Microplastics Detox – Part II, In the Bathroom
- Viroqua Plastic Free
- 16 minutes ago
- 2 min read
If you have already adopted many of the recommendations in last month’s blog (Microplastics Detox, Part I, In the Kitchen), you are already well on your way to reducing your family’s exposure to microplastics. But why stop in the kitchen? There are plenty of ways to reduce microplastics and their accompanying “plastic-associated chemicals” in the rest of the house…like the bathroom.
Take a look around your bathroom and notice just how many plastic containers hold your personal care products. It’s a lot! Here are some easy swaps!
Instead of using shampoo, conditioner, and hand soap in plastic bottles that must be purchased again and again, switch to bar shampoo, conditioner and hand soap. Many of them are wrapped in a paper sleeve or come without any packaging at all.
Instead of using a plastic container of deodorant, switch to deodorant packaged in a cardboard tube.
Instead of a plastic toothbrush that your dentist recommends you replace every three months, switch to a bamboo toothbrush. They are compostable and available from a growing number of companies.
Instead of toothpaste in a plastic tube, switch to toothpaste tabs that you simply crush in your mouth before brushing, or toothpaste in a recyclable metal tube, or choose to brush with plain old baking soda.
Instead of using mouthwash in a plastic bottle, switch to mouthwash that is available in tablet form; just dissolve it in water.
Instead of plastic floss that is packaged in a plastic container and likely coated with PFAS,
switch to bamboo floss or silk floss that comes packaged in paper, wood or glass.
Instead of using a plastic mesh scrubby in the shower, switch to natural loofah or a cotton washcloth.
Instead of choosing disposable razors, switch to a metal razor with replaceable blades.
Instead of shaving cream in a plastic pump container, switch to bar shaving soap.
Instead of removing your makeup with a synthetic disposable pad, switch to washable cotton pads.
Instead of toilet paper wrapped in layers of plastic, switch to toilet paper that comes wrapped in paper and is delivered in a cardboard box.
Instead of cleaning this busy area of your home with multiple products packaged in plastic and containing questionable ingredients, switch to easy homemade recipes using vinegar and baking soda.
Remember that “plastic is forever.” Every single particle of plastic created in the last 100+ years is still on the planet – in landfills, polluting the land and waterways, in the air, in our food, and in our bodies. Avoiding it as much as possible is a wise choice.
Check out the list below for local sources of sustainable personal care products. Plastic-free options are likely to contain ingredients that are much more people-friendly, too!
Farmers Market (every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., May through October,
at 220 S. Main Street, Viroqua in the Western Technical College parking lot)
Viroqua Food Co-op (www.viroquafood.coop)
LuSa Organics (www.lusaorganics.com)
1924 Custom Soapery (www.shop1924.com)
Be sure to revisit this blog you may have missed for some of our favorite homemade recipes!
Break Up With Plastic! Have We Got Some New Life Partners for You!