Bathroom resource list
Bathroom
Consumables
Cosmetics
There is a woeful lack of cruelty free cosmetics out there that are not packaged in plastic. However we found this Italian brand called Vegup whose vegan and cruelty free cosmetics are packaged in cardboard and corn derived plastic. And they work really well www.ecco-verde.com/natural-makeup
Lush sells mascara and eye shadows in glass bottles although they do have plastic lids which I guess can be recycled along side their other packaging. Both work very well too although it takes a bit of practice to apply them properly.
Cotton buds / cotton wool
Cosmetics
There is a woeful lack of cruelty free cosmetics out there that are not packaged in plastic. However we found this Italian brand called Vegup whose vegan and cruelty free cosmetics are packaged in cardboard and corn derived plastic. And they work really well www.ecco-verde.com/natural-makeup
Lush sells mascara and eye shadows in glass bottles although they do have plastic lids which I guess can be recycled along side their other packaging. Both work very well too although it takes a bit of practice to apply them properly.
Cotton buds / cotton wool
There are many eco shops that sell these now. I get mine
from Natural Collection but the cotton wool does come in a thin plastic bag and
there is a tiny (unnecessary) window of plastic on the box of cotton buds.
These are better packaged
but more expensive
Deodorant
Conventional deodorant only seems to come in plastic
packaging.
There is a natural deodorant that comes in a tin
called No Pong ( Australian not surprisingly) and Heather found it here
www.ecotherapies.co.uk/product/no-pong
And Ashley recommended this range that also come in a tin
www.earthconscious.co.uk/collections
And Ashley recommended this range that also come in a tin
www.earthconscious.co.uk/collections
Or Sam suggested
And I have just bought some from Lush that came in a block
like soap. Ill report back to see if I still smell OK in a few weeks. I do.
This new range has now appeared on Ecco-verde. Looks great but I have not tested it yet. www.ecco-verde.com/ben-anna/natural-soda-deodorant-stick-paper-tube
Last but not least is Jenny Derry's new online shop that sells a brand called Fit Pit that is packaged in a jar. I have not tested it yet but Jenny is a member of this group and has presumably has tested all the products she sells. https://www.anythingbutplastic.co.uk/shop
Facial cleansers, toners and moisturisers
Again Lush do all of these in their black plastic packaging but the good thing about their packaging is that they offer a closed loop system whereby you bring it back to the shop. If you bring back five pots they give you a free face cleanser.
Jo said Neil's Yard do all the above in their lovely blue bottles but they are a bit pricey for most of us.
Heather recommends using Witch Hazel as a toner and this comes in glass bottles from Boots.
Many swear by Coconut Oil as a perfectly good moisturiser and it certainly removes eye make up well enough.
I have just ordered some Rhassoul clay and Argan oil from this website which has lots of plastic free toiletries. Thanks for the lead Sam. I'll let you know how I get on
www.naturalspasupplies.co.uk/shop-2/rhassoul-detox-clay-for-washing-the-hair-face-and-body
Shampoo/Conditioner
This new range has now appeared on Ecco-verde. Looks great but I have not tested it yet. www.ecco-verde.com/ben-anna/natural-soda-deodorant-stick-paper-tube
Last but not least is Jenny Derry's new online shop that sells a brand called Fit Pit that is packaged in a jar. I have not tested it yet but Jenny is a member of this group and has presumably has tested all the products she sells. https://www.anythingbutplastic.co.uk/shop
Facial cleansers, toners and moisturisers
Again Lush do all of these in their black plastic packaging but the good thing about their packaging is that they offer a closed loop system whereby you bring it back to the shop. If you bring back five pots they give you a free face cleanser.
Jo said Neil's Yard do all the above in their lovely blue bottles but they are a bit pricey for most of us.
Heather recommends using Witch Hazel as a toner and this comes in glass bottles from Boots.
Many swear by Coconut Oil as a perfectly good moisturiser and it certainly removes eye make up well enough.
I have just ordered some Rhassoul clay and Argan oil from this website which has lots of plastic free toiletries. Thanks for the lead Sam. I'll let you know how I get on
www.naturalspasupplies.co.uk/shop-2/rhassoul-detox-clay-for-washing-the-hair-face-and-body
Shampoo/Conditioner
There is a growing community of people finding ways of
not using shampoo altogether. Find them on
One
handmade recipe from Heather
3 tbsp rye flour + jug of warm water
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + mug of warm water, leave in
for 10 and rinse
But I think you have to try out different recipes
according to your hair type.
However if this is one step too far there are many good
solid shampoo bars out there.
Phil uses French soft almond soap which comes in lots of
lovely colours
I use Lush shampoo bars plus their tins.
And some suggest soap nuts
Shaving
The answer seems to be lifetime razors with safety razor
blades. They obviously cost more but as long as you are not careless, they
should literally last you a lifetime.
I’d recommend getting one from Manufactum. An online
shop I shall keep returning to as it has such lovely things.
Plus they do shaving soap in a tin too, but quite
frankly most soaps will froth up if you pummel them enough with a brush.
Or you could try
Let me know if it is any good.
Lastly there is this
www.mutinyshaving.co.uk/product/mutiny-box. I have no idea if it works but it looks great.
Soap
Liquid soap is a complete non essential fad. Worst
still are those that contain triclosan -an antibacterial agent highly dangerous
to nature. All can be avoided by buying ordinary soap like we did for hundreds
of years. Treat yourself to a new soap
dish too.
There are a multitude of local hand -made soap suppliers
out there and I buy from the two soap making companies here in Wells next the
Sea.
www.handmadenorfolksoaps.co.uk
Palm oil free!
www.naturalsoap.co.uk Also does shaving soaps in glass.
Toilet
cleaner
There is a home made recipe for removing lime scale at
www.beashadegreener.com/prevent-remove-limescale-toilet-descaler
Many swear by Vinegar, which can be bought in glass bottles, especially if left overnight.
Many swear by Vinegar, which can be bought in glass bottles, especially if left overnight.
Or if you have the space you can buy 5 litre containers
of Ecover toilet cleaner from
www.ecoverdirect.com/products/toilet-cleaner-pine-fresh-5l/etoiletpf5l.aspx?productid=etoiletpf5l and decant it into something more stylish.
Or you can visit a local whole food shop who usually
will refill old Ecover bottles for you.
In Norfolk this can be done at Rainbow Wholefoods in
Norwich or The Green Parrot in Swaffham.
This list will grow I hope as more people contribute.
Toilet roll
Amazingly so many recycled eco toilet rolls come wrapped
in plastic. Rachel found one that doesn’t.
Toothbrush
I have not found an alternative yet for an electric
toothbrush so I’ll have to keep mine until it dies and then join the ever
growing crowd of bamboo toothbrush users. You can buy them from lots of eco
shops but I advocate getting them from Surfers Against Sewage as they are one
of my most favourite charities, doing and saying all the right things about
plastic.
Toothpaste
So far I have not found a conventional toothpaste in a
non plastic tube.
Most alternative toothpastes are free from fluoride,
which some advise against or some for. It is a personal choice.
Homemade
option from Mary
Bicarb 1tsp or Himalayan salt
Coconut oil 2dsp
Peppermint Oil
Or buy from www.truthpaste.co.uk It
comes in a jar!
Personally I recommend this company www.georganics.co.uk I have tried their coconut oil toothpaste ( which is nicely packaged in a jar with a mini paddle) and it is great.
Personally I recommend this company www.georganics.co.uk I have tried their coconut oil toothpaste ( which is nicely packaged in a jar with a mini paddle) and it is great.
Obviously the worst type of toothpaste packaging is
those daft pump bottles- totally wasteful on all levels.
Wet Wipes
Wet Wipes
There is nothing good to say about this relatively new invention. They are an environmental hazard even if you do throw them in a bin and not down the loo. Just don't use them. Cut up flannels into small squares and use one a day, wash them and re use. Keep them in a waterproof flannel bag/tin when travelling with something nice on them like rose flower or orange flower water.
Bathroom
Hardware
Bins
Be wary of buying metal bins as most have a hard plastic
lining.I use metal buckets with lids. I can’t recall where I
got mine from now but you can find them at
Bowls/
jugs/ mugs
I’ve been buying second hand enamel ware for a while now
and it’s a good excuse to go rummaging in boot fairs and charity shops.However if you want to buy new you can from shops such
as Labour and Wait.
Or you can buy stainless steel which quite frankly will
last you a lifetime. Just google metal
bowls and there are many suppliers.If you only need ones under 21cm then search for dog
bowls as they are the same thing but much cheaper.
Shower
Curtain
The worst type is the heavy duty PVC plastic. Never buy one. If you have one already they
are indestructible so I guess you could use them for some waterproof
maintenance project.
The polyester/ fabric type are not “plastic” as we know
it but there are equal concerns about the amount of synthetic fibres that are
escaping into our environment so they are not a good substitute.
If you can, install a glass screen, but this is not
always affordable or practical.
I am experimenting using two heavy duty
cotton canvas curtains. After all they are only supposed to deter the shower
spray from going all over the floor. To
stop them going mouldy I’ll change them once a week and wash them alongside my
cotton towels and bath mats. So far, so good.
Toilet
Brush
Again be wary as many advertised wooden toilet brushes
and bowls often contain bits of plastic or plastic bristles.
Keep it simple and buy wooden ones with union fibre. I
found some at
I ordered 4 to keep down the postage and they cost the
same as a large plastic one sold in my local hardware store.
To stop them from rotting quickly in standing water I hung
it from a cup hook suspended slightly above an old tin bucket.
Flooring
Vinyl flooring is the worst. Luckily we have good oiled
wood boards and we use washable cotton bath rugs.
But tiles are a good alternative.
Rubber is warm and fun and comes in lots of colours. You
can order it here and either fit it yourself of get them to do it.
And lino is made from recycled fabrics, linseed oil and
wood flour
Rubber Ducks
Substituting children’s plastic toys is a tricky
subject and not one I’d advocate following strictly. However I couldn’t resist
seeing if you can buy actual real rubber ducks. And you can.
Wash
Bags
You could cut up your shower curtain and sew enough wash
bags to last you a lifetime but if time is short I recommend buying one of these wash bags from
the good people at SAS. It is made from recycled bouncy castle. What better
use.
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