Welcome to series 7 of my Daily Green Habits blog posts!
Over the past few posts, I have provided alternate solutions to most products that generate the maximum amount of plastic waste. Another key area of improvement is “Eco-Friendly skincare or personal care.” I am trying my best to reduce the plastic waste I or my family generate. That’s the main reason I have decided to document it too.
Our daily personal care habits generate a staggering amount of plastic waste, from used toothbrushes to empty shampoo, body wash bottles. This waste often ends up in landfills and waterways, causing environmental harm that could easily be mitigated by switching to natural, eco-friendly products.
I have already covered eco-friendly personal care (toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioners) in the previous post and in this post, I will be focusing on eco-friendly skincare products.
Almost all of our skincare products come in plastic packaging even if they are made of eco-friendly, natural material but the packaging is a major problem. All that packaging generates a lot of plastic waste and it becomes a lot from a single household itself. Most of these plastic packaged products can be easily replaced by natural eco-friendly products.
In this post, I am going to explain the changes I have made to reduce my plastic waste as my eco-friendly skincare routine.
These changes are quite easy to implement as I have implemented them in my life. I am proud to say that my skincare routine doesn’t generate any plastic waste. These changes will make a noticeable difference in reducing plastic waste and supporting a greener planet.
Several people struggle with the most common question “How to implement powerful daily green habits for a sustainable lifestyle?”. There is only one answer to this question, start with one small change. Stick with it until it becomes part of your routine, and then move on to the next. Starting on too many changes at once can be overwhelming and generally ends in burnout. If you start with one small habit, it’s much more manageable and won’t disrupt your daily life. Take a look at the posts, see what resonates with you, and start with the change that fits your lifestyle best.
| Powerful Daily Green Habits I Adopted for a Eco-Friendly Lifestyle – Series 1 | Eco-friendly Personal Care – Powerful Daily Green Habits I Adopted for an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle – Series 6 |
Several of my friends have asked me the same question “How to make powerful daily green habits a part of your routine? or how to live more sustainably”. I gave them the exact practice I followed, start small but be consistent. Consistency is the only way to turn anything into a habit. It will feel like a painful chore in the beginning but soon it will become a part of your daily life. Without you realizing you have started living a sustainable lifestyle.
Daily Green Habits – 7th Change I made for an Eco-Friendly Skincare
When I decided to live a more sustainable life, I noticed that even after cutting out a lot of plastic from my daily routine, I was still seeing plenty of it from skincare products. So, I did a bit of research and chatted with my mom and grandma and they told me that they have been using all-natural skincare products for decades and try their best not to buy anything made in factories, resulting in the least amount of plastic. Based on my discussion with them and after looking at their skin, hair, and overall health, I was so amazed that I decided to move to all-natural skincare products.
Eco-Friendly Skincare- Replace All Face wash Tubes or Plastic bottles by All-Natural Skincare Products and DIY Face masks
Nowadays we are spoilt with choice when it comes to skincare products in the market. There are a lot of brands that advertise that their products are made of natural ingredients and are sustainable. All of these products are being sold as “Eco-Friendly Skincare”. But if you look at the list of ingredients at the back of any product, most of them will have different names for the harmful chemical products.
Anything that is made in a factory and has a shelf life is bound to have some preservatives and chemicals in it for it to last that long. It is common sense that no natural product can last more than a few days outside controlled temperature and these name-sake natural products last for years and are still being called natural.
My skincare routine is very simple and I can proudly say that I haven’t gotten any pimple or acne in the past several years. I follow a simple routine of cleaning, Exfoliation, and hydration.
All details for my skincare routine can be found at “Powerful Vegan Skincare Secrets to Transform Your Skin”.
I clean my face with these all-natural products twice daily and I have not used any product on my face in the past several years and my skin is at its best shape. No pimples, no acne, and even fine lines are as little as age-appropriate.
I do buy essential oils from Amazon as I use just a few drops in almost all my recipes but If you have patience and time, there are several videos available on YouTube and you can make them by yourself. If you are not too fond of any specific smell, you can even skip them all together except for cleaning process.
Generally, as a rule of thumb in my skincare routine, I do apply some all-natural face packs on my face and neck to keep my skin healthy and firm.
All details about my natural vegan DIY Face packs can be found at “Top 10 Blissful Natural Skincare -Face Mask Recipes for Glowing Skin“.
In both of the above posts, I have used all-natural vegan products, and most of the products you can find in your pantry are readily available, so there is no additional cost too.
Almost all my DIY face packs are made of fruits, vegetables, or plant extracts like aloe vera. If I am too busy at days, I just rub any juice smooth fruit directly on the skin and it not only helps to rejuvenate my skin but also adds a lot of freshness.
Eco-Friendly Skincare- Replace All Body wash Plastic bottles with All-Natural Body Wash
If you’re thinking about switching to a more eco-friendly and sustainable skincare routine, making your own all-natural body wash at home is a great first step. It helps you avoid the harsh chemicals found in store-bought products while giving you the freedom to tailor your body wash to suit your skin type. Whether you’re after something soothing and hydrating or a fresh and energizing wash, DIY recipes offer plenty of options. Plus, they’re simple to make using natural ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
The main thing to remember about any all-natural body wash is that it needs to effectively clean your skin without leaving it dry or irritated. Every recipe I’m sharing here has been personally tested by me and my close friends, all with different skin types. We’ve used these recipes for years, so I can confidently say they work. While I’ll give you a detailed guide on how to make these body washes, feel free to tweak them to match your preferences. I’ll also walk you through the step-by-step process to answer the common question: “How can I make all-natural body wash at home?”
The main ingredients used in almost all my body wash are what we already have in our pantry or we can get easily from Amazon in bulk, reducing the overhead costs of packaging and transporting.
- Coconut milk
- You can use any coconut milk; you can buy from Amazon which has the least plastic packaging or make your own to reduce the waste completely.
- Liquid castile soap
- I generally buy large quantities from Amazon. I generally buy “Dr. Bronner’s – Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Bottle & Refill Carton Made with 82% Less Plastic”. This is gentle on my skin and till today I haven’t gotten any rashes or redness on my skin. I use it for all the body wash I make for myself, friends and for extended family. They all have appreciated it and some have even offered me some cash for it, though I have refused to take it as I do this for my passion not for money. You can adjust the quantity of soap as per your preference.
- Raw honey
- I have been using “Manukora Raw Manuka Honey” from Amazon for a couple of years and I use this not only in my skincare products but also in my cooking, baking, and even in deserts. I love both its quality and price.
- Vitamin E oil or Vitamin capsule
- You can buy this from any pharmacy or if you find getting Vitamin Oil difficult, you can just break some Vitamin capsules.
- Jojoba oil / Almond Oil / Other Essential Oil
- I buy almost all my essential oils from Amazon at the Cliganic store. I have been buying these from Amazon for the past several years and am very happy with their quality.
- Aloe vera
- I try making fresh aloe vera gel from the leaves of my garden but there are times when in a hurry I use the “Aloderma Organic Aloe Vera Gel” from Amazon. I find it pure and good for my skin. My usage of aloe vera is quite high as this is the main ingredient in several of my skincare products, I generally buy 2 or 3 boxes in one go.
- Oats
- You can use any oats available in the supermarket, just ensure to use rolled oats, not steel-cut oats.
All detailed step-by-step process to make body wash for different skin types is provided in the “5 Powerful All Natural Body Washes for Glowing, Healthy Skin“. You can check out all different types of all-natural body wash recipes in this post.
Using natural eco-friendly skincare recipes in your beauty routine will improve your skin’s health and radiance and it will also help in your contribution to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Mostly even if you don’t have time to make any long cleaning process or face mask and sit for 15-20 minutes, you can just rub the extract of any soft fruit like tomato, lemon papaya, banana, or avocado on your face for a few minutes and wash it off with tap water. Banana peel is also full of nutrients and does wonders to my dry skin. This will also help in removing all dirt and locking in the moisture in your skin.
By choosing natural ingredients in your eco-friendly skincare products, you avoid the harsh chemicals often found in commercial skincare products, reducing the risk of irritation and adverse reactions. Ingredients like avocado, papaya, aloe vera, and oats are not only effective but also gentle on the skin, making these recipes ideal for various skin types, including sensitive skin.
Just one thing I would like to mention don’t expect overnight magic, it takes time and consistency is the key. Do this regularly for 6 months to a year and you will start seeing the magic, it’s just like healthy eating and exercising. It takes time to see the results, so don’t hurry and give up half the way.
I, my family, my extended family, and most of my friends have stopped buying any skincare products and have started using eco-friendly skincare products. This has been a life-changing experience in my overall health as I don’t inhale any toxic fumes from the chemical products.
These small steps have given me huge results in reducing my plastic waste. Earlier I used to use at least 2-3 bottles of face wash, cleanser, moisturizer, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner just to name a few but it has been quite some time since any plastic bottle has been wasted as a result of my skincare routine.
Every single step counts, so just please give it a try for few years. You can always start by just replacing any one product. I started by replacing my face mask sheets which come prepacked loaded with serums (actually these are chemicals and being called serums to fool us) and shampoo and conditioners. Post that I have almost replaced by entire skincare products with eco-friendly natural ingredients.
You can refer my other posts here.
I warmly invite you to share your own inspiring and powerful daily green habits that contribute to a healthier planet in the comments section below. I believe that we can all learn from each other, and I’m genuinely eager to hear about the eco-friendly practices you’ve been following. Your experiences could offer fresh perspectives and practical tips for everyone in this community, including myself. Every single day, I make it a point to seek out new strategies to reduce waste and minimize my environmental footprint, with the ultimate goal of leaving this planet better than I found it. By sharing our knowledge and habits, we can collectively make a greater impact.
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