Sometimes I think that the idea of "going green" can be a bit overwhelming and it's easier if you take things one room at a time. Today I want to talk about some ways you can go green in the bathroom, which I believe is one of the easiest rooms in which make some changes.
In our debut post, Rachel mentioned something from one of our favorite bloggers, who is often quoted for her beliefs about the need for people to practice zero waste in an imperfect manner. As I was brushing my teeth this morning and debating what to put in this post, the "imperfect-ness" of this sight seemed like one to share. Let me break it down for ya!
Also, pictured in the tea cup is a bar of soap. This bar is actually one that my brother made and included in my Christmas gift basket, but normally I buy my bar soap from a semi-local store called Fresh Thyme. They sell bars of organic soap in some really delightful scents (honey-oat, lavender, mint, charcoal, etc.) and they are completely package-free. They do provide paper sacks if you'd like to put them in one, but you can also just toss them into your cart! Since I have really short hair, I actually use these bars of soap for my hair sometimes, too. They are multi-purpose and can replace the plastic bottles of shampoo (for those with hair like mine), body wash, and hand soap. That's a lot of plastic that won't go to the landfill throughout the year!
Another small swap that I really have enjoyed is that of my toothbrush. As you can see in the pic above, I use a bamboo toothbrush with charcoal-infused bristles. I buy this 4-pack from Amazon and they are 100% biodegradable! I really like the price and the product both, as well as the knowledge that my plastic toothbrushes will no longer be littering our world. Speaking of plastic toothbrushes, there is one in this photo. Story time: I had a small child stay with me for a few days recently and her parents forgot to send her with a toothbrush and toothpaste. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do when I have my own children, but for someone else's child, who was already in a somewhat unfamiliar environment, I decided to stick with what they know and went to the store to pick up a cute little kiddie brush and a bubblegum-flavored tube of paste. Oh well, it's all about balance!
I titled this post "My Green(ish) Bathroom" because I haven't reached the point where I've swapped everything. I keep a regular bottle of hand soap out for guests (because I don't expect them to use my bar soap) and I haven't yet gotten my head around the idea of making my own lotion. I have old bottles of shampoo still sitting in my shower (because I WILL NOT throw away perfectly good products for no reason) and plastic packages of sheet masks because this girl loves her home facials! 😉
It's not all perfect but we can all take small steps like these to work towards a greener world! We only have the one and we can all do something to help make it a better and cleaner place. Maybe pick a room in your house and start researching ways to swap out products for something homemade or plastic-free. Look at local health-food stores for plastic-free or minimal packaging home products. Amazon also has a lot of great alternatives and if you order multiple things at once, then you can ultimately save on some of the shipping packaging or purchase in bulk and save some packaging that way. Whatever you do, it's about putting in an effort!
Have a great week, friends!
Ally
