6 Sustainable Bathroom Swaps to Make This Year

Written by Sariah Vilate for Circular Bodies

The bathroom is a place we frequent often. You know, washing hair and brushing teeth for the millionth time! These rituals, perhaps mundane, are also essential. They keep us feeling refreshed, ready for a new day (more or less), and hygienic.

A significant part of routinely caring for our bodies is choosing what products to use. And yet, walk through your local pharmacy or down any beauty aisle, and you’ll realize almost nothing is sustainable. Only cluttered shelves with waste-producing products. It’s like the only drum we dance to these days is SINGLE-USE, SINGLE-USE, SINGLE-USE. And yet...

It is possible to have a low-impact hygiene and beauty routine.

So, on behalf of dancing to a new drum (i.e., taking care of ourselves and the earth simultaneously), below you’ll find six sustainable bathroom swaps.

Safety Razor

Dozens of colorful razors may make a rainbow, but nothing is beautiful about plastic waste. The alternative? A stainless steel safety razor.

Safety razors have been around for more than a century. That’s about how long they last, too (mine is on year eleven!). Besides being long-lasting, stainless steel is a highly recyclable material.

You will need to occasionally replace the blade for a clean shave. Blades can be found in packs of 10+ for a few dollars. However, it’s important to learn how to recycle them properly and safely in your city.

Although safety razors cost more upfront, in the long term, you’ll save on money and waste. Plus, the sleek metal razors look stunning, right?

Teeth Care

Teeth care! A true essential.

Worldwide, billions of plastic toothbrushes are thrown out each year, making yours the perfect eco-swap candidate.

Enter bamboo toothbrushes. Bamboo requires few resources to thrive, is fast-growing, self-regenerating, and in small quantities, it biodegrades within months.

And when your bamboo toothbrush has lived its life well? Remove the bristles before composting, or continue to use the brush for cleaning.

Beyond the brush, there’s the cleanser. Tooth tabs and powder are great alternatives to standard plastic-tubed paste. Or, stick with toothpaste but in recyclable aluminum tubes, like our rosemary mint toothpaste.

Bamboo Toothbrush

Menstrual Cup
Bigger than a tampon, a menstrual cup may seem intimidating to use, but we’d encourage you to give it a go. They’re flexible; typically made of medical-grade silicone. This makes using them easier than it may appear.

Menstrual cups cost around 30 dollars but last for years. Like a safety razor, in the long term, you’ll save incredible amounts. And we do mean INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS (the average non-organic tampon box costs 7$!). Besides, no more late-night runs to the pharmacy for period products? Yes, please!

I personally adore my moon cup (that’s what I call mine). I’ve found it to be an easy, comfortable, and, quite frankly, liberating swap.

Tip: Many women find menstrual cups are best accompanied by period panties.

Soap Bars

Up next is the classic bar. Bar soap was used (for millennia!) before the first liquid soap was patented in 1865. The bar is beautiful because it works like a charm with zero waste.

Another bar benefit is the close-to-earth ingredients (think plant oils, essential oils, botanicals, and clays). These ingredients make for skin-loving and hair-loving soap without synthetics.

Here at Circular Bodies, our beloved body bars are somewhat known for being versatile. Primarily solidified plant oils, they gently wash the face and body but also work wonders as a shampoo. Yes, our body bars are for hair too! Learn more here.

If you haven’t transitioned from bottle to bar already, there’s no time like the present.

Matcha Body Bar

Packaging
If you’re someone who buys into the romanticism of cute packaging, I’m right there with you, friend. However, gorgeous packaging does not equal quality or sustainability.

Most beauty and hygiene products are encased in single-use plastic.

Some companies, though, wrap their goods in biodegradable, compostable, reusable, or recyclable materials. WOO-HOO! So, when on the hunt for body-loving goods, train your eyes to see the following packaging materials:

● Paper
● Cloth
● Glass
● Aluminum
● Nothing (that’s right, nothing)

Now, these are the most common materials you’ll see (new alternatives are surfacing, like mushroom paper!). But while we wait on tiptoes for more accessible options, the above are good alternatives to plastic.

Cleaning

We’re guessing every once in a while, you like to make your bathroom sparkle. I mean, who doesn’t love a warm bubbly bath in a newly scrubbed tub?

Cleaning supplies are often overlooked, but what we use to clean our bathroom affects more than just ourselves. For example, not all cleaners and soaps are biodegradable. And many chemicals in cleaning agents are toxic, like volatile organic compounds. Why is this a problem, you ask?

“If you pour hazardous chemicals down the drain, they might end up in your local rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.” ~ United States Environmental agency

People, plants, animals, and ecosystems are interconnected. We want to ensure the use of safe for all cleaning supplies.

Our Home Cleaning Powder does just that. It contains only saponified coconut oil and baking soda. It’s safe for all and earth-friendly, all while making your bathroom glisten anew.

Home Cleaning Powder

Let’s consider the above list an introduction.

After all, maybe you don’t shave, but you adore bath salts. The products you use and cherish will diverge from your friend, lover, or neighbor, of course! This is why the true magic happens when you consider your own essentials, weaving in sustainable goods that reflect your individual needs.

Lucky for us, it’s never been easier than now to source quality, sustainable, and GORGEOUS products! And we think you just may find some treasured gems in your search for sustainable body care. (;

What has been your favorite bathroom swap? We’d love to know in the comments below!