7 eco-friendly health and beauty essentials for low-waste living

I am always looking for new ways to be eco-friendly, and to make little lifestyle changes that help me lead a much more zero-waste life than before.

I’d like to share some of my every day health & beauty favourites that are helping me be more eco-conscious at home 🌿 (plus, these alternatives will definitely save you money in the long run).

1. Reusable face pads

On the right is a pad from this lovely Holland and Barret pack, whilst the left is a handmade one from an old pillow cover. I use these daily, for applying toner and removing make up/face masks. For me, they have replaced cotton pads – I would go through at least one cotton pad a day, sometimes more if I was wearing make up. The great thing about these is they can be machine washed or hand washed, so with a pack of 6 and a few smaller ones I made myself, I always have one spare!

2. Metal safety razor

I haven’t had to buy a new razor, or new blades, since I purchased this razor and a pack of 100 Derby blades in 2019. I’m a semi-regular shaver, so it’s not like it hasn’t had its worth! The quality is so much better than disposable razors, too.

3. Reusable sanitary products

If you menstruate, these Bloom & Nora reusable pads and Evo menstrual cups are a no brainer. Cups are generally safer than tampons when it comes to risks such as toxic shock syndrome – just make sure you clean them sufficiently between cycles.

4. Bottle-free shampoo/conditioner

Not as glamourous as the official Lush tins, but my travel soap holder works just as well to hold my shampoo and conditioner bars – or what’s left of them! I went from having industrial, salon sized bottles (really!) to these small little bars, and while this may not be as cost effective due to warehouse discounts, I feel much better not using as much plastic when caring for my hair.

5. Bamboo toothbrush & recyclable heads

I love my Colgate bamboo toothbrush – it’s great for travelling – but I also love my electric toothbrush. So I was extremely excited when I discovered some recyclable toothbrush heads by Edin co that fitted my Oral-B toothbrush!

6. Natural deodorant

I LOVE the way this Your Nature deodorant this smells, and it goes really smoothly on my skin. The days I used it, it worked just as well as my Dove roll-on. The all cardboard packaging was an excellent bonus. Sadly, this particular deodorant irritated my skin slightly, so I plan to pass it along to a friend to try. I’m still searching for natural deodorant that is “the one” for me, so I plan to try Your Nature’s unscented deodorant to test for a reaction.

7. Q-tips

I won’t advocate these for ear use, as supposedly Q-tips are not good for inner ear use, but these silicone Q-tips are amazing for cleaning my piercings. If you have a nipple piercing, then you know they can take months to heal properly. These are so easy to disinfect between cleans, and I feel better for not polluting oceans or landfill with cotton buds!

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P.S – did you know it’s #SecondHandSeptember? Check out my blogpost from last September on ways to reduce waste by upcycling and recycling.

Have you tried any of the products above? How are you finding them?

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