Written by: Kenzie

Recently, I’ve been trying to stay mindful of the products I’m using in my everyday life and the environmental impact they have. The most obvious eco-friendly swaps to me are for products that don’t use plastic in their packaging or products that can be used more than once (eliminate single-use products). I’ve made a few swaps in various parts of my life as of late, but wanted to share the bathroom swaps specifically in this post and what is working for me and what isn’t. As always, I encourage everyone to try out products they’re curious about for themselves and see what works best!

Solid Shampoo and Conditioner

There are several brands that offer shampoo and conditioner bars. I went with was HiBar since I had heard the most about them and they were affordable for me. They offer five different shampoo and conditioner sets based on your hair goals - “moisturize”, “maintain”, “volumize”, and “soothe” as well as a fragrance free option. Their bars are also made with natural ingredients, no harsh chemicals or fragrances, and are almost completely vegan (except for a little honey in some bars). They’re never tested on animals and are made almost entirely of plant-based products. Overall, it’s sounding pretty good, but does it really work?

I must admit I was skeptical at first. I was mostly afraid it wouldn’t lather as much as I’d like and it would make my hair frizzy with all the rubbing (I already struggle with frizzy curls so I definitely didn’t want to add to that mess). I went into this already doubtful, but (spoiler alert) I was pleasantly surprised!

When I received my order, the shampoo and conditioner set were shipped in completely recyclable packaging including a cardboard case and wrapped in paper. I went with the moisturize bars since they suggested it for thick hair and curly hair can always use more moisture. Plus, it’s their bestseller. The bars themselves were super cute and smelled great and it’s easy to tell the shampoo and conditioner apart because of the slight difference in color and texture. The fist time I used it, it did take me a bit to get a nice lather. You’re supposed to rub the slanted part on your head (I only did this in downward motions to avoid adding more frizz) which felt really weird at first. It took about 40 seconds to get a nice lather going and within a minute, I was scrub-a-dub-dubbing like normal. The conditioner took a bit longer to really work in, but when I rinsed, my hair felt really soft on smelled lovely.

There’s a photo after my first time using the HiBar bars. I followed up with my typical styling products (a leave-in conditioner from Olaplex and a light spray gel) and honestly my hair usually doesn’t look this good without putting more work into it! It was super soft, bouncy, and touchable.

Overall, it’s a super convenient swap that is very affordable and doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to use.

8/10

Re-useable Cotton Swabs

I was super skeptical about this one. Even more skeptical than I was about the solid shampoo and conditioner bars. I ordered from a company called the Last Object that is on a mission to replace single-use items like tissues, makeup rounds, and - you guessed it - cotton swabs. I got one regular swab and one makeup swab. They both came in cute carrying cases and were available in a variety of colors.

The whole idea behind these re-useable cotton swabs is that you use it once and then wash it by hand with soap and water. I started with the regular cotton swabs and I was unsurprisingly uncomfortable. The texture was super strange borderline painful but more so just weird. It did clean my ears, but I also found it real inconvenient to have to wash it after every use. I mean, it really isn’t a big deal and it’s super quick to do I just wasn’t really about it.

3.5/10

The makeup re-usable swab was a different story. I don’t do my makeup very often, but it was really easy to use to wipe of mascara I got under my eyes and I could even use it to separate my eyelashes when they got too clumpy. The material is really smooth and comfortable and it has one pointy side for more precise work and one rounded side for blending. Also, since it’s just makeup, you don’t have to wash it after every use, only when it gets real gnarly.

It’s cute, it’s affordable, it easy to use.

10/10

Cotton Makeup Pads

I’ve actually been using these for over a year now and I bought a large amount of them on Amazon to give some to friends too and they have tons of super affordable options. You can also get them from the Last Object company and they come with a convenient case.

Like I said, they’re super affordable, super easy to use, and super easy to clean - just throw them in the washing machine in a mesh bag (or not in a mesh bag works too). I use them for face toner mostly and wash after a few uses. You can also use it to remove makeup or to apply other products like lotion or face oils.

Overall, this is definitely the easiest bathroom switch I’ve done and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Definitely a 10/10

River Organics Brand Products

I found this brand on Etsy and they specialize in beauty products with no plastic packaging as well as natural ingredients. I have both their lip balm (in rouge and in nude) and their eyebrow wax (in dark). Let me tell you, I LOVE the eyebrow wax. I use a spool brush to apply it and it goes on super smooth and super even and I’m done with my brows in under a minute and a half. Also, it lasts a long time which is great, comes in completely plastic-free packaging, and is completely vegan.

I also really like their lip balms. I haven’t used their bare one and instead opted for a nude tint and a rouge tint. I really can’t tell a difference in my lip color with the nude which is the whole point but I also like the very slight tint with the rouge shade. It’s just enough to look like a little something without having to worry about re-applying lipstick and it’s super smooth (they use cacao butter among other vegan ingredients) and feels great. These are also packaged sustainably (no plastic at all) and are made with great ingredients. The only downside to their products is that they are a little more pricey that your typical chapstick at the grocery store. To me, it’s worth it for the sustainability and quality ingredients.

8.5/10

Wrap-Up

These are my first big sustainable swaps in the bathroom. but I’m looking forward to making more swaps in the future. If y’all have any suggestions, feel free to send them my way. I’m thinking next up is the razor and those toothpaste tablets I’ve been hearing so much about. Making these switches really makes me feel better about the products I’m using. I know it’s a small change and I’m only one person, but it is my first step to reducing the negative impact I have on the environment as a consumer.