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Wellness

Why You Should Start Using Sustainable Bathroom Products

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at New School chapter.

When I first started ordering sustainable bathroom products it was for a school project. I was planning on just trying some things out and going back to my normal dove shampoo and plastic toothbrush routine. But the more I researched and the more products I tried, realized how amazing sustainable products are. Not just for the environment, but for keeping my body healthy!

Here are some of the best products that I have tried and absolutely love. 

  1. Sustainable Shampoo and Conditioner Bars 

I could go on for hours about why we should all be using shampoo and conditioner bars. Let’s start with why they are sustainable. Every year, just in the United States, around 550 million empty shampoo bottles are thrown away. That’s just shampoo. Not conditioner. Not body wash. This creates plastic waste that ends up in our water sources and in the earth. When I learned that fact I immediately started researching more sustainable options. Which is when I learned about bars. 

Now let’s talk about sulfates and parabens. We’ve all heard of them and we’re all confused as to why they’re so bad. Sulfates and parabens in your shampoo and conditioner are used to get dirt, grime, and grease out of your hair, but the problem is that the good oils and healthy moisture in your hair are also stripped away. Most plastic contained shampoos and conditioners have these harmful chemicals in their formulas, while most bar soaps don’t. 

My favorite shampoo and conditioner bar brand is the Earthling Co. When I first started using their haircare I noticed an immediate difference. Not only did I feel great about using a sustainable product, but my hair had never looked this good. I have thin straight hair that usually stayed flat, oily, and full of split ends, but now my hair was full of volume and didn’t get oily quick. Their products come in the mail in biodegradable packaging and the shampoo and conditioner options smell so good! Bar shampoo and conditioners are the future of haircare. They are amazing, easy to use, and great for your hair and the environment. 

  1. Reuseable Razors

Ok, these were super scary to use at first. I stopped using plastic razors because I realized how many I was buying and how much waste I was making every month. Before I started using reusable razors I would spend 10 to 15 dollars a month on razors. Now, I only spend around 30 dollars a year on razors. 

There are lots of sustainable razor options on amazon. I personally use a safety razor. When my blade gets dull I just replace it with a new one. This was the scary part. The razor blade is super sharp so definitely be careful shaving your first couple of times. The metal is easily recycled and there’s no plastic involved. Not only am I saving money, but I’m also lowering my plastic waste every month. 

  1. Bamboo Toothbrush

Toothbrushes and toothpaste containers also create a crazy amount of plastic waste every year. I started using bamboo toothbrushes with replaceable bristles. The toothbrush itself and the brushes are biodegradable and compostable! There are lots of options to choose from on Amazon, but make sure to buy one that has compostable bristles as well! 

For my toothpaste, I started using Bite toothpaste. This is so cool. Bite sends you a recyclable glass container to start you off with toothpaste tablets. All you have to do is pop a tablet in your mouth and start brushing. It foams up and tastes just like normal toothpaste! Then after that Bite works like a subscription. You have your glass jar and they send you refills in compostable packaging every month! 

We should all be using more sustainable bathroom products. They’re more healthy for our bodies and for the environment. 

If you're interested HCTNS, please e-mail us at hc.newschool@hercampus.com