5 Sustainable Things I Do in My Bathroom

I’ve lived an eco-friendly life for some time now so my lifestyle, rituals, routines and products usually revolve around that.

Some of these practices are seamless (like using a different type of toothbrush) while some take minimal effort before quickly becoming second nature, but they’re easy to do and the positive difference they make adds up.

1. Oral Care //

   - Toothbrushes: I use a bamboo and Suri toothbrush. The bamboo toothbrush’s bristles are not compostable, but the handle is. The Suri is a sonic toothbrush that prioritizes materials used. From their website: “Our brush heads are made from plant-based corn starch and our bristles are made from castor-oil. We've designed our brush with these innovative materials because it makes them bio-based and reduces our reliance on petroleum-based plastics. Furthermore, we will recycle the heads for free in the UK and US. The body of our brush is made from aluminum which makes it long-lasting and easily recycled.” I have the Suri 1.0, you can find it here. I really like it, it leaves my teeth feeling very clean, the charge lasts a very long time, the magnet you can use to hang it prevents the handle/body from getting gross and the replacement heads are affordable. I’m 33 weeks pregnant and usually when pregnant, you have inflammation in the gums but my recent dentist appointment was great and there was no signs of concern. As far as the bamboo toothbrush goes, I really like these here.

   - Floss: I use bamboo or silk floss that is inside a glass refillable holder. I buy refill spools of floss that come in a compostable bag made of cornstarch and that comes inside a box. Very streamlined and plastic-free. Not only is it good for the planet, but the floss is non-toxic and the refills save me money. I’ve traveled with the glass holder for years in different ways (keeping inside our camper, in a toiletry bag, in a purse, etc.) and I’ve never gotten near breaking it, so don’t let the glass aspect scare you. Another thing, my teeth are really tight in the back and I’ve historically broken floss in between them and had to use a new piece to fish it out, this floss is resilient and that has yet to happen. I’m at least seven years into using this type of floss. The brand I use is Mother Earth and here’s the glass container (starter) and the refills.

   - Tongue Scraper: I use a stainless steel tongue scraper and have used the same one for almost ten years. Because it’s stainless steel, I can boil it to sanitize it and refresh it when needed. There’s been no wear or tear on it whatsoever. The shape, compared to traditional plastic tongue scrapers is much more affective as well. I can’t live a day without this, it’s disgusting the amount of what I call tongue scum comes off my tongue and now that I’m aware, I couldn’t imagine leaving that to linger. I scrape my tongue before brushing my teeth, then also brush my tongue with my toothbrush when finishing up with that. It’s proven good for your health as well because you’re not swallowing all of the outside germs that your tongue is stopping from going down into your body as you eat and drink all day.

2. Compost //

   - I keep a cup inside my drawer, one similar to those that hold toothbrushes or q-tips and I collect the following in it to compost it and divert it from the trash. I have so many reusable and compostable bathroom products by now, I don’t even use my bathroom trashcan.

   • Hair (hair that comes out in the shower, from the hairbrush, when styling, etc.)

   • Used floss (avoid doing this is if you’re using plastic coated floss)

   • Used q tips (avoid doing this if using q tips that have a plastic stem)

   • Used Frownies (the facial patches) as they’re made from Kraft paper and starch adhesive