Skincare for You and the Environment

As part of my journey to reduce the amount of plastic I use and the waste I produce, I have been making small changes around the house, including the bathroom. So far I’ve been making changes to brushing my teeth and washing my hair, but I want to start with updating my skincare routine.

One of the first things I did when I started becoming more conscious of living an eco-friendly or plastic and waste free lifestyle, in terms of making changes in the bathroom, was to attend a friend’s DIY beauty product workshop. Having collected plenty of glass jars and a myriad of ingredients we decided to focus on deodorant, body scrubs and toothpaste.

The deodorant, which was my favourite take away from the day, consists of baking soda, arrowroot flour or cornstarch, coconut oil and your choice of essential oil. These products work together to make a nice thick (cornflour), antibacterial (baking soda and coconut oil) mix that smells nice under your arms (essential oil). My suggestion is to start with the below quantities, stir until everything has mixed together and pop it in a jar. When you start applying only use a small amount as that’s all you need.

1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp baking soda
1/3 cup arrowroot
10 – 15 drops of essential oils

This deodorant has lasted me months! And in that time I feel like I have been sweating less, using less deodorant and have not smelt once (not noticeably anyway, we all smell sometimes). I’m also excited to take it overseas with me as part of my waste free travel kit!

If you’re keen to try it yourself, keep in mind that even though it’s natural, it may not work for everyone. When I first started, my skin had a slight reaction (normally because it was applied after shaving), but after reducing the amount I put on (and I assume my skin becoming accustomed to it) this stopped completely. Next time I might even add slightly more coconut oil to the mix to make it more spreadable. If making it yourself, you can also just adjust the quantities and do trial batches.

For those who just can’t walk away from a spray, there are also recipes for making your own spray on antiperspirant, so just start looking!

Body scrubs were the next thing and are, at their simplest, a mixture of salt, sugar or coffee grounds and your choice of oil and additional ingredients. There is no set mix, so try starting with one part oil and two parts scrub and add away until you find your perfect scrub consistency. The one I made that day was raw sugar, coconut oil and a mix of lavender oil and lavender buds so that it can be an end of day relaxing scrub before bed. You can also try substituting sugar with coffee grounds or salt or adding honey to mix it up.

After using these products regularly and making more changes in other areas of the house, I was inspired to do more with my skincare.

A few months ago, I swapped out my cotton wool balls with reusable bamboo makeup wipes (I still have a bag of cotton wool in the cupboard, but I’ve kept it as an end of the line option or until I find a better use for it).

 

You can buy reusable makeup wipes in store or online, or you can make them yourself. I bought mine online on Amazon for about $10-$15, which included 20 circular bamboo wipes and a wash bag, but there are also local options available. They are easy to use, washable and the wash bag hangs on the back of the bathroom door and goes in the washing machine with the towels once full.

If you want to make them yourself, just find an old towel or wash cloth and cut it into easy to use sizes and store them in your bathroom.

I also changed the products I use on my face from ones that have a lot of unpronounceable ingredients, to those with very few or just one.

The moisturiser I use is produced by a local farmer where I grew up in rural NSW, which my mum regularly sends me (and is something I have been using for years). It’s a mix of coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax and I use it for my face, my body, as a lip balm and also as a make up remover. It is also excellent as a balm after I have shaved my legs, and it’s something simple enough that you can make it at home (or at least something pretty similar) with some recipes I’ve included below.

½ cup organic coconut oil, vitamin E oil, essential oil of your choosing
½ cup Olive oil, ½ cup coconut oil and ¼ cup beeswax (this is what I use)
½ cup Shea butter, 2 tbsp coconut oil and 2 tbsp olive oil (essential oils optional)
2 tbsp Coconut oil, 4 tbsp aloe vera gel, 1 tsp vitamin E oil and 2 tbsp almond oil
1 tbsp Almond oil, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp cocoa butter and 2 tsp rose water.

I do still use regular body moisturisers, such as sorbolene or Cetaphil, because I’d like to use up what I have and make use of the containers rather than throwing any old products out. I always find it helpful to keep coconut oil in the cupboard as that works by itself for many purposes or mixed with other ingredients.

Rosehip oil is also in my daily routine because it is simple and smells nice. I normally use that as a base on my face and let it sink in before applying anything else (it also comes in a glass jar).

The face scrub I’m now using, I recently purchased from Lush (check them out) after finishing the last of my cream cleanser. I only use this every few days at the moment as I’m not really wearing any makeup unless it’s a night out, so most days I  use a face washer and warm water.

 

For me going DIY with my beauty routine has been as much about using natural products as it has been about reducing my need to buy plastic. But we don’t all have to embrace the DIY life! There are plenty of other options out there, for example:

• There are more and more brands offering natural products in sustainable or plastic packaging that you can find on Instagram, online or in stores.
  • With brands like Lush, all the products are made by hand with fresh, natural or sustainably sourced ingredients and all their tubs/containers are recyclable or reusable (you can even take them back into the store)
• Bulk food stores often stock body wash or shampoo and condition in bulk so all you need to do is take your container and fill it up (in most cases they will also have a container you can buy)
• Bar soaps are normally packed plastic free, and once they’re done there is no rubbish to throw away and no container to worry about reusing; and
• More companies are offering alternative options to make up wipes and cotton ear buds that can be bought online and sent straight to your door.

It’s not about changing up your whole routine, just making a few changes here and there will make an impact on your wallet, your health, your lifestyle and the environment.

As I work my own through this journey, I’ll be adding more tips about my beauty routine, how I wash my hair, how I shop and the products I’ve changed up around the house to reduce my waste and my carbon footprint.