Jul 23

Jul 23 My favourite eco-friendly products. And some I haven't liked as much

God knows we all have enough on our plates being kind to ourselves and others at the moment. But don’t let’s lose sight of the urgent responsibility we still all have to take better care of our beleaguered world, and live in ways that are kinder to, and more gentle for, the planet.

If you subscribe to the These Are The Heydays newsletter (and if you don’t, why ever not?), you’ll already have benefitted from all manner of eco-friendly tips and product reviews (see what you’ve missed out on not being a subscriber? Scroll down to the bottom of this post - or indeed any page on the site - and fill in your name and email address (both of which, by the way, will remain entirely private) to put that right), so I thought this was as good a time as any to do a bit of a round-up of some of the products I’ve tried, liked and not got on so well with, over the past year or so of attempting to live in a more planet-friendly way.

Beeswax wraps

The eco-alteration I’ve made that I’m definitely the most delighted about is slinging the cling. I haven’t used cling film for over a year now, and I can report that it has been the easiest and most satisfying of all the planet-kind changes I’ve tried.

Cling film is a scourge. It takes decades to biodegrade, all the time leaching chemicals into the earth that are harmful to wildlife and fish, which can also get caught up in it with distressing consequences.

Fortunately beeswax wraps are a reusable, hygienic, attractive alternative that are fully compostable when they’ve reached the end of their shelf life (after about a year, depending on how often you use and reuse each one).

Beeswax wraps come in a variety of sizes and designs

The wraps come in a variety of sizes and designs, but they all share the same composition - fabric dipped into a mix of beeswax, resin and oil. You can make your own fairly easily (I’ve yet to try this, but that’s a next possible step) .

The wrap becomes slightly sticky when warmed in your hands, so it will mould to pretty much any shape - the top of a bowl, or wrapped around something, for example. And when you've finished using one for whatever purpose, you clean it using cool or lukewarm water (anything too hot will melt the wax) and non-alcoholic soap, then leave it to dry and it’s good to go again.

You can buy them at most supermarkets, so they’re easy to find. I’m currently using sets from Amazon (pictured above) and Waitrose (they’re available in store, but don’t seem to be on-line).

Bamboo cleansing pads

Cotton is another villain when it comes to the environment thanks to the amount of water it requires to be grown and the pesticides that are used in its production.

I banished cotton buds from my bathroom long ago after seeing a dreadfully upsetting report about them being swallowed by sea-horses.. Next to go were the cotton-wool pads I used to remove my make-up.

Bamboo pads are washable and infinitely reusable

What I’ve replaced them with are washable, bamboo pads and although they were a little stiff and scratchy to start with, they’ve softened up the more I’ve used and washed them. I rinse each one out after I’ve taken my make up off with it, then once a week put them into the washing machine in the drawstring bag that came with them.

It took no time at all to get used to the ever-so-slight palaver involved in using these, and I can’t imagine taking my make-up off with anything else now. The ones I use aren’t available at the moment, but these ones (pictured above) are very similar (and at the time of writing, on sale too)

Natural deodorant

This is a product I tried a while ago and struggled with, but have given another go recently with much more success.

My first attempt at natural deodorant was with the solid stick variety and i just didn’t get along with it. I found that it dragged and dried the skin under my armpits, so I’m afraid I gave up on it.

But a few weeks ago I came across a cream version and was inspired - not least by its brilliant name - to give it another go.

Hats off to whoever came up with the name for this natural deodorant

And this time I can happily give this planet and person-kind product the thumbs up.

The slightly grainy cream is scented with rosemary and bergamont and melts into the skin with just a little light rubbing. I’m not an especially sweaty person (I’m sure you’re glad to know that important information) but the deodorant keeps me feeling fresh all day.

It’s a 10 out of 10 from me.

Green cleaning

Inspired by my eco-warrior heroine, Nancy Birtwhistle (her Instagram and Facebook pages are filled not just with the delicious recipes you’d expect from a former Bake Off winner, but a whole raft of brilliant environmentally kind tips and tricks) I tried her homemade all-natural, kitchen cleaning liquid and I can report that it works a treat!

Nancy Birtwhistle’s green kitchen cleaner, complete with ‘recipe’

She has come up with formulas for loads more make-it-yourself natural alternatives to chemical based cleaners, so I’m planning on working my way through each of those!

Still on trial

My most recent natural product experiment is toothpaste. I’ve only been using this for a couple of weeks, so it’s a little early to give you my fully formed opinion. At the moment I’m finding it a bit clay-y (if that’s not a word I really think it should be) but it could be that I just need to get used to it.

I’m also starting to use natural soap powder for washing my clothes, so it’ll be interesting to see whether that’s as effective as the off-the-shelf versions I’ve always bought before. I’ll be reporting on that in the newsletter in due course (yet another reason to subscribe!)

Thumbs down

Along with the stick style of deodorant, the other block version of a natural product that I struggled with was hair conditioner. I tried both that and a block shampoo (both work like a bar of soap, you rub them into your hands, then into your hair), and although I was quite happy with the shampoo, I found the conditioner left my hair feeling flat and looking dull.

It could be that the brand/type I used (they were from Lush) just didn’t suit my hair and I need to look around for something that’s better suited to my thick, frizzy locks. That’s on my to-do list.

Like so many eco-friendly, natural products, it’s often a case of getting used to something that’s different from what you’re used to. But when you do, the rewards - for you and the environment - are more than worth the investment.

I love to keep trying new eco-friendly products so if you have any recommendations, please do add them in the comments. Thank you!