The Good Fill Review

I found The Good Fill on Instagram and have been eyeing them for awhile, but since I still had a lot of Plaine Products left in my stash I decided to hold off. But now that I finally finished up some bottles, I decided to let myself try them out. But first, if you’re not familiar with The Good Fill, they are a zero-waste bulk/refill store based in Nashville (by the way I looove Nashville and would totally live there if not for my whole social support system being out on the West Coast lol). They’re relatively new to the scene but what I love about them is that they will ship products in either glass containers (which of course you pay a little more for) or if you already have containers, they will ship their products in refillable plastic pouches that you ship back via their fully compostable mailer (the first time I’ve ever seen one and really all companies should be using this). They request that you ship the plastic pouches back within 3 weeks time (maybe so that the pouches can be cleaned promptly) so I put my extra liquid in a mason jar to store for the time being.

As you can see I ordered two conditioners, the dish soap, their all purpose cleaner and their lotion. So how were their products? The conditioners were alright and nothing fancy. It’s a lot like the Plaine Products one, not super thick or luxurious but gets the job done (probably not best for thick hair that needs a lot of conditioning). The lotion is also pretty standard and not super thick. It’s a great overall moisturizer but I do need some extra lotion for my eczema areas. I ordered the sweetpea scent but I’m not a fan (it smells very Bath and Bodyworks to me) so I’ll probably go with unscented next time. The all purpose cleaner is very vinegary smelling and not favored by my husband. I’ll probably make my own formula after I use this up. And the dish soap was great and just as good as anything off the shelf in your grocery store. So to sum it all up, I would say that their products are great standard products but aren’t “extra” in any way.

Some other things I liked about their system:
-all shipping materials were paper-based, even the tape used for the box

-squeeze pouch makes it super easy to refill even skinny neck bottles like the one above.

-the glass bottles and plastic accessories are all high-quality and work well. They should last for years and years.

Anyway I very much look forward to trying their other products as I slowly convert my lifestyle to a zero waste one. Ideally of course I would have a local zero waste store to refill my products instead of wasting carbon and energy with the back and forth shipping. But until that happens (or maybe until I build one? lol just kidding) I’m happy to support a small business in Nashville trying to further the zero waste movement!

P.S. A tornado hit Nashville last week and they were luckily spared, but they have instrumental in helping their community rebuild. If you’d like to help them, please support them with your purchases (and no this isn’t a sponsored or gifted post—I purchased everything with my own moneys).

Luxe Refill Review

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After I wrote about my zero waste shower routine here, I was contacted by a new-to-me zero waste bath and body products brand called Luxe Refill. They kindly gifted me the set pictured above (all in the Luxe Lavendar scent) in exchange for a review, but of course all opinions here are my own.

Just like some other zero waste bath product companies their bottles are all aluminum and are returnable to the company when you order a refill. They do offer plastic pumps for the aluminum bottles, but they are only sent with your first shipment and are meant to be reused. And if your bottle is too banged up to be reused, they are recyclable just like an aluminum can.

So let’s start with my faaavorite of the bunch: the after shower oil. I’ve tried several different kinds of body oils in the past and I find oils perfect for these super dry winter months. I love their after shower oil because it’s moisturizing without being greasy and it absorbs easily into the skin. The scent is not overpowering. And this oil has been great for my sensitive skin (some oils give me red bumps, even on my body, but not this one). This would also work great as a massage oil if you’re lucky enough to know an amateur masseuse/masseur.

I also really liked the shea butter lotion, which was less scented and a much lighter moisturizer. It also absorbed quickly into the skin and didn’t give me any irritation. My only complaint is that it was a tad too thick for the small pump bottle it came in so I had to dispense the lotion old-school-ketchup-bottle style. This lotion might dispense better in the bigger sizes though.

The daily shampoo and conditioner were great and got the job done. The conditioner though wasn’t super thick and moisturizing but that’s probably what their deep conditioning cream is for. The only product that I wasn’t a huge fan of was their gentle body wash, but that’s because I prefer more gel-like body washes that foam up easily while theirs was more of a milky-type body wash.

But I love that all their products are 100% natural and plant based without any parabens, artificial colors or synthetic fragrances. Also all of these products that I tried are vegan. So if you’re looking for some great zero waste bath products I definitely recommend giving Luxe Refill a try (and you can use the code HW20 to get 20% off your first purchase).

My Zero-Waste Shower Routine

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I don’t know how it is for you, but getting to any kind of consistent zero-waste routine has been quite a struggle for me. So now that I’ve got my shower routine down to zero waste I couldn’t be prouder. Granted, this stuff is pretty low hanging fruit. But still it’s progress, right? So here are the ways my shower routine is now zero waste:

1) Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash from Plaine Products

Yep, reviewed this back in 2017 and I’m still going strong. However, shipping back the aluminum cans can be kind of a pain so I’m looking into ordering from The Good Fill next (they ship their products in reusable plastic pouches that you ship back and you use your own containers—I’ll be reusing the Plaine Product containers of course).

2) Organic Cotton Washcloths from Muji

I’ve never blogged about these before but I love my organic cotton Muji washcloths. They’re thin enough that when they’re full of soap and water they don’t get super weighed down. And they’re just enough gentle exfoliation for my sensitive skin. I’ve been using them for years and they’ve held up like a champ.

3) Safety Razor

And the new zero waste love of my life is my safety razor, which I reviewed here. No cuts or nicks yet—you just have to use the very slightest of pressure. Also I use the Plaine Products conditioner as a shaving cream. But if you’re prone to cuts with a safety razor I recently found this other zero waste razor that is more like traditional razors.

Okay so yes that was a pretty short list. But really that’s all it takes to be zero waste in the shower. For my face wash, I use these small microfiber wash cloths to remove make-up and these cotton rounds for toner. Unfortunately my favorite face wash for acne-prone skin and toner don’t yet come in a zero-waste option. But my beauty routine is one of the next things I want to tackle to make zero waste. Anyone have tips for zero waste beauty?

Why You Should Switch To Using A Safety Razor

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It took me a long time to come around to using a safety razor even though I’ve been on a zero waste journey for so long (a path that has switchbacks because hey, this journey is sometimes steep and difficult lol). Anyway I finally did some research and purchased this safety razor 6 months ago (while I was still pregnant) when I used up my last plastic razor refill. But then didn’t get around to using it because A) I was pregnant and couldn’t reach my legs anymore, B) It was wintertime, C) I was intimidated in using something that looked so surgical and at the same time D) Too lazy to learn how to put in the blade and use it. But finally I started using it because I was no longer pregnant and it’s summertime so I needed to start shaving these legs.

And tbh, I don’t know what took me so long! A safety razor is not scary at all, lol. It’s super easy to use, it’s great for my skin, and it’s really great for the environment. It’s a shame I used so many plastic razors for so long (even if they were made from recycled plastic like this one). Seriously, this plastic-free shaving option is so easy, it should actually be the first step in going zero waste (along with bringing your own bags to the grocery store).

The benefit of a safety razor isn’t just that’s it’s plastic free and good for the environment. There’s benefits for the user as well. If you have sensitive skin like I do, a safety razor is great because the single blade means that you’re not irritating your skin with multiple blades going over your skin at the same time. Yes, with a safety razor, which only has a single blade, you won’t have as clean of a shave all the time. But really it only takes one extra swipe over some areas to get the same result (you really don’t need 5 blades to get a good shave).

And you definitely do not need to go get a fancy shmacy razor like this one (even though that rose gold is oh so pretty). The one I got from Amazon (that looks like the photo above) is $29 and has a 4.5 star rating with over 1000 reviews. I did my research and this is one of the best. And even though the initial cost of a safety razor is more than a plastic one, the blade refills are pretty dirt cheap. On amazon you can get 30 blades for $20 (and that’s on the high end). Compare that to the 5 for $10 I was paying with the Preserve razor. Or for my next blade refill I’m going to try out Albatross, which is a local-to-me brand. Their blades go for 30 for $4.50! And I love that Albatross has a blade take back program to recycle the blades so you really are producing zero waste for shaving.

Now on how to use a safety razor. First putting in the blade is super easy (just be smart and be careful). Even though I don’t advocate spending $75 for a safety razor, the Oui razor site has a good intro on how to insert the blade here. Rather than holding the razor from the side to screw and unscrew, I hold the stem of the razor and twist the handle. And to shave with it, I watched this video. They have some good tips: hold the razor at a 30 degree angle and let the weight of the razor do the work (no need to add any pressure). I like to shave with the grain of the hair so I have the handle going down the leg, but if you shave against the grain you’ll have the handle side going up towards the body. And instead of buying shaving cream, I just use my Plaine Product Conditioner (yep I still use these zero waste bath products!).

So if you’re not yet using a safety razor, but are on the path of zero-waste this needs to be the next change in your lifestyle. It’s easy, painless and cheaper in the long run! And I promise you won’t regret it. Anyone else make the change to a safety razor and what did you think?

What I took away from the book "A Life Less Throwaway" + Giveaway {Closed}

I was intrigued when I first saw A Life Less Throwaway featured over on Leah’s blog (or maybe it was Insta) and decided to add it to my list of “personal growth” books (I guess it would be growth by consuming less, lol). I didn’t know much about the book except from what I could garner from the title since I’m not familiar with the Buymeonce.com website. And no, it’s not about zero waste as I initially thought, but rather about buying to last. This of course is the goal for anyone looking for a more minimal and less wasteful life. And I think overall this book is great as a refresher or motivator for shopping less and making do with what you have. But there’s not really any novel ideas or any life-changing hacks. For those of us that’s been on this (very long) journey towards less stuff and more mindfulness, a lot of these concepts are things we are familiar with. However these principles below are some great reminders on the road to less.

1) Mindful Curation

Mindful curation “releases us from the trivial, the bland and the shoddy, and [helps us live] a life where our objects perfectly match our needs, pull their weight, reflect their our values and put a smile on our face.” This chapter was a lot about how to be mindful of our consumption as well as resisting advertising (the author has a background in advertising and lets us in on all the tactics companies try to get us to buy more). She advocates “fighting aesthetic waste by finding your true taste” by sitting down and thinking where your taste lies (modern, boho, colorful, simple?). She also talks about "ad blocking” when shopping by telling yourself “I have everything I need to be happy” while walking around the mall or browsing the internet. She also touches upon a capsule closet to resist buying fast fashion.

2) Finding Your Purpose

Of course one of the easiest ways to resist mindless consumption is to redirect your attention to your “purpose” in life. In general, she advocates doing other things you love instead of shopping though of course this is easier said than done. She suggests listing 12 things you’ve always wanted to do (some examples for me include doing more yoga, volunteering, reading more, etc.) and focusing on doing one a month. Or also writing a mission statement so that you can evaluate whether or not each purchase aligns with your mission.

3) Resist Impulse Purchases

And then she has a couple of shopping hacks to prevent impulse shopping. These include writing an unwish list (a list of things you will never buy), thinking about the use of results/use of items before purchasing, purchasing from a position of strength (when you feel great about yourself as opposed to when stressed or feeling low), knowing your shopping triggers, and purchasing with patience. Again all useful refresher points but nothing revolutionary.

The book also has some good resources on items that are meant to last (so what you should buy). And in general it’s a great refresher on working towards a more minimal life. If you’re interested in reading this book for yourself, I’d love to pass this copy onto a reader of the blog. So just enter the form below if you’d like this book and I’ll pick a winner and mail them this book! Giveaway ends next Sunday midnight and winner will be announced Monday!

Marley's Monsters Review, part 2: Cotton Facial Rounds, Bowl Cover and Unpaper Towels

*This is an unsponsored review and all items were purchased myself and all the nice pictures come from her site

After my first round of purchases from Marley's Monsters (reviewed here), I was a believer!  If converting to a zero waste lifestyle is this easy, sign me up!  I guess this is sort of the "low-hanging fruit" of a minimal waste lifestyle makeover, where these easy purchases will carry you a long way.  Well when Marley's Monsters was having a sale earlier in the year I purchased a couple more items including the cotton facial rounds, the bowl cover and unpaper towels.

Cotton Facial Rounds

So for my first review I purchased the bamboo facial rounds, enticed by the antimicrobial and sustainable nature of bamboo.  But one reader commented that the bamboo wasn't soft enough and I stand corrected, yes the cotton ones are waaay softer even after multiple washes.  Now I use the bamboo ones when I want more exfoliation and the cotton ones for toner.  The plus side of the bamboo ones are that they aren't as absorbent as the cotton ones and thus you use less liquid overall.  Also I removed eye make-up with these rounds and even though they're white, the make-up washes off for the most part (they sometimes appear more grayish after removing dark make-up but not really gray).  However, I did use one to clean up spilled lip gloss in my make-up drawer and that bright pink didn't wash out even after multiple washes.  Again I would say this is a great buy and better than the bamboo for those with sensitive skin.

Bowl Cover

I ordered the large bowl cover to cover my collapsible bowl when making my Farmer's Market Kale salad.  I was previously using plastic wrap and felt that there needed to be a better solution.  I've used Bee's Wrap in the past and didn't like it.  I had a hard time getting a good seal around the edges, especially if I put it in the fridge and wanted to recover it (the bee's wrap got really stiff).  I also found the bee's wrap hard to clean well.  That's why I loved these bowl covers so much, since the drawstring ensures a good seal while the whole thing is machine washable.  The inside is lined with a BPA-free plastic that's durable and easy to wipe clean as well.  I foresee myself using this bowl cover for years and years to come.

Unpaper Towels

So the only purchase that I was kind of "eh" about so far from Marley's Monsters are these Unpaper Towels.  I purchased the 6 pack for $16 (so thats $2.67 per flannel cloth) and that seems pretty steep for me. They're cute and work fine, but if anything they give me an idea to make my own unpaper towels from old and ratty clothes (though I need to learn how to use a sewing machine to make those edges first).  I think in the end if you have your own rag system, then don't bother getting these.

Anyways, I'm very excited to be using all my Marley's Monsters items this year (and the ones from last year).  So far all the products have held up magnificently and I plan to purchase more next year if she has another sale again!

Zero Waste Review: Marley's Monsters Washable Sponge and Organic Bamboo Facial Rounds Review

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First of all thank you to everyone who's taken my little survey so far.  I've been reading them through as I get them and it's given me a lot to think about.  I'm super excited to see how this space will change with all the feedback!  Thank you thank you thank you!

Anyway onto the review:

*This review is not sponsored and I purchased all items myself

Welcome to my first review of the year!  Since one of my resolutions is to make my life more zero waste, here's my first zero-waste promoting review: reusable sponges and facial rounds from Marley's Monsters!  I first heard of this brand from Andrea and I knew I wanted to try these ethical items made in Oregon.  Well I've been using both items for three months now and I love them!

I purchased the organic bamboo facial rounds and chose them over the cotton ones because not only does bamboo have natural antimicrobial properties but bamboo is also a more sustainable resource than cotton.  And seriously I wished I had switched over to these much sooner when I think of all the cotton (and plastic wrappings) I've disposed of in the past.  These bamboo rounds are better than disposable cotton pads since they don't soak up as much toner/makeup remover as cotton balls and thus more of the moisture transfers to your face.  Just make sure you wash them all before using (even though it says pre-washed it's better to wash it again yourself) and use a laundry mesh bag so you don't lose any rounds!  Seriously if you're using cotton pads morning and night, please do yourself (and the environemnt) the favor and switch over to these!

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As for these washable sponges, I love them for the most part.  I love that these are reusable so I'm not constantly throwing away plastic sponges, and the graphics are cute.  The scrub side does a pretty good job at scrubbing away dried food bits and probably best of all, these sponges never get that gross moldy/bacterial smell even after weeks of use (due to the mildew resistant center).  Oh and I used to switch out my sponge whenever it started getting really gross since I disliked throwing them away frequently.  But now I can just throw them in the wash so I switch out my sponges weekly.  My only gripe with these sponges is that the middle mildew resistant cloth gets bunched up in the wash and then come out lumpy.  So they're never as good as new after washing.  Also these sponges don't hold soapy water as well as their disposable counterpart.  But overall these are minor details and my three sponges are all going strong after 3 months of use.  I'll let you know when they finally go ka-put.

Anyway I'm quite happy with both of my purchases and if zero waste is this easy, why would I live life any other way (lol, but I know it's not always this easy.  Sometimes zero waste comes at the cost of convenience.  But is ruining our environment worth having the minor conveniences?  Nope. )  Anyway a zero waste lifestyle might take an initial investment but the act of reusing will cut costs in the long run, and I can't wait to use these Marley Monster items to peices!

P.S. I just watched Captain Fantastic (free on amazon prime) and talk about some zero waste inspo!

P.P.S I just got a good question from Sandy about whether or not makeup washes clean from the facial rounds.  TBH I usually use it for toner but for the occasional times I used it to remove eye makeup it washed back to white.  To remove a full face of makeup I usually use these.

Plaine Products Review

*I purchased these items myself and this review is not sponsored, but this post contains affiliate links so if you do purchase I will be rewarded (I'm trying to earn enough so that I can purchase enough Plaine Products for my Airstreams!)

I first heard of Plaine Products from Leah over at StyleWise and since I was in the market for some sustainable and natural shampoo and conditioner I thought I might as well try them out.  During that time I also tried out Akamai products (review here) and the Plaine Products were the clear winner for me.  Here's why: the shampoo and conditioner didn't clog my pores (sometimes I get inflamed zits around my hair line with certain products) and it also calmed the crazy dandruff and inflamed scalp from a bad bleach job (remember that ugly yellow hair from last year)?  The fact that the products are sulfate-free, vegan and they have a zero-waste program that allows me to return empty bottles is just a bonus (ok a really big bonus, but really if the products were bad this bonus wouldn't make me want to re-buy it).  But luckily these products are awesome.  I'm already out of the shampoo and am currently waiting for it in the mail!

If you're interested, you can find the list of ingredients here.  As for the smell of the products, all three products smell to me 'minty-botanical' but it's a very mild scent (their bottles describe it as 'rosemary, mint, vanilla').  The shampoo and body wash are my favorite, while the conditioner is good but not the best I've tried (I guess I'm used to those really chemically-laden stuff that make your hair feel as soft as silk).  The conditioner consistency isn't super thick but at the same time my hair is now used to it and doesn't need those thick conditioners.  The shampoo, which I love, cleans my thin hair without stripping it of oils (in fact there are days I can use just the shampoo without the conditioner and my hair still feels rather soft, but I'm not sure if those with thick hair will have the same result).  The body wash is also really awesome and lathers easily.  But I like that all the products are color-safe for my dyed hair and again they don't break me out.  It's perfect for those with sensitive skin like me.

I love their stuff so much that as I mentioned above, I would love to be able to stock all our Airstreams at GoSilver with their products.  So if you do purchase through my referral links to Plaine Products, thank you so much for supporting my goal!