Small, simple switches make large differences, to yourself and to the world around you. In our plastic-free checklist series, we share our recommendations to help you make these small switches, encouraging new habits preventing waste. Let us help you transform your bathroom into a single-use-plastic-free haven any sustainably-savvy consumer would be proud to call their own.
Soap
Made in the UK with 100% natural ingredients and using 100% renewable energy. Creates a creamy lather good for washing hands and shaving.
Deodorant
Plastic-free, cruelty-free, 100% natural. Makes pits smell like chocolate.
Shampoo
This shampoo bar smells amazing, creates a generous lather, and leaves hair feeling super clean. Suitable for all hair types (the packaging says otherwise but we have confirmed with the brand).
Conditioner
Suitable for all hair types and textures. Leave this highly recommended handmade solid, plastic-free conditioning bar on for a few minutes and don't expect it to lather. Also don't expect it to do anything less than leave your hair feeling completely moisturised and smelling fresh. Each bar is made in the UK using a multitude of organic ingredients including shea butter, vitamin E and lavender, lemon, tea tree and avocado oils. Available in 25g and 50g.
Cleanser
Plastic-free and independent alternative to Garnier's popular Micellar Water. Handmade in UK with aloe vera and lavender for a soothing make-up removing experience. PETA-approved cruelty-free.
Razor
Metal head + bamboo handle + plastic-free = a recyclable razor. It's got a lubricating aloe vera strip and a pivoting head that works so well. Have you noticed how much better men's razors are than women's?
Swab
A reusable cotton bud. Beauty is especially for makeup use (i.e. perfecting eyeliner) and Original is meant for ears. The swab ends are made of TPE (thermoplastic elastomers - usually a mix of plastic and rubber), the rod is plastic, and the case is PLA (polylactic acid - a polymer made of renewable sources) which is made of corn and is biodegradable. Regarding the use of un-recyclable plastic, here's what LastSwab say: "When creating a product to last for thousands of uses, durability is key. LastSwab replaces thousands of single-use cotton swabs. Even if LastSwab does end up in the ocean, it’s damage is less than 0.1% of its single-use counterparts, simply because there will be much less of them." What do you think about this?
Toothpaste
In the hunt for a good plastic-free, natural, independent brand alternative to regular toothpaste, we have put some mighty awful substances in our mouth. Enter Ben & Anna, a light at the end of the tunnel! Their sensitive, charcoal and whitening toothpastes taste good (minty fresh), last for a long time, and the jar can be re-used at your local zero waste shop, for candles, or, at least, they can be recycled. Ingredients are 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free. We use the flouride-free toothpastes. Fluoride is a chemical which can prevent cavities, but it is also added into the water we drink, as it also is in the USA and Australia. Excess intake can be toxic, so we prefer the fluoride-free option. Read more about the pros and cons of Fluoride on healthline.com.
Toothbrush
Knowing that every single thing has its own vibration, we opt for this rainbow toothbrush by our toothpaste providers (above), Ben & Anna. The brush is made of bamboo which is grown without fertilizer and pesticides; the brush heads are made of recycled nylon; the packaging is made of impressive sustainable packaging solution, kraft paper.
Bathroom Book
I used to use tampons during each period, so I wouldn't have to worry about leaking during the day or night. Then, last summer in the dry silence of the Israeli desert, I read Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now. As a woman, hearing advice from men on anything about my body can feel frustrating. "No uterus, no opinion", I thought. But his words spoke to me! He explained that the time of the period is a very powerful time and should be harnessed by the process-bearer (the person having the period). That when physical symptoms strike, one can tune in and release oneself from holding the weight of the collective trauma of women. I worked on this for a while. Released a lot. And now I look forward to my periods. I love the way it grounds me and brings me into my body with feelings of heaviness - it is telling me to stop and rest. And I can listen and oblige! The results from this process: I hardly ever have period pain, I hardly bleed*, and I stay, for the most part, emotionally regulated and equanimous. What an empowering discovery: I need not be the victim of my body's regulatory monthly motions!
However - I understand this is a process - so in the meantime, while you work out your own liberation from within and free yourself from the period problems you need not suffer from, here are some options for all you bleeders out there.
*the pain and heaviness of flow depends on my diet. If I am eating in the best way for me (little and often, vegan and gluten free), the period is hardly noticeable. If I am in a 'bingeing' phase, the period is heavy and rich.
Menstrual Pads
Reusable period pads made with recycled PET (recycled plastic bottles) in the UK.
Menstrual Cup
This award-winning menstrual cup can be used for up to 12 hours a day and lasts for 10 years.
Tampons
A tampon subscription means no more last-minute dashing to the off licence to pick up any old toxic plastic tampons when your time of the month comes a-knocking. Choose from regular or CBD-infused tampons, regular or super size, which comes with a free pouch as shown above. Daye's values include transparency, being low-impact, and bridging the healthcare gap between the sexes. As they say, "most medical research [favours] the male physiology to date". The applicators are made of renewable sugarcane and the tampon wrappers are water-soluble, so will not break down into microplastics.
Looking for a plastic-free alternative to a product you use? Let us do the research for you. Tell us about it on our Instagram, @wearebee.co.uk
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