It used to be the norm to have upwards of 15 different products in plastic bottles that I used daily – face cleaner, toner, cream, shampoo, conditioner, leave in treatment, lotions, scents, exfoliators… the list goes on.
I started thinking about the ingredients in each of these bottles, it brought up lots of questions. Around the same time I heard this quote “A woman puts up to 500 chemicals on her body before she leaves the house everyday”. This is an outrageous number, and for someone who is trying to be healthy, I began wondering how many hundreds of chemicals I am using daily. Looking at my 15 different products and their long ingredient lists, I was starting to see how it was possible.
When I started to learn about plastics and their impacts on the environment, I started taking note of the amount of plastic I was going through. A plastic shampoo bottle can last over 1000 years. Yes, some get recycled. However, they are all made from oil, and oil is a resource that takes millions of years to be created by the earth. Learning how plastics are impacting the environment, started me on a journey to get rid of the plastic in my beauty routine and at the same time tackle the chemicals in my products too. I made the choice that I need to do better for my body, and better for the environment.
Going natural and plastic free wasn’t an overnight switch – first I had to figure out where to start. It was intense looking at each product and trying to decipher the ingredient list and then see if there is a plastic free natural alternative. For each product it would take a period of trial and error to see what works. It was long process and about 2 years since I started even thinking of it, I am finally there.
I have a plastic free and natural daily beauty routine!
I don’t want it to take two years for you to make the switch, so I wanted to share my key tips on going plastic free. Remember what works for one person might not work for another, but it’s a process of trial and error to find the perfect fit for you, and trust me it is possible! For a detailed look at what I use in my plastic free body routine here is a video to check out.
Tips for a Plastic Free, Natural Beauty Routine:
1. Start with one thing at a time
Pick one product that you use daily and look for alternatives – I try to find a natural and easy recipe that I can make myself and give it a try. If homemade isn’t possible then I look for quality, natural products with glass or refillable packaging.
2. Trial and Error
If you go down the road of making something yourself, be ready to try it and not like it. Most of the recipes I make, I have had to tweak and adjust so that they suit my needs. You also need to give yourself some time to get used to a new product that at first might seem inferior to the store-bought version. Remember it’s going to be better for your body if it has less ingredients and chemicals in it. Give it time.
3. There is always an alternative
I remember hearing a woman say to me she gave up using shampoo, my instant reaction was ‘Grosss’! When I wanted to make a switch with shampoo and conditioner I started looking into it. I haven’t been using shampoo or conditioner for over a year and a half. Now I use a ‘low poo’ method on my hair and I love it.
4. Keep it Simple
A friend once said to me, “What’s the difference between body cream and hand cream? Last time I checked my hands were part of my body.” She is right. The beauty industry creates lots of products that we think we need, but question it. Do you actually need it? I found making my beauty routine a lot simpler means that my skin has a glow it never had before. I feel more beautiful with less.
5. It starts on the inside
From such a young age we are given then message that we aren’t enough, and that we need something to make us look beautiful, perfect or to fix our flaws. We need to start believing in ourselves first and foremost. We are each imperfectly beautiful and unique. Let’s celebrate and own our beauty. The other way it starts inside is through what we use to fuel our body. Everything we eat becomes a reflection of how we look. When I switched to natural wholefoods and cut out the crap food. I looked and felt so much better.
There are so many recipes online to try, use your judgement and find a solution that works for you. I have lots of my favorite recipes here. No matter whether you go plastic free or just change one product you use, it is worth it.
For your health it is worth it, and for our planet it is worth it.
Be sure to check out: My Plastic Free Beauty Routine Video for a more detailed look at all my plastic free ways.
xx
