Just like most of the ladies, we also enjoy pampering ourselves with make-up, shower gels, body butter, creams, etc. But having an ethical, zero-waste and eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t always go hand in hand with the Health & Beauty Industry, unfortunately. However, we’ve been looking into that matter for some time and here are some tips & recommendations that we’d like to share with you:
Making your own cosmetics is the best tip we’ve ever received.
Literally. When we met our inspirational friend, Ms. Coralie Gabriel, it felt like our prayers have been answered. As an eco-friendly lifestyle supporter, she was happy to share her recipes about how to make your own tooth powder, lip balm and deodorant. We tried and tested them out and we can tell you that they’re absolutely awesome :)) Some of their great benefits are that you get to know each ingredient that you’re using, you have the pleasure to actually custom make what you need and the joy of saving the environment the myriad of containers, labels, etc. is priceless.
Here is the simple recipe about how to make your own tooth powder:
1 table spoon of baking soda
4 table spoons of white or green creme clay/neem powder or ash (yes, ash, you got that right)
2 drops of pepper mint essential oil (or any other essential oil which you like because this is a small touch only for the aroma of your tooth powder)
3 cloves (grind them well)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Mix them all together and voila, that’s it. Simple, isn’t it? And you can make as much as you like, whenever you feel like it. Just make sure that you store the tooth powder in an air tight container, we recommend a small jar if you’re at home and don’t allow any water to come into it. When brushing your teeth, first put some tooth powder on your tooth brush and then add a little bit of water.
Lip Balm
1 table spoon of almond oil
1 table spoon of bee’s wax (Make sure that you melt the bee’s wax on the hob and stir quickly, wash your utensils immediately as after bee’s wax dries, it hardens which makes it difficult to wash)
1/2 table spoon of honey
3 drops of essential oil (you can choose any scent, depending on what you prefer)
Mix all of these together, refrigerate for 2-4 hours and that’s it.
Deodorant (200 ml)
100 g of coconut oil
60 g of baking soda
40 g of arrow root/potato starch/corn starch
20 drops of Essential oil (again you can choose any scent)
10 g of bee’s wax (again same rules apply as stated above)
Mix them all together and refrigerate for 2-4 hours and that’s it.
We love these recipes as they’re easy to make, environmentally friendly, natural and healthy as they do not contain any chemicals.
2. If you’re too busy to make your own cosmetics, don’t panic, there is always a solution. There are a few ethical, eco-friendly cosmetic brands such as QQ Natural, Zao, Kjar Weis, etc. that are committed to the zero-waste movement and offer plenty of solutions such as purchasing unwrapped soap/deodorant bars from the shops directly, packaging goods in recycled paper or containers which you’re most welcome to reuse or return to the store and many more.
3. Here is one more tip. Research the background and values of companies before deciding to make a purchase from them. Check what they stand for, are they against animal testing, are they committed to reducing waste, are they paying taxes and fair wages to their employees, are they sourcing their ingredients locally.
4. Now we’re coming to the health side of this sector and more specifically menstual products. All menstruating women need them, full stop. But how do we turn this need into something inspirational, something that celebrates menstruation and empowers women to come up with sustainable solutions? Eco Femme has the answer. What these ladies do is truly inspirational, they’ve come up with the concept of cloth pads which are not only eco-friendly but also provide a means of income for the local ladies making them in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. Of course, there are plenty of other companies producing cloth pads such as Lunapads, Sckoon, Heart Felt, etc. but we completely love what Eco Femme does as they also educate children in India on the value of reusable cloth pads and give them free pads through their Pad for Pad program
For ladies who prefer using tampons, there is another eco-friendly solution called “The Cup”. Companies such as Diva Cup, Lunette, Yuuki, etc. offer menstrual cups which one can use for up to 12 hours. Afterwards, one simply empties, washes and reuses the cup.
That’s all from us on this topic for now, what are your zero-waste tips and tricks in the Health and Beauty sector? We’d love to find out more and add any that we’ve missed.