As most of you trying to lead a greener life know, the bathroom is one of those places that produces the most amount of waste and garbage. From bottled shampoo, conditioner, body wash, to plastic toothbrushes, toothpaste, you name it. Every little thing comes in some sort of container and it's such a huge waste. When I first noticed this, and when I first began realizing I had to do something to create less waste, there were a few things I switched immediately, and there are some I'm still trying to conquer. I thought I'd write this post so I could share my accomplishments and failures and also try to inspire others to look into their own bathrooms and make a few changes.

My very first step was switching from hand wash and body wash to soap bars, this seemed like the easiest switch, and I honestly haven't missed the bottled stuff at all. Once the soap becomes too small and brittle to keep in the shower, I simply press it into the one I have by my sink and let them blend. If you'd rather not do that, you can keep the soap in a little soap bag such as this one by Made by Tyng, not only does it keep you soap but you can use it to gently scrub. This one is made from bamboo terry and woven cotton, which is great for you and for the planet, and you're supporting a very talented artist when you buy it. Regarding soap bars, you should buy your favourite, I like to buy a locally made one that comes wrapped in paper, and if you have such an option, you should definitely take it.

Next on the agenda, I hit a big gun: conditioner. This one was a big one to actually change because my hair desperately needs moisture to keep the curls looking nice, but it also dreads anything that will make it oilier. I decided to try an ACV rinse, which you can read all about right here. I've had a few bad days with it, used too much for too long and got my hair incredibly oily, and I've even used conditioner when visiting other people because I simply forgot to bring my ACV rinse, but otherwise, I've had nothing but nice things to say about it.

Once my regular plastic toothbrush was absolutely used to death, I made the decision to never buy one again, and so I turned my attention to bamboo toothbrushes. Plastic toothbrushes are one of the biggest problems we're currently facing when it comes to pollution as only one small part of them actually gets recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills and our oceans. Luckily, there are now plenty of brands that make better options. The one I use and love is from The Bam & Boo, a wonderful Portuguese brand that offers the chance to have a new toothbrush delivered right to your door every 1/2/3 or 4 months, without all the hassle of having to remember to buy a new one and with much less plastic. Each toothbrush costs just under €5 and shipping is free, worldwide. Additionally, they all come in recycled and recyclable paper packaging and a biodegradable PLA protection bag. The actual toothbrush is made out of bamboo (for the handle) and nylon 6 bpa free bristles. How amazing is that? If you'd like to know more about this amazing brand, just follow this link. I've also managed to influence my brother and his girlfriend to get some too, it's all about the little steps guys.

Still on oral hygiene, next came dental floss. As I was already familiar with The Bam & Boo, I decided to try theirs. The Bam & Boo Dental Floss is made with 100% natural products, such as bamboo charcoal fibre and candelilla wax, which means it's vegan and plastic free. It also comes flavoured with peppermint oil which just makes it feel fresher, which I love. Plus, it doesn't fray or get caught in your teeth, amazing!!

Lastly, cotton buds. Yet another product that seems to find its way more into our oceans than it does to recycling centers. Plastic cotton buds, as much of an enemy as plastic toothbrushes, can't be recycled after they're used, so they either end up in the regular trash or go down the toilet, eventually ending up in our oceans. The Bam & Boo have their own bamboo cotton buds, 100% biodegradable, zero waste and vegan and, because I already used their products, buying these was a no brainer. Sure, I could have gone with a stainless steel ear cleaner, and I still think I will, but that wouldn't really help me when I'm trying to fix my makeup, and sometimes you just want something you're already familiar and comfortable with. 

Sure, I've already changed a few more things besides these, such as buying a loofah sponge, like this one from Mind The Trash, instead of using a plastic one, I've stopped using disposable makeup removers and started using cotton towels instead, and I've also stopped using plastic tampon applicators, which you can read more about here: Let's Talk Periods & D. Reusable Tampon Applicator Review, but I think these 5 were the ones with the most impact in my life so far.

(picture by Daria)

As to those I'm still aiming to change, I think my next step will be toothpaste and mouthwash. If you're at all into the zero waste subject, you must have heard of Georganics, their goal is to create "a full natural oral care range which is 100% cruelty-free, plastic-free and environmentally sustainable", what more could you ask for? They sell everything from natural toothpastes, oil pulling mouthwash, whitening powders, eco toothbrushes, natural floss, and so much more. I'm really curious about their Activated Charcoal Toothpaste and their English Peppermint Oil Pulling Mouthwash. Their toothpastes and mouthwashes are free from fluoride, SLS & glycerin, promote remineralisation, are PETA cruelty-free & vegan, and come in recyclable glass jar, aluminium lid and compostable box, so many things to love.

Something else I've been eyeing up is switching from regular shampoo to shampoo bars, I've mentioned this before in another post, and I've yet to make the change, simply because of convenience, which I'm sad to admit. My first excuse was "if I'm truly aiming for a low waste life, is ordering a shampoo bar online really the best idea?" but now, I've run out of excuses, I found a handmade shampoo bar sold right in my city, 10 minutes away from my house, made with 100% natural products and by someone who actually knows what they're doing. As I'm growing more and more into the idea of helping smaller commerce, this seems like the perfect opportunity to do two things at once and so, as soon as I get my paycheck, that will be my very first purchase. I'll let you know how it goes. 

While we're on the subject of hair: hair brushes! I don't think I've ever really thought about them as waste, not until I grew up and started taking care of mine. They simply were there when I needed them and replaced when they're weren't doing their job, which I think is the reality for many things we use, and the reason why we use so much. Now that I know better, I'm seeking a better option as well. My first thought were these wooden combs I remember having when I was young, and I can't seem to understand why those ever went out of fashion, not only are they cute but they also are much better for your hair (read more about that here). I'm currently looking into getting one like this one from Mind The Trash, but I'll try to find a local option before I resort into buying something online, no matter how much I trust the store itself.

And there we go, a few changes I've managed to make and few more still to go. What changes have you made to turn your bathroom into a greener place? Much as I mentioned on my Zero Waste Swaps: Bathroom post, reducing is the most important step and consuming sustainable products is still consuming. Don't simply throw away all your things and buy sustainable ones to replace them, you’ve still put your plastic into the environment and it hasn’t been used to it’s full potential, given that it’s already been produced, which means you're still polluting.