5 simple ways to be Eco Friendly

I believe that a collective movement of small actions can create a bigger wave, which brings me to believe that by changing small habits in our lives can make a difference in the planet. Some people believe that being eco friendly is expensive but if you have the means to pay yourself a cellphone every month I'm sure you can invest on the well being of our environment. I'm sure that most of the actions that I'm writing about are things that you either have put into action or that you've heard of! These are very small habits that I try to stick to and that I find haven't been expensive options to implement on my every day!

1.Use an Epilator

It's been a year since I switched from waxing to an epilator. I was a bit scared at first because it's quite noisy but the pain level is almost the same as waxing. If you've never waxed and you've always been shaving then it might be more of a painful transition. It's a bit of an investment as most epilators cost over 90$ but in the long run you'll be saving a lot! I've saved a lot of money using an epilator and it's much less wasteful than buying plastic rasors or creating waste with wax strips.

2. Bamboo toothbrush

I've been using bamboo toothbrushes for a few months now and I'm really loving them! I tried a couple of different brands and right now I'm using one that I've purchased from TAU organic grocery store and I'm really loving it! We throw away so many toothbrushes a year and using bamboo toothbrushes is a more sustainable option as they will breakdown with time versus plastic toothbrushes... AND they cost almost the same as regular toothbrush!

3. Solid Shampoo / Soap 

It's been a couple of weeks since I've started to use a solid shampoo bar and it's been a smooth transition. I had already tried in the past a solid shampoo bar from Lush and this time I tried another one from Lush and I love the smell! It's a bit more squeaky clean compared to regular shampoo but once I add conditioner my hair is smooth again! Shampoo is a hair cleanser so to me it doesn't really make a difference what kind of shampoo you use as long it's free of sulfates, and parabens. I recently purchased another solid shampoo from "la maison lavande" and I can't wait to try as it smells decadent! I also use a soap bar as a body wash, however for handwash I'm still a big sucker for bottled soap... something with pumping soap...but you can always buy refills for the bottles! It's a bit trickier to buy refills for shampoo at least here in Montreal... these options can be available if you live in places like New York as they already have some stores with refill concepts.

4. Travel mug 

Last year I invested in a really good travel mug, it was pricier but it's very insulating! It keeps my tea warm all morning and it also works for cold drinks. I got mine at "home and hardware" it's a tiny store on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal and it's from the brand CORKCICLE, they have a huge selection of travel mugs and this store also carries SWELL bottles. It's easy to keep one in the purse or in the car for any take out places, at Starbucks you even get a discount for bringing your own mug!

5. Reusable Cotton Pads 

Removing makeup is a big of a skincare routine, well in my opinion it should be! I haven't implemented this habit into my routine yet because I keep forgetting about ordering these reusable cotton pads but it's definitely in my to do list! It's a shame that they're not sold in stores (at least I haven't seen them) I will be ordering from the link down below! This website also offers many organic, natural derived products and many goodies that promote an eco friendly lifestyle!

https://www.lalooma.ca/en/

- Nelly