Zero Waste Blog

There are so many different types of lotions and moisturizers out there! This new one I've been trying out is not your standard liquid squeeze-bottle type lotion though. Instead, this lotion is actually solid and in the shape of a bar! Solid lotions are beneficial for a variety of reasons. One, if you travel a lot you don't have to worry about whether or not you are over the three ounce limit on your liquid lotion - it's a solid bar! Camping is also super easy because it can'

Your zero waste hair care routine is something that can take time to figure out. If you've been following me long enough, you've realized that I've tried a variety of products and plundered my way through experiments to see what my hair can handle. Unfortunately, I have really greasy hair and most of the bulk shampoos, DIY remedies, and shampoo bars haven't really done the trick (or have stopped working after a little while). Recently though, I've discovered a zero waste sham

Every winter the wind and rain do a number on my skin. My hands start to crack and my lips feel dry all the time! Thankfully a simple moisturizer can usually do the trick! This Hibiscus Rose Body Butter is has a fun twist on a traditional moisturizer, colored pink to brighten things up! If you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift for a friend or partner, this is a cute way of saying "I Love You!" as well! This recipe is really simple and easy to whip up in just a few minutes

Aloe Vera is a truly magical plant. It's gel is amazing for intestinal and gut health (I drank it a lot after messing my system up in Mexico a while back). It's also amazing for cuts, burns, sunburns, and bites. I also use use aloe vera as a main ingredient in my hand sanitizer. What you might not know though, is that aloe can be added to your moisturizer too! I love a good moisturizer recipe, especially ones that aren't too greasy and help heal any facial scabs I have going

One of the first things I looked at when going zero waste was the skin care and cosmetic products I used. Growing up as a teen, I didn't wear a lot of makeup at all. I started wearing mascara and eye liner at about sixteen but it wasn't until college that I started exploring foundations, blushes, and powders. I did, however, use a ton of lotions, facial sprays, toners, and body products. I was basically an addict when it came to buying different types of soaps! Since going ze

If you haven't yet incorporated dry shampoo into your hair routine, it's time to start. Dry shampoo is a zero waster's and water conservationist's best friend because it allows your hair to stay nice without washing it every day. In a sense, dry shampoo soaks up the grease build up and adds body to your hair just like washing it would do. Now granted, it doesn't totally eliminate the need for you to wash your hair eventually. But it does make it so you can easily go five, six

We all know that feeling of putting up your hair only to have your hair tie snap, ricocheting off the wall and hurting your fingers. Unfortunately the same hair tie is also bound to hurt the planet too as it is headed for the landfill, made totally of plastic. For those of you that check my monthly waste audits, you will frequently see those broken hair ties in my trash. Until now. This post was sponsored by Kooshoo - they provided me with the hair ties to review free of char

DIY always seems like a fun option for skin care, house decor, or reinventing clothing. But what about makeup? Makeup is not the typical outlet for DIY’s as the final product may seem unrealistic or unusable. However, there are many DIY makeup recipes that work wonderfully and are extremely cost effective! Many people choose to make their own makeup for health reasons, being that totally organic, natural makeup that is affordable is hard to come by. Creating your own makeup c

Our hair, on average, grows six inches ever year. That means, depending on how often you cut it, you have a lot of hair to take care of! My hair has always been thick and straight, but strangely prone to tangling. When I gave up using disposable products, I needed to develop a zero waste hair care routine that would keep my hair happy and the landfill empty. Shampoo and Conditioner I absolutely fell in love with shampoo bars once I first started using them. I found that J.R.L

Sunburns are the absolute worst. Getting one is the fastest and easiest way to ruin a fun vacation and wind up laying in a bed unable to move. Not only a sunburns extremely painful, they also increase the risk of developing skin cancer. That is why it is super important that we stay safe when having fun in the sun! There are a variety of ways to keep yourself from getting sunburned that don't involve putting sunscreen on your skin. They are great options if you are able to ac

Enjoy this guest post by Sania from The Smart Women Blog! Fall is here and so is dry, dull and itchy skin. With the change in weather, we must update our skincare routine and incorporate the right ingredients to mitigate the bad effects of the climate change on our skin. However, we do not always have the budget to invest in new skincare products. In such circumstances, you need not to fret and only head to the kitchen where you can make nice and fruity masks for brighter and

Have you been looking for alternatives to your cosmetic routine? This brief overview will give you a place to get started. If you want more detail on a certain item, follow my links to specific products or recipes. You can always email me for more information too! (Please note that although none of the mentioned brands have paid to be featured, some have sent me free samples to try. I only though recommend those that I truly love - sponsored or not!) BLUSH - Try combining bee

If you're anything like me, those horrible aerosol air fresheners in public bathrooms make your head hurt and start you sneezing like crazy! Aerosol cans are also nearly impossible to recycle and often times have to be disposed of in hazardous materials sites because of the pressure inside. At the same time, I'm not a fan of a stinky room either...To avoid spraying nasty fragrances in my own home, I've started making my own air freshener. You'll only need four ingredients to

This recipe has been a long time coming! I’ve tried many different mascara recipes all to no avail (and some burning eyes and smudgy marks!). Mascara is especially hard because you want it to be liquid when you put it on, dry hard after just a minute or two, not smear on your face, and come off easily at the end of the day. It can be a tall order to make something so complex using natural ingredients I can get in bulk! Just one example of how it looks when done wrong! After q

Setting Powder Ingredients: Cocoa Powder Corn Starch Start with mostly corn starch and add in pinches of cocoa powder at a time. For my complexion, I need very little cocoa powder and have to be careful not to add to much. Once you find the right mixture it gets easier and easier each time you mix it! Depending on your shade, you can also add in beet root powder or make an easy blush with corn starch and beet root powder alone! If you don't have corn starch or want an alterna

Cute, colored lip balms are always a fun thing to have around! And with these dry, cold winter months, my lips are chapped constantly. Rosy Lip Balm colored with mica powder. Ingredients: 1 ounce Coconut Oil 1 ounce Beeswax 1 ounce Sweet Almond Oil 5 drops Rose Essential Oil 1/8 tsp. Coloring* Pinch of Powdered Stevia (optional) If you don’t have all the ingredients on-hand for this specific recipe, try googling for substitutes. If you have an allergy to nuts, you can substit

Ready to celebrate the New Year? I sure am! 2016 was a rough one on a lot of fronts - politically, health wise, and even in terms of trash production. Boy have I learned a lot! Going into 2017 I have several resolutions that I am excited to hold myself to! If you're looking for a resolution, these ones might be just up your alley too! 1. Maintain a Micro-Bead Free Home Micro-beads are tiny little plastic balls put into many bathroom and cosmetic products. You can often identi

It happens to me every year – someone on my Christmas list that I completely forgot about and need to get a gift ready ASAP. Given that Christmas is two days away, I thought it would be a good time to break out my last-minute gift list, with a zero waste twist of course! The following items can be made at home relatively easily in an hour or less for each one. Most of the items you probably already have or can easily find at a health foods store nearby. 1. Cookie Recipe in a

In the United States, women alone spend approximately $191.4 a year on shaving products according to a study done by the American Laser Center. That´s a lot of money that could be spent elsewhere! Part of that high number is due to the unfair difference in sale price for women´s hygiene products over men's (you can read more about the “Pink Tax” here). Additionally, the most common razors are disposable ones requiring a user to purchase expensive cartridges again and again. A

I have to admit, I am a face product junkie. Everyone in my family knows that I can’t go near lotions, scrubs, toners, or moisturizers in a store without drooling over them like candy. It’s actually kind of hilarious if I look at it from an outside perspective. Since starting my zero waste journey however, I have not bought any more facial products and am slowly using up the ones I currently have. Some of my bottles have been in my bathroom for five years! I realized that I w