for healthy strands. But the cumulative plastic bottles, caps, and pumps get tossed out fast after each use. Swap a few standard wash and treatment products for more sustainable solid alternatives:
Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
These moisturizing solid bars replace bottled shampoo and conditioner liquids to wash and nourish hair. Most contain gentle, effective ingredients like oils, butters, and essential oils. Simply rub the bar directly onto wet hair in the shower in place of pouring out liquid shampoo or conditioner. The solid bar versions lather and cleanse hair just as well, if not better. Streamline your in-shower routine and skip the plastic bottle waste entirely.
Hair Mask Bars
Deep conditioning hair masks often come in single-use packets or plastic tubs. Condense your routine with hydrating hair mask bars instead. Rub the solid bar onto clean, wet hair and let it soak in for a few minutes before rinsing out. The bars contain nourishing ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and antioxidants to strengthen strands.
Skin Care
Facial cleansers, scrubs, lotions, and creams also rely heavily on plastic packaging to keep the formulas fresh and effective. But a wide range of fantastic sustainable skin care options exist without this packaging waste:
Cleansing Bar Soaps
Swap out bottled facial washes, scrubs, and shower gels for traditional bar soaps. Many soap options nowadays contain gentle, non-drying ingredients like plant oils and butters to cleanse skin without stripping the face or body. The bars typically come wrapped in compostable paper only, so excess packaging goes in the compost bin. Some brands even ship without outer boxes to avoid any extra waste.
Solid Body Bars
These bar soaps cleanse the skin gently while adding much-needed moisture. Swap out bottled shower gels and body washes for cleansing bar soaps. Nourishing ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter and plant-based oils hydrate as they clean. The bars lather into a rich foam to leave skin clean, smooth, and balanced.
Oral Care
Tooth care and mouthwash also typically produce abundant plastic waste. Make the switch to excellent eco-friendly tools for clean teeth and fresh breath:
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Traditional plastic toothbrushes still dominate most store shelves. But a sustainable toothbrush made from renewable bamboo makes a fantastic green alternative. Look for sturdy bristles attached to sturdy bamboo handles. The renewable wood naturally resists bacteria too. Remember to compost the handles when bristles wear out in a few months.
Toothpaste Tablets
Those plastic toothpaste tubes are impossible to recycle and end up clogging landfills. Tiny toothpaste tablets or powders provide the same fluoride and cleaning ingredients without the squeeze tubes. Simply chew the small minty tablets, then brush with just water. Spit, rinse, and smile as usual. The chewable tablets remove plaque and debris without a trail of plastic packaging.
Mouthwash Tablets
Compressed mouthwash tablets from a brand like Ecofam dissolve in water to create oral rinse free of dyes, chemicals, or plastic. Swish with the fizzing eco-friendly tablets for the same refreshing clean feeling and fewer materials wasted after use.
Conclusion
Swapping out a few key products means your daily bathroom routine will generate far less plastic waste over time. With these simple sustainable upgrades, you can keep your hair, skin, mouth, and body fresh using eco-friendly options that leave less trash behind.
