Plastic Free Personal Care
Taking care of ourselves is a necessity for so many reasons. For one, it makes us feel better. For another thing, it makes us smell better, which makes everyone else around us feel better. It is not only good for our physical health but our mental health as well.
All of this is to say that personal care isn’t something that can fall by the wayside. At the same time, personal care products are large contributors to the planet’s plastic waste problem. This leaves us with a dilemma.
Should we prioritize our personal care and comfort today, or should we sacrifice our current needs in favor of preserving our planet for a better tomorrow?
This would be a really tough question, so it’s a good thing you don’t actually have to choose!
In recent years, quite a few sustainable and plastic-free personal care and skincare products have entered the market. Not only are these items made through eco-friendly means, but they also can be high quality, paraben-free, and will do the job just as well, if not better, as your previous go-to’s.
Products that use all-natural ingredients can sometimes get a bad rap, but that is incredibly undeserved. We don’t need chemical after chemical and a constant stream of plastics to survive and thrive. Oftentimes, the all-natural options are the ones that are better for us anyway. Not to mention how much better they are for the environment.
Any product that is good for you and the planet is a huge win, so it is worth looking into whatever form it comes in. Just a few possible sustainable personal care products include:
- Plastic-free deodorant, also free of baking soda and aluminum.
- Oral hygiene products like toothpaste bits and mouthwash bits are plastic-free, have clean ingredients, and are cruelty-free and vegan.
- Soap with calming, natural ingredients like shea butter.
- Plastic-free sunscreen with whatever SPF works best for your skin type.
- Lip balm that advertises all-natural ingredients on its label.
- A shampoo bar and conditioner bar to cut down on plastic while still leaving your hair lush and free of grime.
- Lotion with an ingredient such as aloe or coconut oil that locks moisture into dry skin.
- Body wash composed of delightful smelling and dirt-eliminating essential oils like lavender.
- A razor that cuts down on unnecessary packaging and ships out blade refills when you need them.
- A face oil that uses only organic ingredients.
Another great advantage of using natural ingredients is that these items tend to be much safer for sensitive skin.
Look into the ingredients in each product, and consult with a medical professional before switching from your current routine. Still, many people find that these categories of items often work better for them.
Why Should We Care About Plastic?
So we’ve gone over just a few products that can be made plastic-free or all-natural to help both you and the planet, but now let’s go over why that even matters in the first place. Plastic harms our environment in so many ways, but many of them come down to the fact that the material cannot fully break down. Instead, it just remains polluting the earth wherever it ends up.
The production of plastic itself is also an immensely environment-harming practice. Most plastics are made with fossil fuels; over 99 percent of plastic is made this way. Fossil fuels result in many greenhouse gases being released into our atmosphere, leading to climate change.
Every step of the plastics supply chain from creation to use to disposal is devastating for the planet. As a result, it is up to us to dramatically cut down on our plastic use and put pressure on large corporations to remove plastic from their products.. The fate of the earth could literally depend on it.
Ocean Waste
Much of the plastic we use ends up polluting our oceans. It poses a significant threat to marine life and natural water reserves.
Toxic Chemicals
Since most plastic can’t break down, it sits in landfills or the ocean emitting harmful greenhouse gases. These toxic chemicals are hazardous, and the only way to prevent them is to not produce and use the plastic in the first place.
Carbon Emissions
You may think that recycled plastic would cause no carbon emissions, but unfortunately, this is not the case—every kind of plastic results in increased carbon emissions.
How Can We Shop Plastic-Free Products?
The first step to shopping plastic-free is being aware of the prevalence of plastic in nearly every product we regularly use today. Cutting down on plastic usage is necessary, but it requires a certain amount of mindfulness and intent to get it done.
Just know that you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your items, as many companies that prioritize sustainability also tend to prioritize their customers.
Once you know about the problem, it comes down to research. Luckily, some easy google searches can quickly put you on the right path. From there, you will be able to find products that fit your specific needs while not harming the environment. Look into the ingredients of the products, as well as the practices of the company. How do they treat their employees? Are their products vegan or cruelty-free?
That research is necessary and important, but luckily we’ve got a bunch of plastic-free personal care goodies for you right here. We listed a few categories of potential plastic-free personal care items earlier in this article, but now it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty. Here are some real, quality plastic-free products that you can use without guilt from us here at Bite.
Plastic-Free Deodorant
Deodorant is one of those products that you never really realize just how much plastic is in it unless you break it apart. Not only can the deodorant substance itself contain plastic and harmful materials like aluminum and parabens, but the packaging and applicator mechanism they use is usually entirely plastic.
This overuse of plastic is completely unnecessary, and it’s about time a natural deodorant with refillable, plastic-free packaging takes its place. Bite offers an all-natural deodorant with a reusable case in three distinct, lovely scents. You can choose from Neroli, Rose Vert, or Santal.
Each scent offers its own delightful and earth-centric notes, but they all have some key things in common. They are all free of plastic, aluminum, parabens, and baking soda while being vegan and cruelty-free. In fact, all of Bite’s products are free of plastic and always vegan and cruelty-free.
Plastic-Free Toothbrushes
Bite also offers toothbrushes made with no plastic whatsoever. Every year countless plastic toothbrushes wind up polluting the ocean, but that will never be the case with our toothbrushes. Instead, they have handles carefully crafted with bamboo and soft yet practical bristles made with castor beans. Not only is the toothbrush plastic-free, but it’s even compostable!
Plastic-Free Toothpaste
Of course, what plastic-free toothbrushes could be complete without plastic-free toothpaste to go along with them? Bite Toothpaste Bits come in mint, charcoal, and berry twist, so there’s a flavor for everyone to enjoy.
They are shipped in a reusable glass jar that looks great in any cabinet or on any shelf. Toothpaste Bits are made with clean ingredients that fight sensitivity and naturally whiten. Then, when you’re ready for more, your Bits will be shipped to you in compostable refill pouches – just tear up the empty refill pouch and drop it in your compost bin.
Plastic-Free Whitening Gel
For an even whiter smile, look no further. Bite’s Teeth Whitening Kit will leave you grinning from ear to ear. The formula is completely vegan, and since the gel is shipped in glass jars with a compostable applicator, it is completely plastic and baking soda-free.
Plastic-Free Mouthwash
If you’re someone whose oral hygiene routine never feels complete without a nice rinse, plastic-free mouthwash bits might be just the thing for you. The fresh mint flavor will leave you feeling refreshed, while the use of nHAp will keep your teeth healthy. As a bonus, they’re extremely travel friendly since they’re a solid tablet instead of liquid. To use mouthwash bits, bite down and swish with water!
Plastic-Free Floss
We should all floss more, and knowing that our floss is plastic-free and environmentally-friendly, we hope it makes you feel better every time you clean between your teeth. Bite’s floss comes in a pack of two, placed in a reusable glass jar. It’s refillable, compostable, and unflavored.
How Else Can We Help the Planet?
While the products we get are important, what they’re shipped in and how they’re shipped can be equally so.
Sustainable Packaging
You’ve surely gotten a package or bought a product that you realize just how much packaging there is bogging it down when it comes time to open it. Not only is this extra plastic completely unnecessary, but it’s also seriously devastating to the planet. Using biodegradable packaging that can be recycled or composted is the way to go.
Carbon Neutral Shipping
All of our products are shipped via USPS. We’re very proud to use a system that utilizes pre-existing shipping routes to get our products to you quickly and sustainably. This means that delivery trucks don’t have to go out of their way and burn excess fuel when delivering to you.
Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling
We are firm believers in a few core tenets: cutting down on how much we consume, and by extension, how much we waste. Getting products that can be used and reused many times, meaning we need less. And finally, when those products are done, returning them to the earth.
Conclusion
Personal care should be a priority for all of us, but it’s important to remember we don’t need to harm the planet to better ourselves. Using sustainable products in your everyday routine is one step closer to a happier, healthier planet.
Sources:
Why Doesn’t Plastic Biodegrade? | Live Science
Fossil Fuels & Plastic | Center for International Environmental Law
More Plastic Is on the Way: What It Means for Climate Change | Columbia University
