Our bodies are our hosts. We are what we eat, and we are also what we put on our bodies. A year ago, I started swapping out the chemicals and foreign ingredients found in my daily purchases at the drugstore for natural, organic and/or vegetarian products. And wow, have I felt a real difference in my body. I simply feel healthier and look healthier, all while helping our planet reduce waste and plastic. Below are some of my favorite natural products that will help eliminate plastic waste and are all around good for you. 

Shampoo Bar

Lush USA

I recently started using a lavendar shampoo bar from LUSH and have fallen in love! Not only is it 100% vegetarian and is rich with essential oils and ethical ingredients, but for a soap bar that fits in the palm of your hand, it lasts up to 80 washes. That’s 2-3x more than a medium sized plastic shampoo bottle! Using a bar instead of purchasing a plastic bottle helps against the millions of plastic bottles that are dumped in the states every year and supports a zero waste lifestyle. I also love LUSH for their quality handmade ingredients and that they fight against animal testing. Tin containers are also available to purchase!

Conditioner Bar

Lush UK

Along with the shampoo bar, I purchased their conditioner bar from their UK site. Guys, this stuff is SOFT! For someone with a lot of fine hair that is constantly bunching up into thick, heavy knots, I need a quality conditioner that soaks and silks up my hair. And the conditioner bars at LUSH definitely get the job done…and well.

Natural Deodorant

All made of organic and natural ingredients that provide long-lasting coverage (so important, right?!) these vegan deodorants contain no aluminum (baking soda), parabens, propylene glycol, or phthalates. They also contain no-GMOs and gluten free. Here are a few that I love! (links included)

Primal Pit

All Good

Facial Favorites

Soy Organic Blueberry Face Mask

I use this mask from Eminence twice a week, and it really soothes and hydrates my skin. It’s as natural as you can get! Filled with mashed and creamy blueberries and non-GMO soy yogurt and a few vitamins like C and E and coenzyme Q10. This natural mask says no to…

 Parabens
 Phthalates
 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
 Propylene Glycol
 Animal Testing

Instanatural

This is my favorite brand for everything skin-related. They promise to include no parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, formaldehyde releasers, MCI/MI and synthetic dyes. Below are a few of the products I love.

Tanamagu Oil

Oil is really healthy for the skin and is one of the best and most natural ways to slow down the aging process. If you’re paranoid about wrinkles like I am (we all have that thing!) I strongly recommend using oils. I used to think that putting any kind of oil on my face, including sunscreen, would clog my pours and cause me to break out, but it is noooot true, guys. Oil is so good for soothing dry skin and, most importantly, hydrating the skin. This particular oil is super light and mild, allowing you to reapply several times a day. It’s great for the treatment of acne, stretch marks, ingrown hairs, scars as well as naturally heals and relieves rashss and Eczema.

Organic Rosehip Oil

My daily go-to. I swear by this! I’ve been using this natural rosehip oil from InstaNatural twice a day for my face, neck and hands/nails, and it’s truly made a difference in my skin. I noticed soft wrinkles were starting to develop on my forehead and around my eyes a year ago, and I’ve been on the hunt to find a moisturizer ever since. I recently discovered Lauryn at the Skinny Confidential and tried a few products that she swears by – including this one. I slather in on before going to sleep and wake up every morning with super hydrated, soft and supple skin. For someone who suffers from very patchy, dry skin (especially in the Northeast winters) this has helped my face so much! This natural rosehip oil is extracted from Rosa Canina Fruit Oil and is free of chemicals and preservatives. 

This oils reduces…

• stretch marks, wrinkles and fine lines
• Rehydrates hair and nails
• Reduces the appearance of scars
• Reduces damage to the skin from extensive sun exposure

Menstrual Cup

This is one of the best things you can do for your body and the environment, ladies. Forget the sketchy tampons that are filled with toxic chemicals (latex, BPA, dye, bleached rayon—a material that creates the possibly carcinogenic byproduct dioxin.) Girls, you’re basically shoving up BLEACH up there! Do me, yourself and the planet a huge favor and swap it out for a reusable silicon cup. They are small, flexible and super easy to put in and for the price of $30, it will cost you much less than buying a box of tampons or pads every single month. I have saved so. much. money. With proper care, one cup could last 10 years,  and you can go up to 10-12 hours with a cup as opposed to 6 hours with a tampon. It’ll save you time, money and it helps the environment – how much better can you get? I’ve been using the Lena cup for the past 8 or 9 months and I have yet to have a problem with it! It’s been super easy to use, and I wish I started using them years ago. Want an even better alternative to the Lena Cup? The Ruby Cup automatically gives a menstrual cup to a girl or woman without access to menstrual care products when you purchase one. Not only are you helping fellow women but you are helping to reduce the negative impact that disposable sanitary products have on the planet.

Bath Oils

My dear friend, Alexis, gifted four beautiful natural bath boils from Lush, and I am hooked! They are silky butters and filled with loads of essential oils. Instead of buying bath oils in plastic bottles, buy a few of these on their own at Lush and watch them melt into the water, then into your skin! My skin is always feels super smooth after taking a bath with these gems. I particularly love the ones with flowers in them!

Another helpful trick to reduce waste is buy big bars of soap instead of plastic containers filled with liquid soap. I personally use the giant lavender bar of soap from Whole Foods (smells like France!)

Natural Dental

A few facts to inspire you to switch: 

1. Over 2 billion plastic brushes will reach landfills each year

2. The brushes take over 1,000 years to degrade

3. Over 50 million pounds of brushes enter U.S. landfills

4. The numbers are likely to increase as more populations adopt plastic versions

Bamboo toothbrush

More than two billion plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills, every year! And with bamboo being the fastest growing plant in the world, we can choose a healthy more eco-friendly alternative. I recently made the switch from plastic to bamboo and you can grab your free bamboo toothbrush at the Giving Brush! The bristles are made of nylon and the packaging is all recyclable! On another note, if you enjoy drinking from straws, skip the plastic ones when offered and grab a bamboo straw! It’s a small switch, but it can do wonders for our planet.

Toothpaste

I personally love Tom’s natural toothpaste, purchased from my local Trader Joe’s. It’s natural and doesn’t include a lot of the toxic shit (like Fluoride) that’s put in normal toothpastes. I recently stumbled upon this article from the Kind Life and am interested in trying out these natural toothpastes as well!

Have you tried any of the items listed above? or if you haven’t, are you curious to try these natural Let me know your experience with them in the comments below!