MWG #5 Minimal Waste @Home – Fe*Male Bathroom Edition
Welcome back to a new blogpost, we hope you have all enjoyed our beloved Kingsday!
This weeks theme focuses on the male hygiene as an addition to our current bathroom serial. However, we prefer to stay gender neutral as much as possible since hygiene doesn’t know gender. So take from this article as much as inspiration as you want, regardless of its theme and open yourself up to another minimal waste version of your bathroom routine.
Castile soap covers it all
In our previous articles, you’ve probably read about the soap bars. This product is the substitution to shower gel. Additionally it also allows for the replacement of shaving soap. One of the most natural soap options is castile soap. Pure castile soap originates from Syria and is a natural and mild soap consisting of two traditional ingredients olive oil and lye. It nurtures the skin and makes sure it doesn’t dry out. Not only you can use it for shaving, it also works as shampoo and shower gel. So, if you don’t want to spend money on three different bathroom products, just buy a bar of castile soap to save yourself space & time.
At Holland & Barret, you can get a non-liquid soap bar. Unfortunately it does go in plastic, so if you guys know other stores with non-packaging options, let us know!
Shops that offer regular soap bars: Zeepfabriek, Little Plant Pantry, WAAR & DIY Soap Shop
Jojoba oil, ho-ho-ba oil
Just like the castile soap, Jojoba oil is one of those products that can be used for multiple purposes. This oil has its origin in Latin America and comes from the seed of the Simmondsia Chinensis plant. Native Americans use this oil for treating sores and bruises but more importantly it can be used to treat acne, balding, sunburn & chapped skin. Again the convenience of these products should be highlighted. Jojoba oil is a great moisturizer for the skin and hair. So to prevent yourself from carrying unnecessary products, just purchase Jojoba and this oil will take care of it all.
Make sure you pick the jojoba oil packaged in glass and metal. This way the material can be recycled, or, even better, keep the bottle yourself as a container for any other purpose.
Minimal waste, maximum wax
The online sustainability community is mainly dominated by women, so finding bathrooms information on men’s hygiene routine took some extra effort. Luckily we found the Instagram @TidyGuy. This Instagram is run by a young man who provides information about a simpel, zero waste, vegan life. If you’re interested in that, check out his Instagram. For this next product we offer a recipe from his account. It’s a recipe for hair pomade. Pomade is an hairstyling product that contains wax and is known for being more greasy than wax products.
If you’re not really feeling a DIY, then we suggest visiting the Lush website. Lush offers styling products that do come in plastic package. However these containers are solid and easy to use for other purpose after you’ve finished the product. For example as container for your homemade styling wax, to make a small suggestion.
Bamboo hair comb
Since when did we switch from a natural hair comb to a plastic one? Many changes have been made in our bathroom routine, but this certainly has not been for the better. Fortunately we can make a change. But why always bamboo? The sustainable community is head over heels about this material and here is why:
Bamboo is a grass that grows fast and rises 30m sky high in already 90 days after the harvest. After the harvest, the roots remain in the soil which protects the land from erosion. Besides the easy harvest, bamboo contains an antibacterial substance that excludes the use of pesticides. Furthermore Bamboo can be used for multiple purposes and products which avoids a big pile of waste. And the waste that does arise is biodegradable and easy returned back to nature.
What a plant!
Shops who offer bamboo combs: Eco-Logisch, Bol.com
Clear ears, easy listening
Our ears are sensitive and highly important, so we want to take good care of them. However the biggest hygiene part is done by the ears themselves. They clear the ear canal from ear wax by pushing it outside the ear. We can contribute to this process by cleaning the ear at its surface, the part we can see from the outside, by removing the earwax. Going inside the ear can damage your eardrum, something we should avoid.
Cotton swabs have the perfect form for use, though its plastic fabric ends up in landfill. Alternatively you can buy cotton swabs that consist of only cotton, however, the production of cotton is not the most sustainable of all. So to free this purpose of cotton for only the ear hygiene, we suggest purchasing a metal ear picker. It is leight, easy in use and saves you money on the long run.
Shops who offer the product: bol.com
So far so good an additional post on our personal hygiene. Let us know about the swaps you’ve made and feel free to share tips and tricks that work for you! Find us on Instagram @UvaGreenOffice
Photo credit in respective order: Sheldon Nunes, Sucorra Dae, Kenneth Bosma, A Green Coconut (Elles), Alex Keda & Rakuten