Tag: Recycle Less

Beauty and Skin Care, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2

by natjtan2 Comments on Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2

Welcome to another Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2! As some you may know I’m trying to reduce my plastic consumption. I’ve always said beauty products after food are the the hardest plastic area for me to reduce. Thankfully with hair care, it’s getting easier to go plastic free with solid shampoo and conditioner bars! However just like their liquid counterparts it takes many frogs to find the right ones.

I’ve found some bars might contain too much sulphate that make my fine hair go crazy frizzy. Nobody wants that! I also feel sometimes the ingredients are a little more concentrated being in a bar. Just like with all my beauty products I always go for cruelty free products, vegan a bonus. I prefer natural clean products and try to avoid nasty ingredients such as parabens, petrochemical ingredients and its derivatives, SLS etc. I avoid palm oil if I can as I prefer orangutangs. I’m not perfect, some nasty ingredients slip through as I sped read the label, or it’s a derivatives or an alias I’m not familiar with. With make up I opt for cruelty free, clean as possible ingredients however it’s harder with make up than skincare to avoid the crap free ingredients. My skin type is oily, combo, sensitive, acne and needs all the help it can get with anti aging. My hair type is fine, gets greasy quickly and is prone to damage even though I don’t colour it or use any heat treatments on it. I often get OWay rebuilding treatment. 

One thing I have noticed with solid shampoo and conditioners is the price. It’s a lot kinder to the bank balance. Depending on the size they also last longer. This I find interesting as many natural liquid shampoos and conditioners cost almost 3-5 times or more the price of a bar.

Solito Herbal Solid Shampoo. Neutral For All Hair Types 

This did what it said, neutral for all hair types. I was sad when it had it’s last lather. It kept my hair happy and shiny in 3 countries with 3 different climates. It left it feeing clean, happy, a little shiny. It’s scent didn’t really smell, it lathered nicely, it was a great everyday shampoo. I would repeat buy however:

It contains propylene glycol, petrochemical derived. I’ll admit I over looked it at the time as the previous solid shampoo bars made my hair a little crazy Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 2” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

by natjtan2 Comments on How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

A while back I shared how I find out which beauty products are cruelty free, a hugely important aspect for me when it comes to beauty products. Today in continuation I’m sharing how I find out if the ingredients are good or bad.

I prefer natural, clean beauty products and I’m learning what’s clean doesn’t necessarily meaning it’s not derived from petrochemicals. Vegan products are a bonus. As many of you know I’m on a mission to reduce the amount of plastic I consume. This too includes what’s in beauty products. The packaging I try to opt for less plastic however I’ve always said beauty products are one of my biggest plastic areas. 

Many times looking on online an ingredient says it’s synthetic and has a low rating on ewg.com for toxicity meaning they’re clean and safe. However I prefer not to put petrochemicals on my skin anymore. ewg.com is a great place to start looking at the toxicity rating of products. 0 being least hazardous, 10 being the highest. A few natural ingredients might have a rating of 3-5 based on the allergic reaction but I prefer them over synthetic. I’m no angel some nasty ingredients sip through, I’m okay this time or some I know the brand has sourced the best option of it. I also understand that what is natural can also be processed. On the whole I try to avoid the nasty ones. It’s easier with skincare products than makeup. Makeup I try to opt for the lesser badder ingredients.

The main ingredients for concern are: Sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours, T.E.A, D.E.A, silicones, PEGs. ethoxylates, formaldehydes, phthalates, synthetic preservatives, synthetic glycols. These can all individually cause anything from hormone disrupters, skin rashes to I’m sure polluting the environment. In addition I try to avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. This can be more tricky as like coconut oil (the ‘good’ oil but still has its problems enviromentally) it’s derivatives are used mixed with other ingredients or are the petrochemical Continue reading “How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients” →

Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen

by natjtan2 Comments on Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen

While this Recycle Less is about all things linen, it’s also a reminder to myself why I’m recycling less. Or trying too. As I’ve mentioned many times animals, nature are 2 things I care very deeply about. We as humans tend to discard nature by keeping up with the Joneses.

I started watching on Netflix, Broken. A documentary looking at the true price of things we buy. Not in any particular order and I did leave it by the wayside for Korean dramas. Just saying. The one that made an imprint was Makeup Mayhem. The episode focusing how people’s need to have the latest beauty products fuels counterfeit goods. What shocked me more was the amount of waste. Watching the legit independent beauty brand ColourPop’s production line I was amazed by the amount of plastic packaging for just one pot of eye shadow. This is just an independent label. It blew my mind how much say an established beauty house uses plastic, what’s sold, what’s not, what’s discarded. The the amount of plastic and transport involved in counterfeit goods. Even the amount of plastic at the Port of Los Angeles! 5.5 million containers go through that port every year. Imagine the plastic inside! I also started watching Deadly Dresser episode looking into fast furniture of the furniture industry such as Ikea. I only watched 3 minutes but seeing the trees cut down illegally from National Forests in Eastern Europe for is enough for me to say no more cheap furniture. Thankfully the Ikea products in the house are lasting (I also think this is down to assembly. Yes a nod to P!). I’ve read forest wardens are being killed in the last primeval forests of Easter Europe by illegal loggers. Ikea has been taken to court for purchasing illegal primeval forest land in Romania. I know people need furniture and not everybody can spend money on items that will last as they need something now. It’s a huge mess, it’s complicated and I don’t see a way out.

H&M Home Linen Cushion Covers

I’m not sure how to continue this post after that. Little steps can make big steps cooperatively. I guess I didn’t need to replace the cushion covers. They were about 4-5 years old and I wanted a change which I didn’t realise until out shopping. Excuses! In perhaps the worst place to recycle less I was in H&M Home. I came across a tan/light brown 100% linen cushion cover that said NAT over here! Long story short, linen is a great alternative to polyester or nylon cushion covers. Easy to recycle at the Continue reading “Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Recycle Less Update: Updated Finds

by natjtan2 Comments on Recycle Less Update: Updated Finds

Welcome back to another Recycle Less Update! Some items may have been featured in previous Recycle Less Updates however below are improved finds. As some long time readers know I’ve been on a journey for a few years to reduce the amount of plastic I consume and stuff in general. It’s not easy and any plastic free finds, eco environmental finds I find, I share!

Since starting being more conscious buying less plastic I’m actually buying less as well. Double whammy! When you see plastic everywhere you realise just how much there is, sometimes despair now it’s here it’s never going to go away. I’m not anti plastic everything. It has valuable use when used right. I try to avoid unnecessary plastic whenever I can. Food and beauty items are still my number one plastic hurdles. Whenever I can grocery shopping I use cotton produce bags (I even take them on holiday!), go for skincare without nasty ingredients (since starting being plastic freer, it’s evolved in avoiding petroleum plastics and it’s derivatives in skincare, food), do my best to find the plastic free alternatives. I’m no angel, shoes are plastic as I’m vegan too. For example I didn’t know shoe glue can contain animal gelatine for the bonding. What’s that got to do about being plastic free? Sometimes you have to compromise, give and take and do the best you can caring as much you can for the environment. 

Kaiapuni Eco Dental Floss and Refills

Previously I was compromising with a silk floss. It came in a glass container however being silk and me being vegan I was never happy about it. But it was better than nylon or ‘plastic’ floss. Even since I saw a photo of a seal with floss wrapped around its neck cutting into its flesh, I’ve been anti plastic floss. An Amazon recommendation was Kaiapuni floss £5.99 plus shipping. A corn based floss making it 100% biodegradable and clumsy friendly container being metal. Refills are cheap, £6.99 for 2 Continue reading “Recycle Less Update: Updated Finds” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1

by natjtan5 Comments on Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1

I’ve been reducing or trying to reduce my plastic waste for the past few years. Somethings are easier than others to replace with non plastic. Hair products aren’t going to to be anytime soon unless part 2 of The Hair Care Bars do a miracle on this girl’s fine wavy stubborn hair.

A friend recommended Lush hair bars. She’s also on a plastic freer journey. I should have taken my own advise from my last trip to Lush. Lush is a I like concept brand, the products just don’t do it for me. My hair however wasn’t fairing well from Freshly Cosmetics duo, it was that time of the month making me feeling a little down with I need a boost (with shopping. I always say shopping is modern day hunting. The thrill of the chase hunting down items adrenalin low key pumping) so I was okay lets try Lush hair bars to see if they’ll revitalise my hair. Something I’m working this year is to listen to my intuition more. So many times I’ve gone against that voice, not listened and I should have. That and not buying unwanted things, saving pennies. 

Anyways, my hair time is fine, oily easily damaged. You’d think not colouring it, no heat treatment, eating as healthy as I can, all the hair foods and taking brewers yeast tablets my hair would be in okay condition. Nope. I blame pollution! And the wrong products. Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1” →