One of the easiest and most key areas to a more sustainable lifestyle is to start in your bathroom. If you focus on accomplishing what you can in this area than maybe other parts of your life will begin to follow suit. So, without further ado, here are some steps to more sustainable toiletries.

SUSTAINABLE STEPS I'VE TAKEN

1. Ditch the plastic toothbrush.

Next time your plastic toothbrush frays and it's time for a new one, shoot for a sustainable option instead. My toothbrush is a bamboo toothbrush that is compostable/recyclable. If you look up bamboo toothbrushes online there are many options. And they aren't going to break your budget. I got four bamboo toothbrushes for twenty dollars and I'm still only on my second one and it's been six months since I bought them.

2. Bath & Bodyworks perfume is overrated.

Not only do they have all sorts of chemicals in them that you then not only spray onto your body but into the atmosphere as well, they usually also come in plastic bottles. And, they don't even smell that great, they are mostly generic fruity flavors or sugary. Instead, head over to a natural food store and pick up some essential oils. I currently have been mixing lavender and patchouli and get complimented on the smell all the time. Essential oils almost always come in glass bottles as well which are great for either recycling or upcycling.

3. Goodbye whitening strips.

Whitening strips are awful. They're not good for your gums or your mouth which means they're not good for your digestive system because that begins in your mouth. Luckily, activated charcoal is sustainable and natural and much cheaper than whitening strips (I paid ten dollars for forty capsules). I am newly obsessed with this discovery of using activated charcoal to whiten your teeth. It works and there are no unwanted chemicals. This site gives a great break down of how to go about using the activated charcoal.

4. Don't restock the forever running out hand-soap and body wash.

Plastic, plastic, plastic. So much plastic. And chemicals. So many chemicals. And animal testing. And producers in China. And sweatshops. And all of the awful things. Just say no. Grab a couple bars of locally made (preferably vegan) soap that isn't wrapped in plastic. It's also much less severe on your skin.

5. Make your own toothpaste and mouthwash.

I recently ran out of my Crest toothpaste and I didn't want to contribute to buying these tubes anymore. And again, unnatural chemicals. There's all sorts of recipes on the internet. I like to follow the brushing with homemade mouth wash too only because it gives more of that full minty feel.

6. Use shampoo and conditioner bars.

I highly recommend Lush. Their products are almost all vegan and they work great. There's no need to contribute to buying big plastic bottles and ruining your hair with unnatural chemicals (have I said this enough yet?). They also using ethical standards for product creation. Lush sends their products in sustainable packaging as well. The only downside is that the bars themselves generally come wrapped in plastic. Unfortunately, this is the best functioning and most sustainable product I've found thus far but a thin plastic cover is overall a good trade off for the other option.

7. Switch make-up products.

There are so many good places to buy sustainable make-up. I love The Body Shop and also places like Whole Foods generally carry sustainable products as well. Why should you switch? Same sort of answer. Chemicals. Packaging. Animal testing. Company ethics and factories. Need I say more?

8. Wash your hair less and pass along the blow dryer.

Not only does washing your hair every day dry it out, it is also a huge waste of water. Washing your body takes two seconds whereas lathering your hair two times and rinsing it out can really add up. Blow dryers are also not great for your hair and they use unnecessary electricity. Air drying your hair is not only better for the environment but also for your hairs health. And being cold is not a great excuse, throw it up in a bun or braid with a hat until you get inside and then let it air dry.

SUSTAINABLE STEPS I'VE HALF WAY TAKEN

9. Dump the generic deodorant.

Everybody has smelled the hippie who uses the "natural deodorant." Ew. Luckily, I found a great natural brand called Primal Paste that I buy in a glass jar. Now, this is a great option but there are some really good recipes out there for good, zero-waste deodorant. I'm not there yet but it is a project I'd like to undertake but right now I'm comfortable with transitioning with my Primal Paste.

10. Period.

Oh the joys of being a person who ovulates and has a period. It is not a fun time. Ever. But thank you God, someone brilliant invented ways for us to continue functioning. We got stamina.

Currently, I use organic cotton tampons without a plastic insert (yeah, I do it like the rest of the world does). Plastic tampon inserts are big contributors to our oceans being destroyed. So, the tampons I use are good transitions. They are biodegradable, but they do have a small, thin plastic liner they come wrapped in. If you aren't keen on tampons there are also organic cotton pads with the same sort of deal. Again, decent for transition.

But there is another half step I have yet to take that's an even better option. That's a Diva Cup. Apparently, they are awesome and not hard to get used to. Why haven't I done it? That's a complicated answer. But I plan on it eventually. I think it's much better, and I know it's pretty silly that I don't already do it now. And again, if you're not keen on inserting something into your body, there's reusable pads.

Steps I Haven't Taken But Would Like To

11. Nasty, naughty nail polish.

Black fingernails. Pink toenails. This is pretty much a given with me. And although that would take me replacing only two bottles, I simply haven't gotten around to it yet. Animal testing, chemicals, company ethics, etc. There are lots of great sustainable nail polishes but unfortunately I have none yet I can personally recommend. But hey, we should always be taking steps to be a little better!

12. Peace out plastic razors.

(Except I haven't done it yet.) Plastic razors are a waste of money and are not sustainable. At all. There are these awesome things called safety razors which are essentially razors that you can use over and over again and just change the blade. And they're awesome. And you should buy me one. Fine... You buy one for you and I'll buy one for me.

Now, picture all of the non-sustainable versions of the items listed that you have ever used in your life. I bet you can't even begin to comprehend all of that waste. And now picture it all in a dump or the chemicals soaked into your skin and the ground from them. Cause guess what? That's still where they are. All those items are still piled in a dump. All those chemicals are still seeping through you and this world. And we add to that every time we buy another non-sustainable version of these products. Am I telling you to toss it all? No. That's wasteful. Just next time you buy more, buy sustainable instead. And don't feel like you have to do it all at once. In fact, you won't be able to do it all at once. There's always something new we can add to the list. I mean look, I still have steps I haven't accomplished and it's my list. Being a better, more sustainable-minded person means trying to be better every day.