5 Easy Tips for a Zero Waste Bathroom

Zero waste may sound daunting, impossible, or even gross for many of you. I can admit that the sound of using reusable toilet paper makes me want to run far far in the opposite direction. While many of us may not be ready for full on zero waste, we can take some easy steps to move in that direction. And ANY step is a good one.

1. Safety Razors

Old World Safety Razor

I don't really know why we moved away from the old fashions safety razors but they are "safe" (hence the name) and many people believe offer a better shave than our 3 bladed ,4 bladed, and bajillion bladed friends out there. The blade itself can be used for a long time before dulling or rusting. The replacements are SUPER cheap and can be found at any hardware store in bulk. Also, the blades can be recycled. Our throw away razors and cartridges are not recyclable because they are mixed material.

2. Shampoo bars from Lush

I've mentioned these before but I feel compelled to stress the love I have for these bars from Lush. They come package free and are all natural. There are options for oily, normal or dry hair. I think a lot of you question if they work or wonder how they get sudsy. They do. Trust me. When you rub this bar on your hair it's surprising how sudsy it gets and how little of the bar is actually used. They are $12 and last up to 80 washes. Thats 15 cents per wash OR 1 years worth shampoo if you wash your hair between 1 and 2 times per week. Unreal! If you want to try a less expensive version before you invest in a few then head over to our favorite spot, AliExpress for shampoo bars as low as $3. They also include the storage tin which Lush charges extra for. It could be wise to buy a few $3 ones just for the tins and then buy the LUSH ones after.

3. Revisit your toothbrush

eco toothbrush

Plastic alternative toothbrushes are abundant nowadays so there should be no question as to why you haven't switched. Enkel Mercantile offers a rainbow bristle wooden handled toothbrush or a basic black bristle for the more refined styled people of the world. Many of you have switched to the electric toothbrush. The Goodwell has created a toothbrush like an electric toothbrush but manually powered (don't worry, you don't need to crank it). It's pretty amazing and the replacement heads are biodegradable. Jump on their crowdfunding ASAP to be one of the first to grab one.

4. Ladies- Upgrade your feminine Hygiene

There are so many new options on the market today for feminine hygiene and knowing which ones are for you might get expensive if you try them all. Luckily, I have done this for you. I wrote another article on this here but if I can highlight one thing, it's buy leakproof panties. Can be used alone or with tampons and in place of panty liners for people who pee a bit throughout the day. They are great to replace panty liners, tampons & pads, or if you are just tired of ruining underwear because you never know when your period will start. Briefs and Hiphuggers are available at a fantastic price on Ali. If you want more versatile styles check out Thinx (get $10 off here) but they are pricey.

5. Ditch the face wipes

Since when did we forget about wash clothes? Why do we need to throw away face wipes after we remove makeup instead of rinsing our wash cloth and reusing it? Most makeup can also be removed with any natural oils. Grab some coconut oil, sunflower oil, or any other oil from the supermarket and spread it on your face. Use a washcloth to remove it, and your makeup. The bonus is that this oil hydrates too instead of drying out your face with alcohol like many of those face wipes do.