Eco-Friendly Beauty and Personal Care Products

GIFTED | 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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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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. You can stay updated here and learn all about our blogs.

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

• June 6th – Pride Month – What It Means, and What That Means to Me with @Bamboopanda27
• June 8th – How You Can Protect Our World’s Oceans | World Oceans Day 2020 with @Chimmykins
• June 10th – My Favourite Walking Spots in The Cotswolds with @Perselem
• June 14th – Drowning Prevention Week: How to be safe in the water with @_itsjustjessie_
• June 17th – My post! Thank you for reading!
• June 18th – World Kidney Cancer Day 2020 with @KirstyMarie_UK
• June 24th – Why You Should Blog with @Themakeupbeth
• June 26th – Me, Myself And PTSD with @MrsSleeJones