Looking for tips for sustainable body care? Then you've come to the right place! Probably you are currently trying to get your reduce ecological footprint. Fortunately, countless opportunities for this lurk in the bathroom. From water consumption, to waste reduction, to natural cosmetics - the potential is huge.
In this article, I would like to give you the most important tips for the most environmentally friendly body care and hygiene. Let's go!
In advance you can find here already a short Overview about the article:
- Use solid natural soaps instead of shampoo from plastic bottle
- Consciously save water
- Use nature and reusable instead of plastic and disposable
- Prefer natural cosmetics
- Use recycled toilet paper
- Use home remedies as a natural alternative
- Making natural care products yourself
- Avoid electrical appliances or switch them off completely
- Brush teeth with wooden toothbrush and toothpaste tablets
- Rely on ecological cleaners
1. Use solid natural soaps instead of shampoo from plastic bottle
Every year, we Germans consume an average of about ten bottles of shampoo and 3.7 bottles of liquid soap.₁ This naturally creates a lot of plastic waste - moreover, these products are often made with Microplastics and other questionable ingredients.
Just by using a natural, solid bar soap, you can solve these problems in the spirit of the Zero Waste Lifestyle clever avoid. Get yourself in addition simply a small, reusable can, then you can transport your soap just as uncomplicated.
Tip: There are also natural deodorant in solid formWith their help you can do without the chemical deodorant from the spray bottle.
2. Consciously save water
Whether showering, removing makeup or brushing teeth - personal hygiene rarely works without water! In order to protect the environment and your wallet at the same time, you should treat the "most important food of mankind" respectfully and consciously. Here are some tips that you can implement right now:
- Shower instead of bath
- Rather short and cold showers, instead of long and hot
- Turn off the faucet when soaping and brushing teeth
- …
This and other advice I present to you again in detail in the contribution to the Water conservation before.
3. nature and Use reusable instead of plastic and disposable
Sustainable personal care in the bathroom includes, above all, the use of natural reusable products instead of artificial disposable products. Here, too, I have some examples for direct implementation for you:
- Washable cotton pads instead of disposable pads
- Reusable Menstrual cup instead of tampons (more under plastic free monthly hygiene)
- Stainless steel razor plane instead of disposable razor
- …
You can find these and many more ideas and tips in the article about the most possible plastic free bathrooms. In summary, it's simply a matter of choosing durable, washable and reusable products over short-lived disposable ones, to conserve natural resources.
4. prefer natural cosmetics
Unfortunately, conventional cosmetic products often hide substances that are harmful to the environment and health, such as Microplastics, palm oil, silicones or even petroleum. Natural cosmetics, on the other hand, consist mainly or entirely of natural ingredients that are harmless to health and ecologically sound.
Use certified seals like Natrue or EcoCert and last but not least the CodeCheck App, as small, time-saving shopping aids for truly sustainable body care.
5. Use recycled toilet paper
The environmental problem of the Deforestation is not exclusively due to the high consumption of meat in western industrialized countries like Germany, but also to our high consumption of paper. When it comes to toilet paper, we can all make a start and give preference to recycled toilet paper for which According to Ökotest in production only half the energy is needed and no new wood at all.
Tip: How you can generally Save paper you can learn in the linked article!
6. Use home remedies as a natural alternative
Sustainable body hygiene can do without hundreds of creams, bottles and jars! Fortunately, there are countless, natural home remedies that can be used in personal care and other areas of the home. Here are some examples as inspiration for you:
- Wash hair with apple cider vinegar, rye flour or lava clay
- Hair tint with black tea and sage
- Rose petal facial tonic
- Paste from Baking soda and water against blackheads
- Reduce dark circles with lemon juice and olive oil
- Coconut oil as a moisturizer on the skin
- …
Tip: Sodium bicarbonate in particular is an all-purpose household weapon. At Soda applications I'll list what else you can use it for!
7. Making natural care products yourself
Natural home remedies can also be used to create countless DIY projects for your eco-friendly bathroom. For example, the following are suitable for sustainable body care the following homemade cosmetic and care productsI have linked you to the instructions for making each of them:
- Make your own toothpaste from baking soda, coconut oil and birch sugar
- Make your own deodorant from coconut oil and baking soda
- Make your own shower gel from natural soap and starch
- …
At DIY Body Care Blog you will find more ideas and all instructions at a glance.
8. Avoid electrical appliances or switch them off completely
Conscious Save electricity, is also an important component of a sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, in the bathroom you should use only as few electrical appliances as absolutely necessary and Instead prefer manual devices use. The few electrical appliances that you have in the bathroom, you should Do not stay in standby mode all the time leave. It's better to pull the plug, because that sets the power consumption to zero.
9. Brush teeth with wooden toothbrush and toothpaste tablets
Even though it should be replaced about every three months, the Wooden toothbrush (e.g., made of rapidly renewable bamboo wood) an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic toothbrushes.
For a sustainable dental care are also suitable toothbrush tablets, which are available loose, in glass or packed in paper are. They dissolve in the mouth, so you can brush your teeth as usual.
10. Rely on ecological cleaners
This final tip for a sustainable bathroom refers to its cleaning. To achieve a hygienic cleanliness and the longevity of fittings and equipment in the bathroom, you can also rely on a few classic home remedies such as baking soda, vinegar essence, Curd soap, Citric acid and soda fall back.
For example, you can use it to create a DIY Bathroom Cleaner or a make natural glass cleaner. In DIY Household Blog you'll get even more inspiration to avoid countless chemical cleaning products and save money sustainably.
Tip: Use washable and reusable rags and sponges instead of short-lived disposable products when cleaning.
Sustainable body care in the bathroom made easy!
Whether it's skin care or dental care, waste avoidance or resource conservation - as you can see, it's really quite easy to adopt the most environmentally friendly care behavior possible. I hope that I was able to help you with these tips!
Do you have any questions or more ideas for sustainable body care? Then I look forward to your comment under this post.
Stay sustainable,
PS.: In another article I have given you the most important Tips for naturally white teeth put together. Have fun with the implementation!
References:
₁ Michaela Haas: How we can finally get off the bottle (Accessed 10 Feb. 2019), available at https://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/die-loesung-fuer-alles/wie-wir-endlich-von-der-flasche-loskommen-86783 [09 Nov. 2021].
