Tips

by Humankind Shower Set Review

I have been using the byHumankind shower set for over a month and the results are in. I like them, do I love them? No, but I really really like them.

First off, the packaging is beautiful. The pumps are plastic and high quality enough that I can see them holding up for many uses. The aluminum bottles are lovely, lightweight, and endlessly recyclable. What would make them even better is if byHumankind had a refill/take back program. I inquired about this and they indicated it’s not in the plans for now, so municipal recycling it is. To be honest though I may refill these bottles myself… so in that note let’s talk about the product formulas.

I love the body wash formula, I have the tea tree scent and will definitely try it the bergamot next. With this body wash a little goes a long way. It lathers beautifully and downs’t dry out the skin at all.

As for the shampoo and conditioner, they do the job and smell great. I haven’t noticed any adverse affects to my hair but they aren’t spectacular products. I find myself still reaching for my Prose custom shampoo and conditioner. But if you aren’t picky about your hair care products these are worth a try. I personally think I will keep them on hand for guests because they are sure to impress with the scents.

All in all, I am pleasantly surprised with this shower set. For more byHumankind products I like check out these posts.

*This shower set was gifted, but all thoughts are my own

40 of the Best Podcasts (According to You!)

DIY Natural Cleaner

I recently juiced a whole lot of oranges and decided to finally try out making my own natural all purpose cleaner. Its easy enough, cover citrus peel in white vinegar for a few weeks and voila. Pro-tip, mark the date on your container (preferably glass) with a dry erase or china marker so you remember how much time has gone by. The virgo in me couldn’t help but create a calendar reminder as well.

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I decanted the solution into a spray bottle I had on hand and then emptied the peels (using chopsticks due to the bottleneck in my carafe). The cleaner is great thus far! Now on to more DIY, zero waste projects.

My Current Aid to Reduce Food Waste

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If you’ve been around here a while you probably already know I have been eliminating plastic and all kinds of waste from my household. While I haven’t bought plastic wrap in many years, and typically use Pyrex containers to store leftovers, finding sensical storage techniques for things like half of a lemon has been challenging. Last year I started using beeswax coated cloths, which at first glance seemed the most sustainable option. Reusable, check, made of natural materials, check, easy to clean, no check. I’ve steered away from using them because of the crumbs and dust my wax cloths tend to pick up and have gone back to the clunky glass containers for everything. Until I got these little silicone babies in my recent Causebox! They are dishwasher safe and come in a variety of sizes so they can fit over many container sizes and even produce. It’s only been days but this feels promising!

Find these at Alternative Cooking Hub.

Quince: Can Quality Be Accessible and Sustainable?

Quince: Can Quality Be Accessible and Sustainable?

A few weeks ago Quince reached out to me offering to gift one of their products. And as I do with any new brand looking for me to try their product in exchange for some social media love, I did a bit of digging to see how well they align with my values. (Just a note, I don’t share any brands that I wouldn’t personally purchase from and all thoughts expressed here are always my own).

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Microfiber Accountability

I talk a lot about reducing my single-use plastic waste, but last year I started learning about micro plastics and how they are wreaking havoc on our oceans, food supply, and physical health.

One thing I didn’t know until last year is that my clothes are shedding microfibers as were wear and wash them. Shedding isn’t much of a problem when it comes to organic fibers (cotton, wool, linen, etc) because they will break down and not release harmful toxins. This is one of the reasons why for my clothing line, Two Days Off, I only use natural fibers. But for synthetics fabrics, they shed fiber often derived from petroleum that breaks down to release harmful toxins.

There are a few easy solutions to capture these microfibers that I have stumbled upon. One are bags to toss your synthetic clothing in like the one from Girlfriend Collective picture above; the guppy bag is another one that has been on the market for quite some time. There are also attachments you can add to your washing machine to capture the shed fibers like this one.
Since I live in an apartment and don’t have an in-unit washer dryer, the bag was the best option for me. I also don’t have much clothing made from synthetic fabrics except for my work out clothes and swim wear so I think just one bag should work for me.

I’m eager to try this out and see what accumulates in the bag! Maybe I’ll share a follow-up if it is interesting.

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Plastic Freedom: Cleancult

In my latest foray of de-plasticing my life I have gotten my hands on an array of household cleaners by cleancult.

Cleancult products are made with clean, all natural ingredients and come in reusable shatter-resistant glass containers that are super cute and feel high-quality. Refills for the products come in plastic-free packaging and every time you place an order they offset the carbon emissions from your shipment! You can see why I am into them, right?

The next question is do the products work? I received a bar of soap, dryer balls, laundry detergent tablets, liquid dish soap, dishwasher tablets, liquid hand soap, and an all purpose cleaner spray in my kit. Thus far I have been happy with all of them, although the bar soap is nothing to write home about. What I think has been one of the most impressive products is the all purpose spray. I was super skeptical of natural all purpose sprays until this one. I love it for cleaning stuck on food on the stove and even soap scum in the tub!

I am looking forward to my first refill shipment so I can analyze the packaging it comes in, maybe I’ll share an update then.

If you are interested in trying out Cleancult for yourself use my code GINA15 for 15% off your first order. And check out my Instagram for a fun time lapse of me using the all purpose cleaner.

Gifts for the Avid Traveler

The holidays are fast approaching and I have already been looking around for gifts for the special people in my life. One of my favorite ways to shop is finding similarities between me and the gift receiver and then basically shop for myself (don’t judge). In this gift guide, I am shopping for my fellow travel lovers.

Some of my most used and loved items include a sturdy and attractive backpack, versatile neck pillow, long-lasting tumbler, packing cubes, noise-canceling headphones, external battery pack, cute passport holder, and a travel journal to record all the memories in.

 

Books to inspire

Plastic Freedom: Toothpaste

Continuing our theme of “de-plasticing” our dental hygiene routine, this post will look at toothpaste alternatives.

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Alternative Products

  1. Paste in metal tubes like Davids; most have plastic caps but some are starting to use alternative biodegradable materials like the Goodwell one pictured above. Since Goodwell has updated the packaging to no longer use metal tubes but a recyclable bio-resin from sugarcane packaging.

  2. Toothpaste tablets like these, also very convinient for traveling.

  3. Or toothpaste in a glass jar like Georganics and Nelson’s Naturals (with metals cap), or Uncle Harry’s (with plastic cap but reusable)

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Plastic Freedom: Toothbrush

Sticking with the theme of metal health, the second regularly purchased (and thrown away) plastic item is my toothbrush. I actually have been using Quip for a few years, but I have novel loved the plastic replacement heads and packaging it comes in. I decided to try out Goodwell’s premium toothbrush that also includes a subscription model and replaceable brush heads, but their heads are actually biodegradable!

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Alternative Products

  1. Bamboo toothbrushes with biodegradable bristles like Goodwell’s.

  2. Brushes made from biodegradable plastic alternative materials or recycled (and re-recyclable) materials.

  3. Mechanical or electric toothbrushes with biodegradable replacement heads like Goodwell’s Be Brush (which required no electricity or charging!).

Plastic Freedom: Dental Floss and Flossers

I started my plastic freedom challenge with what I felt was my most wasteful single use plastic - dental flossers. I use at least one everyday and feel a pain of guilt thinking about the thousands that are sitting in a landfill from me alone. So I went on the hunt for plastic-free flosser and floss options and found three.

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Alternative Products

  1. Silk or bamboo floss sold in cardboard or glass. If you go with the glass jar you can purchase refills for it.

  2. Flossers made from biodegradable materials like cornstarch, charcoal or proprietary technology that have been tested (like Goodwell’s).

  3. A water pik (or flosser) which is made form plastic but not single-use. I also have heard of a water pik attachment for the shower which is super convenient, but I’d go with this super sleek one.