Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products

Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products header
~ Karalee

GIFTED PR | Today June 17th is Plastic Free Beauty Day, and I wanted to share some eco-friendly and sustainable changes you can make in your beauty routine.

As a bit of a background, the beauty industry produces 142 billion units of packaging every year, and most of it ends up in the landfill or ocean. Even “good plastic” that is reclaimed, recycled, recyclable, or other types of plastics can still end up in the ocean or landfill because only 5% of the world’s plastics are recycled effectively. Plastic Free Beauty Day aims to educate consumers and calls on brands, consumers, and retailers to reconsider their use of plastic. To reduce your plastic use, you can switch to alternative sustainable products like ones that are packaged in aluminum, recycle the beauty and personal care products you use, and switch from single-use plastics to reusable items. The Plastic Free Beauty Day website includes a list of beauty brands that have plastic alternatives and refillable options, and I wanted to share some other brands and products to help you become more sustainable.

Wheesht Masks Balancing Day Cream and Cleansing Balm

I was kindly gifted the Balancing Day Cream and Cleansing Balm from Wheesht Masks. Wheesht Masks is a natural, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare brand, and most of their products are supplied in glass jars with aluminum lids for re-use or recycling. The Balancing Day Cream I have already mentioned in My 10 Step Korean Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin post, and I use it in the evenings. The cream contains rosehip oil and olive squalane to improve the skin’s appearance and hydrate the skin. The cream is on the thicker side, and it can be used in the morning and evening, which is why I use it in the evenings. I definitely do recommend the Balancing Day Cream especially if you have oily skin. The Cleansing Balm, which also comes in a fragrance-free version, contains various oils including sunflower, jojoba, castor, sea buckthorn, palmarosa, and lemon as well as mango butter and olive wax to the cleanse the skin of excess oil and dirt, moisturize, and fight signs of aging without clogging pores. On the days I wear makeup, I will use the Cleansing Balm after removing my makeup because it makes my face feel clean and moisturized. The Cleansing Balm is also great for oily and combination skin because it helps control oiliness and fights inflammation. Along with the Balancing Day Cream and Cleansing Balm, Wheesht Masks also sells a Balance Clay Mask, Spirulina & Lemongrass Clay Mask, Moroccan Clay Detox Mask, Mango Moisture Balm, You’re Looking…Braw Face and Body Butter, and a couple of oils. Wheesht Masks is a great sustainable brand to use in your skincare routine.

£4+ at Wheesht Masks

Wheesht Masks Cleansing Balm and Balancing Day Cream

 

The Original MakeUp Eraser

I was gifted a sample of the MakeUp Eraser, and I have since bought the full-size version. Instead of using makeup wipes or cotton rounds that come in plastic packaging and are tossed in the trash after using, the MakeUp Eraser is a reusable polyester cloth that removes all makeup (including eyeshadow and mascara) with just warm water. The cloth is double-sided with short fibers on one side to remove makeup and long fibers on the opposite side to exfoliate. The regular MakeUp Eraser is also a large size and you can use it for several days to remove makeup before washing it with the rest of your laundry. The MakeUp Eraser also switched to a 100% recyclable packaging, and there is also a package-free option on their website. If you wear makeup, using a reusable cloth to remove your makeup instead of makeup wipes or cotton rounds is a great plastic-free alternative.

$12+ at MakeUp Eraser

The MakeUp Eraser sample

 

Reusable Cotton Rounds

When I use a tea tree toner during my skincare routine, I use a cotton round to apply the toner because I do not like using my hands. However, as I mentioned when talking about the MakeUp Eraser, the cotton rounds come in plastic packaging and the rounds are thrown in the trash after using them. However, I purchased reusable cotton rounds from someone who makes them in my city, and they are a great alternative to single-use cotton rounds. The cotton rounds came in a set of 8, and after using them, I can wash them with my regular laundry. There are plenty of sellers on Etsy as well as brands like Daily Concepts and Pargaard that sell reusable cotton rounds.

The homemade reusable cotton rounds I purchased

 

Reusable and Biodegradable Swabs

I use cotton swabs to clean my ears and touch up my makeup, but they are single-use and end up in the trash afterward. I purchased a set of reusable swabs made from silicone, and they are as effective as traditional cotton swabs. There are also biodegradable bamboo swabs from brands like The Humble Co., Pandoo, and Bambaw. If you regularly use cotton swabs, I suggest looking into reusable swabs or biodegradable bamboo swabs.

The reusable swabs I purchased

 

Reco Toothtabs

I was gifted the 31 day trial of the Reco Toothtabs, which is a plastic-free and waste-free alternative to regular toothpaste. Instead of using toothpaste tubes that are made of plastic and eventually thrown away, the Reco Toothtabs are toothpaste tablets that come in a plastic-free and compostable packaging. These toothtabs were the first toothpaste tablets I have used, so it did take a few times to get used to the process of chewing the tablet, adding water, and brushing my teeth as normal. However, the toothtabs are as effective as regular toothpaste without the waste. The Reco Toothtabs are a great plastic-free alternative to regular toothpaste.

£3 for a 31 day trial at Reco

The Reco Toothtabs in a package of 62 tabs

 

Bamboo Toothbrush

I used to use plastic toothbrushes, but when the bristles became worn, the toothbrush went straight into the trash. Nowadays, a sustainable and plastic-free alternative is to use a bamboo toothbrush, which is biodegradable. I purchased a bamboo toothbrush from the Danish brand Suztain Naturals. The packaging of the toothbrush is also made from kraft paper, which is compostable. If you currently use plastic toothbrushes, I suggest switching to a bamboo toothbrush for a plastic-free alternative.

The Suztain Naturals Bamboo Toothbrush

 

Cora Cup, Plastic-Free Tampons and Sustainable Pads

Cora offers eco-friendly options for menstrual products, which I have tried the last time I was in the US. Regular tampons often come wrapped in plastic and have a plastic applicator and string while pads are also wrapped in plastic and have an absorbent plastic layer, and both end up in the trash after use. The Cora Cup eliminates the need for tampons and pads, and there are other brands of reusable menstrual cups like OrganiCup, Diva Cup, and Mooncup as well. Cora also offers applicator free tampons that are made entirely from organic cotton, but their pads have a plastic leakproof layer, and Cora only ships to the US. However, there are other brands of sustainable and plastic-free tampons and pads including Oi, Natracare, TOTM, and Ohne. There are also reusable cloth pads as another sustainable option.

Prices vary at Cora

Have you made any eco-friendly changes to your routine?

 

Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products Pinterest pin

My logo for The Blog Brew collab

The Blog Brew is a collaboration between myself and 8 other lovely bloggers. Each month we will each write a post relating to the Blog Brew Collab on our own blogs.

For this month, our theme is awareness days, weeks, and months.

The Blog Brew header

Published by Karalee

47 thoughts on “Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products”

  1. I’ve definitely made the changes to become more sustainable. I bought rewashable cotton rounds and I also have a makeup eraser! They’re great staples to improving the environment. The next change I’m planning on making once I run out of toothpaste is the toothpaste tablets! Great post xxx

    Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com

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    Reply

    1. That’s great you’ve made changes to become more sustainable! Single use cotton rounds are so wasteful so it’s great to have ones that you can wash & reuse!
      The toothpaste tablets are a good alternative to regular toothpaste tubes. You also don’t waste any toothpaste

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      Reply

  2. Thanks for the suggestions. The beauty industry is great at convincing us we need their product but, if we’re willing to do a little research, there are less expensive and more sustainable options available. I wish we could buy tooth tabs with fluoride in Canada. That is one change I haven’t been willing to make.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You’re welcome! Yes the beauty industry is always coming out with the “latest & greatest” products, but like you said there are more affordable & sustainable options.
      I do hope they make tooth tablets with fluoride in Canada for you!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thank you! Washable cotton rounds are definitely great & good for the environment!
      That’s great you’ve been using organic skincare products! I use cruelty-free & a lot of natural products.

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  10. The reusable swabs are a great idea, so easy to just use one and bin it without thinking twice. I think menstrual cups are amazing for durability and the environment, and they save so much money in the long run.

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    1. The makeup eraser is amazing because all you need is water to remove your makeup! You can also handwash it with soap before you wash with it laundry to use it a bit longer

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  15. I’ve definitely made some changes when it comes to single use plastic. But I have to admit beauty products is one of the areas I haven’t tackled much of, yet. As I’m still using up what I have first. I love the idea of reusable cotton rounds and toothbrush tabs.

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  16. Sustainability is really important to us and I’m always on the look out for new eco-friendly products.
    I have never seen the MakeUp Eraser before but it sounds great!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I’m glad to hear sustainability is important to you. The MakeUp Eraser is great b/c all you need is water & then you can wash the cloth in your regular laundry once it gets dirty.

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    1. Yes it can be difficult especialy with skincare brands b/c like you said, there are brands/products that work & others that don’t
      That’s great you’re using reusable cotton pads & a bamboo toothbrush would be good to have!

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      Reply

  18. Great eco-friendly beauty ideas in here! My sister’s friend crochets little round cotton pads in all colors. I love to use them for toner and removing makeup. I wash them in a small laundry bag so they don’t go missing. I started to wash also my powder puffs with them too. Turns out they last a lifetime like that. I stopped using foundation sponges and use a washable foundation brush instead + just fingers.

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  21. Brilliant post! I had never heard of Wheesht Masks so I’ll definitely have to try them out when I’ve used my current skincare products. I’ve been using biodegrable bamboo cotton buds to – really interesting that they do reusable ones! I also have swapped to a bamboo tooth and toothtabs. Thanks for sharing your tips!

    Liked by 1 person

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