LOW WASTE SHOWER ESSENTIALS

Going zero waste I feel is something that would be extremely hard to achieve. In the reality that is my life, taking it one step at a time is the best way to go. That way I am will not get overwhelmed and frustrated. I have done this in the past for all the major changes I’ve done and it is easier to make it feel like a way of living. As opposed of it feeling like a chore. That is my advice to you if you feel you want to make a change on your lifestyle.   

Right now I’m focusing on low waste bathroom essentials, more specifically the shower. In the past I was focusing on products that where non toxic, natural and effective. But, I was not considering the packaging. Now this is something that I have been taking into consideration when purchasing a product.    

What started peaking my interest was the shampoo bars that started popping on my feed. My first thought was “yeah, that is a little extreme for me”. The thought of rubbing my hair with a soap bar seemed too harsh in that moment. Add to that that mainly all of the bars I’d see where of L.U.S.H. shampoo bars. L.U.S.H is a brand that I do not recommend using since most of their products are not clean. So I was certainly not looking to take a step backwards into what had taken me a long time to achieve. 

DITCH THE SHAMPOO BOTTLE

As I was doing my research, a.k.a scrolling on Instagram, I saw somebody sharing their thoughts on a new brand of shampoo, and conditioner bars. This brand was Hi Bar. She was raving about it and saying how good these products were. So I took a mental note to give them a try. I contacted them telling them I was working on my zero/low waste bath products, and they sent me their Moisturizer Set.   

At this point, my hair was not having a great moment, so I was very curious to try them. I had been struggling with it feeling very stiff, and not looking very lustrous. I figured if these bars didn’t work at least my hair was not going to look that much worse. Boy I love it when I’m wrong. These bars are THE BEST shampoo and conditioner I have ever tried, period. Not only did they gave my hair its life back, but it is now shiny and crazy soft. It looks great even when I do nothing to it, its manageable, and did I already mention soft? 

I had never used this method to wash my hair before so I was afraid that I was not going to do it right. But they were actually very easy to use. Once you wet your hair you rub the flat part on your head, or in your palms. It immediately starts foaming and then you proceed as usual. The bars have a very subtle lemony scent, but it leaves a very subtle clean scent once dry. For the conditioner, you remove the excess water of your hair and then apply rub it against your hair. I like to go from the top of my hair down, without going to close to the roots. I do some extra passes on the ends, and after I just comb with my fingers.   

So, needless to say, not only are these bars completely zero waste, they come in a cute paper package that is entirely compostable. And you know I am always honest about the price points. I don’t pretend to have 500 dollars to spend on beauty products so I like it when they are affordable. Each bar costs $14 and you save a little when you purchase them as a set. I think the price is very fair for the quality of product. I would not compare it to brands you find at Target, but more like those you find at a salon. The bars last more or less the same amount as a 16 oz bottle, so they are a great deal.  

This I will definitely keep purchase over and over again. My hair will never look dull again, and I’m not compromising the environment when doing it. If you want to try these amazing products, you can head over to hellohibar.com

SOAP BAR VS. SHOWER GEL

For many years I had been using shower gels instead of soap bars. Why? I can’t really tell you, I guess because I preferred the smell? Or maybe those Dove bars were not really that moisturizing and left my skin itchy and dry? Maybe that was it.  But now, oh now we have all kinds of soap bars, that I don’t remember when I was little. I have tried a bunch now, of many different brands and price points. And honestly, because now I focus on bars with natural safe ingredients, I have no problem with dry or itchy skin.

The only thing I would say you need to keep in mind when using bars (and this applies to shampoo bars as well) is that you do need a good soap lift or soap saver. It is crucial in order for them to not hold moisture and get mushy.

REUSABLE RAZOR

You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that if toothbrushes never decompose, razors suffer the same luck. The ideal situation would be not to shave, but I do like to have hairless legs, armpits, arms, and I do occasionally shave my face. More on that later.   So what can you do here? The best would be to get a safety razor. Although I am absolutely terrified of using one, and also, they are quite expensive. So the next best thing would be to buy a razor with replaceable heads. I did have a Venus razor a long time ago, but I found the blades went dull very fast. And I hated the sticky soap around the blades, plus I found the replacements were expensive.  

I was recently looking for an alternative and came across this brand at Target. Flamingo, a great quality razor with replaceable heads. It is well priced, and doesn’t have that soapy border that gets all mushy. The handle feels sturdy and heavy and is made of some type of silicone, and the blades work very well and last a long time. I plan to use this razor until it falls apart, and hopefully by then there is a better alternative. You can get it at Target or on their website.

So for now, those are my low waste shower essentials, but plan to incorporate this to other aspects of my life.

my next low waste shower essential products

There are two main things I have that I will need to find a low waste shower essentials alternative:  

• Facial Cleanser
• My loofah

I bought the loofah a while back and I know it is gross and keeps all kinds of bacteria but I haven’t died using it (as of yet). So I will keep on using it until it falls apart. It is the least I can do since I made such a bad decision. When that happens, I will then purchase a natural fiber loofah thing.  

And as for the cleanser, I have to be very cautious of what I use to cleanse my face. Since my skin is very sensitive and likes only very particular ingredients. It is a lot of trial and error since it seems to not like some ingredients. Even if they are natural and non toxic. So, I’m still looking for either a bar, which would be the best alternative, or a cleanser that comes in a glass.  

There you have it, a work in progress but definitely heading in the right direction. Do you have any tips for low waste shower essentials that I could incorporate?