Zero Waste Skin Care Products

I'm frequently asked about zero waste skin care and makeup products. I've decided to split this into two separate posts because there's A LOT of information. 

If you've been following the blog long, you'll know that my kryptonite is Credo Beauty. You can read all about my first trip here. I would blame my friend, Danielle, for introducing me, but then we wouldn't have this great blog post! 

Everything in Credo is clean, green, and 90% of all of it comes in super sustainable packaging. 

I have had some skin care woes since moving to California. The CA water and my skin do not get along. Every time I'm in search of a product, I show up to Credo, vent, and they hand me magic. 

As a warning, a lot of these products are pricey! I definitely could not afford to shop like this all the time. I'm very selective in what products I buy. I typically save over long periods of time. 

Going zero waste has saved me soooo much money because it has taught me to be very picky and cut out all impulse purchases. Check out my post on how I've saved $12,000. (this number is only going to grow exponentially since we downsized!!) With a little bit of my saved money, I have focused on buying better beauty products. 

I like to find a store bought product that works really well and then work on emulating it by DIY. Once I get comfortable with the routine and results, I can typically whip something up that mimics the end result. 

But, I understand that not everyone has the time or wants to whip something up. So, here's a list of all the things I've stumbled upon and that I love. 

Not everything here is going to be 100% zero waste, but I'll get into that more with each item. 

resurfacing mask: 

Blue Tansy* is one of the best selling products at Credo. When I went to Credo a couple of weeks before the wedding, I was looking for something that would smooth out some of my under the skin bumps. 

The girls recommended this product because it's super gentle and uses natural AHA and BHAs to resurface your skin and knock out all of those pesky little white bumps.

I definitely have seen an improvement, and it's super gentle which is great for my sensitive skin.

I honestly should do this mask more often. In fact, I'm going to put my laptop down and put it own right now. 

Alright, I just put on the mask which reminds me of another thing I love about it. It's clear! So, if the pizza man knocks on the door with a pizza you didn't order, you won't look crazy. (This definitely just happened.) 

This mask smells absolutely amazing, and it comes in a glass jar. It does have a plastic lid. I definitely think it's a jar I will reuse. It is a great size for homemade beauty products or even for snacks. Just make sure you wash it really, really well! 

Herbivore also has a sea salt spray* and another mask* I've been wanting to try out. Almost all of their products are packaged in glass and can easily be reused. Anyways, their product line is amazing! Definitely worth checking out. 

facial cleansing routine: 

I'm currently using parsley seed facial cleanser*. I really love it. I think it works really well. But, I don't know if it works as well as it should for the price. 

I am in love with Aesop's brand. Everything is sustainable, organic, and packaged very, very well. Everything is in glass. All of their packaging is beautiful and perfect for being used again.

They do have a couple of products in tubes, but their tubes are steel so they can be recycled. Just make sure you get a crank to get squeeze out as much as you can, and then cut the tube open and use every last drop! 

However, I will say, this bottle has lasted me a really long time. I've been using it since last October and it's a little under half way through. I use it every morning and night. 

I guess the price doesn't seem so bad knowing how long it's lasted. If I were to change (I'm terrified of change ;) I might try out this Meow Meow Tweet cleanser*. 

I also use the toner* and the lotion*. I am super curious about their mouthwash*. I love my mouthwash recipe, but I'm just so freaking curious!! What is it like???? 

Has anyone ever used it? 

body lotions: 

I want to be upfront and say my body lotion recipe is my favorite! But, if you're not into the DIY there are a couple that I have tried out that are awesome. 

I love this body milk* from Ellis Brooklyn. You will smell like a rose. It's also super lightweight, and I love how it's packed full of vitamin C giving you a bright glow. 

I also have recently been loving this hair oil from Dulse and Rugosa. It says it's for hair, but I've been using it on my whole body. I like to concentrate it on my elbows and ankle nobs.

It absorbs super fast into the skin and corrects any dryness instantly. It's amazing! 

If you're looking for some fuller coverage and something that's a little more robust. I am all about this body butter from Fillaree. I am not a body butter fan because I think most of it is too thick and takes forever to absorb. 

The body butter from Fillaree, definitely takes longer to absorb than the body oil or the body milk, but it's WAY faster than most butters. It's just as luxurious though. I really like it especially in winter. 

sunscreen: 

I also have a recipe for sunscreen on the blog. It's great for the body, but I'm looking for an everyday sunscreen that's lighter. 

If you're not out in the sun often, this probably wouldn't be necessary, but I walk Nala over an hour every day and a lot of the walk is in direct sun.

I always wear a hat to protect my face, but my chest and shoulders are typically exposed in the summer. 

I like this every day tinted sunscreen* for the face. It's perfect if you're not huge on makeup and want to even out your skin just a little. Also, I don't think I could DIY a tinted sunscreen. 

The bottle this comes in is great to reuse, and it comes packaged in glass.

I have really, really struggled to try to find a nice body sunscreen*. I finally found one at Aesop that I'm thrilled with! It has 50 SPF and it's reef safe! Which is really, really important.

Even low levels of oxybenzone, butylparaben, octinoxate and 4-methylbenzylidine camphor, can cause irreversible damage to coral reefs. 

It also comes packaged in glass and goes on super smooth. Just remember the best way to protect yourself against the sun is to cover up! 

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Of course, this has only scratched the surface of skin care. There are always new things I'm stumbling upon. I would LOVE to hear about some of your favorite skin care products. Let me know what I need to check out! 

I'm thinking of buying or DIYing an eye cream and facial oil or serum. 

What skin care products do you love that are packaged consciously? 

This post contains affiliate linking. It's denoted with an asterisk. This means if you choose to purchase one of these items I will make a slight commission for referring you. You can read more on my disclosure page. 

My Top 5 Zero Waste Shower Essentials

This post was sponsored by Plaine Products. I received these items to try for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may also contain affiliate linking. Please see my full disclosure for more information.

Going zero waste has definitely altered my shower routine from the products I use to how frequently I actually shower.

Americans shower WAY too much. Most Americans shower 1-2 times a day, but I know people who shower 3. It’s all just a little excessive. It wastes water but most importantly it’s flat out bad for your skin.

The body keeps itself moisturized with a layer of dead skin held together by lipids (fatty compounds). It protects the healthy layers underneath, and the more you shower the more you scrub that layer away.  

Your body can’t keep up. In fact, it can lead to an overproduction of oil. (Further reading) It makes sense right? The more you strip your body of its natural oils, the more it will over produce to compensate.

Many commercial shampoos and soaps work similarly. They make you dependent on their products because they strip all of your natural oils away. This causes your body to overproduce, requiring you to buy more and more of their products.

I stopped using conventional shampoos when I started going zero waste two years ago. I have tried many different hair care methods. I think hair is one of the most challenging aspects of zero waste living since everyone’s body chemistry is so different.

Hair care is one of the biggest laments I hear from readers, and it has inspired me to try and find the best zero waste hair solutions for everyone.  Plaine Products has been kind enough to send me liquid shampoo, conditioner, and body wash to review.

If you're one of the readers who have complained about not liking shampoo bars, this is the product for you. They have landed the #1 spot on my zero waste shower essential list. 

my top 5 zero waste shower essentials:

1. plaine products:

This is one of the most well thought out product designs I've ever seen. I don't know about you, but I’m nervous about keeping glass in my shower. These products are packaged in aluminum. 

Aluminum is a self-sustaining metal. It's 100% recyclable just like glass, but it has a better carbon footprint for shipping because it's lighter than glass. Plus, it won’t shatter if it's dropped whether that be in shipping or in the shower.

They offer a refill service. When you run out of your products and order a refill you just switch the pump over to the new bottle and send the old bottles back. They'll sanitize the bottles, refill them, and send the to their new home.

If you’ve lamented over the shampoo bar – you need to check out their liquid shampoo and conditioner.

Plaine products have the ease of commercial products without the guilt and yucky additives - no SLS, vegan, and biodegradable. I used to use Aussie and this competes. My hair is light, healthy, and has lots of volume. You can check out their list of ingredients here. 

I honestly cannot rave about them enough. I trusted them 100% with my hair for the wedding. Probably the most photographed day I will ever experience. With all natural soaps, I find them to be a little bit thinner so I have to use a little more product than I normally would. But, I'm washing my hair way less (on average every 3-4 days), so I'm still saving SO much product in the long run.

2. scrub brush:

In my old shower, I used to have one of those plastic netted loofahs. I always thought they worked well, but they have a pretty fast expiration date.

Loofahs of any sort can trap dead skin cells which can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It's recommended to throw out your loofah every 2-3 months. I can honestly say, I never did that. In fact, I'm a little shocked that it's recommended to replace them that often. 

Once my loofah came to the end of its life, I didn't replace it. I read somewhere that between the hot water, the soap, and an agitator, like a loofah, you can over exfoliate. Back to breaking down that layer of dead skin cells too much. 

I tried going without and using just my hands to lather, but it wasn't working out very well for me. The water here is hard and it's messed with my skin texture. I started breaking out on my back which I've never done before. 

I decided to get a bamboo scrub brush* to see if the extra exfoliation would do the trick and it has! 

I honestly cannot imagine my shower without a good scrub brush. 

RELATED: Benefits of Aromatic Showers with Eucalyptus

3. safety razor: 

Safety razors* might seem like one of the scariest zero waste swaps. It can be intimidating holding something that could easily slice your skin. I don't consider myself to be overly clumsy, but I have never cut myself while shaving. 

Full disclosure, I have dropped the razor and taken some skin off. But, I have never cut myself shaving! It really is almost the exact same as using a disposable razor. 

I have a full post on how to use a safety razor here. What that post doesn't cover is how to recycle the blades. 

You CANNOT put razor blades in the regular recycling bin. You have to take the blades to a special recycling facility where a machine sorts metal and it's not done by human hands. 

If you're in Northern California, I got to the Concord Recycling Center. You'll want to get a steel can that has broth only. Cut a slot in the top of the can and pour the soup out. Rinse with water and tap dry. 

Obviously, there's no way of completely guaranteeing it to be dry, but that's alright. Drop you used blades into the slot. Once it's full put a piece of tape over the slot and take it to your nearest metal recycling facility. 

4. water pik:

I just wrote a whole post about my oral hygiene routine here. I love this water pik* because I can use it in the shower! This is so convenient. I don't have to worry about getting water everywhere, which I most definitely do when I'm using it by the sink. 

I am lazy - a lazy, lazy woman. Water piking in the shower is probably the only way I would do it. 

5. a bucket: 

This is a great way to catch excess water in your shower! You can use it to water your plants or flush your toilet.

Another great thing about the rockin' ingredient list on Plaine Products is that it's biodegradable.

It's completely safe to use the gray water to water your plants and take it outside. Filling up a bucket is also a good visual tool. 

If you're someone who tends to spend too long in the shower, gauging the fullness of the bucket is a wonderful indicator that the clock is ticking. Just be careful not to trip on the bucket if it's under your feet. I wouldn't know anything about that... 

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I truly couldn't imagine a shower with these five items. Everything is streamlined, simple, and effective. 

If baths are more your thing make sure to check out my recipe for bath salts. What are some of the items you couldn't imagine showering without? 

Zero Waste Flossing

Let's talk about flossing. Flossing is important. Gum health is important. Taking care of your teeth and your health is super important! 

Regular floss is typically plastic. Beyond just being plastic, it's toxic. It's coated with PFC's which is a chemical that's found in teflon.

The PFC's are added to make the floss glide better.  PFC has been linked to thyroid disease, dementia, cancer, fertility issues, and birth defects. You can read more about the study here and here. 

When you floss, your gums might bleed. As you can imagine, the PFC's have pretty much immediate access to your blood stream. So, let's look at some better options. 

First of all, a slew of studies have come out that flossing isn't really necessary. You can read more about that here and here. I think flossing is important, but I don't think it's the MOST important. 

I think it's most important to have a consistent routine down. Here's a glance into my oral care routine. Healthy teeth are a vital part of well-being. 

tooth powder: 

I personally, brush twice a day with this toothpowder. I worked on that recipe with a dentist to make sure that I wasn't going to harm my teeth. I don't know about you, but the last thing I want is to ruin my enamel. 

water pik: 

Then I water pik every other day. I LOVE my water pik. I have a cordless one which makes it a breeze to use in the shower. My dentist personally recommends water piking over flossing.

A water pik is an electronic water flosser. It uses a powerful jet stream, much like you receive at the dentist. The one I have, has a setting that alternates between air and water. It's considered 3 times as effective as standard dental floss.

As a bonus, if you have any dental hardware, water piking is amazing! I have a bar on my bottom teeth from when I had my braces removed, and haven't been able to successfully clean it until the water pik came along. 

floss:

Once or twice a week I use dental floss; because, I personally, don't think you can be too careful. Thankfully there are a lot of options for plastic and PFC free floss. 

Eco dent makes a vegan brand, but the floss does come in a small plastic pack which is a bummer. Radius offers a silk version, but it has the same plastic pack. 

I've heard some people use strings from an old piece of silk to floss. That sounds like a great plastic-free method, but it seems like a little too much work for me. Flossing is already a chore... (another reason why I like water piking... it's almost, dare I say it, kind of fun!) 

But, this completely plastic-free floss takes the cake. The refills come in cellulose which is compostable. No more plastic packaging. Just the way I like it! Plus the floss container is actually pretty. 

mouthwash:

Last but not least, I use this mouthwash regularly. In fact, this study found that mouthwash delivers better results than conventional flossing. Albeit, I'm still a firm believer in using a little bit of everything for the most sucessful results. 

This mouthwash is super soothing and is amazing at freshening your breath. You should just read the study about how AMAZING aloe vera is for your gums. 

I think aloe vera can cure pretty much anything. It's definitely one of natures miracles. 

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What does your zero waste/plastic free oral care routine look like? 

This post may contain affiliate linking you can read more on my disclosure page. Thank you for your support.