4 Eco-Friendly Cleaning and Hygiene Products for Around the House
Being a more responsible consumer of cleaning and hygiene products is beneficial to both your health and to the environment.
26/11/2018
Selecting cleaning and hygiene products is a routine task that everyone must partake in. Often, people find themselves reaching for the cheaper, more accessible cleaning and hygiene product brands. These products have been imprinted into their brains through never-ending commercials and advertisements.
Being a more responsible consumer of cleaning and hygiene products is beneficial to both your health and to the environment. Here are 4 cleaning and hygiene products that you can feel conscientious in using.
1) Compostable, Coconut Oil Makeup Wipes
Makeup wipes are essential for makeup users. Cleansing your face after a long day of wearing makeup is essential for your skin’s health. However, a lot of makeup wipes aren’t eco-friendly.
Standard makeup wipes aren’t biodegradable and can fill up landfills when they are used every day by makeup users.
Additionally, a lot of name brand makeup wipes on the market contain preservatives, some of which include formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, emulsifiers, and surfactants. These chemicals don’t belong on your face or in the environment once they are disposed of.
Luckily, there are compostable, coconut oil makeup wipes available on the market. These makeup wipes are compostable, which makes using them every day a more sustainable act. They are soaked in organic coconut oil, which is not damaging to the environment and is beneficial for your skin. These wipes do a great job of simultaneously removing the makeup from your skin and offering it nutrients through the coconut oil.
2) No Chemical, 100% Cotton Tampons
Commercial tampons can contain toxic chemicals like dioxin, bisphenol A (BPA), and chlorine. These chemicals are harsh to the environment and do not belong in your body.
Switching to 100% cotton tampons with none of these added chemicals is proven to be a smart decision for your body and for the environment. The harsh ingredients of commercial tampons can affect the skin around the vagina. The natural, non-GMO cotton of these 100% cotton tampons is ideal for sensitive skin, as it is hypoallergenic. Also reassuring, the plastic applicators on these eco-friendly tampons are BPA-free, which is meant to minimize environmental harm upon their disposal.
These tampons’ eco-friendliness doesn’t compromise their quality: it enhances it. Their 100% cotton composition allows for comparable levels of absorption and more comfort than commercial tampons.
3) Neutral Soaps
Commercial soaps, whether it be hand, body, or dish soaps, can contain ethanol, benzyl acetate, and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These chemicals can be irritate your eyes and lungs and dry out your skin.
Neutral, hypoallergenic soap products are a great, natural alternative to commercial soaps. These more ecological soaps have a neutral pH and are free of enzymes, bleaches, and phosphates. The lack of these chemicals, especially phosphates, is beneficial for the environment. Phosphates can negatively accelerate the growth of aquatic plants in ecosystems. Instead, neutral soaps are made with pure essential oils and plant-based ingredients.
Neutral soaps are often advertised as having multiple uses. This is very economical, as well as comforting, for you as the consumer. Being able to wash your hair, hands, and laundry with the same soap is ideal because the soap’s ingredients are gentle enough, yet still effective, for use all around the house and body.
4) Natural Toothpastes (Still Containing Fluoride!)
Traditional toothpastes are often made with artificial dyes and preservatives. There are a lot of toothpastes on the market to avoid these unnatural additives. Some have additional benefits, like aloe vera components for a natural calming effect.
When looking for a natural toothpaste, ensure that it contains potassium nitrate to soothe sensitive teeth and naturally derived fluoride to ward off cavities. Using natural toothpastes can help you clear your environmental conscious, as a lot of them do not test their products on animals.
Bottom Line
Eco-friendly cleaning and hygiene products are worth researching and exploring for yourself. You can reap the health benefits from their use, as well as feel better about the effects your purchases have on the environment!