Vegan Health and Beauty: Travel Toiletries

I have just come back from a five day trip to Morocco. It was my first holiday as a vegan and I have learnt a lot that's for sure! As it was a short trip I didn't have a suitcase in the hold so all my liquids had to be 100ml or under and it all had to fit in a tiny clear plastic bag. This blog post includes my personal recommendations of vegan/cruelty free toiletries that a small enough for travelling!

Deodorant

Finding a deodorant that I liked was pretty tricky. I have very sensitive skin and find most things irritate my underarms. However I needed to find one because I was going to be sweating a lot in 27 degrees C in Morocco! The one I took with me was this Faith in Nature Chamomile and Aloe Vera Deodorant.

It is certified as cruelty-free and vegan and is free from any nasty chemicals. It's made from essential oils and the fragrance is natural. I got my one from Holland & Barrett and got it an sale for only £1.50. Being cruelty free doesn't have to be expensive. Also there are Holland & Barrett shops pretty much everywhere.

Shower Gel 

The shower gel I used was also from Faith in Nature. It was the lavender and geranium scent and is part of their minis collection. I got it as a gift for christmas so am not sure how available the mini bottles are at the moment. I know they can be purchased as a set.

Photo: Faith in Nature

This is an image from their site of their full-sized bottle. The scent of this is amazing and even if you can't get a small one you could decant some into a smaller bottle left over from something else. It is certified vegan and cruelty free.

Shampoo

The shampoo that I took with me was the Rehab Shampoo from LUSH (in the smallest bottle).

 I have tried their shampoo bars and 'I love juicy' shampoo but this is what works the best for my hair which is quite thick and gets dry. However, for travelling, a shampoo bar would be perfect because you wouldn't have to try and fit it in the tiny plastic bag! (First photo from: LUSH)

Moisturiser

The moisturiser I had was also from LUSH. It was the Dream Cream in a small pot. However if you wanted SPF protection in the cream also, LUSH do a sesame suntan lotion (as well as solid sun block).

(Photos from: LUSH)

Make-up Remover

I decided not to take liquid make up remover so opted for some Superdrug own make-up removal pads. Although they say they're for eye make-up, I have no issues with using them for my whole face. They come in a tiny packet so was perfect for traveling. And they're only 99p!

Photo: Superdrug

Antibacterial Hand Gel

The hand gel was also from Superdrug's own range and was the one with Aloe. I love the scent of this hand gel and it is, handily, 100ml. They also do a smaller 50ml strawberry one.

Photo: Superdrug

Toothpaste

The toothpaste that I took with me was the Kingfisher's fennel (fluoride free) toothpaste. It's the toothpaste that I normally use and is 100ml. I had already used a lot so could fold the tube to make it smaller to fit in the bag. However if you do want a smaller one, the strawberry flavour comes in a 75ml tube.

Photo: Kingfisher Natural Toothpaste

Hopefully you're now set for cruelty free travelling! Happy holidays!

 

  

Eco-Friendly Aromatherapy

After getting a spa day treat after my exams last year I became a bit obsessed with everything 'spa'. I did a google search of aromatherapy and was introduced to the world of essential oil diffusers. I came across a sustainably sourced, low energy diffuser from madebyzen.

It's made from hand picked bamboo in a sustainable way so that the shoots keep growing. This has the least impact on wildlife. I couldn't resist getting it as having a diffuser is the easiest way of bringing a bit of spa back home with you. The diffuser also has a LED lamp option which makes a dim, warm glow that I've always found relaxing if I've struggled to sleep. 

The essential oils I chose are from Neal's Yard which are mostly organic and are made in England. I was really happy to hear that you can bring empty bottles back to the store and they re-use them. 

The oils that I have at the moment are women's balance and fennel. I find the women's balance really calming and the smell reminds me of being in a spa. I'm addicted to everything that smells or tastes like fennel so I couldn't resist getting the fennel oil. I found my experience in the Neal's Yard shop really friendly and they can give so much information on all the different oils and products. I'm going to try a new oil when one of these runs and give back the bottle! 

Sustainable Textiles: My Banana Fibre Scarf!

My favourite present from Christmas has to be my scarf made from recycled banana fibres. My Granny got it for me off a craft fair stall and one of the reasons I love it so much is that she pays attention to the things that are important to me: sustainability and ethics.

The amazing thing is that you would have no clue the scarf was made from a banana plant! Recently I have come across articles discussing other sustainable fibres.

A little list of plant based fibres:

• Sustainable vegan leather made from mushrooms
• Sustainable vegan leather made from pineapple (Piñatex™)
• Linen made from flax seed
• Thread and textile made from banana stems
• Thread and textile made from bamboo
• Yarn from eucalyptus pulp called Tencel/ Lyosell
• Organic or recycled cotton

Where can I buy plant based fibres?

People Tree - Fair-trade sustainable fashion using organic cotton and sustainable Tenecel

H&M Conscious - Recycled cotton \and Lyosell

BAM Bamboo Clothing

Goodbye Plastic Bottles!

In summer I got myself a SIGG aluminium water bottle in an aim to reduce my use of plastic. I've now for 8 months and it's still looking as good as new and just as white!

I believe that switching to a reusable water bottle, and remembering to fill it up before you leave the house, is one of the easiest ways to reduce your plastic waste and use. What I love about SIGG bottles is the range of different designs, colours and styles to choose from. They are available in glass as well as aluminium. Both are more hygienic than plastic as there is less chance of scratches forming inside the bottle where bacteria can grow. Cleaning these bottles are super easy and I have successfully cleaned mine a minute before rushing out of the house in the morning!

Why go plastic bottle free?

There are many reasons why plastic is bad for our planet, us and wildlife:

• Plastic bottles can't be hygienically reused very many times. They get crumpled up in our bags and start stinking after not many days of reusing.
• Throwing them away or leaving can lead to plastic pollution in the oceans and on land. Plastic can travel many kilometres with the ocean currents and pollute places far away from where you chucked them. They litter some of the worlds most beautiful spots and harm local wildlife

http://earthjustice.org/blog/2015-november/national-parks-go-toe-to-toe-with-big-water-over-plastic-bottle-waste

• Even if you recycle plastic bottles, a huge amount of energy is required to recycled the plastic into new things. These new things are often of worse quality than the water bottle. Quality degrades over the process of recycling.
• Having one bottle that lasts many many years is more sustainable and uses less resources than using a different plastic bottle each month, week or even each day. 

Where to get a re-usable bottle

There are lots of different metal and glass reusable bottles on the market. SIGG bottles are super durable and come in a lot of unique designs. BKR glass bottles are elegant and chic and have featured in magazines such as Vogue. Celebs such as Jessica Alba and Natalie Portman have been seen carrying them as part of their look. It's fashionable to be sustainable.

https://uk.sigg.com

https://mybkr.co.uk