Plastic Free July: Self Care

Plastic Free July: Self Care

It’s Plastic Free July! In the world of FD Market, we aspire to be plastic-free every month, but to encourage you to jump head-first into the eco-friendly world, we are holding unique specials each week for specific products.

The week of July 15th-21st is Self Care!

What does that mean exactly? This week’s theme of self-care encompasses all beauty and self-care products that are not in the refillery. For us, that is a lot of products! During this week, if you spend $25 or more on those products in the store, at the van, or online, you will receive a free sample from Elate Cosmetics!

Why should you care?

If you haven’t already, check out our blog post on Beauty Refillery to learn about plastic in the beauty industry.

Another problem in the beauty and self-care industry: chemicals. Federal law does not require the ingredients in personal care products to have FDA approval before being put on the shelves. That means anything goes. Any chemical a company wants to put in their products, they can (well, not quite everything, but more than you would think).

The unfortunate truth is that there are ingredients in a lot of beauty products that are harmful to our bodies. People forget that the skin is an organ -- our largest organ -- and we need to take care of it. The ingredients in these beauty products are easily absorbed through the skin; those ingredients may include endocrine disrupting chemicals, called EDCs. 

The endocrine system controls your hormones. Disruptions to this system have a variety of impacts from reproductive to behavioral problems. Although it is still being tested, scientists believe that by throwing off the endocrine system, the chemicals in these personal care products can ultimately increase the user’s risk of hormonally-driven cancers (prostate, breast, ovarian, and endometrial).

Let us help you!

To help reduce plastic while also reducing your exposure to dangerous toxins, consider switching to the beauty care products we carry. All products in the store are eco-friendly and contain simple, clean, and natural ingredients.

Here are some general categories and select items from them that will hopefully motivate you to explore more products and support Plastic Free July:

These are the links to our Beauty & Skin Care, Personal Care, and Hair Care pages!

Body Care

 
Body Soaps (Moisturizing Rosehip, Healing Turmeric, Exfoliating Pink Clay, Anti-aging Sage, or Oil Reducing Charcoal): All five of these body soaps can be used on the face as well as the rest of your body. Each type contains natural ingredients that gently soothe your skin as they work to moisturize, heal, exfoliate, anti-age, and reduce oil.

• Tip: Use a Plant Based Bath Pouf to assist in lathering.

Loofah Soap (Eucalyptus + Mint, Sandalwood, Amber + Lavender, and Oat Milk + Honey): The Loofah Soaps all contain a sea loofah in the middle that helps to shed off dry skin and remove calluses. The nourishing properties of the ingredients mixed with the exfoliating properties of the loofah make for a very relaxing cleanse.
Coffee Body Scrub with Peppermint: This scrub leaves your skin smooth, refreshed, and moisturized after first removing dead skin cells and then moisturizing with Shea butter. If you are curious why the product contains coffee, it is because coffee provides nutrients and antioxidants that exfoliate and balance pH levels on your skin.

• Tip: Try out the Coffee Face Scrub with Citrus which works similarly to the body scrub, only it instead specializes in exfoliating your face!

Patch Bamboo Bandages (Natural, Aloe Vera, Coconut Oil, or Activated Charcoal): Made from natural bamboo fiber, these bandages are gentle on the skin and work to soothe scratches and wounds.

Shaving

Shave Bar: Made from Bentonite clay and Lanolin, this bar exfoliates, detoxes, balances, calms, moisturizes, and soothes the skin! It is made to give a smooth glide for the razor.

• Tip: Put the bar in a Woven Soap Bag to help it lather, and then use the Safety Razor which is plastic-free and made from chrome to reduce irritation.

Deodorant

 

Deodorant Cream (Jasmine Green Tea, Coconut, or Activated Charcoal): This deodorant cream uses a 24-hour formula without the aluminum and baking soda. Apply this nourishing and gentle cream using it’s included wooden stick.
Natural Deodorant (Lemon & Bergamot, Lavender & Peppermint, Eucalyptus & Rosemary, or Cedarwood & Sweet Orange): The natural deodorant we carry gives a better smell and feel compared to non-natural, plastic-packaged deodorants found on most store shelves.

• Tip: When making the transition to natural deodorant, use our Underarm Detox Bar for the first few weeks to clean out your underarm pores.

 

Teeth Health 

Natural Toothpaste (Peppermint, Spearmint, Peppermint + Charcoal, or Herbal Citrus Peppermint): The Natural Toothpaste uses natural and clean whitening, anti-plaque, and breath-improving ingredients without fluoride. Feel refreshed while also staying plastic-free!
Toothpaste Tabs: Easy. Healthy. Eco-friendly. All in one, these toothpaste tabs are easy to use, help to kill bacteria, balance your mouth’s pH, restore tooth enamel, decrease sensitivity, and whiten teeth, without the need for a plastic tube.
Bamboo Toothbrush: Pair either of the above two products with an eco-friendly, compostable bamboo toothbrush!

Hair Care 

Shampoo and Conditioner Bars (Moisturize, Volumize, Maintain, or Soothe): These salon-quality solid shampoo and conditioner bars work for all hair types, and keep your hair healthy by using ingredients that help rather than hurt your hair.

• Tip: To learn how to use them, check out our Guide for Using Shampoo and Conditioner Bars. 

Bamboo Hairbrush: Made from bamboo and is plastic-free, this hair brush presents you with an environmentally-friendly alternative to an every-day accessory.

Face Care 

Bamboo Face Cloth: Not only is bamboo super eco-friendly, it is also super soft when used as a fabric! Enjoy a relaxing face wash with this hypo-allergenic and high quality bamboo face cloth.

• To learn more about bamboo, check out our blog post on the Background and Benefits of Bamboo.

Face Toner: Bending anti-inflammatory residue from fruit in the juicing industry with soothing chamomile stem extract, a by-product of the tea industry, this toner refreshes, moisturizes, and brightens the skin.
Cleansing Face Balm with Apricot Powder: Made from apricot stones, a by-product of the apricot oil industry, this balm is full of Vitamin E, and gently removes makeup and pollution from your skin. After use, your skin will feel hydrated and cleansed.

Eye Cream: If you are looking for a way to reduce dark circles, check out this eye cream. The cream includes coffee oil and anti-inflammatory maple bark extract, a by-product of the wood industry, and it renews your skin by reducing lines and dark circles.
Poppy & Pout Lip Scrub (Pomegranate Peach or Sweet Mint): This lip scrub uses sugar and essential oils to remove dead skin from your lips, leaving them soft and cleansed.

• Tip: Follow-up with Poppy & Pout Lip Balm or Vegan Lip Butter.

Makeup

Refresh Foundation: In 12 different shades, these foundations work perfectly for a minimal makeup routine. The product includes the plant-derived ingredient, hyaluronic acid, which maintains hydration, as well as many antioxidants for the skin.
Universal Creme (Bliss, Love, or Keen): The term “universal” can be taken pretty literally in this case. Use this cream for blush, lip gloss, or even eye color! One of the benefits to using this cream is its hydration properties.

• Tip: Store the creme in a Bamboo Blush Compact.

Eye Color (Union, Sweet, Rise, Earthen, or Ethereal): Made for soothing and nourishing your eyelids while also maintaining its vibrant color, you will look and feel amazing with these colors.

• Tip: Store the eye colors in a customizable Bamboo Capsule Pallet.

Essential Mascara: This mascara adds thickness and length to any lashes without clumping. Combined with water and sweat-resistant properties, you can wear the mascara for any occasion, and use it for a natural or bold look -- whatever suits you!
(Even) Better Balm (Clarity, Bloom, Lifted, or Arise): Just in from Elate Cosmetics is the (Even) Better Balm! This lip “conditioner” nourishes and protects your lips from environmental pollutants using rosehip and carrot oil. Rosehip provides Vitamins A, C, and E.
Bamboo Brushes (for makeup): For any of the above products, we have bamboo makeup brushes for easier application. These include bamboo Multi-Use Brushes, Brow/line Brushes, and Eye Color Brushes.
Reusable Facial Rounds (Black, White, or Lemon): Easy and environmentally-conscience makeup removal is here with washable facial rounds. Soft and organic, these cotton rounds work great for removing makeup, plus any other dirt you may have collected throughout the day.

Thank you for supporting Plastic Free July: Self Care!

The above list isn’t even half of it! Visit us in our store in Emmaus, our van at your local farmer’s market, or online to explore more eco-friendly self-care products. Remember: if you purchase $25 worth of self-care products, you will receive a free sample from Elate Cosmetics.

Thank you for taking steps towards a greener future!

Citations

MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Adelina Espat and Brittany Cordeiro. “Beauty Products and Cancer: Are You at Risk?” MD Anderson Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 10 July 2012, www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/cancer-prevention-cosmetic-beauty-tips.h17-1589046.html. 

Shaffer, Lindsey. “How to Make Sure Your Self-Care Products Aren't Toxic: Vital Plan.” Vital Plan | The Power of Nature in Your Hands, 24 Aug. 2020, vitalplan.com/blog/how-to-make-sure-your-self-care-products-arent-toxic.