This post will be more than sustainable travel tips and packing guides. I’d like to emphasise the importance of eco-friendly and zero waste toiletries, which are essential to eliminate single-use plastic. So I’ll reveal (with pros and cons) my favourite sustainable toiletries and bathroom essentials, including sustainable period and hair products, reusable cotton pads, just to mention a few 🙂

These days plastic-free toiletries and products have explicitly essential rules to protect nature. We all know that global warming is happening. Deforestation, single-use plastics are incredibly harmful to nature, so we must help with even the tiniest thing possible. 

I’m not telling you to replace every product in your bathroom at this moment or get rid of every plastic from your life. Just start with small steps. Test a few eco-friendly products from this blog post, and maybe you’ll love them and want to buy even more. You have to give it a try because… 

“Surely, we all have a responsibility to care for our Blue Planet. The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth now depends on us.”

… as David Attenborough says. And he’s right! 

This is not a promotional post. I’m just sharing the eco-friendly and zero waste products I use every day.  By changing to plastic-free toiletries and naked packaging, we can produce less plastic waste, and every action counts. 

Moreover, if you always struggle with reducing the liquids in your carry-on while travelling, you’re at the right place. An amazing advantage of the following toiletries is the solid consistency, so you don’t have to worry about not fitting into that small transparent plastic bag. You can also save time and forget about pouring your liquid shampoo into a smaller 100 ml container.

Watch my video to find out how to create your eco-friendly travel kit from sustainable and zero waste toiletries?

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Here are the best sustainable & zero waste products and bathroom essentials

Lush shampoo bars 

Nowadays, many brands produce shampoo bars. I’ve found my favourites in Lush, where you can choose from many beautiful shampoo bars for every hair type. My hair can get greasy quickly. So the helpful Lush team recommended the purple Jumping Juniper with lavender and the yellow Montalbano with lemon oil. I’ve also tried the white Soak and Float for sensitive skin. All of them are made of natural ingredients. 

I’m satisfied with every one of them! First, I was worried that the shampoo bar would make my hair dry or greasy, but I don’t have to wash my hair more often than with “normal” shampoo. One bar lasts for 2-3-4 months, and it comes with naked packaging, so no more plastic bottles in your bin 😉 

You might ask, how to store these naked shampoo bars? And the answer is a round tin, which is available in Lush stores and designed to fit the shampoo bar. So you don’t have to worry about storing it, and your toiletry bag won’t be wet during travelling. 

Lush also has conditioners, but I’m not sure about their consistency. I use coconut oil as a conditioner, and while travelling, I store it in an old contact lens case to save space. I spread the melted coconut oil on the end of my hair and wash it after 15 minutes. 

How to use the shampoo bar?

It’s super easy to use. Just wet your hair and the shampoo bar. You can make it foamy by rubbing it between your hands or massaging your hair with the bar. After making it bubbly, just wash your hair as you’d typically. 

Is it worth buying Lush shampoo bars?

Lush powdered dry shampoo

I refresh my hair with dry shampoo if I don’t have time to wash it. A few years ago, I had to stop using Batiste dry shampoo because my hair started to fall. According to some articles, the reason was the Batiste dry shampoo. Who knows… After I stopped applying it, my hair stopped falling. So I had to find another dry shampoo… 

No Drought powdered dry shampoo by Lush is made of oil-absorbing powders, grapefruit and lime. Its bottle with 115 gr powder is enough for years 🙂 

How to use the powdered dry shampoo?

For travelling, I don’t bring the whole bottle to save space. Instead, I fill a smaller jar with dry shampoo and carry that one. It’s easier to apply it with a makeup brush (I use an older one, and it’s kept only for this purpose). Spread to powder with the makeup brush on the bottom of your hair, then brush out. I’ve learned this trick from The Blonde Abroad. Check out her travel beauty hacks video for more valuable tips. 

Or you can place and spread the dry shampoo directly on your hair. Though it’s harder to control the amount of powder coming out from the bottle.

Is it worth buying the powdered dry shampoo?

Reusable makeup remover pads

One of the game changers is the bamboo makeup remover pads by Bambow. This zero-waste set contains 12 soft velvet and 4 scrub terry pads made of cotton and bamboo. 

I use this every night to remove my makeup and clean my face. 

How to use and wash reusable makeup remover pads?

It works the same way as the cotton pads. Just don’t throw them into the bin 😉 

I just collect the dirty wipes in a mesh laundry bag and put them into the washing machine. I’ve tried to wash them with the provided cotton bag, though it always opened during laundry. The pads can be washed at 40° and 60° degrees and mixed with colourful clothes. 

Although, I still use some cotton pads because these aren’t good for removing nail polish.

Is it worth buying reusable makeup remover pads?

DIY makeup remover pads

You can even make and sew your pads if you have some extra time and some old soft cotton clothes. Check out the step-by-step guide of A beautiful mess.

Lush facial naked cleansing balm

Lush offers facial cleansers in many forms and textures. However, I’ve only tried the Tea Totaler because of its main ingredient, the tree tea oil, which has anti-inflammatory effects and it’s good for reducing acne.

How to use facial cleansing balm? 

The bar softens when reaching your warm skin, so you can glide it over your face. Then clean your face with a damp face cloth or the previously mentioned bamboo cotton pads. 

For removing the makeup, I place my pads into hot water, rub the cleansing balm on its surface, then remove my makeup as usual. 

Because of its soft texture, it can soften and melt if the temperature is hot. So if you’re travelling to a tropical climate, store it in a round tin or a dry place to avoid melting.

Is it worth buying facial naked cleansing balm?

Reusable silicone cotton swab or bamboo cotton buds

The LastSwab silicone q-tip and LastObject concept are extraordinary! The zero-waste products are very stylish. The q-tips and the biodegradable cases are available in many cool colours. 

I had high hopes for this reusable LastSwab silicone cotton swab… I imagined not using more single-use cotton swabs, which are harmful to our planet and takes extra space.

The website of LastObject is full of positive reviews, so I had to order a LastSwab. Actually, I ordered 2 pieces 🙂 One for me and one for my boyfriend 🙂 Though none of us is completely satisfied 🙁 It doesn’t clean our ears as sufficiently as the cotton swab, which removed all of the ear wax. After using the silicone cotton swab, I felt that my ears still have some ear wax, so I have to clean more times.

I guess our ears are different, so it might work better for you… 

I still use bamboo cotton swabs occasionally. Unfortunately, it’s still single-used but better than plastic ones. So please, if you’re satisfied with a reusable cotton swab, please share it with me in the comments below! Thanks in advance!

Is it worth buying the LastSwab silicone q-tip?

Reusable tissue by LastObject

LastObject’s other zero waste product is LastTissue, a set of 6 reusable tissues and a stylish silicone case. The case is available in many colours, and it’s designed super smartly because you can keep clean and dirty tissues in it at the same time. With separating them, of course!

From the bottom, you can pull a tissue, use it and place it on top by pushing down the silicone divider element. That silicone layer separates the clean and the used tissues. So you don’t have to worry, where to store your dirty tissues.

The tissues are made of 100% organic cotton and can be washed at 60 degrees. According to the website, the tissues can be washed 520 times 🙂

Is it worth buying LastTissue?

Lush Toothy tabs to replace toothpaste

Yep, another Lush product for you to brush your teeth and replace your toothpaste. The recyclable bottle of Miles of smiles tooth tabs contains around 100 pills. Thanks to its peppermint and mint oil content, it makes your mouth fresh and clean. Before purchasing my first bottle, I had concerns regarding its freshness. Still, the toothpaste tabs provide the same refreshing feeling as the regular toothpaste. 

When I checked last time, this Miles of smiles ist available anymore, though you can also try out the tastes like Boom! or Dirty.

How to use the Lush toothpaste tablets? 

Start to chew one tooth tab, and it foams up surprisingly well, so your toothbrush doesn’t have to be damp. Then just brush your teeth. Easy peasy!  

Is it worth buying Lush toothpaste tablets?

Lush solid deodorant bar

You can buy 2 types of solid deodorant bars in Lush:

• Aromaco deodorant bar with hazel, camomile vinegar and patchouli oil 
• T’eo solid deodorant with tea tree oil, lemongrass oil, lemon oil and fresh grape juice  

I’ve tried both types, and I prefer Aromaco because it’s creamy, more efficient and easier to use. T’eo is powder-based, and when the bar became thin, it started to fall into pieces, which made its usage hard. 

First, I was afraid that the deodorant bar won’t be as effective as the deodorant roll or spray because I can sweat heavily (sorry for too much information… 😉 ). So I only dared to test it at home, and I was super surprised to see its competence. I wasn’t smelly even after a workout. 

How to use Aromaco solid deodorant bar?

Move it as you would move a deodorant roll 🙂 Just easily rub it up and down on your dry armpits, and that’s it. 

If the temperature is lower, the bar will be more rigid, so first, make its surface softer with your warm fingers. Then, its solid surface will be smoother and creamier and will spread easier on your skin. 

Smelling the deodorant is a bit weird (for me). However, after applying, you won’t feel this odd smell. 

Is it worth buying the Lush solid deodorant bar?

OrganiCup menstrual cup #NewPeriod

When I first heard about this sustainable period product, I found it weird… I needed a few years to change my mind and give it a try, so I can forget about tampons and pads and stop producing waste. 

Yep, I’m talking about menstrual cups. These silicone cups are offered by many brands and are available in many drugstores. I purchased one from OrganiCup because of their stylish and helpful website. There you’ll find step-by-step guides, beginner tips, interesting facts about our period and even more. Here are a few:

• the cup is made of 100% medical-grade silicone
• the cup can hold the same amount of blood as 3 super tampons
• 1 cup = 528 pads/tampons (in 2 years)

I also have to mention their social impact. OrganiCup provides menstrual cups to developing countries, where girls and women have limited access to period products. So far, they’ve donated more than 15 thousand cups. 

How to use the menstrual cup? 

I won’t go into details now because OrganiCup has an informative instructional video and description on their website. Basically, the steps are: wash, relax, fold, insert, wear up to 12 hours, remove and clean again. And repeat 🙂 

First, it didn’t work for me. I was trying so hard, but it was leaking almost all the time. So I was contacting customer support, they were super friendly and helpful, so they helped me work it out.

Is it worth buying a menstrual cup?

Redy period panties #redypanties

I’m happy to present the super innovative period panties by this is Redy, a Hungarian brand.

These panties can be used without any additional menstrual products. So say goodbye to waste! Bye-bye tampons, bye-bye pads, bye-bye smelly bin! 

Yep, no worry, no leaking, no smell, no more red skin! 

I have to say, I love these menstrual panties! You can wear a pair of panties for a half-day, then change to the next one. Depending on the type, it absorbs as much as 1-5-2,5 tampons. 

The panties are comfy with skin-friendly breathable fabric. They have a swimwear material outside and gentle cotton inside.  

There are many types of period panties:

• “power ++” and “power” for the heavy days
• “flow” and “mesh” for the lighter days
• “bold” for the easy days
• “cosy” and “air” sanitary panties for the pre-period days

They also offer different styles and colours, e.g. the “Mesh” style is a “flow” with a stylish mesh at the side. 

The website includes a size guide. You just have to measure your thigh and hip. If the delivered panties don’t fit, you can even send them back and ask for another size. I ordered L sizes, and everything fits. Hopefully, it will also work for you. You can choose from XS to 3XL sizes. 

They ship internationally too, expect some extra fee depending on your location. Scroll down on the website to subscribe to the newsletter, and you’ll get a 10% discount on your 1st order 😉 

For more detailed descriptions about ordering, washing and guarantee, check out the website and shop! 

Is it worth buying the Redy period panties?

How to reduce and replace your liquids in your carry-on? 

If you’re still reading, thanks a lot!!! I hope you’ve found this blog post helpful, and I’m sure, in the meantime, you’ve figured out which liquids can be replaced by solid sustainable toiletries. Let me summarise shortly:

• Shampoo bar instead of liquid shampoo 
• Powdered dry shampoo to replace spray
• Facial naked cleansing balm rather than a facial cleansing oil
• Toothpaste tabs instead of toothpaste 
• Solid deodorant bar to replace deodorant roll or spray 

So these were my favourite eco-friendly and zero waste toiletries, which I use every day and for travelling. I hope I could show you something new, so together we’ll produce less waste. 

I’m curious about what type of sustainable products you use, so please share it in the comments below. 

So what are your favourite eco-friendly and zero waste toiletries? 

More tips and tricks on travel and sustainability:

• Things to do before every trip – with a travel checklist 
• How to plan your travel itinerary with Google My Maps?
• Useful gift ideas for travel lovers
• How to start living a sustainable lifestyle at home

Pin the photos for later to have them on Pinterest.