Sustainable personal hygiene: Such beauty shouldn’t go to waste!
I was at the drugstore yesterday and practically fainted at the hundreds of hair products, face washes, moisturizers, and body care products…all packaged in plastic bottles. Naturally, I wondered: do we really need to have such a massive impact on the earth just to look and feel good? (Granted, I’m barely passable some days, but still, I add to the landfill.) Thankfully, there’s plenty we can do to practice more sustainable personal hygiene, which happens to be the focus of this month’s zero-waste journey.
Be sure to check out pages 107-140 in our Zero Waste guide by Shia Su, and read on to learn more.
The dish on soap
Bar soap is a fantastic way to create less waste. Fortunately, face and body soaps are frequently package-free or wrapped in recyclable paper. If you’re currently using face cleansers or body wash stored in plastic bottles, consider trying a moisturizing soap made with olive oil or castile soap. Furthermore, look for soaps in specialty soap stores, ethnic shops, gift shops, and farmers' markets. Always check the ingredient lists to deliberately avoid those made with palm oil, which remains unsustainable. Fortunately, Portland has luscious soap stores everywhere. Here are a few favorites:
Mad Sass Soap Co. Camamu. Lush. Seagrape Apothecary
Bulked-up beauty
Many shops across Portland let you buy health and beauty items in bulk, often utilizing sustainable packaging (or even allowing you to bring your own). To get started, consider stopping by these local spots we’ve mentioned before:
A haircare trend worth trying
Interestingly, many beauty companies now offer shampoos and conditioners in solid bar soap form. In fact, all the companies mentioned above carry them. Initially, I was afraid that hair care bars would make my big curly white hair look like a dandelion in its puffy stage. However, I decided to try Humby Organics
We all have skin in the game
How do we keep skin looking good and feeling moisturized sustainably? Fortunately, many of the companies and stores previously highlighted carry moisturizing lotions, body butters, and body oils in eco-friendly packaging.
In her book Zero Waste, Shia Su swears by using oils found right in your kitchen. (Honestly, I’m not dying to rub cooking oil on my legs, but if I were, I’d definitely add some essential oil like eucalyptus to avoid smelling like a salad dressing.)
Her top suggestions include:
- Cold-pressed/virgin sunflower seed oil for all skin types and eczema-prone skin
- Cold-pressed/virgin coconut oil, which absorbs quickly and suits itchy, irritated, dry, or eczema-prone skin
- Virgin olive oil, which absorbs deeply into dry, flaky, itchy skin
- Canola oil, equipped with anti-aging properties for dry, sensitive skin
- Sesame oil, ideal for dry skin caused by bad circulation
- Soybean oil for normal to dry skin
- Walnut oil specifically for combination skin
Let’s look at other body parts, shall we?
- For dental care, consider utilizing sustainable
bamboo toothbrushes replaceable heads - Make your own toothpaste by combining 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil with 3 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide. Store the mixture in an airtight, non-transparent jar.
- Use
stainless steel razors - Try
ocean-safe sunscreen here - Harness
face scrub bars here - Try sunflower or canola oil as a natural makeup remover, and opt for
washable cotton rounds
Menstrual products: We can do better, period.
I’m certainly not trying to guilt anyone who uses traditional menstrual products, because none of us invented periods. Rather, I blame the manufacturers; producing traditional single-use menstrual products carries a massive environmental impact. Furthermore, each tampon or pad is used for only a few hours before disposal, ultimately ending up in a landfill for centuries. Until big corporate brands step up, consider these sustainable alternatives:
Menstrual cups Reusable menstrual discs
Additionally, several online companies offer a great selection of sustainable personal hygiene products. At my extremely post-menopausal age, I can’t personally vouch for their performance, but these brands maintain stellar reputations:
Note: Menstrual hygiene practices are deeply ingrained and personal, and everyone possesses their own comfort level with change. If switching isn’t easy or practical, don’t stress—there are plenty of other ways to positively impact your environment. As mentioned, we’re not here to make anyone feel guilty.
Oh, and another thing or two…
- When you shop, actively look for eco-friendly, cruelty-free products featuring minimal packaging.
- Skip travel-size products altogether. Instead, buy small reusable bottles and refill them at home.
- Use products sparingly so you buy them less frequently. Remember, "lather-rinse-repeat" isn't an actual requirement; rather, it's a clever manufacturer ploy designed to make you use—and buy—more shampoo. Rude.
- Incidentally, Zero Waste features an entire chapter dedicated to sustainable personal hygiene. Yup, feel free to read that at your own leisure.
- If you buy a product that you ultimately aren’t thrilled with, see if it might work for a friend instead of tossing it.
- Avoid sample products whenever possible, as they are typically too small to be recycled.
- Speaking of recycling,
Ulta Beauty and Pact
This is me on my soap box (my last pun, I promise)
Health and beauty products rank among the most aggressively marketed goods out there (and I know this firsthand, having once written commercials for many of them). Advertisers want us to believe we absolutely must own every “miracle” product crossing our screens. In reality, though, we don't need them. Almost none of these items are genuinely life-changing, despite their glittering promises and amazing (mostly fake, AI-enhanced) before-and-after photos. Ultimately, we are fine just the way we are! Using fewer products—and fewer chemicals—proves immensely beneficial for our health, our bank accounts, and our planet. Resist! Okay, phew, I’m done now.
Got cabinets full of products you don’t use? Let us help simplify your routine.
Big Rocks Organizing would love to help you clear space for a more sustainable life. Schedule a free exploratory call
About Andrea Thompson
Andrea was an advertising copywriter/creative director for 40 years before retiring, then unretiring to start a new career in organizing, then retiring again to travel the world with her husband, John. She fully admits her home is not 100% organized.