S/O Greener products rant/raves

[namasteak]

Jan 5, 2020 20:37:15 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Jan 5, 2020 19:56:54 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Ahh ok got it! I hope the reusable cottons work for you.
Are you using an oil based cleanser to remove make up?
I'll confess that sometimes when I'm lazy I don't even use a wash cloth and just use my hands. An oil based cleanser does well at removing my make up. In the morning when I shower again for my regular shower with a wash cloth and wipe my face there isn't any make up residue. 
Maybe the skin care junkies will kill me haha. But just another option if you find that the reusable clothes are also irritating to your skin. I switched to an oil based cleanser I think almost 2 years ago and it's definitely been good for my skin. 

An oil-based cleanser is not a bad idea. I break out super easily so I'm wary of oils because I never can tell what is going to anger my face and clog my pores, but I'm slowly learning more and I bet I could find something that would work. 

I do too and have found that using Clinique Take the Day Off balm works really well as a first cleanser.

[isabel]

Jan 5, 2020 20:37:15 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

Jan 5, 2020 19:56:54 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Ahh ok got it! I hope the reusable cottons work for you.
Are you using an oil based cleanser to remove make up?
I'll confess that sometimes when I'm lazy I don't even use a wash cloth and just use my hands. An oil based cleanser does well at removing my make up. In the morning when I shower again for my regular shower with a wash cloth and wipe my face there isn't any make up residue. 
Maybe the skin care junkies will kill me haha. But just another option if you find that the reusable clothes are also irritating to your skin. I switched to an oil based cleanser I think almost 2 years ago and it's definitely been good for my skin. 

An oil-based cleanser is not a bad idea. I break out super easily so I'm wary of oils because I never can tell what is going to anger my face and clog my pores, but I'm slowly learning more and I bet I could find something that would work. 

I pink puffy heart love this stuff. www.ulta.com/clean-it-zero-3-in-1-cleansing-balm?productId=pimprod2009043

I'm not a makeup wearer, but on the rare occasion that I do wear it, this stuff takes it off with ease. (I do use it daily anyway to remove oil.) I don't use any washcloths for any of my normal skincare routine. Fingertips for oil based and regular cleanser, toner directly into hands, acids directly into hands, and a serum and lotion.

[isabel]

Jan 5, 2020 20:57:35 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Jan 5, 2020 20:31:40 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

Shouting it from the rooftops because no one I know irl listens to me-
My favorite “green” purchase this year was Thinx. So amazing. I’d used cloth pads for a few years but Thinx are so much better.

I want to try some other brands, including looking for a swimwear option.

But I really wish I’d made this jump years ago. So worth the money for me.

Question about thinx... or maybe not a question as much as thinking out loud...

on my heavy days, it’s ridiculous. Like I can overflow a diva in 2 hours. I’ve worn 2 pads and depends for overnights.. would thinx be a good option? 

Also, I tried reusable pads and ended up with my first UTI ever my second month. I suspect The wash didn’t sanitize them enough. This makes me question thinx. 

My heavy days are similar to yours. I switched to Thinx for overnight and while I definitely overflow my diva cup, I can sleep through the night without bleeding through the Thinx. I've never had an issue with a UTI or them not getting clean though, so I can't speak to that potential sensitivity.

[isabel]

Has anyone tried Bite toothpaste bits? I'm pretty intrigued by them.

[mrsukyankee]

seeyalater52, I bought a bunch of baby clothes (muslin clothes) that seem to work better for my skin than regular hand towels (more gentle as I have sensitive skin). That might also work for you.

[mrspez07]

Jan 5, 2020 20:57:35 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Jan 5, 2020 20:31:40 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

Shouting it from the rooftops because no one I know irl listens to me-
My favorite “green” purchase this year was Thinx. So amazing. I’d used cloth pads for a few years but Thinx are so much better.

I want to try some other brands, including looking for a swimwear option.

But I really wish I’d made this jump years ago. So worth the money for me.

Question about thinx... or maybe not a question as much as thinking out loud...

on my heavy days, it’s ridiculous. Like I can overflow a diva in 2 hours. I’ve worn 2 pads and depends for overnights.. would thinx be a good option? 

Also, I tried reusable pads and ended up with my first UTI ever my second month. I suspect The wash didn’t sanitize them enough. This makes me question thinx. 

I’ve had mixed results with Thinx and would never use on a heavy day with my cup. Even my medium days sometimes end up leaking thru the side seams (can’t tell if this is one bad pair or a regular thing with all of them). The advantage of pads is that you can change them out as they saturate. Harder to bring extra undies to work.

[lightbulbsun]

Jan 6, 2020 0:04:44 GMT -5 isabel said:

Has anyone tried Bite toothpaste bits? I'm pretty intrigued by them.

I've used the similar version from Lush, and I think they work well. My dentist hasn't complained. They taste a little salty which is weird at first, but you get used to it and it leaves a good minty aftertaste.

[snshne322]

Jan 5, 2020 12:58:49 GMT -5 onthemove said:

Any recommendations? Anyone use dropps? I saw reviews that it’s not good in a front loader with cold water. Or cleancult? Is coconut really better/sustainable? I do like that the soaps come in the milk jugs that can be recycled.

I've been using dropps for about 6 months.  It comes with a cold washing pouch that you put them in in the event that it doesn't fully dissolve.  I'd get a couple. I only have one, but have more coming in my next order.  If you don't use the pouch, yes, it's a gamble, especially in winter with extra cold water.  However, with the pouch, I've never noticed anything on my clothes.  I have a front loader.

I also use them for dishwasher detergent and I've been happy with them.

[aspentosh]

Jan 5, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -5 nessness said:

I tried bar shampoo and it didn't work for me - I gave my hair a month to "transition" before deciding enough was enough. Switching to bar soap in place of liquid hand soap and body wash has been pretty painless though, and I found out that my preferred grocery store, WinCo, sells good packaging-free bar soap.

Which kind?

I just bought HiBar to try based on reviews and doing lots of reading. A lot of people said it was better than Lush, which I hadn't tried. Wondering if I should avoid what didn't work for you (in case HiBar doesn't work).

[aspentosh]

Jan 5, 2020 18:29:54 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

This is probably a stupid question, but what do people use instead of 500 MILLION COTTON ROUNDS to clean their face and remove makeup, put on toner etc.? I'm not good at this sort of skin care to begin with but in my first few weeks of starting a real routine it feels like I'm constantly using and disposing of cotton. I could probably use some sort of microfiber cloth, but man I'd need a LOT of them because we don't typically do laundry more than once every two weeks and I feel like reusing the same cloths over and over in between washings probably defeats the purpose somewhat (and any opinions on whether increasing laundry frequency is better or worse than using disposable cotton rounds?)

I have been using a disposable wipe most nights and they work great. It's from Grove and and the company is EWG certified but it still bothers me to use disposable stuff. But like you I have extremely sensitive skin and can't use washcloths without tons of breakouts. I really want to get this figured out, so I'll be following along if you happen to try anything

[nospaekae]

Jan 6, 2020 4:06:26 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

seeyalater52 , I bought a bunch of baby clothes (muslin clothes) that seem to work better for my skin than regular hand towels (more gentle as I have sensitive skin). That might also work for you.

I also have super sensitive skin and muslin cloths work great for me. They've held up really well. I used to use microfiber and loved it until a few years ago when I learned that it was not recyclable - many are made from recycled plastics but when the plastics are woven together to create microfiber they are no longer recyclable. I've found the muslin to be an even better substitute.

[nessness]

Jan 6, 2020 10:05:25 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

Jan 5, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -5 nessness said:

I tried bar shampoo and it didn't work for me - I gave my hair a month to "transition" before deciding enough was enough. Switching to bar soap in place of liquid hand soap and body wash has been pretty painless though, and I found out that my preferred grocery store, WinCo, sells good packaging-free bar soap.

Which kind?

I just bought HiBar to try based on reviews and doing lots of reading. A lot of people said it was better than Lush, which I hadn't tried. Wondering if I should avoid what didn't work for you (in case HiBar doesn't work).

I don't remember the brand name, but I bought it at Whole Foods.

[onomatopoeia]

Jan 5, 2020 22:57:52 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jan 5, 2020 18:29:54 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

(and any opinions on whether increasing laundry frequency is better or worse than using disposable cotton rounds?)

Most life cycle studies show that the water consumption of using a reusable option is literally a wash (pun intended). Cotton crops use a shocking amount of water, so it all depends on how much you use in your lifetime. It also depends on where you live and where your water is coming from. All in all, though, with the reusable option you're not putting more stuff into the landfill or creating a need for new cotton. 

I would imagine that the water consumption cost-benefit depended in the product though?
@
For example, I used to use cloth diapers which clearly take water to wash.  But it would be a whole extra load a few times a week.  With the reusable cotton rounds I can just throw those in a load I already have going - it's not like I have to run an extra load just for those since they're so small.  

I do know that both options take water to actually make, I'm just thinking of the water usage after purchase.  

 

[pixy0stix]

Jan 6, 2020 11:48:38 GMT -5 onomatopoeia said:

Jan 5, 2020 22:57:52 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Most life cycle studies show that the water consumption of using a reusable option is literally a wash (pun intended). Cotton crops use a shocking amount of water, so it all depends on how much you use in your lifetime. It also depends on where you live and where your water is coming from. All in all, though, with the reusable option you're not putting more stuff into the landfill or creating a need for new cotton. 

I would imagine that the water consumption cost-benefit depended in the product though?
@
For example, I used to use cloth diapers which clearly take water to wash.  But it would be a whole extra load a few times a week.  With the reusable cotton rounds I can just throw those in a load I already have going - it's not like I have to run an extra load just for those since they're so small.  

I do know that both options take water to actually make, I'm just thinking of the water usage after purchase.  

 

Depends on how you want to calculate it - Item:Item or Item:Volume wash.

[jinkies]

Jan 6, 2020 12:21:18 GMT -5 @heyitsme said:

Jan 5, 2020 14:29:45 GMT -5 jinkies said:

We switched last fall to Who Gives a Crap toilet paper and I really like it. I thought it would be noticeably less comfortable but it's fine.

I second this. I really can't tell that much of a difference between this TP and others. My only complaint is why they wrap each roll in paper.  There is no reason that I can see to do that (other then it is aesthetically pleasing).

They actually address that on their site! Here is their answer:


Long story short, we have to wrap our rolls in something to keep them moisture-free and hygienic. We could wrap 6 rolls together (that’s the limit), but we’d need to use a much thicker paper. The net paper used (by weight) to wrap a 6 pack in heavy duty paper vs. six individual rolls in the thin tissue paper we use is effectively the same. The only other option would have been to wrap all 48 rolls in a big outer plastic wrap, which we don’t think is a worthwhile alternative.

[onomatopoeia]

Jan 6, 2020 12:21:18 GMT -5 @heyitsme said:

Jan 5, 2020 14:29:45 GMT -5 jinkies said:

We switched last fall to Who Gives a Crap toilet paper and I really like it. I thought it would be noticeably less comfortable but it's fine.

I second this. I really can't tell that much of a difference between this TP and others. My only complaint is why they wrap each roll in paper.  There is no reason that I can see to do that (other then it is aesthetically pleasing).

Thanks for posting, I've been thinking of trying this out.  They say it's safe for septics but I'm hesitant.  Do you guys have septic systems? 

[jinkies]

onomatopoeia, we do have a septic system, and have had no issues.

[aspentosh]

jinkies and @heyitsme which do you get? Premium 3-ply or regular 3-ply? And what were you using before?

I wish they had a 2 or 3 pack sample.

ETA: They have a free trial! 

us.whogivesacrap.org/pages/free-trial

They will automatically bill you after 3 weeks for a full size box, but I'd assume you can cancel before that happens if you just hate it. 

[dutchgirl678]

Jan 5, 2020 20:31:40 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

Shouting it from the rooftops because no one I know irl listens to me-
My favorite “green” purchase this year was Thinx. So amazing. I’d used cloth pads for a few years but Thinx are so much better.

I want to try some other brands, including looking for a swimwear option.

But I really wish I’d made this jump years ago. So worth the money for me.

I got Natratouch ones from Amazon. I could use them most days of my period. The only thing I don't like is that the black ones stained even when rinsing them out immediately after use. And I had to soak in vinegar and baking soda and water after a few washes. But still so much better than anything I have used before.

[jinkies]

aspentosh, I use the regular 3-ply (recycled, not bamboo). Before I usually used the store brand, whatever had something like "ultrasoft" or "extrasoft" in the name.

[dutchgirl678]

Jan 6, 2020 15:30:09 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

jinkies and @heyitsme which do you get? Premium 3-ply or regular 3-ply? And what were you using before?

I wish they had a 2 or 3 pack sample.

ETA: They have a free trial! 

us.whogivesacrap.org/pages/free-trial

They will automatically bill you after 3 weeks for a full size box, but I'd assume you can cancel before that happens if you just hate it. 

We also switched to WGAC TP. My first order I did the regular 3-ply but then switched to the premium and I like that better. It just feels a bit thicker and softer to me. We also get the paper towels and tissues from them.

[aspentosh]

I just looked and we have about 20 rolls of TP left, but I will for sure do the trial after those are done. The trial (for now, at least) gives you a bit of each thing they sell, so I am hoping we could switch over everything including paper towels (which we don't use a lot but need to have for foster dog accidents) and tissues!

[mrsukyankee]

As soon as we move into a house with some storage, I'll be getting an order WGAC as we really liked them last time. I used both the toilet tissue and the regular tissues.

[isabel]

Jan 6, 2020 10:05:25 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

Jan 5, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -5 nessness said:

I tried bar shampoo and it didn't work for me - I gave my hair a month to "transition" before deciding enough was enough. Switching to bar soap in place of liquid hand soap and body wash has been pretty painless though, and I found out that my preferred grocery store, WinCo, sells good packaging-free bar soap.

Which kind?

I just bought HiBar to try based on reviews and doing lots of reading. A lot of people said it was better than Lush, which I hadn't tried. Wondering if I should avoid what didn't work for you (in case HiBar doesn't work).

I like the Chagrin Valley products I've been using. I'm doing the rosemary lavender shampoo bar and soap bar. The products last a good amount of time and all the packaging is plastic free. 

I will say, washing my hair is not the same experience. Because there's no chemicals to coat your hair, it feels squeaky and weird when washing. I can't run my fingers through it when I'm rinsing it out. I'm using a 1:4 ratio of ACV to water as a conditioning rinse. Once it dries, my hair feels soft and normal, though it does seem to tangle slightly more easily than it did when I was using liquid shampoo. All in all though, I've had a good experience and will probably keep it up. It's been about 6 months now, I think.

[Deleted]

Jan 6, 2020 15:39:07 GMT -5 jinkies said:

aspentosh , I use the regular 3-ply (recycled, not bamboo). Before I usually used the store brand, whatever had something like "ultrasoft" or "extrasoft" in the name.

aspentosh, same for me as well.

[cottoncandy]

I’ve been using the makeup eraser wash cloths and they work so well. I can’t remember the last time I bought cotton rounds or makeup remover.

[meltoine]

RE: Skincare - I use an oil cleanser to remove makeup/sunscreen (Bosc Makeup Breakup). One pump directly into my palm, rub hands together, then rub all over face. Rinse off with water. Then wash the oil off with CereVe Hydrating Cleanser. The second cleanse is key to the oil not causing breakouts - I have sensitive skin that's very prone to breakouts and this is the only routine that has worked.

Then for toner, put a few drips in my palm, place the other palm on top so it gets wet with toner too, then pat my face. No disposable pads needed. I only use the for nail polish removal now.

[nospaekae]

Jan 5, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -5 nessness said:

I tried bar shampoo and it didn't work for me - I gave my hair a month to "transition" before deciding enough was enough. Switching to bar soap in place of liquid hand soap and body wash has been pretty painless though, and I found out that my preferred grocery store, WinCo, sells good packaging-free bar soap.

I just bought the laundry strips that onomatopoeia recommended. I haven't gotten them yet, but they have good reviews and I'm excited to try them!

@@@
I use a ton of products on my biracial daughters' hair, all of which are packaged in plastic of course. I'm thinking about trying to make my own flax gel - I've never bought it because it's pricey, but it seems pretty straightforward to make, and people seem to love it for curly hair. Has anyone tried this before?

The issue with shampoo bars and why they do not work for many people is that they are really just bar soap with added oils. The pH of soap is too basic for most peoples hair which is why they recommend the vinegar rinse. True shampoo is actually a detergent and the pH is better suited to hair. If the shampoo bar contains sodium hydroxide (lye) it is really just soap. If it works for you then great, but don't be surprised if it doesn't. I make and sell soap and have been getting a lot of requests for shampoo bars, but I haven't found a recipe that is a true shampoo and that hasn't left my hair a complete dried out mess after a couple weeks of use.

[aspentosh]

Jan 7, 2020 8:21:49 GMT -5 nospaekae said:

Jan 5, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -5 nessness said:

I tried bar shampoo and it didn't work for me - I gave my hair a month to "transition" before deciding enough was enough. Switching to bar soap in place of liquid hand soap and body wash has been pretty painless though, and I found out that my preferred grocery store, WinCo, sells good packaging-free bar soap.

I just bought the laundry strips that onomatopoeia recommended. I haven't gotten them yet, but they have good reviews and I'm excited to try them!

@@@
I use a ton of products on my biracial daughters' hair, all of which are packaged in plastic of course. I'm thinking about trying to make my own flax gel - I've never bought it because it's pricey, but it seems pretty straightforward to make, and people seem to love it for curly hair. Has anyone tried this before?

The issue with shampoo bars and why they do not work for many people is that they are really just bar soap with added oils. The pH of soap is too basic for most peoples hair which is why they recommend the vinegar rinse. True shampoo is actually a detergent and the pH is better suited to hair. If the shampoo bar contains sodium hydroxide (lye) it is really just soap. If it works for you then great, but don't be surprised if it doesn't. I make and sell soap and have been getting a lot of requests for shampoo bars, but I haven't found a recipe that is a true shampoo and that hasn't left my hair a complete dried out mess after a couple weeks of use.

This is really helpful, thanks. Just looked up the ingredients of the one I bought and it doesn't include sodium hydroxide so fingers crossed it works. 

Your explanation is exactly why I've put it off... but no longer!

[moandjo]

Jan 6, 2020 22:44:24 GMT -5 cottoncandy said:

I’ve been using the makeup eraser wash cloths and they work so well. I can’t remember the last time I bought cotton rounds or makeup remover.

I have one as well and I love it. No makeup remover needed.