DIY Zero Waste Toiletries

If you’re looking to reduce your waste, toiletries are easy to swap to zero waste alternatives! Commercial products not only come in plastic packaging, but most of them are made from a laundry list of chemicals. If you’re on the quest for natural alternatives, then making your own DIY zero waste toiletries such as toothpaste, dry shampoo, and deodorant using natural ingredients will be better for yourself and the planet… and your wallet too!

Most of the ingredients are things I have around the house, and the remaining ingredients, such as witch hazel and essential oils, can be purchased at pharmacies or online. Try to opt for organic and package free/ glass packaged ingredients!

A final point to mention is that some of these recipes contain coconut oil. If the temperature gets above 25°C in your house, your product will liquefy. Honestly, I just use it as liquid anyways, but you can always store your toiletries in the fridge to keep them solid.

For more suggestions, check out my blog post on zero waste toiletries.

Deodorant

I talk about why I switched to making my own deodorant in Ten Changes I’ve made in 2019 to live more Sustainably.

I’ve had several requests for my deodorant recipe so here it is! Unlike many DIY recipes, this one doesn’t use baking soda, and is therefore good for people with sensitive skin.

1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup coconut oil
10 drops of tea tree oil
10 drops of grapefruit oil (or any other essential oil you like)

Corn starch has antiperspirant qualities (a.k.a. keeps you dry), the coconut oil moisturises and is antibacterial (make shaving easier!), and the essential oils offer scent and are antibacterial/anti fungal.

Mix well until you get a paste and use a tsp. for each underarm, rubbing in gently. Some people say that when you switch from antiperspirant to deodorant you go through a detox phase while the aluminium leaves your system, but I didn’t experience this. If I’m really hot, my underarms might get a bit damp, but they never smell.

There are lots of natural deodorants on the market and many of them come in cardboard packaging, but why not try making your own and save some money?!

Dry Shampoo – 2 ways!

Powder Dry Shampoo

Mix corn starch with cocoa powder. I used 3 tbsp. of corn starch to 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder, which works well for dark hair. If your hair is blonde, you might not need any cocoa powder. I store mine in an old spice jar.

To apply, either sprinkle directly onto scalp, or sprinkle a tsp. in your hand and vigorously rub in.

Wet Dry Shampoo

This is my preferred dry shampoo and it is closest to commercial types like Batiste.

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. witch hazel
a few drops of essential oil. I use grapefruit, but lemon or rosemary would also be good clarifying options.

Mix them all together and put in a used spray bottle. Be sure to shake well before use to disperse the corn starch. I add 4-5 sprays to my scalp and rub vigorously.

Toothpaste

I use this toothpaste most of the time, but 1-2 times a week I use conventional toothpaste because it contains flouride. Coconut oil based toothpaste is a good option if you want to avoid flouride, but I personally think it is beneficial for your health. Our water isn’t flourinated and my dentist recommends I use flouride, so I compromise and use both types of toothpaste. You might not like the taste of the baking soda initially, but I found I got used to it after a week.

2 tbsp. coconut oil
1.5 tbsp. baking soda
15 drops peppermint oil

Mix well and store in air tight jars. Use on a dry toothbrush so that you don’t dissolve the baking soda.

Tongue Scraper

I’m not sure if you’d consider this zero waste because I bought the tongue scraper. But, my metal scraper is more sustainable that the plastic or disposable types, and I avoid buying bottles of mouth wash. I really like how fresh it makes my mouth feel after use.

I hope you have success with these recipes, and I’ll share some zero waste skincare recipes soon!

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