Eco Self Care
Water conservation, single use reduction, plastic reduction, green and cruelty impact awareness, necessity identification and waste avoidance. Taking care and being full of care.
A few tips:
The Eco-Shave: Use bar shave soap in a paper wrapper, a refillable, non-disposable safety razor and a synthetic shave Brush/ washcloth.
Heat water and dip a washcloth in it, press to areas that need to have the hair softened pre-shave, soap up your brush and apply the shave cream. Shave and then rinse, not leaving the water running while shaving, it may be necessary to rinse the razor a few times, but the goal is not to LEAVE the water running.
The Eco-Shower: Bring your toothbrush! (If you really want to condense and have a fog-less mirror, bring your shave stuff too!) Get water to temp and get in, wet your whole self thoroughly, turn off water, soap up your body, skipping your feet (Unless you have a good bath mat) once you are nice and sudsy, rinse just your hands, use a shampoo bar to get your hair nice and lathered making sure to slick the soap away from your face. Rinse your hands again. Get a face wash bar And cleanse your face, then once again, turn on the water and rinse. Turn the water back off and condition your hair, while the conditioner sits, shave and brush your teeth followed by a final rinse. Towel off and get ready for skin care!
Eco skin-care: Make sure to invest in things that will last, examples are things like a glass nail file and stainless clippers, reusable facial pads, good synthetic brushes, quality appliances etc, when it comes to skin care and cosmetics, plastics and disposables are rampant, use only what you truly need! Research products that are eco-friendly/ of least eco-impact, are cruelty free, and green or at least recyclable. If the product does not use plastics at all, even better! If it’s refillable, great! Don’t forget you can make many things that are sold in stores with things you may already have at home, My favorite facial scrub is a teaspoon of sugar mixed with my face wash. There are many Youtube videos on DIY cosmetic/ skin care, remember to always test something you’ve made on a small patch of skin/hair before diving in for sensitivity checks.
Eco-Fashion: “Fast fashion” is on the rise and it’s surprising to find how much textile waste is produced by garments that last an unacceptable amount of time for their cost. Second hand is king and repair is queen! Patch up those jeans, sew that cuff back together! The same rules of cosmetics are applicable to clothing, research sustainable practicing/ Eco-impact conscious brands, Spare the extra buck for something that will last you a few years rather than a few washes and get only what you need. There are a lot of lists of “fast fashion” brands and retailers online that are eye opening and quite helpful. When washing clothes, make sure to condense and keep a wash schedule so fewer loads need be done, consider detergent sheets or powder and avoid scent beads and other unnecessary plastic container items.
A good beginner nutshell: Don’t leave water running, does the water need to be THAT hot or hot at all? What do you REALLY need for your self care routine? Do you use up what you buy? Do you have to buy it often? Does it produce a lot of trash from single use or plastic packaging? Can you get a non plastic variant? A Non Plastic packaged variant? (think bar soap instead of body wash, bar shampoo instead of bottled) Can you use a non-aerosol version? Is the brand/ product ecologically responsible in any transparent way? Are they cruelty free? Becoming aware is the best place to start!
