Bathroom Waste Reduction & Recipes
My bathroom and kitchen bug me, from a zero-waste perspective, due to all the made-to-jettison crap within them.
But my bathroom is worse, because a) it is filled to the brim with over-produced and unrecyclable products that we've all been taught to believe are necessary, which b) may not even be safe to put in or on my body. I'm mostly thinking of synthetic dyes in toothpaste, lotions, mouthwash... makeup too, of course, but I fortunately have never been a regular make-up user.
I was, however, raised on Johnson's baby powder, which I for many years incorporated into my AM routine, after my daily shower, as a way to speed up the drying process of my armpits and receive compliments from men (fine, a specific man) about how nice I smelled. I bought the lavender scented kind.
But dude, Johnson & Johnson knowingly put poisonous asbestos in it for years. Asbestos which made its way into women using it on a daily basis, and women have died from various cancers as a result. And, mind you, the company gets away with it because god forbid we value human life over a mega-company's profit margins.
Side note - I share a lot of intimate detail on this blog because I think it is important. In following the J&J asbestos stories, I only ever found one article that could help me understand HOW other women were actually using their baby powder. Apparently it was a 'thing' for certain communities, African American women especially if I correctly recall, to put it directly into their vaginas. Because they were taught that vaginas are gross, smelly, and wet places, so of course you should dry them up with a nice-smelling powder.
Those women have since suffered and died from ovarian cancer.
So again, a maddening example of the capitalist patriarchy teaching women to self-hate and consequently purchase products which in fact harm our natural, beautiful, perfect bodies. And all women willingly drinking that Kool-Aid*, in part because we're also taught to be ashamed of and silent about the specifics of our body care. And communities of color disproportionately suffering from poor health. #gross
All that aside, here is my list of notes and recipes for bathroom-related stuff, which will develop along the lines of what I need most urgently.
*Riddled with synthetic dyes; don't feed this crap to your kids!
Solution: DIY Facial Exfoliator from Northwest Edible Life.
Notes to self: I will have to find or buy the "small jar" in which to keep my formula. But a 4 lb. box of baking soda was $6 at Fred Meyer, and I already have coconut oil. It comes in jars over 6 oz. so I can recycle its packaging.
I like this recipe because it's a small batch. I had to hunt for a recipe that didn't advise, like, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil, which seems overkill. The blogger Erica says this amount lasts her around two months, which works for me.
I want to love the turmeric and green tea mouthwash recipes provided, but they do demand a lot of highly uncommon ingredients - aka things I would never normally purchase - and making a batch following his amounts produces enough for only two weeks, to be stored in the fridge.
The better option for me comes from Oh, The Things We'll MakeAccording to its author, also a dentist, there is no need to refrigerate this version, "because of the salt & high ph level," and it requires only two weird ingredients.
Notes to self: I can re-use a glass bottle from the kitchen for storage. It's helpful that the author has a link to purchase the mineral drops, but I don't know a goddamn thing about xylitol, so have to poke around before I purchase anything (ex. what's its shelf life? Why does it exist in crystal forms?).
I will look locally for items first because Amazon over-packages everything, and is in general bad for humanity.
The good news is: I can eventually keep the bottle and re-use it, refilling with bulk shampoo or with stuff I make on my own.I won't need new shampoo till next winter, no joke.
The sad thing is: I hate this stuff! And there is sooooo much of it. For $15, it leaves my fine hair really oily.
Notes to self: Start visiting local bulk stores to see where I could get shampoo in my own container - People's Co-Cop, Winco, or Whole Foods seem like front-runners.
I am tempted to completely eschew shampoo and conditioner because I've met women with similar fine hair who swear by it. They've admitted there will be a painful, greasy stage your hair has to go through in order to 'detox', but in the end your hair will be healthier and happier for it.
But I dunno. Paris To Go has some lengthier articles about her conversion from no-poo to eventually just water washing, which I will get around to reading one of these days!
Perhaps the freakiest thing in my daily routine. I sweat, and I can get really stinky. So I actually use the ultra strength stuff on virtually every workday, because otherwise I'd be miserable, soaked, and possibly repellent to my very-nearby colleagues in our open office environment.
But weirdly, I don't need ANY deodorant on the weekends. Is it stress? Is it because I'm more likely to wear less breathable fabrics for office attire? Is it the temperature I can't control? Who knows.
I do keep a mineral deodorant on hand for the weekends, in case I'm going out and don't want to risk it. While the materials are fine and a lot less chemical-mystery, the container is of course a multi-plastic monster which can't be recycled.
Once I run out of something, I will try out this DIY recipe. I have all the ingredients in my pantry anyway, so if this works it'll be great! The key will be to remember holding on to and re-using my deodorant container.
But the next time I'm in I will try really hard to say no, and more importantly, explain why.
There is no reason not to just use a compostable toothbrush and the new silk floss that's increasingly available. By the time I run out of my freebie stash, I will transition over. It'll obviously be a tiny cost increase but I just can't stand the fact that toothbrushes will survive for centuries! Besides, overall spending on beauty & bathroom products will reduce, so I think it'll be a wash.
I will admit that I separately own an electric toothbrush, which requires non-recyclable heads. This sucks. But I also know that I have a tiny mouth with gums that require really good care, so it's not something I will compromise on. Don't get me started on the importance of good dental health!
I only use my electric toothbrush maybe twice a month so I literally use one replaceable head per year. I've never, ever in four years had a problem with such low frequency (I know they want you to believe you have to change it every month).
This is a toughie because using effective toothpaste is important - like, I don't want cavities - and moreover it is a shared item. My partner and I go to Costco for our yearly supply of toothpaste, which means about a dozen plastic tubes wrapped in individual cardboard boxes grouped together under a massive plastic sheet (unrecyclable).
I can't foresee anytime soon that he would willingly forego convenience for the environment, which makes him a pretty typical person. He isn't brand loyal so there's that.
As I ponder how I could get away from crappy plastic tubes of Colgate, aka really how to find toothpaste that is plastic-free here are things to note:
But my bathroom is worse, because a) it is filled to the brim with over-produced and unrecyclable products that we've all been taught to believe are necessary, which b) may not even be safe to put in or on my body. I'm mostly thinking of synthetic dyes in toothpaste, lotions, mouthwash... makeup too, of course, but I fortunately have never been a regular make-up user.
I was, however, raised on Johnson's baby powder, which I for many years incorporated into my AM routine, after my daily shower, as a way to speed up the drying process of my armpits and receive compliments from men (fine, a specific man) about how nice I smelled. I bought the lavender scented kind.
But dude, Johnson & Johnson knowingly put poisonous asbestos in it for years. Asbestos which made its way into women using it on a daily basis, and women have died from various cancers as a result. And, mind you, the company gets away with it because god forbid we value human life over a mega-company's profit margins.
Side note - I share a lot of intimate detail on this blog because I think it is important. In following the J&J asbestos stories, I only ever found one article that could help me understand HOW other women were actually using their baby powder. Apparently it was a 'thing' for certain communities, African American women especially if I correctly recall, to put it directly into their vaginas. Because they were taught that vaginas are gross, smelly, and wet places, so of course you should dry them up with a nice-smelling powder.
Those women have since suffered and died from ovarian cancer.
So again, a maddening example of the capitalist patriarchy teaching women to self-hate and consequently purchase products which in fact harm our natural, beautiful, perfect bodies. And all women willingly drinking that Kool-Aid*, in part because we're also taught to be ashamed of and silent about the specifics of our body care. And communities of color disproportionately suffering from poor health. #gross
All that aside, here is my list of notes and recipes for bathroom-related stuff, which will develop along the lines of what I need most urgently.
*Riddled with synthetic dyes; don't feed this crap to your kids!
#1 Wish: Exfoliating Face Wash
A fan of St. Ives apricot wash since I was a teenager, I would miss the lack of gritty exfoliation during my AM shower face wash. But I will not miss spending $4 per generic replacement from Fred Meyer, which comes in a plastic tube I cannot recycle (but at least uses walnut shells for exfoliation). I probably have to buy this twice a year, plus a spare for my work locker.Solution: DIY Facial Exfoliator from Northwest Edible Life.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
Directions
Mix the baking soda and coconut oil together in a small jar with tight fitting lid.
Start with clean, wet skin. Scoop out a small amount of scrub – a nickel-sized amount is enough – and work it between your fingers to melt it a little bit. Massage the scrub all over your face (avoiding the eye area) using small circular motions with your fingertips. Rinse with warm water.
Notes to self: I will have to find or buy the "small jar" in which to keep my formula. But a 4 lb. box of baking soda was $6 at Fred Meyer, and I already have coconut oil. It comes in jars over 6 oz. so I can recycle its packaging.
I like this recipe because it's a small batch. I had to hunt for a recipe that didn't advise, like, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil, which seems overkill. The blogger Erica says this amount lasts her around two months, which works for me.
#2 Wish: Mouthwash
This article from Ask the Dentist makes some compelling points about why a manufactured mouthwash is, in fact, no good for you. I admit it - I don't often use mouthwash anyway; it's one of those 'nice to have' for when I'm doing my monthly deeeeeeeep mouth clean (by which I just mean brush, floss, inspect, a little clove oil on any inflamed gums, an inspection of my tonsils, and finally, mouthwash).I want to love the turmeric and green tea mouthwash recipes provided, but they do demand a lot of highly uncommon ingredients - aka things I would never normally purchase - and making a batch following his amounts produces enough for only two weeks, to be stored in the fridge.
The better option for me comes from Oh, The Things We'll MakeAccording to its author, also a dentist, there is no need to refrigerate this version, "because of the salt & high ph level," and it requires only two weird ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. xylitol
- 8 drops peppermint essential oil or other oil, optional
- 20 drops mineral drops
- 1 cup distilled water
Directions
Add all of the ingredients to a storage bottle and mix thoroughly. Shake
before each use to help disperse the oils and any baking soda or traces
of salt that may have settled to the bottom of the bottle. There is no need to refrigerate, because of the salt & high ph levels.
Notes to self: I can re-use a glass bottle from the kitchen for storage. It's helpful that the author has a link to purchase the mineral drops, but I don't know a goddamn thing about xylitol, so have to poke around before I purchase anything (ex. what's its shelf life? Why does it exist in crystal forms?).
I will look locally for items first because Amazon over-packages everything, and is in general bad for humanity.
#3 Wish: Shampoo
Not an immediate priority because, in an effort to at least reduce consumption, some months back I bought a 32 oz. bottle of some fair-trade, all-natural ingredient Alaffia shampoo from Freddy's.The good news is: I can eventually keep the bottle and re-use it, refilling with bulk shampoo or with stuff I make on my own.I won't need new shampoo till next winter, no joke.
The sad thing is: I hate this stuff! And there is sooooo much of it. For $15, it leaves my fine hair really oily.
Notes to self: Start visiting local bulk stores to see where I could get shampoo in my own container - People's Co-Cop, Winco, or Whole Foods seem like front-runners.
I am tempted to completely eschew shampoo and conditioner because I've met women with similar fine hair who swear by it. They've admitted there will be a painful, greasy stage your hair has to go through in order to 'detox', but in the end your hair will be healthier and happier for it.
But I dunno. Paris To Go has some lengthier articles about her conversion from no-poo to eventually just water washing, which I will get around to reading one of these days!
#4: Deodorant
Perhaps the freakiest thing in my daily routine. I sweat, and I can get really stinky. So I actually use the ultra strength stuff on virtually every workday, because otherwise I'd be miserable, soaked, and possibly repellent to my very-nearby colleagues in our open office environment.
But weirdly, I don't need ANY deodorant on the weekends. Is it stress? Is it because I'm more likely to wear less breathable fabrics for office attire? Is it the temperature I can't control? Who knows.
I do keep a mineral deodorant on hand for the weekends, in case I'm going out and don't want to risk it. While the materials are fine and a lot less chemical-mystery, the container is of course a multi-plastic monster which can't be recycled.
Once I run out of something, I will try out this DIY recipe. I have all the ingredients in my pantry anyway, so if this works it'll be great! The key will be to remember holding on to and re-using my deodorant container.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of baking soda
- ¼ cup of arrowroot powder
- 4 tbsp of coconut oil
- 2-3 tsp of vitamin E oil
- 6-8 drops other essential oil of your choice for scent
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil using a double boiler or in the microwave
- Once the it has liquefied take it off the heat
- Add in the vitamin E oil and essential oils
- Stir in the baking soda and the arrowroot powder and mix well to combine, making sure there are no lumps
- Pour into an old cleaned out deodorant container or jar
- Let it set in the fridge or freezer for an hour
- Apply!
#5: Floss & Toothbrush
The best way I can start to reduce impact will be to tell my dentist: STOP giving me those damned freebies! They always come in a plastic bag, full of plastic floss and a plastic toothbrush. I kneejerk accept it every time.But the next time I'm in I will try really hard to say no, and more importantly, explain why.
There is no reason not to just use a compostable toothbrush and the new silk floss that's increasingly available. By the time I run out of my freebie stash, I will transition over. It'll obviously be a tiny cost increase but I just can't stand the fact that toothbrushes will survive for centuries! Besides, overall spending on beauty & bathroom products will reduce, so I think it'll be a wash.
I will admit that I separately own an electric toothbrush, which requires non-recyclable heads. This sucks. But I also know that I have a tiny mouth with gums that require really good care, so it's not something I will compromise on. Don't get me started on the importance of good dental health!
I only use my electric toothbrush maybe twice a month so I literally use one replaceable head per year. I've never, ever in four years had a problem with such low frequency (I know they want you to believe you have to change it every month).
#5: Plastic-free Toothpaste
This is a toughie because using effective toothpaste is important - like, I don't want cavities - and moreover it is a shared item. My partner and I go to Costco for our yearly supply of toothpaste, which means about a dozen plastic tubes wrapped in individual cardboard boxes grouped together under a massive plastic sheet (unrecyclable).
I can't foresee anytime soon that he would willingly forego convenience for the environment, which makes him a pretty typical person. He isn't brand loyal so there's that.
As I ponder how I could get away from crappy plastic tubes of Colgate, aka really how to find toothpaste that is plastic-free here are things to note:
- Flouride is necessary. Our water in PDX is unfortunately not fluoridated so it must be obtained through my toothpaste.
- There are suddenly tabs and tablets on the market, which offer plastic-free options and just look kinda cool. But note that most exclude flouride so purchase with care!
- The only flouride-including tabs I can currently find come from Germany or New Zealand. I'm hoping that in 2020, as awareness rises among people about options like this, some industrious US producers will start creating their own versions. Maybe someone on Etsy already is.
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