It’s been a curveball year to say the least for everyone. I myself spent the first nine months of the Covid-19 Pandemic working from home, finalising my thesis and baking buns in the oven! So there wasn’t a whole lot of time for maintaining the blog and we ceased all group community beach cleans for health and safety reasons. Although we practised our own individual two-minute beach cleans or the occasional plogging session, it was still a scary time to be picking up others litter especially with so much personal hygiene items being discarded so senselessly. I toyed with the idea of writing a blog post on eco-cleaning products and natural sanitizer but I didn’t feel it was responsible to offer anything other than what national health guidelines were promoting. 

It’s been a year of finding balance and compromise. On one hand I am consuming less, making more and being more grateful for what I have. I’m slowing down and focusing on the important stuff. I’m sure every eco-conscious person out there has been squirming at the sight of increased single use plastics and coffee cups but I am hopeful that this awful time will pass and climate action will take a center focus when individuals and governments can focus on something else other than the pandemic.

In our own house we kept up with the daily use of our Lillie’s Eco Clean products but we also bought the dreaded bleach and antibacterial spray for use when it was needed. 

I wear up-cycled and reusable masks, having made a bunch of them for my work colleagues. But my partner had to continue working frontline in food production so disposable bacteria filter masks were required for him daily.

I had to switch up my usual cosmetics routine mainly due to the fact I wasn’t in the city every day where I would usually have access to a wider choice of products. I wanted to support local where possible and not order too much online. I discovered a couple of great new finds which are all now part of my daily routine.

Our followers know I’m a big fan of Lush shampoo bars, but in place of them I’ve switched to Faith in Nature shampoo, conditioner and hand soap and I can get these bottles refilled locally. I’ve had these bottles a year now and have refilled them maybe three times each. 

I wash with soap in the shower and have a new favorite bar: Friendlÿ Rosemary and Lime Charcoal Detox bar. Unlike some of the other handmade soaps I’ve tried this one holds its shape and doesn’t go mushy. Although I love handmade soaps, they can be oily and clog your drains, then I have to go and use a nasty drain unblocking product. I’ve had this Friendlÿ bar on the go weeks and it’s awesome.

I can’t get over the increased washing of our clothes and towels so I switched from larger facecloths and got more of these mini flannels, perfect for me and babies daily cleanse!

I finally got to rid myself of the plastic razor and was gifted this Bareaya safety blade razor. It’s a game changer… invest now!

I’m still a big fan of Pit Putty, nothing beats it. They have a gorgeous new scent, cinnamon and cedar wood. If you like earthy masculine scents you’ll love it, I sure do and it’s my new favorite. I order these in bulk annually every #GreenFriday.

Missed your dental clean during lockdown? Can’t get an appointment for the life of you? Up your dental hygiene at home with The Humble Co. Floss Picks.  I recently discovered these in my supermarket and they are now a necessary part of my daily routine. Although the handle is starch based the floss seems to be poly, so they are not compostable as far as I can see but they are less plastic anyway. My pearlies are very dear to me and I don’t use a natural paste for daily use. I have a herbal paste, which I use weekly and I make my own mouth wash, but to me daily fluoride use is a must for my teeth. 

For now I love this natural Lansinoh baby shampoo and if anyone has any homemade baby wash recipes hit me up in the comments below! I use it sparingly so this should last ages.

Thanks for reading and do share what challenges or changes you have made this year!

Rebecca x