Personal Care Products, we use them in our everyday lives, and they are a necessity that leaves a major carbon footprint. Some people found ways to use them sparingly with the advent of the Great Washing Daily Debate. Others who need to shower daily, water down their shampoos, conditioners, and other liquid soaps to make them last longer. I went scientific with scheduling certain types of washing, and how many pumps are necessary for washing my hair, face, etc. Wherever a person lands in their personal hygiene regimen, the outcome of having to recycle or throw away plastic containers will remain the same.
During my continued quest to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, having to rely on plastic containers for most of my personal care products was frustrating. Even worse, the difficulty in finding environmentally friendly personal care products. Eco-friendly personal care products that produce little to no plastic waste do exist, and the following are a few I have found.
I will begin with Shampoo and Conditioner.
- Refill and Reuse Personal Care Products: This option can span a wide range of personal care products anywhere from haircare to face-care. These are great small companies that really care about the environment. They put thought into the reusable packaging to sustainable ingredient practices to eco-friendly shipping. The basic concept is you choose what haircare, body-care, face-care, etc. you want, the products are mailed to you, order a refill when a product is close to empty, and switch bottles while mailing the used bottle to the company. I loved this concept. There were a few downsides that make me hesitant to use this service. First, with or without a subscription, the cost is pricey. (In some cases, the cost is pricey even with a subscription). Second, most subscription services I saw insist on sending refills to you in a set timeframe, which is good if your life is predictable. For my lifestyle, it is more convenient for me to request the refill. Last, I try to limit the online accounts. If I ever do wish to try the Refill and Reuse Personal Care Products, I would try Plaine Products. They seem to be the ultimate in eco-friendliness, and they are available through Amazon. If you want to see what else is available, here is a list of The 7 Best Shampoo Subscriptions of 2021 to help in your research.
- Shampoo and Conditioner Bars: Just like bars of soap for hands and body, there is also a shampoo and conditioner version. This option seems the most eco bang for your buck as one bar is the equivalent of two to three bottles of their liquid counterparts. Most bars are not in plastic packaging, but something more eco-friendly. Sometimes the packaging is compostable. Unlike the Refill and Reuse option, be careful with the ingredients. Some bar versions do have harsh sulfates. This is the option I choose to try next since I am still on the fence with the Refill and Reuse options, and I had the opportunity to try a bar shampoo and conditioner with successful results. They are easy to find through Amazon. The two brands I’m interested in trying are /liv/ Nature and HiBAR. Though, if you want to do your own research, simply put eco friendly shampoo and conditioner in the Amazon search bar and a lot of options will come up. An honorable mention eco-friendly brand to try that is also sold in local stores is Love Beauty and Planet. The reason they are not my top pick is they do have 100% recycled and recyclable bottles (which is still earth conscious), but the goal is to cut out the reliance of plastics in our personal care products.
Next is a personal hygiene product I personally had the most success in finding an eco-friendly version is underarm deodorant.
- Refillable: This is the type I am personally using and will likely keep using. Deodorant applicator and refill is a little different than the shampoo and conditioner counterpart. No need to send anything back as you just order refills after you receive the reusable applicator. I chose to search Kickstarter for variety and to help a budding business. First Kickstarter submission I found was KIIMA. KIIMA has a circular recycling program, which means they use recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable boxes for shipping. They do not use plastics in the shipping process. Their refills are zero waste. Last, if KIIMA is not the brand for you, you can send the applicator back to the company for recycling. KIIMA is a good company, but I wanted to see what else was available through Kickstarter as my goal was to eliminate as much plastic as possible. That is when I found the deodorant I use, fussy. The applicator is made from plant based materials, is easy to refill, and is – I felt – overall the most eco-friendly. With this brand, I can easily say their deodorant works! They are a subscription service, yet you can choose to not subscribe and the price is not too much more than the subscription price. Do not let the price for the applicator and subsequent refills discourage you from trying this option. From personal experience, I can tell you that three refills come in one shipment to further reduce waste. Each refill lasts longer than you would think making any perceived added expense a non-issue. Two or three swipes under each arm go a long way. While I said previously that I was not into subscription type services, they do not force you to choose a login and password as you can checkout refills as a guest. Refillable deodorant is also something you can purchase through Amazon since there is one refillable brand: Myro Deodorant. Unfortunately, this is not a top choice for me since their reusable applicator is still made of plastic, and I could not find any willingness to recycle their own applicator like KIIMA.
- Compostable or biodegradable Containers: If you can live without the applicator, you can buy your deodorant in a compostable or biodegradable container. Most of the deodorants in compostable or biodegradable containers are vegan. Instead of turning a little wheel at the bottom, you push the bottom up to get more deodorant. You do not need a subscription for more deodorant as these alternatives are all over Amazon. Do a search for eco friendly deodorant. They are pricey just like their refillable counterparts, but also like their counterparts, a little goes a long way. While the attraction of this eco-friendly alternative is the container, it can also be the downfall. I have not tried these alternatives, yet the reviews mention container mechanism failure and other reviews mention the deodorant melting during shipping. Also, I do not know if these are sold in local stores as I have not personally seen them at any of my local stores.
This last product is perhaps something not all eco-friendly people might think about: Eco-Friendly Band Aides. When I first did an Amazon search, Patch bandages (seen to the left) were the only option available and the bandages were only in one size. Now, there is at least one more eco-friendly brand, FEBU, and the Patch bandages come in different sizes. I have only used the Patch bandages. I love them. Unlike their latex free, but not eco-friendly counterparts, Patch bandages sticks well to the skin. When it is time to remove the bandage, it does not bind so thoroughly to the skin that there is pain taking off the bandage. Recently, I found Patch bandages sold at my local Walgreens meaning they have the added bonus of being found at local stores. Patch bandages are compostable whereas FEBU is biodegradable. (There is a difference between compostable and biodegradable).
If you were looking for eco-friendly options to your personal care products, I hope this post gave you a good start. If you happen to live in a big, diverse city, you might want to do a search for Bulk and Refill Zero Waste Stores. (Here is a link to an online directory for the bulk and refill stores called Litterless). These shops also contain more products other than personal care to refill and reuse. If you happen to live near one, I highly encourage you to patronize those shops before resorting to online subscription services as it will be a big help to your community. Not only will you be helping the local economy, but assisting an earth friendly business remain open.
IN THE NEWS
What common sense? 