If you’re like most people, your bathroom is full of disposable plastic bottles, tubes, and applicators full of personal care and wellness products.
But plastic waste is hard on the environment. Even if we are vigilant in trying to recycle them, plastics often end up in landfills or polluting our oceans. Plastic production also depends on petroleum products, an industry that contributes to global warming.
It doesn’t feel good to us knowing that our health and hygiene care comes at the expense of wasted resources that are ultimately dumped in landfills. That’s why we’re so excited about new beauty, health, and personal care products boasting less or even zero waste.
Zero Waste Products Take on New Forms
Zero waste means that every part of the product and its packaging are usable or biodegradable. The packaging itself is often made from recycled material.
Zero waste products are appearing in spa gift shops, boutiques, and health food stores, and are easily searched for and ordered online. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to find a shop in your city that sells zero waste products exclusively.
Zero waste products often take a different form than what we’re used to, but their function is still the same. Here is just a smattering of the different types you’ll find:
- Shampoo and hair conditioner bars wrapped in recycled paper
- Blush, lipstick, or foundation “crayons”
- Deodorant in cardboard push-up tubes
- Bamboo or wooden toothbrushes with natural fibers
- Toothpaste tablets and powders instead of plastic tubes
- Biodegradable dental flossers, or refillable floss dispensers
- Lip balms in cardboard tubs or metal tins
- Washable “period” underwear and reusable menstrual cups
- Bidet attachments that reduce your need for toilet paper
- Lotion, creams, and body butter in bars, cardboard tube dispensers or metal tins
- Hairbrushes, combs, and makeup brushes made of natural woods and fibers
- Refillable bottles and dispensers you can take back to the store to refill with lotions, soaps, shampoos and fragrances, or refill with mail-order low or zero waste products
Zero Waste is Beautiful in More Ways Than One
Another plus with zero waste products is that they are usually packaged beautifully. They offer a big improvement in reducing visual clutter and make your space look more appealing. After all, a shelf full of plastic bottles is uninspiring at best, but a shelf full of beautiful glass bottles and fragrant bars wrapped in natural papers gives your shelves an elegant look.
Additionally, many producers of zero-waste products are also conscientious about favoring natural ingredients (but not always, so be careful!). In many cases, by buying zero-waste products, you’ll also be supporting a small business or artisan craft maker.
Making the Switch
The quality of zero waste products can range from so-so to excellent, with prices varying from super-affordable to expensive. Research the customer reviews on products you’re interested in, and read up on the background of the company to make an informed choice before you buy.
As with all personal care products, it may take a bit of trial and error to find the ones that work best for you. The rules for zero waste products and their effect on your skin health are the same as those you’ve followed before: read the labels and avoid allergens and toxins, as well as artificial colors and fragrances when you can.
Feeling Good About Self-Care
We love how health and self-care products make us look and feel, and now we can work toward feeling better about how we buy them. After all, our health ultimately depends on keeping our environment healthy. That’s why zero waste products are a great trend worth supporting.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Olivia is Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.