TLDR: Store-bought dishwashing soap is a waste of water and money. We’re getting scammed.
Why you should care: Check the ingredients of your dishwashing soap. It’s mostly water! All that water means a bigger carbon footprint when shipping. Plus, it’s a waste of plastic, which takes resources to make and then lives in our landfills and oceans. Gross.
I like Etee dishwashing soap for SO many reasons. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals, and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their soap doesn’t have a strong scent, which is great if you have smell sensitivities. And it works for cleaning dishes.
If you want to be even more eco-friendly, buy a bar of soap (Etee sells those, too). But if you’re gonna go with liquid dishwashing soap, this is your brand.
Etee also sells dishwashing detergent. I think it’s great, but I have not yet tried to compost their bag. Most bags that say they’re compostable, actually aren’t. Take that into account.
TLDR: Store-bought hand soap is a waste of water and money. We’re getting scammed.
Why you should care: Check the ingredients of your hand soap. It’s mostly water! All that water means a bigger carbon footprint when shipping. Plus, it’s a waste of plastic, which takes resources to make and then lives in our landfills and oceans. Gross.
I like Etee hand soap for SO many reasons. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals, and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their hand soap doesn’t have a strong scent, which is great if you have smell sensitivities.
If you want to be even more eco-friendly, buy a bar of soap. But if you’re gonna go with liquid hand soap, this is your brand.
OK, can we all just agree that toothpaste tubes are annoying and inconvenient? Forgetting to put the cap back on the right way… Toothpaste exploding in my carry on luggage… Trying to get the LAST bit of toothpaste out of the tube… YUCK. Plus, who had the childhood experience of squeezing out ALL of the toothpaste and then your dad made you keep it in a jar and use it until it was gone? BLAH.
I like Etee toothpaste for SO many reasons. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their toothpaste tastes great. It has fluoride, which dentists recommend. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/ask-expert-why-fluoride-good-dental-health They also have a no-fluoride option if you really need it: https://www.shopetee.com/pages/fluoride-chewpaste It’s also great for little ones who have trouble squeezing the right amount! And you don’t have to worry about taking it on a plane!
I asked a friend to buy these washcloths for me from Costco (I don’t have a membership) because they were on sale and they’re Oeko-Tex certified. I keep a pile of them in the bathroom. I got an aluminum spray bottle and filled it with a few drops of witch hazel and lots of distilled (or boiled) water. I use that to clean my face. Lots of people avoid witch hazel because it dries out the skin, BUT that’s only the witch hazel you get at the store, which is full of alcohol. The ALCOHOL is what dries your skin. Pure witch hazel doesn’t.
Note: Store the remaining witch hazel in the fridge.
TLDR: Paper towels are a waste of money and shouldn’t exist.
Why you should care: The average American spends about $200 annually on paper towels. Yuck. Do something fun with that money. Also, deforestation, water pollution, etc. https://www.greenmatters.com/p/impact-paper-towels
What you should buy: Don’t buy anything! Cut up old clothes and sheets that can’t be donated. Don’t have any? Ask your neighbors. These make cheap paper towels that can be washed and re-used or just tossed if the mess is truly too yucky.
TLDR: Disposable feminine hygiene products contain up to 90% plastic, which is bad for the environment. Plus, studies show all those chemicals could be dangerous for your body. Get a menstrual cup if you can.
Why you should care: “While in a landfill, disposable pads are estimated to take 500 to 800 years to break down, and materials such as plastic never truly biodegrade. This is of major concern given that each menstruator will use and dispose of between 5000 and 15 000 pads and tampons in their lifetime.” https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijgo.14311 Plus, studies show all those chemicals could be dangerous for your body. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9876534/
My personal favorite is the MeLuna, but everyone’s body is different. It’s worth it to try out a few different products until you find the best fit. It’s an upfront cost, but the cups will last for years and cost much less than disposable pads/tampons.
What if you don’t have a period? If you don’t menstruate, consider donating menstrual cups to people in need! Or talking about them with your kids, neighbors, friends, etc. An educated menstruator can advocate for themselves and for others.
NOTE: You can clean your menstrual cup by sticking it inside a metal whisk and boiling it for 10 minutes. (The whisk keeps the cup from touching the sides of the pot.) Or you can buy cleaning tablets that you drop into a glass of water along with your cup and leave overnight.
What you should buy: https://lastobject.com/products/lasttissue-refill
I bought these GOTS-certified hankies. You can order them with a silicon box, but I asked them not to send me one and just filled all the old tissue boxes I already had around my house. You can use OCEAN10 for a 10% discount.
I also added a wet-proof bag that says “dirty tissues” on a hook in each bathroom in the house. When someone uses a tissue they drop it into the bag. I wash them all once a week. Now I’m set for years.
It helps the environment and saves you money in the long-run.
I usually don’t recommend buying products on Amazon, but it was out of stock on the brand website. I chose Merkur because of the good reviews, its sustainability and the fact that it works for both men/women. (Price discrimination is ridiculous!! https://www.inc.com/sonia-thompson/women-are-charged-100000-more-for-same-products-as-men-heres-what-you-can-do-to-stop-it.html) Please note that Merkur has differently sized handles. I chose a short handle because it was less expensive, easier for me to control and took up less space in my toiletry bag.
I bought a Merkur because it takes generic razor blades that you can buy at any store. Many of the other options require you to use their special razor blades, and the idea of 1) paying for shipping 2) remembering to order them in the first place 3) adding to my carbon footprint… well, it just seemed silly and impractical.
I also liked that it was a heavier razor, which means it does the work for you, and there’s no need to press down. It’s cool that it only has one blade. Contrary to what you might think, one blade is better because multiples can cause ingrown hairs. Go figure! https://www.menshealth.com/style/a19526899/single-blade-razor-shave/
Don’t forget that you can drop your used razors off at any Whole Foods stores that run a razor recycling program called Gimme5. Or you can save them in a tin can and recycle them that way.
Store your razor outside of the shower to reduce the risk of rusting. This is supposed to last you for ages!
UPDATE: I’ve been using the razor for a few months now and have yet to cut myself! It even works well on your bathing suit area, and I got ZERO razor burn. I’ve recommended it to all my girl and guy friends!
TLDR: Makeup has a lot of crap in it. Spend more money now to prevent health issues later.
Why you should care: Makeup isn’t regulated by the FDA. Lots of the stuff found in makeup is dangerous for your health. Ancient Romans used lead powder as makeup. It caused problems. Don’t be like the Romans.
I did this research a few months ago and forgot to save the links from my extensive reading. Please note that I spent days trying to find the best company for makeup. There are a lot of key terms thrown out there like “clean makeup” etc. that really mean nothing. See what chemicals the company tests for. Make sure it doesn’t test on animals. And keep in mind that plastic packaging and shipping distances matter.
Buying a product on Credo Beauty is often more expensive than if you navigate to that brand’s website to buy it. BUY IT ON CREDO ANYWAY. That’s because you’re paying for a service. Credo vets each product it offers so you don’t have to. Pay for good service. This is the kind of crap they’re helping you avoid: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/clean-cosmetics-the-science-behind-the-trend-2019030416066
TLDR: Bamboo and recycled paper TP is a no-go because it’s not sustainable and often has a large carbon footprint. Buy a bidet and use Bumroll TP for drying.
Why you should care: We cut down trees to wipe our butts. Trees are saving the world from climate change. WE CUT THEM DOWN for our BUTTS. In Canada alone, loggers clear cut more than a million acres of forest—mostly to feed US demand for toilet paper. Only read this article if you want to be super sad: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/jennifer-skene/toilet-paper-driving-climate-crisis-every-flush
Basically, bamboo TP would be great except that most of it comes from China (bigger carbon footprint) or is grown in areas where forest was razed to grow it. Recycled materials TP is also better for the environment but we’re running out of stuff to recycle so it’s not a long-term fix. Bidets are the best thing for the environment. Sure, they use water, but WAY less water than it takes to make rolls of TP. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/climate/toilet-paper-bidet-environment.html
Super easy to understand breakdown of all the acronyms people use. If you’re gonna help the environment, don’t get scammed! This website gets some points knocked off for recommending TP that comes swathed in a plastic bag—kind of defeats the purpose of being eco-friendly! It also has a lot of UK-based products, which adds to the carbon footprint depending on where you live. https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/the-9-best-plastic-free-eco-friendly-toilet-paper-brands/
