5 Eco-Friendly Bathroom Swaps

*Post updated August 2022

I know how hard it can be to find an eco-friendly alternative to a product you may have been using and loving for years. Bathroom hygiene can be one particular area you may not even want to think about because either it’s too stressful (so. many. options.) or you assume you won’t be able to find a product that works as well as your “tried and true”.

Luckily for you, I have tried my fair share of eco-friendly bathroom products and have settled on a handful that I’m happy to keep in my routine. Below are five eco-friendly bathroom swaps I made in 2019 that you can easily make in 2020, plus some other suggestions.

Body Scrubber

I grew up using a loofa to wash my body just like anybody else, but I knew I needed to find an eco-friendly alternative once I realized loofas are just balls of plastic netting. Now I use an all natural body scrubber from The Body Shop made with 100% cactus fibers. At the end of its life, I compost it. I buy it in store, so the only plastic included with the purchase is the little piece used to keep the tag on. I swap my scrubber out about every six months for a fresh one and don’t have to feel bad about tossing the old one.

Body Wash/Soap

I love a yummy smelling shower gel as much as the next girl, but I could do without the plastic bottles and caps that the product comes in. Swapping your body wash from shower gel to bar soap is eco-friendly, affordable, and gives you a reason to properly use that dang soap rack on your shower organizer. I love buying handmade soaps from local artisans at the farmers’ market or finding a brand that sells their soaps in paper packaging like Beautycounter. My dad loves the Counterman Charcoal Body Bar and the Counter+ Charcoal Cleansing Bar is an award winning multipurpose product. I also find that bar soaps last longer than a bottle of shower gel, so I’m saving money and the planet!

Toothbrush

I finally took the plunge in 2019 and bought a bamboo toothbrush from T.J. Maxx. I was nervous it wouldn’t last me very long and the bristles would fall out after reading many reviews, but I can honestly say I have had nothing short of a great experience with the one I bought. I read that toothbrushes with castor bristles (the compostable alternative to nylon bristles) don’t last very long and that the bristles start falling out only a few months into using it. I have been using my bamboo toothbrush with compostable castor bristles since April 2019 and I have had zero bristles fall out. I only use it at night (I brush with my Sonicare in the morning), so I haven’t needed to replace it yet.

2022 Edit: I am still using a bamboo toothbrush at night. I am currently using this one from Petit Vour and have been very happy with it. It has lasted me a long time and is still in great condition. I will repurchase this one.

Toothpaste

I’ve tried a few different zero waste toothpaste options by now and have stuck with David’s toothpaste for several months now. It comes in a cardboard box in a metal tube with a plastic cap (so not 100% zero waste) and a metal tube roller. Once I’ve gotten all the toothpaste out of the tube that I can, I cut off the head of the tube (where the cap is), cut along the long side of the tube, and rinse it clean. I was surprised how easily the metal came clean – I thought I’d have to scrub the toothpaste remnants off before recycling, but I didn’t. I like this toothpaste for its minty flavor, consistency and texture (just like standard mainstream toothpastes), and how well it foams. When I first stared using David’s toothpaste, I thought it didn’t foam as well and was even quite runny. I honestly don’t know if it just took me some time to get used to or what, but I don’t have the same complaint.

A couple other eco-friendly toothpaste options I’ve tried are 1) making my own from coconut oil and baking soda, and 2) toothpaste tabs. I knew right away that I didn’t like the flavor of the homemade toothpaste, so didn’t stick with that one. The toothpaste tabs I tried were from Bite Toothpaste Bits and they were pretty good. They came in a glass jar with a metal lid (I’ve loved using this jar for taking salad dressings to work), were easy to use (bite down on the tab and brush with a wet toothbrush), and foamed nicely. They had a nice minty flavor, but it wasn’t strong enough to make my breath smell minty after brushing, which is why I didn’t continue using them.

2022 Edit: My teeth are more sensitive these days, so I use Tom’s of Maine sensitive solutions toothpaste. I still stand by my thoughts and opinions on David’s toothpaste; you can also purchase it on Petit Vour.

Deodorant

Man oh man has this taken a longgggg time. I finally found a natural deodorant that I love and it happens to come in a couple different eco-friendly packaging options: a glass jar and cardboard stick form from Meow Meow Tweet in their pink grapefruit scent. I personally like the stick form best (I have tried both) just because I don’t like having to use my fingers to apply deodorant. You can also get little deodorant applicator spatulas for jar deodorants if you’d like. I love the light grapefruit scent (They also have a eucalyptus lemon scent, but the deodorant is literally bright yellow and stained one of my white sweaters so I only use it when I wear black.) and that I can compost the tube when it’s used up.

The only thing I don’t like about it I’d say it that I use it up pretty quickly and need a new one about every two weeks. This is taking into consideration that I am a sweaty person, workout multiple times a week, and so end up applying deodorant about 2-3 times per day. Until recently, I was able to get it at my local Target, but they recently stopped caring it, so I will have to buy it online and pay for shipping :/ I also love it because it doesn’t irritate my underarm skin. I usually wouldn’t say I have sensitive skin, but when it comes to my armpits, it’s a different story.

I also want to mention that the first time I tried this deodorant was before I switched to natural deodorants and didn’t know that the human body has to go through a detox period before natural deodorants will “start to work”. I thought that none of the natural deodorants I was trying were working, but I was really just going through my detox period (which can take months).

Some products that can help speed up the detox process are activated charcoal face masks, this detox underarm bar, and this detox deodorant. I’ve tried the bar and the deodorant and stand by them; they smell so good and fresh.

Refillable deodorants are another better option. I’ve only ever tried one brand (byHumankind – pictured above), but I liked it and their mission.

2022 Edit: I have since tried the Beautycounter The Clean Deo refillable deodorant and exclusively use it now. I love the scents, how effective it is, and that it helps keep my armpits drier than other deodorants. Plus, the reusable packaging is super cute!

Other Swap Suggestions

Recycled toilet paper, facial tissues, and other paper products

Make your own liquid soap – find my recipe here (works best with foaming soap dispensers)