FIVE LIFE-CHANGING ZERO-WASTE PRODUCTS
We all know that mama earth needs our help. We don't need to remind you of the garbage patches in the ocean and the ice caps are getting smaller and smaller while the O-Zone layer thins (but we did anyway.) We got to see first hand how much the beaches in Hawaii changed over a six year period and how much trash has washed up in less than a decade. Sometimes we watch global warming documentaries and feel helpless. It's such a HUGE problem, how could we possibly help fix it? While it may feel that it's up to our leaders and officials, we can still do a small part ourselves. It's how we can make a huge difference together. Here are just five products we've found that help us reduce our waste.
Eco Nuts
We first saw eco-nuts on Shark Tank. These nuts are actually dried berries that are grown in the Himalayas. When agitated in water, they produce a naturally occurring surfactant called saponin. Saponin can be used as a soap or detergent which gently cleanses, or as a fabric softener. They're wild-harvested, and certified USDA Organic which means they're gathered from wild trees grown without any kind of chemicals, fertilizers, or pesticides. Saponin actually tastes bad to insects so no pesticides are needed, and the trees naturally love poor uncultivated soil.
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Okay, this is already getting pretty hippie dippie but hear us out. Think about all of the plastic bottles you use every year from shampoos, conditioners, body wash, hand soap etc. etc. For us, it was a lot.
We recently heard about Lush's shampoo bars and bars of conditioner. (Uhhh wat) We went ahead and tried it fully expecting to not be a fan. Courtney has a lion's mane for hair and usually uses a LOT of conditioner to detangle and condition that mane. We thought that a bar of conditioner wasn't gonna fly but GUYS, we were WRONG. We use the Sugar Daddy-O bar and it's amazing. It's just as effective and good at detangling hair as regular conditioner but with way less waste and chemicals (We'll write a whole nother post on all of the chemicals we've learned about that are found in everyday household items and how we've cut back) plus, it lasted just as long as a big 'ol bottle of Dove usually does. We've also ditched body wash for soap bars and same goes for hand soap. We live in the coolest time in history where we're able to order things online and do research on products and their impact on the environment. So, our first tip is to ditch bottled beauty products. Even if it's just one thing at a time, that can make a huge difference in our landfills.
Here are some links to Lush's shampoos and conditioners
We recently heard about Lush's shampoo bars and bars of conditioner. (Uhhh wat) We went ahead and tried it fully expecting to not be a fan. Courtney has a lion's mane for hair and usually uses a LOT of conditioner to detangle and condition that mane. We thought that a bar of conditioner wasn't gonna fly but GUYS, we were WRONG. We use the Sugar Daddy-O bar and it's amazing. It's just as effective and good at detangling hair as regular conditioner but with way less waste and chemicals (We'll write a whole nother post on all of the chemicals we've learned about that are found in everyday household items and how we've cut back) plus, it lasted just as long as a big 'ol bottle of Dove usually does. We've also ditched body wash for soap bars and same goes for hand soap. We live in the coolest time in history where we're able to order things online and do research on products and their impact on the environment. So, our first tip is to ditch bottled beauty products. Even if it's just one thing at a time, that can make a huge difference in our landfills.
Here are some links to Lush's shampoos and conditioners
Beeswax Wrap
This is something we literally didn't know existed until a few months ago. Again, we were skeptical and thought it wouldn't work very well but yet again, wrong. Saran wrap and foil are things we were just kinda raised on as basic household items but this is such a cool alternative. We found a seven pack of these on Amazon for $27 which is pretty good because they'll last. All you have to do is wash and reuse them. They hold their form plus they come in some pretty fun patterns.
Here's a link.
Here's a link.
Stasher Bags
These are similar to ditching the saran wrap and foil. It's an easy way to replace 'baggies' for a smarter and more eco-friendly version of those kitchen staples. All you have to do is wash and reuse them.
Here's the link!
Here's the link!
Hydroflask
You probably all have a reusable bottle but if you don't this is the best investment you can make in the earth and in your health. Not only does this help you reduce plastic waste from water bottles but it's an easier way to track how much water you're drinking every day. And ya know, water's great.
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