Plastic Free July beauty & health swaps

Plastic Free July natural beauty swaps

Hi beauty lovers! Have you heard of Plastic Free July? Plastic Free July is a movement to reduce the amount of plastic waste we produce. The challenge is to refuse single use plastics in July.

Advert: this post contains references to PR gifted products. My views are honest and my own. May contain affiliate links.

As a family, we are mindful of the impact of our plastic waste and have been reducing single use plastics for some time. But there’s still huge room for improvement.

The most offending single use plastics we still use as a family are without a doubt wet wipes and disposable nappies. I know how harmful they are for the environment, but sometimes getting through life with little kids seems more important. Can you relate?

Cara enjoying the beach.
Cara enjoying the beach

How does this help you? Maybe you’re in the same position as me. We can’t promise a plastic free July, but we can make a start implementing some changes for life. This is what it’s all about!

…The truth is that even small changes of habit, accumulated over time, add up to a big difference.

lessplastic.org.uk

So this post is all about me getting my act together and sharing it with you. Together, we’ll learn – why plastic is a problem, how to spot plastic in beauty products (it’s not as easy as it seems), and we’ll learn what easy beauty and health swaps we can make.

Feeling motivated? Let’s go!

Why Plastic Free July?

Seeing the level of involvement in Plastic Free July on my Instagram feed motivated me to improve our habits for the better.

Being part of Plastic Free July will help you to find great alternatives that can become new habits forever.

plasticfreejuly.org

It’s all about small, manageable changes. I’m setting reasonable targets for myself. I want to make these new habits concrete!

Plastic waste.

So what’s the problem with plastic? We all know it’s “bad” but how specifically?

Plastic is ruining the oceans

An estimated eight million tonnes of plastic is set to make its way into our oceans each year. There’s so much plastic in the sea that we can now see it from space.

We literally breathe plastic

It has a huge effect on the food chain.

Micro-sized plastic particles and minute fibres are accumulating in soils and sediments. Plastic is now in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the clothes we wear and the food we eat.

commonseas.com

It’s killing marine life

I’m so saddened to learn that plastic kills 100,000 sea animals every year.

Plastic doesn’t go away

It goes nowhere for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.

Plastic waste kills birds and marine animals.

Yet, change can be hard. Plastics are something we’ve grown up with and what has become the norm. But with some simple swaps, we can reduce our plastic waste. The first step is to hunt down plastics inside the bathroom!

How to find plastics in beauty care

Most bathrooms have products in plastic packaging, but did you know plastic is common inside our beauty products! Here’s how to spot it.

Finding hidden plastics

Most of us are aware of microbeads in skincare – these were banned in 2018, but polymers inside our beauty care products are a problem.

Polymers inside our beauty care products are a problem.

One such polymer is dimethicone, a silicone used in skin and hair care for its silky feel during application. Annemarie Gianni notes “there is some concern that dimethicone is hurting the environment. It is non-biodegradable, which means that it can pollute our environment”.

According to Weleda, to avoid plastics in beauty care we should avoid polymer based ingredients including dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, PEGs, acrylates copolymer, and carbomer.

I’ve avoided these ingredients for about 4 years now. I have the odd product in my cupboard with PEG in that I’ll be replacing with something else.

Finding single use plastics

Single use plastics are used once, then thrown away. They can’t be used again – think wipes, nappies, plastic ampoules, and plastic handled cotton buds. The aim here is to switch to using something else, so keep reading to see my purchasing swaps and how I’ll be reducing my use of single use plastics.

Reusable, recyclable plastics

Things like plastic shampoo bottles and large body lotion bottles can be reused or recycled. I recycle mine using our council’s kerbside recycling service. Check what’s recyclable.

My plastic free pledges

This is where the magic happens! These are the plastic free changes we’re currently undergoing, and that we’re aiming for in the future. You’ll continue to see plastics in my empties as we use them up.

Choose glass and metal over plastic

Sounds like a no brainer – because it is! The easiest change you can make to reduce plastic waste is to avoid buying beauty products in plastic.

Typology Lip Balm comes in a metal tube.
This Typology lip balm comes in a metal tube

This is easier with smaller beauty products. Larger items such as shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel you can replace with solid bars (see below).

If you’re still using face cleansing wipes, then switching to double cleansing is better for your skin and the environment.

Facial cleansers you can buy in bars or in glass. Most serums and face oils come in glass anyway. Lip balms, face and body moisturisers, and scrubs you can aim to buy in glass or metal tubing.

Swap liquid soap for bar soap

This is a really easy swap that we made some time ago. And we’re currently using Organii cream soaps which are plastic free and produced carbon neutral.

Organii Cream Soap is a great plastic free alternative to liquid hand washing soaps and shower gel.
Organii Cream Soap

Replacing liquid soap with bar soap is a good way to cut down on plastic packaging waste.

Swap plastic haircare bottles for solid bars

I’ve been trying plastic free hair care all month, and I’m still deciding my favourite solid bars to replace my bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

Pure Anada Conditioner Bar
Pure Anada Conditioner Bar

At the moment I’m using Beauty Kubes Shampoo, which smells absolutely gorgeous and cleans really well, and Pure Anada Conditioner Bar which smoothes and nourishes my hair.

My new plastic free haircare routine did take some adjustment, and I should blog about that because there’s a bit more prep to ensure your solid bars stay in good condition after you’ve used them.

Reduce plastics in our dental routine

My kids get through toothbrushes like you wouldn’t believe, so using a bamboo toothbrush is a quick win.

As far as I know, all “plastic free” toothbrushes have nylon bristles which are not fully biodegradable, recyclable, or compostable, and end up in the rubbish bin – the point here is that they reduce plastic waste from the handles.

I also use plastic-handled interdental sticks and plastic dental floss that I’d like to replace with something that reduces plastic waste.

Toothpaste for my husband and kids could come as tablets, powder, or in a metal tube. I won’t be swapping my own toothpaste – I need sensitive toothpaste in my life, and there’s no way around it. I wish someone would make natural sensitive toothpaste!

No more plastic shower scrubbies

I haven’t bought one of these in a long time. You could try a brush or a reusable shower scrubbie!

Deodorants in tins or glass

It’s easy to buy deodorant that comes in a tin or in glass. My favourite is Elsa’s in a tin, it’s perfect if you’re sensitive to bicarbonate of soda.

Get a safety razor

I am still using plastic razors. I really don’t use that many since I shave infrequently and look after my disposables. But now I need a plastic free replacement – I like the rose gold Muhle razor, and the UpCircle safety razor, they are gorgeous!

Beauty boxes and gifted items

I will continue to receive beauty boxes and gifted items that are housed in plastic packaging, but I will keep on highlighting the need for sustainable packaging.

Switch to sustainable period wear

Recently I’ve fallen back into using supermarket brand pads. I’m heading over to BigGreenSmile to stock up on plastic free pads. As for the longer term, I did try a period cup (the Mooncup, fyi) and failed.

I still need to find the right period solution. I like Cheeky Wipes period panties, so that will be my first route. The initial outlay is expensive though.

Reduce the use of wet wipes

Cheeky Wipes reusable wet wipes are a great option! I might DIY this with a wet box and some flannels.

Use cloth more often

I can’t promise to never use a disposable again, but I can use cloth more frequently at home. We currently have Bambino Mio nappies for Cara.

Final thoughts on Plastic Free July beauty & health swaps

If you made it this far, thank you! Plastic free July and those taking part in it have really motivated me to reduce my plastic use. I hope my musings have helped you in some way!

Are you taking part in Plastic Free July? What swaps are you making? Let me know all about it in the comments below!

Until next time!

Helen
It’s plastic free July! Learn why plastic is a problem - and how to spot it, even when it's hidden in beauty products. Plus learn 11 eco-friendly beauty & health swaps you can make during Plastic Free July to reduce plastic waste.

5 Replies to “Plastic Free July beauty & health swaps”

  1. I’m definitely trying to do my part, I’ve never heard of safety razors though, I need to get one!

  2. This is such an impressive innitiative! Everyone should play their part in it!

  3. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says: Reply

    Hadn’t heard of Plastic Free July, but sounds like a great practice all year! I recently purchased bar soap which I don’t usually use. I will be more aware, thanks to your post!

  4. This post is such an inspiration for us families who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible.

  5. I’m trying to reduce plastic waste but it’s not always easy. Such a great post…very useful x

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