SUSTAINABLE KELLECTION - WILD natural deoderant

 Hey lovelies, welcome back! 

Lets talk WILD - a sustainable, natural, aluminium free deodorant with compostable refills delivered straight to your door.

I've suffered from folliculitis, a common skin condition in which hair follicles become inflamed, since I started shaving at aged twelve. To combat this, I reduce how often I shave, which helps slightly but not completely. After trawling the internet for answers one night, I stumbled across a recommendation to try natural deodorant, as aluminium in regular antiperspirants clogs your pores causing the folliculitis to flare. 

For those who might be thinking, they're the same thing - deodorants masks body odour, while antiperspirants block the pores to stop you sweating.

Since I'm always looking to make small, sustainable changes in my everyday life, I decided to give WILD a go, and the results were interesting... 

~ WEEK 1 ~ 

I didn't notice any changes to begin with, but I was enjoying trying a new product and feeling boujee with the case and refills. Unbeknownst to me my pores were still blocked after years of antiperspirant use, and it was working its way out of my system.

~ WEEK 2 ~ 

With open pores, sweat started to become more noticeable and I STUNK! I wash daily anyway, but I was having to wash 2-3 a day...

~ WEEK 3 ~ 

After feeling incredibly self-conscious and almost giving up thinking natural deodorant wasn't right for my body, I decided to research into the transition from antiperspirant to deodorant - something I definitely should have done beforehand! Turns out, after years of suppression, your sweat glands go into overdrive to remove the toxins from your body - enter BO. This is perfectly normal, and usually starts around week 2-3 and subsides by week 4-5 as your body regulates itself. Twice daily cleansing and topping up deodorant during the day helps make this period more manageable. 

~ WEEK 4 ~ 

Much the same as week 3, although now I knew this was part of the process, I was determined to see it through. 

~ WEEK 5 ~ 

Finally, we came out the other side. Severe body odour abated, and I started to feel confident and comfortable using natural deodorant. 

~ WEEK 6 ~ 

I had noticed a few bumps after shaving, but they were less painful and went down after a day or two. They resembled irritation bumps more than folliculitis. 

~ 6 MONTHS ~ 

Switching to natural deodorant was the best decision I ever made. I still only shave when I need to, but my folliculitis has pretty much cleared up! The refills themselves surprisingly last really long! They recommend using 3 swipes per side, and despite doubling up some days, I'm still exceeding the renewal date and having to postpone my delivery. Definitely better value for money than regular antiperspirant! 

Switching to natural deodorant has been a wild journey 😉 but was definitely worth it! If you're thinking of making the switch, do it! I can guarantee it'll be the best decision you make! 

Have you tried natural deodorant? Let me know in the comments below. 

Until next time, lovelies!

SUSTAINABLE KELLECTION- Eco-friendly beauty pt.1

 Hey lovelies, welcome back! 

Week two of Sustainable Sunday - A weekly feature whereby I share eco-friendly products that I've been loving and that are helping me live a more sustainable lifestyle. Today I'm talking eco-friendly daily beauty products- 

We've all noticed the abundance of plastic in supermarkets, but have you ever noticed it within your beauty regime? From cellophane on make-up, I'm aware this is for hygiene reasons, to disposable cotton buds and pads that are but a small contributor to the vast problem that is plastic pollution. I decided I wanted to change that... 

Cotton buds and pads were a beauty staple of mine, and it irked me to no end - using them for taking off make-up, neatening up nail varnish, the lot. So, I went in search of sustainable substitutes. A quick look on amazon and a whole host of re-usable pads came up. Good quality and decently sized, one pad is all you need to remove your make up or nail varnish. Once you're done, just pop in the wash and they're good to go again! Admittedly, some products such as mascara and nail varnish do stain, however you can buy specific products that'll tackle those stubborn stains (god, I feel like a Vanish advert).

If like me, the photo of the seahorse clinging to a cotton bud mistaken for a piece of coral upsets and angers you, then you'll understand my excitement at the next item discovery. What a pleasant surprise to find these on the high street - bamboo cotton buds, in..... POUNDLAND! By a company called Xpel Body Care, you get 300 buds, they're biodegradable, 100% pure cotton and come in a recyclable cardboard box. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them in there since but they're easy to find online. 

264 million plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the UK alone! Non-recyclable, they end up in landfill and the ocean becoming a hazard to wildlife. Contributing to that figure did not sit well with me, and so I switched to a bamboo toothbrush. Again, assuming this would be an online purchase, I was thrilled to find them in Boots, who I must praise for the effort they're putting into sustainability, but also Poundstretcher! Just like the buds, these are biodegradable and packaged in recyclable cardboard rather than plastic. Alternatively, Wisdom now sell a toothbrush made from 100% recycled plastic, plant based filaments and recyclable packaging! Unlike normal plastic toothbrushes, this one can be recycled! 

As Zac Efron said in his Netflix documentary Down To Earth, "while our goal should be 'reduce, reuse, recycle'... it seems like reducing through the reuse of things like bags, straws and bottles is really the most effective solution", and these small changes have helped me reduce my everyday plastic consumption drastically! 

Tune in next week for part two - the weekly products. 

Until next time, lovelies!