Eliminating plastic from the bathroom!

This first week I am discussing removing plastics from my shower. I have long, fine hair and sensitive skin. I have fallen in love with shampoo and conditioner bars. They clean and condition well without all the chemicals and extra weight that comes with standard bottles of shampoo and conditioner. They are a bit more expensive than the bottles, but since they last much longer, I am saving money. I have tried a few different brands and so far my favorite is The Earthling Co. No chemical ingredients, natural fragrance, sulfate-free, and climate neutral. There are many brands and many of them worked very well. 
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What I have found: Great lather, clean hair without any residue, and lightly scented. I appreciate there is no plastic in the packing or the product. I also noted when I got some in my eyes, it was barely noticeable. Due to my fine hair, I needed something that would not weigh down my hair nor dry it out. I found this product worked! I had no skin irritation either. Because my hair is long, I avoid washing daily and found that between washes I don’t need to worry about oiliness! I no longer need a bottle of shampoo, conditioner, and co-wash.  It is a good deal without any hype. 

Why is this good for the environment: When you buy bottles of shampoo and conditioner, you are purchasing the water and the plastic. Those items make the product heavier which contributes to increased carbon use to get from the manufacturer to your home. Things that weigh more use more fuel. Then when you finish the bottle, you have to rinse it to make it recyclable, wasting water. Next, you place it in your bin and a truck picks it up to bring it to the recycling plant. In addition, some plastics cannot be recycled and therefore add to our burden in the landfill. Landfill items take an extremely long time to decompose. Plastic is potentially shed from the bottles when you use them and added to the microplastics in our environment.

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Other products: I have switched out standard bars of soap or liquid body washes to a natural bar soap for the same reasons as above and found my skin to dry out less frequently and clean just as well if not better. While The Earthling Co. has a body bar which I liked, I usually purchase soaps made locally - even purchased at our farmer’s market! I am planning to switch to a shaving bar or just use my body bar. I’ve already found a good face bar from Spinster Sisters Co., although I could probably use my body bar here too. We’ve switched out our hand soap to a reusable glass bottle to make foaming hand soap. We purchase plastic-free tablets, add water from the tap and we are good to go! And, most recently, we purchased bamboo toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap. We just got it so we haven't tried it yet!

Where to find: I tried The Earthling Co, The Free Market (on WI Ave in Appleton), Lush (inside the Fox Cities Mall in Grand Chute but did not like the conditioner and that was the only thing I tried), local farmer’s markets, Target online, and Spinster Sisters Co. Of course, I am sure Amazon would be a good place too but be sure you are not getting something that has chemicals or is made in a country like China where things are not as regulated. 

Have fun! We would love to hear from those of you who have their plastic-free favorites for the bathroom or other rooms!