Category: Product Review

Hey earth muffins! Back in March I reviewed Primal Pit Paste’s Tough Teeth Charcoal Whitening Tooth Powder for you all. In that post, I mentioned that I was also excited to try out the company’s natural deodorant (especially since I LOVED the tooth powder). As Primal Pit Paste (now Pretty Frank) products come in glass jars, they fit perfectly with my journey to live low waste! 🎉 My old deodorant finally ran out, so I have been using the Wild Woods deodorant for about three weeks now – the perfect amount of time for an in-depth review 😁 Let’s jump right into it!

The Pros
*Easy to apply – While you can’t just roll it on like a typical deodorant, it is still so easy to apply! Using the small wooden stick that comes with the jar, you take out a pea sized amount and roll it between your fingers a couple of times to make it soft. Then, just rub into your armpit! I have found it easiest to apply my deodorant before I put on my shirt for the day as I can see where I am applying it 😊
*Smells amazing (and keeps ME smelling amazing!) – I don’t usually smell unless I am seriously sweating, but this deodorant has never let me down! 🎉 The Wild Woods scent is earthy and smells like a forest, and I love it!
*Dries fast and doesn’t become sticky during the day – Before switching to this product, I was using Tom’s of Maine deodorant. This would often become sticky during the day, so I am so thankful that this natural deodorant stays dry all day. You can’t even tell that it is there!
*Doesn’t stain clothes or leave residue – I was worried that it would leave white stains on my dark clothes… But it does nothing of the sort!
*Comes in a glass jar – In my Zero Waste Successes and Failures post, I mentioned that I was having a hard time finding a zero waste deodorant. While Tom’s of Maine was natural, it still came in a plastic container and there were no TerraCycle places near me to recycle it properly. Therefore, I LOVE that Primal Pit Paste products come in glass jars. I will be able to use the jar for something else after I finish up the product or recycle the glass.

The Cons
*Difficult to get the same amount each time – As you need a wooden stick to get the product out of the jar, it is hard to get the same amount each time. This isn’t a huge deal at all, but it was the only con I could think of! 😝

Overall, I would recommend checking out the Wild Woods deodorant from Primal Pit Paste (or any scent of their deodorants really!). As mentioned in my last review, I also still have a tooth powder that I haven’t been able to start yet (as I still have some of my toothpaste tube). Keep a lookout for a review of the tooth powder when I start using the product!

Have you tried anything from Primal Pit Paste? Will you give their products a try??

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday if you celebrated Easter this weekend 🐰 I got to spend some marvelous time with family, which was super great to relieve some stress during finals. 😀 At the end of January, I reviewed the Jumping Juniper shampoo bar from LUSH… After finishing that bar, I wanted to explore some other package free shampoos as part of my journey towards living a zero waste life. Ethique has some great zero waste products, so I decided to try out their Heali Kiwi bar. 😁 Here are my thoughts so far:

Pros:
~Fits nicely in my shower container: I mentioned in my How to Zero Waste Your Bathroom post that I have an Ethique container that keeps my shampoo bars/soaps dry in the shower. I love that the bars from Ethique fit perfectly in this!
~Sustainable: This bar is package free, which is amazing for the planet. I also love that the box it comes in is compostable 💚
~Smells nice: Compared to the Jumping Juniper bar, it smells a bit more earthy – but it still smells really good!
~Larger than LUSH bars and more cost effective: The bar at LUSH was $10.95 for 1.9 oz, which is about $5.76 per ounce of product. Compared to that, the Heali Kiwi bar can be bought on Amazon for $16 for 110 grams (which is about 3.88 oz). This means that you are only paying $4.12 per ounce!

Heali Kiwi (left) compared to Jumping Juniper

Cons:
~Doesn’t lather as well: I have found that this is a common problem with many organic and natural soaps so this isn’t a big deal for me… Just make sure to wash your hair well if you want to avoid grease! 👍
~Seems like it won’t last as long: Even though the product is larger than the bars at LUSH, it seems like it won’t last as long. The soap is softer than the hard bars of LUSH, which makes it more susceptible to water. Just make sure to keep it out of water to make it last as long as possible!

What shampoo are you currently using? Would you switch to a shampoo bar?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins! My journey towards living zero waste has introduced me to so many great companies along the way… I’ve actually been astounded by how many firms are starting to create products that are both natural/chemical-free (and therefore good for your body!) and create less waste. After writing about my failures to find a zero waste deodorant in this post, I stumbled upon Primal Pit Paste (now known as Pretty Frank). Not only does this company create deodorants in glass containers (aka super low waste!), it also has a bunch of other products like tooth powders.

I decided that I wanted to test out one of their deodorants, their Tough Teeth toothpaste powder, and their Charcoal Whitening tooth powder. As I am waiting until my current deodorant and toothpaste runs out to try those first two products (yay for not wasting products 😉), I thought I would share my experience with the Charcoal Whitening tooth powder with you all today! Let’s get right into it! 🎉

First off, the glass container that the powder comes in is actually larger than I expected – there is so much product in it for only $11! Shipment was extremely fast and the box (and the brown paper package filler) were all recyclable. 🙌 The only downside that this packaging has is that the glass container was wrapped in a huge seal of plastic… While I know this is to make sure no precious powder gets out in the mail, I was just hoping that this product would be fully zero waste.

Overall, this product was SUPER easy to use – and it definitely worked! All you need to do is wet a toothbrush, scoop some of the powder onto the brush, brush your teeth until they are coated, let it sit for two minutes, and then brush/rinse away the powder. As the main whitening ingredient is activated charcoal, your teeth turn a hilarious shade of black which is the perfect opportunity to snap a photo and send to your friends (I may or may not be guilty of that 😝).

Before using this product, I was interested to see if I would be able to tell if it was working or not… And you definitely can! The first time you use it your mouth feels tingly as the product ingredients start working, which is a great way to know that something is actually going on! However, as there are only 8 ingredients in the powder it gives you a sense of relief that you aren’t damaging your teeth/gums/mouth like other chemical whitening procedures (which tend to be quite painful). Plus, I actually have noticed a difference in the color of my teeth! My teeth were never extremely yellow or anything, but they are definitely more white now!

To sum up, I would definitely recommend this product if you are looking for some sort of natural teeth whitening solution! I have been using it about 2-3 times a week to start out, but you can use it more or less as needed. 😀 For the price, the results, and the low waste product itself, Primal Pit Paste definitely created a win with this sustainable charcoal tooth powder! 🎉

Would you ever try a whitening tooth powder?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins! I posted on my Instagram recently that I purchased the Clean-Faced Cosmetics Foundation Powder in the shade “Light”. After using their zero waste mascara religiously, I thought that I should try out their powder and see how I like it to continue on my journey towards zero waste. After using it for a month or so, I wanted to share my thoughts with you all today 😃

Pros:
~Keeps me matte almost all day: I was worried that a natural product wouldn’t work like a “normal” powder, but this keeps my skin matte almost all day! 👍 It definitely does his job!
~Perfect amount of coverage: I don’t like a lot of coverage, so this powder is the perfect one for me. If you are used to a lot of coverage I would suggest using a foundation as well, but it can definitely be used by itself.
~Made with wayyyyy less ingredients/chemicals: This powder has three components (kaolin, tapioca starch, and cocoa powder) versus the 27 in the Neutrogena Skin Clearing Mineral Powder (aka the old powder I used to use).
~Feels better on my skin: I don’t know if it was the Neutrogena powder specifically, but my skin never felt that great when I was wearing powder. My pores felt suffocated, so I am so happy that this one feels so light on my face! 🎉
~Price: You literally cannot go wrong with a powder that is less than $10!!!
~Doesn’t break me out: Maybe this goes back to the pores being suffocated, but this powder helps keep my skin clear (which I of course appreciate!). I have had sensitive skin my whole life, so it was super exciting that I found a powder that doesn’t make me breakout.

Cons:
~A bit tricky to use: The powder is loose and comes in a metal tin which makes it a bit difficult to use. However, after you figure out the way that works for you this isn’t an issue at all. 😁
~Often lose product when you open the tin: Again, this goes back to how it is packaged… Especially if you travel and the powder gets moved around, you will lose a bit of powder when you open the tin. To counter this, I have found that hitting it on the counter a few times allows it to settle.

Overall, I would definitely suggest you check out the Powder Foundation from Clean-Faced Cosmetics! I think it is an excellent powder in general AND you get to be sustainable while using it (truly a win win)!

^Laura, the Etsy shop owner

What powder do you use? 

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins, I hope everyone is having a great week so far! 😍 As part of my journey towards zero waste, I have recently been switching out my bathroom essentials to products that are more sustainable… Recently, I swapped out my shampoo to the Lush Jumping Juniper shampoo bar. I was a bit wary of trying a new shampoo, as my scalp produces this weird oily substance that is hard to maintain. I had been using Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Shampoo ever since I was in 6th grade, and this product was able to at least control my scalp a little bit.

When I was looking to find a more sustainable alternative, I immediately knew I wanted to try a shampoo bar from LUSH. When looking through their “flavors”, I decided to buy the Jumping Juniper one that is aimed to “sort out oily hair problems by washing away grease and managing oil production”. I have been using it for about a month now, so I thought I would share the pros and cons of the product. 👍

Pros:
~Works great on my scalp: While I thought the Tea Tree shampoo had been helping my hair, it clearly was not doing that great because this bar does an excellent job of washing away ALL the oil! I was actually blown away the first time I used it, and the oil has still been controlled after using it for a month.
~Smells great: I can’t place what this bar smells like (I am pretty sure it is some sort of candy or dessert), but it smells amazing regardless. Sometimes heavily scented things can irritate my nose, but this one has just the perfect amount of scent to it.
~Easy to use: I actually love how easy this is to use! You basically just use it as you would with any bar of soap (get the bar wet, lather it up, and lather your head!)
~Looks ascetically pleasing: Who wants a brightly colored plastic bottle in their shower? Not me! I love how simple naked products are 😃
~Sustainable: Because this has no packaging, it is definitely a great sustainable alternative. I would recommend giving it a try!

Cons:
~It is difficult to keep the bar dry: To last for all 80 washes (which is how many washes the website say it will last for), it is essential to keep the bar dry when it is not in use. I bought the round tin to hold this product, but I would recommend not storing it in this container unless you are traveling, as it doesn’t allow the bar to fully dry.

~Makes my hair full of static: This is a minor thing, and I am pretty sure that is the dry air of my dorm…
~Kinda pricey: One bar is $10.95, which means you will need about 5 bars per year (if you wash your hair every night). While $55ish isn’t that expensive for a whole year of shampooing, there are definitely cheaper options out there if you are concerned with price.

Overall, I think the LUSH Jumping Juniper shampoo bar is an excellent product, and I will continue to use it! ♥ Would you ever try out a shampoo bar?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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