Category: Beauty

Hey earth muffins! As I mentioned in my Plastics I Refuse to Give Up post, I started using the Lush Herbalism face wash over the summer. I have been using it for a few months now, so I thought I would share a review of the Lush Herbalism cleanser with you all today! 😀

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Pros:
~This face wash makes my skin feel SO healthy and moisturized! I had been using Proactiv for a year or so before making this switch, and that always made my skin feel super dry. I love that my skin feels nourished and clean after using this face wash!

~Helps prevent new breakouts. The reason I started using this product was because over the summer my skin freaked out with Proactiv. It has been a few months now, and I am still dealing with some of the scarring left over from the incident. This product definitely helps my sensitive skin in preventing any new zits from forming, which is a huge bonus!

~There are fewer ingredients/chemicals, making it better for my skin. I plan on writing a whole long rant about how Proactiv ruined my skin, but the major reason I stopped using it (spoilers, I know) is that it bleached one of my dark shirts. If it can literally bleach a dyed fabric, what is it doing to my skin?! I feel much happier that Lush makes products with fewer ingredients and additives!

~The packaging is made of recycled plastic and can be brought back to the store! While I try to avoid as many plastic containers as I can (check out my Why I Use Bars Over Bottles post!), many Lush products still do not have a “naked” form… But hopefully they will one day! I love that you can bring back 5 of the black tubs to any Lush store and receive a free face mask in return – definitely a great incentive to get people to recycle their containers!

~A little goes a long way! This cleanser is used a bit differently that others, as you have to take a dollop, get it wet, and then apply. Because of this, the product will last much longer than a typical bottle (which I love!). Plus, you aren’t paying for water in your face wash. 😊

~Saves water in the shower. Because it is a more hands on process, I don’t actually wash my face in the shower anymore, choosing to wash it after getting out. This saves water and makes my shower time even shorter.

~Smells very fresh! This product has over 1,000 reviews on Lushusa.com, and many people seem to think it smells bad. I think it smells nice, but maybe I am in the minority…

Cons:
~Takes more time than other “normal” cleansers. Like I mentioned above, this cleanser is more hands on, but I don’t think that is a bad thing! However, if you can’t add a couple more minutes into your beauty routine then this cleanser is not for you.

~I am not a fan of the ground almonds. I understand that they act as a natural exfoliate (thank goodness there are no plastic microbeads!), but I sometimes think they irritate my skin as they can be very sharp!

Thanks for reading my Lush Herbalism review! What is your favorite Lush product?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins! After struggling to find a low waste deodorant a few months ago, I stumbled upon Primal Pit Paste (now Pretty Frank) and their amazing selection of sustainable products. I have talked about both their Wild Woods Natural Deodorant and Charcoal Whitening Tooth Powder in the past, so I am excited to share my thoughts on P3’s Tough Teeth Tooth Powder with you all today! 😊

The first thing I obviously love about this product is that it comes in a glass jar. As I am on a journey towards being as sustainable as possible, this is a huge pro for me! The only negative I found about their packaging is that there is a band of plastic around the lid when it comes in the mail. 😕 While this makes it not fully “zero waste”, the jar can be reused or recycled after the product is used up, making it way more Earth-friendly than other fully plastic toothpaste tubes.

I also love that there are only 7 ingredients in this tooth powder: Kaolin Clay, Bentonite Clay, Non-Aluminum Baking Soda, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Sea Salt, Myrrh Powder, Organic Spearmint Essential Oil. When I started making more sustainable choices last summer, I realized just how many chemicals and un-natural substances I was putting in/on my body. This powder definitely makes me feel good about avoiding those nasty things 😍

The powder is super easy to use, and the small jar will last me quite a long time! Compared to using toothpaste from a tube, there is a small learning curve to figuring out how to use a powdered toothpaste. Here is what works best for me:

I was quite surprised how clean my teeth feel after using this product! I am curious to see if my dentist says anything to me after my visit next month… (*Will update this post if she does or not!*) The only downside I have found is that it does have a salty mint flavor that was a bit off-putting at first. However, I got used to this flavor after only a few brushes and it doesn’t bother me at all! 🙂

Overall, I have absolutely loved all the products I have used from Primal Pit Paste. This tooth powder is great, and I will definitely continue to use it. 🎉 What toothpaste are you currently using?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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Hey earth muffins! As the summer humidity starts to set in, my hair usually goes through a period of being extremely dry. This probably hasn’t been helped by the fact that I have been doing some traveling recently and hotel air doesn’t agree with the frizz of my hair either… To give my hair some pampering, I decided to try out a hair mask from Ethique. 😊 As their brand fits perfectly with my mission towards living low waste, I will be sharing my experience with this product today!

The hair mask that I decided to try was in the “flavor” Boost (you can find it on their website for $13.95!). I featured their other mask, Bloom, in my Sustainable Gift Guide for Mother’s Day, but I figured a little boosting would be perfect for my hair right now. This product comes with two masks in a compostable box – wow, such a great way to reduce your waste!

Overall, I thought the mask was extremely easy to use. Just plop the adorable heart shaped product into a mug, pour 150 ml of boiling water over top, stir until smooth, and let it thicken for about 15 minutes. Then, apply to dry hair for 20+ minutes and rinse out in the shower. 👍

For me, the process was extremely easy; however, I found that 150 ml seemed like too much water. After only 15 minutes the mask was still a bit watery, but after letting it sit for longer it was fine to apply into my hair. Maybe the water was too hot? Or maybe I just added too much? I’d say shoot for about 130 ml 🙂

I think this hair mask did boost the shine of my hair, as it felt extremely soft after my shower. My hair tends to be on the greasier side, so I was glad that it didn’t seem to make my hair appear like it had more oil in it. I am excited to use the second hair mask in this package, and I love that I am able to pamper myself while still reducing my waste! 😁 I would definitely recommend checking out Ethique’s hair masks!

What are your favorite hair products?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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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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