Beauty the sustainable way

To support Plastic Free July, the month where if we aren’t already, we should be making a concerted effort to cut down on single-use plastics, we look at ways in which we can alter our daily beauty régime to be more sustainable. Using natural ingredients and less packaging, we can not only be kinder to the planet but also to our skin. Nurture nature and you’ll skin will thank you for it. 

Solid soaps
A bar of natural soap has many benefits over a liquid or gel. You may think it’s more convenient to use a squirt of liquid soap from a bottle but, you are probably using far more than you need and the packaging is often not fully recyclable. A solid bar of soap is cured for at least four weeks, creating a firm bar which is long-lasting and perfect for family use. You can also prolong the life of your bar of soap by cutting it into smaller pieces at a time. The longer the soap is kept away from water, the longer it’ll last, so invest in a good free-draining soap dish.

Healthy ingredients
Makers of handmade soaps often use skin-friendly natural ingredients, vegetable oils and butters, including avocado oil, cocoa butter and coconut oil. Bar soap can be far more moisturising than liquid soaps and gels, the natural oils are a great choice for dry or sensitive skin. 

Brush up
The eco-friendly toothpaste market has greatly expanded, with many options on the market that are either plastic-free, come in a recyclable aluminium tube, refillable, or toothpaste tabs — if you’ve not come across these before, they’re waterless toothpaste powder pressed into a tablet form. Pop a tablet in your mouth, chew to create the paste and brush as normal. What’s more they are often packaged in a recyclable glass jar and have fluoride or fluoride-free options.

A close shave
It is considered better to have a shave after steaming up your bathroom with a hot shower, as the humid environment will help to open up your pores and hair follicles. If you want to go completely natural, it is possible to ditch the shaving foam and just use water but, for a far smother shave with less nicks and cuts you could consider using a traditional shaving brush and soap with you razor. Shaving brushes are the perfect tool for lathering shaving soap for that authentic wet shave.

These are just some of the ways you can go plastic-free this month with your daily hygiene and beauty régime – a change will do you good!