With the rise of environmental concern among the American people, many people have made an effort to be more environmentally conscious in their day-to-day life and the products they consume. While many people make changes in the kitchen, few people think about the amount of waste coming from their bathroom. Single-use wipes, shampoo bottles, razors, tampons, and countless other items contribute to a large amount of trash going to landfills. Here are 5 easy product swaps to help the environment!
- The Diva Cup
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I was skeptical of this at first with the Diva Cup, the trending reusable menstrual cup. How was the cup not going to overflow? Isn’t that so gross to clean? How is that comfortable to wear all day? It offers 12 hours of leak-free protection, so you are able to wear it all day without having to worry about changing it. It holds an ounce of fluid, which is twice as much as an average tampon. I like to clean it out in the privacy of my bathroom at home and just like a tampon, it can take some getting used to, but after a few cycles, it becomes normal. It is an investment in the beginning, but it lasts 1 to 2 years! Imagine how many tampon wrappers and plastic applicators could be saved in that amount of time!
- Erase Your Face
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My mother introduced the Erase Your Face to me, after finding them in the store. It is basically a washcloth with a softer texture that absorbs water to take your makeup off. I did a side by side comparison to see if it took my makeup off better than my traditional makeup wipes and it did even better than the wipe! The pack of cloths costs the same amount as my skin sensitive makeup remover wipes, so that is some money being saved each month. Plus it is not a single-use product that would go directly in the trash as makeup wipes do. I wash the cloths with my clothes every week and it takes the makeup right off without staining my other clothes.
- Lush Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
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When traveling, I always struggled to try to fit my products into a quart-sized bag. I was shopping at Lush and discovered these shampoo and condition bars. You lather them up in the shower and put it in your hair, just like a soap bar. These work better than my previously tried and true drugstore bottled shampoo and they have so many different scents and formulas for different hair types. The best part is it does not come in plastic and you can bring your own bag to the store to create a fully zero waste product.
- Cloth Traveling Bags
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I grew up using plastic zip-close bags when traveling growing up. I would put my shampoo, toothbrush, makeup, and jewelry all in plastic. Then, I would throw it away at the end of every trip. What a waste! Cloth bags are great because they are reusable and can be cleaned if some foundation happens to get on it. There are so many cute styles and patterns out there, whether that be monogrammed sorority letters or a basic black.
- Bamboo Everything
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Toothbrush, cotton swabs, dental floss, razors, and more! Bamboo is priced similarly to their plastic counterparts and can be found in most drugstores. The products work the exact same but are much more environmentally friendly. Bamboo uses less water, is biodegradable, durable, and does not require fertilizer and pesticides to grow. Why not switch to bamboo?
This planet was entrusted to humans to maintain and take care of. While many people think to make swaps in the kitchen, few think to make swaps in the bathroom. There are so many single-use products and plastic hiding in the bathroom. Through these swaps, I have found products that work better, can save you money, help when traveling (gotta love TSA), and better support the environment without compromising on comfort.