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 - Smol

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

First 'Sustainable Sunday' of 2021 - A weekly feature whereby I share eco-friendly products that I've been loving and that are helping me live a more sustainable lifestyle. I know this is the second Sunday of the year, but last weekend I just wanted to enjoy my time off so I could hit the first full working week of the year raring to go...

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen me share this particular product on my stories when I received my first delivery. And if you don't follow me there's a button on the right that will take you straight to my page. 😉👉

Smol is a laundry subscription service where you get laundry and dishwasher capsules, fabric softener and now even disinfectant delivered straight to your door. You fill in a short form about how many loads you do a week and they calculate how often you'll need a refill and send it out to you when the time comes. I use the 'bio laundry capsules', as they contain enzymes to help break down dirty at low temperatures meaning I can run a more sustainable 30-degree wash, and the fabric softener. 

They are plastic free, from the product to the packaging, and are also cruelty-free and vegan - all the lovely stuff we like to see. Any plastic bottles they do use are made from 100% post-consumer waste and you can either return them to be used again or recycle them locally! 

Not only are they eco-friendly, they're also cost-efficient too! The prices vary depending on product, but they offer a free trial, all you do is cover the £1 postage cost, and then you only pay when you need a refill! It's a laundry-revolution! 

Now, I'll admit that having them delivered doesn't make this a completely sustainable option, but they more than make up for that with the packaging and the process. 

Whether it's sustainability, convenience or covid, more and more people are switching to Smol. Whatever their reason, they are making a small impact in the fight against plastic pollution. My bestie and I love sharing when we've received our delivery! Being 4 hours away from each other it gives us something to connect over. 

Have you made the change to Smol yet? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, lovelies! 

SUSTAINABLE KELLECTION - Eco-friendly beauty products pt.2

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

Week three 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 continuing last week’s post about eco-friendly beauty products but focusing on the one we don't use daily. 

2 billion disposable razors are thrown away each year in the UK, thank you patriarchy for convincing me I need to shave and therefore creating this statistic! Again, contributing to that figure was not something I wished to do. So, I invested in a 'Plastic Free Shaving Kit' from All Plastic Free - which contains a bamboo razor, replacement blades and shaving bar that is free from cruelty, plastic, palm oil, parabens and much more! All beautifully boxed in recyclable packaging. Priced at £17, this is initially the more expensive option, but when you calculate how much a pack of DECENT (that don't rip you're legs to shreds) disposable razors is, how long they last (1/2 uses per razor) and compare it with how long this will last, I'm saving myself money as well as the environment... The psychological need to shave is a battle for another day...

Another big contributor was a shower loofah. I have quite oily, spot-prone skin so exfoliating to remove the build-up is a must. Just like toothbrushes, bacteria quickly build up and it's recommended you replace Loofahs regularly. That's a lot of plastic finding its way into landfill... So, I started looking at sustainable alternatives to which there are a few options. Cotton mitts are the most common, however I find they lose their shape and become flimsy very quickly rendering them useless after a few uses. That's when I found this bamboo back scrubber in Primark. Alongside their sustainable clothing range, they've also brought out eco-friendly beauty products including bamboo make-up brushes, cotton face clothes and shower loofahs. Priced at £3, this may seem spenny, especially when you can pick up its plastic counterpart for £1, but considering each products lifespan, I'm again saving money in the long run! 

And obviously soap must accompany the back scrubber, most of which comes in a plastic bottle. Yes, this can be recycled, but remember what Zac Efron said, "reducing...is really the most effective solution". Thankfully, a lot of shops sell bars of soap alongside the bottled stuff, however when they're wrapped in plastic, that can't be recycled, you're actually causing more harm than good... DOVE TO THE RESCUE! Their single bar comes in a cardboard box without any plastic packaging whatsoever, and they're cruelty free! Priced at only £1! Winner winner, Quorn chicken nuggets for dinner! 

I still have a long way to go with reducing my plastic consumption, I haven’t made the switch to shampoo bars or toothpaste capsules just yet, but I’m getting there. As Tesco once said, “every little helps”.

What sustainable switches have you made? Do you use any sustainable beauty products that I haven’t listed here? 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!

    

SUSTAINABLE KELLECTION - Sustainable fast fashion?

Hey lovelies, welcome back!

Today marks the launch of a feature I've been planning for quite a while now - Sustainable Sunday. Every week, I'll be sharing eco-friendly products that I've been loving and that are helping me live a more sustainable lifestyle. Kickstarting us off is a clothing haul - 

The ethics and morals surrounding Primark are quite problematic, but we're all susceptible to the allure of their fast fashion and cheap prices - especially as a student. However, with the closure of non-essential retail shops brought about by lockdown 1.0, we were forced to change our shopping habits and encouraged to think twice about that t-shirt stuffed in the back of a drawer or about that dress that's been hanging in the wardrobe since last summer.

Of course, there inevitably comes a time when you just need to update your wardrobe or buy a few transitional essentials... a position I found myself in a few months ago. Now, I consider myself to be a "part-time" shopper - preferring to update my wardrobe one item at a time when necessary, or when something has caught my eye as I'm picking up essentials, rather than regular shopping sprees. Nothing stresses me out more than the thought of traipsing around shops for hours, especially in the current climate and with the recent emphasis on breaking up with fast fashion... That is when I first heard the term "Sustainable September" - a movement whereby you only buy second-hand sustainable fashion, e.g. from charity shops and local small businesses, for the whole month. As soon as I heard this term, I knew this was something I wanted to participate in, and what better time to need a wardrobe update! 

So, off I went one afternoon to trawl around my local charity shops in the search for the few items I needed heading into Autumn. In theory - GREAT! In reality - not so great. With the nature of charity shops being "pot-luck" and only a handful of them in Plymouth, my options were severely limited. I came out of each one empty handed and pouting. 

Deflated, and with outfits at home depending on these items, I reluctantly headed to Primark with the words " I tried" going around my head. Within minutes of setting foot inside the shop I noticed some items had different tags to the standard ones. And this is where I discovered Primark's "Sustainable" range - made with either recycled or sustainably sourced materials. Now, I know this is kind of like saying you're a vegetarian expect on Sunday's, but in my opinion, this is a step in the right direction. With a renewed sense of purpose, I set myself a challenge - to buy the items I needed by only from the sustainable range.

And Primark aren't the only retailer to introduce a sustainable range, as I discovered. New Look have launched their "Kind" label joining H&M who introduced their "Conscious collection" in 2010! As I said, I only bought things I needed, and kind of defeats the object if shopping sustainably if you buy everything just because of the label! Check out my look book below:

This gorgeous oatmeal coloured cardigan is made from recycled polyester and was only £13!

These long-sleeve bodysuits are a transitional wardrobe must-have! Made from sustainably sourced cotton, and only £5 each, they're a bargain!

With a peplum waistband, this pretty, monochrome floral blouse is from New Look so flattering! Made from recycled polyester and coming in at a surprisingly affordable £12.99, you can't go wrong.

Since that fateful afternoon, I have noticed many other shops also providing a sustainable option. Asda George launched their "George Cares" range not just on its clothing but on homeware too! I picked up this beautiful cushion for my new flat that's made from recycled polyester and some pillowcases made from sustainably sourced cotton! 

And I can't not mention possibly my favourite discovery - a kitchen bin made from 100% recycled household plastics from The Range! A boring adult purchase suddenly became enjoyable! 

As I mentioned at the beginning, I'm aware that shopping in these big retailers is problematic and may not be classed as fully sustainable, but it's a start! The same way reducing your meat consumption is a positive starting point that impacts the bigger picture, so too is this. It's a butterfly effect... and for now even small change can make a huge difference and ensure the survival of our planet! 

Until next time, lovelies!