The more I travel the more aware I am of waste, especially plastic waste, as it’s one of the hardest for the earth to decompose. Everyday products are my top concern for reducing waste, which is why I’m focusing on plastic-free beauty products with Ethique.
The time span in which plastic breaks down (or rather doesn’t) isn’t just my only concern. It’s also that global waste is huge, and it’s only getting bigger. For a long time I assumed plastic containers can all be recycled. They would have a new life, end of story.
I’ve learned though, that it’s not this simple. Many things we put in the recycling bin never actually end up being recycled—for a variety of reasons I won’t get into now. Ultimately though, reducing plastic consumption is the best way to reduce waste.
And thankfully, Ethique is a go-to brand for all things beauty and household products. This post is a review of Ethique, why it’s so great, what products they have and how they reduce waste.
These products aren’t just plastic and waste-free. They’re also budget-friendly and high-quality products which often last longer. Such as with the conditioner bar, which saves about six plastic bottles. These products are also great for travelling as they’re light-weight, compact and work effectively. There’s no need to constantly buy more while travelling, which is a huge bonus while travelling in foreign locations!
Table of Contents
A Little About Ethique
Ethique is one of the first brands I started seeing in stores with plastic-free beauty products, and it does not disappoint. What I love about the brand is it’s minimal packaging, and use of natural-yet-effective ingredients. The brand has everything from hair care such as shampoo and conditioner, to body wash and household products.
The product that hooked me from this brand was their natural deodorant (yes, it actually works all day!) It also doesn’t stain my clothes or get soft or gooey like many others I used. It’s with brands and products like Ethique that makes living a sustainable plastic-free life easy and clean.
Since 2012, the company has prevented over 13 million plastic bottles from being produced (and possibly wasted). Ethique’s website explains the reason for their plastic-free mission is because only 9% of plastic ever made is recycled. For every purchase, Ethique also plants a tree while purchasing carbon offsets
Overall, Ethique is the go-to brand for plastic and waste-free beauty products, and they’re only just beginning. The company is consistently coming out with new products, and has already reduced the need of 5 million bottles to date.
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Everyday beauty products such as shampoo and conditioner, are huge culprit of unnecessary single-use plastic and water. If you think about it, when we’re using water to shower, it isn’t necessary to have a liquid product such as conditioner and shampoo—or even body wash. Bars use just a little shower water to create a lather, and it goes a long way.
Ethique’s bars for shampoo and conditioner can save up to five to six plastic bottles from being used. For shampoo, I love Mintasy and Heali Kiwi, which both work great for my delicate scalp and fine hair. But there’s so many options, with light fragrances for different uses.
Wonderbar is the perfect conditioner for all hair types. And, Ethique sells storage containers with self-draining There’s also so many small sampler packs to try if you’re not sure which product will work best.
Natural Deodorant Bars
Traditional deodorants have some unnecessary ingredients that may help with sweat, but can also irritate skin. I stopped using traditional deodorants years ago because they left a thick film over my skin that I couldn’t go off, even with exfoliation and soap.
Since switching to natural deodorants I didn’t think about plastic-free beauty products options for a long time. That’s when I found Ethique’s natural deodorant bar Rustic. It’s hard enough to stay firm throughout hot climates—this is a huge bonus while travelling in hot and humid climates. Yet, I only need a small amount on my skin for the deodorant bar to be effective.
The natural deodorant by Ethique is another plastic-free beauty product option. It uses simple and natural ingredients, and works better than any other natural deodorant I’ve used. It’s also baking soda-free, with a hint of natural fragrance. However, there’s also fragrance-free option: Sans. If a deodorant stick isn’t exactly your thing, Ethique also has bars with plastic-free applicators.
Household and Beauty Concentrates
Ethique recognizes that not everything can be transformed into bar forms, or at least it’s not for everyone. With the block concentrates, the liquid (mixed with water at home), can be poured into any existing container at home. This gives other containers a way to be re-used instead of being a single-use plastic. Or, there’s metal and glass containers.
The options and (almost) endless for what’s the concentrates. There’s body lotions (pictured above), body wash, conditioner, hand wash, kitchen spray, dishwashing liquid, bathroom cleaner and shampoo. The package has directions on how to mix and create your liquid contents from the bar, and can be done with regular household containers.
Lip Balm and Moisturizers
Small plastics are some of the hardest to recycle, especially those with small pieces such as the mechanism to move the lip balm upwards. There is an alternative though with one of Ethique’s newest products, lip balms. It’s also 100% cruelty-free and plant-based, and as is the rest of Ethique’s plastic-free beauty products, it’s zero-waste.
Currently on Amazon there’s five different options for the lip balms, they’re creamy, easy to use, store and travel with. Most importantly, there’s hardly a price difference from regular drug store lip balms (with plastic). There’s really no reason not to try Ethique’s lip balms.
Body Wash and More
This company has really thought of all the possibilities of reducing plastic waste through beauty bars. Forget about the traditional soap bar, Ethique has body wash, body polish (exfoliator) and body butter block (lotion) to name a few.
There’s also face-specific products including make-up remover, face cream, face scrub and face cleanser. It’s opens up the conversation about how little we actually need plastic, when there’s so many options. There’s a lot of options for all of these products online (such as on Amazon globally), but there’s also many options in-stores.
For more clean beauty, check out my posts on Natural Deodorants that Work All-Day, Sunscreens that Don’t Burn Your Eyes, and Natural Shampoos for Everyday Use.
