Save some green with these reusable beauty swaps everyone should try!
You want to help the environment as much as you can, but you don’t want to go bankrupt over it either. Luckily, there’s a happy middle ground you can reach when it comes to cheap sustainable beauty swaps!
I’ve got a great list of clean beauty swaps that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, it should save you money!
They’re all very simple and easy to implement when your current beauty supplies run out. Let’s find a few swaps you can make right now!
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Quick Tip: Buy Local and Support Small Sustainable Businesses!
Before we dive into my list of sustainable beauty swaps, I need to tell you this first. I’m going to provide links to all of these things on Amazon for your online shopping convenience, but I highly recommend you support small businesses if you can!
Do a quick Google search and see what’s available in your area. I was pleasantly surprised with how many small businesses dedicated to selling sustainable products were nearby!
Some stores will even refill things for you, such as soaps and essential oils.
Buying local also has the benefit of knowing exactly what you’re getting. Making more sustainable product swaps can be a little daunting when buying online because you have no idea what to expect sometimes.
But buying in person will give you a much better idea. And you can talk to store owners if you have any questions. I’m sure they’d be happy to help you!
I know for a fact that I can get just about all of these cheap beauty swaps at my local sustainability store, so do your research and see what’s in your area! You might be surprised with how many eco-friendly beauty products are available right in your backyard.
Now let’s get onto the good stuff and see what you can replace first!
Biodegradable Floss
“Wait, you floss?” Yes, yes I do.
And you should too if you aren’t already! But traditional floss is a major sustainability no-no.
Floss is made of a plastic that takes hundreds of years to decompose. Not to mention they end up swallowed or tied up around marine life!
And while I absolutely love the convenience of those pre-threaded floss picks, there’s too much unnecessary plastic that the environment would be better off without.
In addition, traditional dental floss is laced with chemicals that have been linked to heart disease and cancer (source). Yes, you may have a clean mouth with all the crevices accounted for, but there are better, safer options out there.
Dental floss made of silk in a glass container is a great sustainable floss alternative! The only thing that you replace is the floss itself when it runs out. And the little glass container is recyclable!
If you don’t like traditional thread floss, I also found some biodegradable floss picks, so there’s no excuses!
You can find biodegradable floss in a glass container in just about any sustainability store, or you can grab one from Amazon right here. I found my biodegradable floss at my local refill store no problem.
It’s a bit of an adjustment, but it’s a great alternative for plastic-free beauty products!
And not only is biodegradable floss easier on the environment, but it has zero toxic chemicals! Most floss is simply silk covered in a peppermint-infused candelilla wax, which is a great vegan alternative to beeswax.
If you don’t like the particular floss from a brand, no problem! You won’t have to replace the glass container. Just look for biodegradable floss refills instead and find a brand you like.
Bamboo Toothbrush
One common word you’ll see thrown around in this post is bamboo. And that’s because a bamboo toothbrush will actually decompose when it’s thrown out instead of its plastic counterparts.
Traditional plastic toothbrushes can pile up pretty quickly in landfills! Not to mention they do not decompose. It’s going to be a long time until the ocean is rid of lots of little bits of plastic like toothbrushes. But you can help take the edge off!
A bamboo toothbrush will decompose back into the environment. And they’re even antibacterial!
You know how bamboo cutting boards are really common? Bamboo can absorb any bad bacteria and suffocate it. So you can brush your teeth knowing that your toothbrush isn’t harboring bad bacteria.
Bamboo Cotton Swabs
Believe it or not, those little Q-tips can also be replaced with bamboo! I was very relieved to find this out because I cannot use anything else to get rid of my pesky under eye makeup.
And, of course, they make great ear cleaners too. Despite the fact it says on the box that they shouldn’t be used for that.
It’s also amazing how quickly these little things add up in your bathroom trash can. Especially if you’re diligent about taking your eye makeup off every night.
I like bamboo cotton swabs because they’re a good compromise. You can still use an object that you’ve use your whole life, but now you won’t be clogging up landfills and harming marine life.
Go the extra mile and find a brand with sustainable packaging or store your swabs in a cute little glass container!
Bar Soap
I’ve been using bar soap for the past few years and haven’t given a single thought to switching back to regular body wash.
Not because there aren’t any good natural body washes out there. In fact, there are plenty of them! But bar soap saves on packaging and gives back in more ways than you think.
There are so many small businesses out there that sell perfectly good natural bar soap. And there are so many fun scents! Finding some good bar soap is the perfect way to support your local economy.
The links for bar soap I have here are to my favorite handmade bar soap you can buy online. But do a little digging to see what’s local! Whenever I travel, there are certain stores that I’ll always buy something from because I love them that much!
Bar soap is a great body wash alternative because it lasts forever. Seriously.
I think I need to get a new bar of soap maybe once or twice a year! Either way, it’s a great bathroom necessity that you can buy in bulk and leave it alone for several years before you even need to think about refilling it.
It’s a great form of sustainable beauty packaging as well!
Norwex Microfiber Facial Cleansing Cloths
Knock out even more plastic from your bathroom by switching to reusable facial cloths instead of a facial cleanser! I know that this may not work for everyone, but it’s certainly worth a try.
I’ve been using these facial cloths right from the beginning of my natural lifestyle journey over a decade ago.
Just dampen your microfiber cloth and go. Yes, you can actually wash your face with just water! I’ve seen several people try it over the years with great success.
I personally use and love microfiber facial cloths because they exfoliate and cleanse all in one step. Believe me when I say that I’ve tried every kind of acne treatment for both my face and my body and this is the only thing that’s worked!
Reusable Makeup Rounds
Here’s yet another bathroom trash item that can fill up your waste basket pretty quickly. I used to use those little cotton pads to remove my eye makeup every night when I used coconut oil as eye makeup remover.
Now I use my reusable cotton rounds to take off my makeup every night and it does a great job of that! They are typically made of bamboo or organic cotton. And by bamboo, I mean fabric made of bamboo fibers.
This might take a bit more adjustment, but it can easily slide into your laundry routine! Just put your used rounds into the laundry bag that comes with them, then throw them in your laundry on laundry day.
This is another great opportunity to see what’s around you locally! Chances are, there are some really cute options.
You can get some with prints that match your bathroom, or you can go with a really fun print! Or you can go super simple with white.
This set on Amazon comes with its own garment bag! Just make sure you get enough that you can go between laundry days without running out.
Refillable Hand Soap and Shampoo
This last item is a bit of a catch-all in terms of anything else that you can refill yourself. This usually includes any hand soap, or even shampoo and conditioner.
Of course, you can always recycle these containers when they run out, but it’s nice to eliminate that step altogether. Sustainable beauty packaging is a huge contributor to reducing waste!
Take this idea one step further and go to a thrift store for a cute hand soap dispenser. Then, when it’s time to refill it, just take it to your local refill store and be on your way.
The same can go for shampoo, depending on what’s available to you. There aren’t too many options out there for beauty brands with sustainable packaging, unless you go with a shampoo bar.
If you can find a store that has your favorite natural shampoo on refill, go for it! Or you can consider trying shampoo bars and conditioners. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Before You Go!
If you’ve never heard of using solid shampoo and conditioner before, it’s totally worth looking into!
Shampoo bars can be fickle and might leave a layer of gunk on your hair. But I recently discovered a brand that made my hair feel amazing!
Viori Beauty offers shampoo and conditioner bars in different scents, and they work just as well as traditional shampoo! You can use the code Wellness-10 to get 10% off your order 🙂