Hey, Green Junkie!
Have you ever looked in your bathroom and noticed the number of plastics, single-use items and other not so environmentally friendly things you have laying around?
Between cosmetics, shower essentials, body lotions and potions and even toilet paper – our bathrooms are breeding grounds for lots of waste.
But they don’t have to be, which is why in this episode I am sharing all of my sustainable self-care and eco bathroom tips so you can enjoy a greener bathroom and save some money in the process.
Here is what you can expect in this episode:
- Staggering stats about the beauty industry and how much waste is being produced
- Tips and tricks on how to have a really nice bathroom with minimal impact on the environment
- The biggest key in being sustainable
- Why you shouldn’t go out and replace everything all at once
- How to save money on bathroom products
- How to make one of my favourite face masks
You’ll discover that and so much more in this episode.
I’d also like to thank Bigbee LittleBee for supporting today’s episode. My kids and I love their products so much and are regular users of the fan favourite, ScrubBEE
Want to grab your first awesome ScrubBEE? Go here and use code GREENJUNKIE to save 20% off your next purchase.
If you love this podcast be sure to leave a review and share a screenshot of this episode to your IG stories. Tag @greenjunkiepodcast so I can shout you out and publicly say thanks.
Thanks for listening and being here.
Your green bestie,
Xoxo Stephanie
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LISTEN BELOW
TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 6
0:02 Hi, Green Junkie, I'm your host, Stephanie Moram. And today, we're going to be talking about sustainable self-care, and how to create a sustainable bathroom. Did you know that the beauty industry reportedly creates a whopping 120 billion units of packaging
0:24 every year? Much of that ends up in landfills, not to mention the microplastics that go down the drain and build up in our water.
0:33 So I don't want you to cancel your spa day plans just yet, or throw out everything that's in your bathroom that might not be sustainable, or might not be perfect but I am going to share with you some tips and tricks on how you can have minimal impact on the environment, and still have your spa day, still feel good and still have a really nice bathroom.
0:58 Let's get started by looking at what you already have in your bathroom.
1:02 Maybe some of your products aren't super sustainable. Maybe some of your products have questionable ingredients. But that's okay. The thing about being sustainable, is you have to use what you already have. Let me repeat. THE most sustainable thing that you can do is use what you already have.
1:21 So please don't throw away that non-eco-friendly razor for its sustainable counterpart. You want to use it until it no longer works, then invest in that sustainable one or the reusable one.
1:36 Keep using that loofa you have until it is no longer serving you. Those are some of the products, that perhaps have already been used, that I'm going to be talking about.
1:46 Some of them might be completely new to you, no matter where you are on your journey when it comes to reducing your waste and living more green. Just simply take it one day at a time and one product at a time. That is when change happens.
2:00 So let's get started and jump right in. The number one thing is to make your own products. I know that sounds super simple, but a lot of people don't and that's okay.
2:10 It's totally okay if DIY is not your thing, but I do want to give you some suggestions on perhaps how you can DIY some of your products. You don't have to spend $20 on a sugar scrub or $15 on some bath salts. So the first thing I wanted to talk about was a face mask. Face masks are amazing. They are great for your skin, and they're perfect for a spa day.
2:35 You can go out and buy some organic face masks if you want to and if it's way more convenient for you. Or you can take some products you already have at home and create your custom facemask. One of the face masks that I personally love is a charcoal facemask. Super simple to make.
2:54 You'll take one capsule of activated charcoal, a tablespoon of green clay or any clay (doesn't matter) and a teaspoon or more of water, depending on the consistency that you want. Then I add a couple of drops of Frankincense for good measure.
3:10 I put it on my face, let it sit until it gets hard for about 10-15 minutes and I'm done. And I make just enough for one-time use so it's less expensive. You probably have these ingredients at home and if you don't, you can quickly run out to your health food store or your organic store and grab some charcoal or some green clay.
3:33 Next up, we have sugar scrubs. I don't know about you, but I've been to different stores and they're selling sugar scrubs for $20! It kind of seems ridiculous to me because sugar scrubs contain sugar and oil. Both of those products you probably have in your house.
3:54 So what I use, is organic cane sugar, which I buy in bulk. So protip – buy some of your DIY products in bulk to reduce even more waste. So I buy my organic cane sugar in bulk. I also buy my avocado oil in bulk as well. I mix up the sugar with the avocado oil. I have a reusable jar, I fill it up and now I have my sugar scrub. I use it all over my body except my face when I'm in the shower.
4:24 I do love to use glass jars. But this is one time where I don't use glass jars. I use a plastic container only because I'm using it in the shower. And the last thing that I want or for you is to drop a glass jar in the shower. I don't think I need to say more about what happens when you drop a glass jar in the shower.
4:47 Next up bath salts which are super simple – super, super simple using Epsom salt which you can also buy at a refill station in bulk. If you're really really stuck I have seen that Costco sells really, really, really big jars of Epsom salt. So you will be reducing your waste to a certain extent by buying in a larger container. But I still always recommend buying in bulk.
5:13 Get your glass jar and fill it with Epsom salt. If you want to add essential oils, you can totally do that if you want to use a scent like lavender, feel free, if not, just sprinkle your Epsom salt in your bath, and now you have a relaxing bath.
5:28 Lastly, makeup remover. We spend so much money on makeup remover. And I don't think we have to, I think we can just use oil. Like I mentioned before I buy my avocado oil in bulk. I have a glass container that I reuse. And I fill it with avocado oil, I have my organic cloth. And that's what I use to remove my makeup, I don't go to the store and get some fancy makeup remover. You don't need to. Again, sustainability is all about reusing what you already have. So if I'm already buying avocado oil for cooking, guess what, I'm going to use it to clean my face. And I'm also going to use it when I make my sugar scrub.
6:14 So now that you've made some of your own products, let's talk about some products that you can buy that are more eco-friendly.
6:22 Let's talk about a product that'll help you ditch the one-and-done product when it comes to oral hygiene. We all brush our teeth, right? So did you know that you can buy toothpaste tabs? Yes, tabs. So you don't have to buy toothpaste tubes that end up in your trash. And they're super hard to recycle.
6:46 Did you know that you can ditch the shampoo bottles and get shampoo bars or conditioner bars, all things that are going to help reduce your waste.
6:56 Let me start with tooth tabs. They are awesome. Super simple to use. You take a tab, pop it in your mouth, and you crush and brush, it turns into like a phone and you brush your teeth. I love them. You can get charcoal, you can get mint doesn't matter, you can get different types. My favourite brand is Nielsen naturals a Canadian brand out of British Columbia. There are tons of options for tooth tabs, a quick Google search and you will find more.
7:28 I spoke about shampoo and conditioner bars. So it looks like a soap bar, but it's a conditioner or a shampoo. It reduces your waste because you're just using a bar, you're not getting all this plastic packaging that you're going to end up putting in the recycling. And who knows if the plastic is actually getting recycled. If you're not fond of the shampoo and conditioner bars, you can go to a refill station and buy your shampoo and conditioner in bulk. That's what I do. I have my plastic containers and I go to my local store and I refill them with shampoo and conditioner so I'm not creating more waste. But I am going to be looking into those shampoo and conditioner bars because they sound awesome and because I want to reduce my waste even more.
8:19 So talking about bars – when you have a bath or a shower, and you're using your soap and it gets to like the very end of the soap and you're dropping it all over the place. And then you're like okay, well, I can't finish the whole bar because well, it's too hard to hold in my hands. Well, you can get reusable soap pouches. You slide the soap into the little pouch and close it up. And this way you're not dropping your soap all over the tub or the shower. And you can use every last piece of that soap. So again, a quick Google search and you will find some reasonable soap saver pouches or soap pouches.
9:03 Next up, one of my favourite products is called a scrubby by Big BEE little bee and it is a silicone beehive-shaped tool. I know this kind of sounds funny but it's basically to replace your loofahs and you use it to clean your body and they've got like little bristles on it really soft bristles and you just use it to clean your body. So again, it replaces that loofa and now you have a reasonable option.
9:32 Since we're talking about Big BEE, little bee, I just wanted to mention that they are a sponsor of this episode. Amy, the founder and owner of Big BEE little bee has graciously sponsored this episode. So I'm just going to give you a little bit of background on this company and why it is so amazing. When your kids have a scrubby they actually want to clean.
9:56 The original size scrubby is designed perfectly for little hands and bodies and they grow with your little one. They come in two sizes and multiple colours. Use it gently to clean your baby's delicate skin and scalp. Help your toddler or preschooler learn good hygiene in the tub, at the sink, and encourage your big kid to effectively scrub their dirty hands, body and face.
10:20 I know my kids love their little scrubby and they use it in the bath and the shower. It's a bestseller, a multiple award winner, and most importantly, a parent favourite. Bonus. It comes in a reusable soap saver, just what I mentioned about two minutes ago about the soap savers.
10:39 So not only do you get your scrubby, but you get your soap saver with it. And it's made of 100% non-porous silicone, BPA-free, lead-free and PVC-free. If you would like to get your own scrubbie you can go to Big BEE little bee dot com slash green junkie to get 20% off your first order.
10:59 And I just wanted to mention that they don't only sell scrubbies they sell other products to help you live a little bit more waste-free.
11:12 So now let's talk about razors. a shit ton of disposable razors end up in our landfills like a lot. Because we shave right? We get a plastic razor and when the blades dull, we throw it in the trash. But what if I told you that you can get the reusable option. That you can get a razor that you don't have to throw in the garbage after a couple of uses?
11:36 So my favourite is a safety razor. I love to use the safety razor, all you have to do is change the blade. Some of you might be thinking, I'm not so sure about the safety razor. Sounds like I might cut up my legs. There is a learning curve when it comes to using a safety razor. But you can learn how to use it. And it's not that hard.
12:00 So that's one option is getting a safety razor. There are tons of brands out there, you can find them on the internet in multiple colours are stainless steel, and they're great. If you're thinking yeah, Stephanie, a safety razor is not what I want to do right now I'm not at that level of green, or waste-free – I got two options for you.
12:21 I found Preserve, which is a brand that's made of plastic. It's called Preserve shave. It's a five-blade, refillable razor, and it's made of 90% recycled plastic, which is good because they're using recycled plastic. That's one option. Then I found a shop on Etsy it's called ak hippie check. This one is made of stainless steel, and it's a wheat straw handle so it's not plastic. Again, great options. If you're thinking that a safety razor is really, really not for you.
12:51 Since we're talking about shaving, and we've talked about soap bars, and we've talked about shampoo bars and conditioner bars – what do you think is next… shaving bars.
13:01 So instead of buying shaving cream in these non-recyclable containers, you can get a shaving bar, you just rub the bar all over your legs and shave which leads to less waste. And way less packaging is involved when you're using a reusable shaving bar.
13:21 Next up, you might want to clean your ears. And of course, you can get organic cotton swabs for your ears. They're compostable, they're great. But did you know that you can get reusable ones made of silicone? So again, a quick Google search and you can find some great options of companies that sell reusable silicone ear swabs, instead of buying disposable ones.
13:47 Again, organic is great. And yes, they can go into the compost, but reusable is always better.
13:55 And let's talk about your washcloth. Good old-fashion washcloth. I highly recommend that you use a washcloth instead of those plastic loofas. I remember when I was in University, I would have that loofa until it got unravelled. But at the time I had no idea what to do with it after so it ended up in the trash. And guess what, it's probably still sitting in a landfill now because it doesn't biodegrade because it is legit plastic.
14:20 So when you're thinking oh, what am I gonna use to clean my body? I mentioned the scrubby at the beginning and you can just use a washcloth. You don't have to get some fancy loofa that's made of plastic.
14:33 A couple of more things I just wanted to mention are organic wipes. So we talked about taking your makeup off. Well, if you're making your own makeup remover – have you thought about using your own cloth wipes?
14:47 So instead of buying those disposable ones that are covered in the makeup remover already, you can buy your own. You can buy your own cloth wipes, so just cover your face in that avocado oil and use a cloth to take off your makeup.
15:03 And who doesn't love a fluffy, warm blanket? Have you thought about replacing your raggedy old towels with gorgeous organic ones that are soft and non-toxic? That's another way to have a great spa day is to wrap yourself up, into a nice big organic towel.
15:23 And lastly, this is more to do with the bathroom and how to make it a little bit more eco-friendly, is to try to look for tree-free toilet paper. Yes, it exists, it's out there in the world. Or if you want to be a little bit edgier, have you thought of a bidet? We're looking at investing in one, we're just figuring out how to install it on our toilet, but it's something we're definitely looking into. You will definitely reduce the amount of toilet paper you buy. If it's not your thing, no big deal. Just try to look for maybe some tree-free options.
16:07 So there you have it, different ways that you can take care of your body in a more sustainable way. Different things that you can perhaps purchase or make yourself to have a sustainable bathroom.
16:20 I would love for you to rate and review the podcast because I want to know what it is that you like and I want to know what it is you want to hear about. And it does encourage me to keep moving every day to record these podcast episodes. So green junkie, whether it's swapping out your toilet paper for a tree-free version, or starting to make your own sugar scrub. I challenge you to do one thing today to live a little more green.
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