I did this little vid on behalf of Alchemy Goods for my Instagram but thought I’d share it here as well so I can talk a little more about why I use each brand. I try to travel with only a carry-on, and previous to this was using one of those giant roll-up hanging kits that I found in a second-hand shop in Austin or a drawstring canvas bag that was the duster bag for my Sonya Kashmiri crossbody bag. For size and safety, this Elliot Dopp Travel Kit works way better, it’s spill-proof, and I can stuff the little plastic zip-lock the airport give you into it.
It’s also eco-friendly and cruelty-free which is key to me, it is made with upcycled inner tubes and waxed canvas, and super-duper durable (in fact, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty). Alchemy Goods has recycled over 500,000 inner tubes thus far in their creations, diverting them from the landfill and providing jobs in their home state of Washington, U.S.A at the same time.
I always travel with my ‘zero waste’ beauty products which I pour from their bulk size into travel-sized containers if needed. You’ll notice I don’t have body soap or shampoo or conditioner in the kit. Mainly because I was visiting my mum on this trip and knew I could mooch off her, but normally I travel with a small Dr. Bronner’s body wash (we buy this soap in its 1 gallon bulk form as there aren’t places to refill here in Paris, but in the states you can refill your bottles). We use Dr. Bronner’s for every type of cleaning (there are recipes on the back of their bottles and online) and I prefer to travel with the body wash over the soap because I can wash my mooncup and my clothing with it.
For shampoo and conditioner, I’ve been using John Masters shampoo and conditioner with his dry hair oil (I also put in some of the shea butter below and coconut oil on my ends) – It’s part of my job to test out these organic brands, but so far, I still prefer the no-poo routine, though it is hard to travel with. Since it is my duty to try conscious products and review them, I’m testing out all the brands that meet my 10 point criteria so I can offer info to others, but I’ll likely go back to no-poo. Shane uses a zero-waste shampoo bar for his hair which works perfectly for his luscious locks but makes my already dry hair like straw, so long story short, we’ve yet to find the perfect travel need to keep hunting until I find one that works for me.
The other thing not pictured is a small jar of coconut oil (that we buy in bulk) which I use for oil pulling and makeup remover. I didn’t bring coconut oil along to Canada as again, I knew my mum would have some.
All the items I travel with are zero waste, palm-oil free, eco-friendly, ethically made, vegan, cruelty-free, organic and (mostly) made by small businesses.
Eco + Ethical How? Alchemy Goods upcycles inner tubes and turns them into lovely bags and accessories like my Elliott Dopp Travel Kit which is made with waxed canvas and upcycled inner tubes. The bag is vegan, cruelty-free, super durable and comes with a limited lifetime warranty, plus it fits into my carry on, a massive upgrade from the canvas drawstring bag I had been using! Alchemy Goods has recycled over 500,000 inner tubes thus far in their creations, diverting them from the landfill and providing jobs in their home state of Washington, U.S.A at the same time
Where To Buy? alcemygoods.com
Eco + Ethical How? This Zero Waste French company has a shop down the street from where I live and sells online as well. I was using bamboo toothbrushes before, which are awesome, but were hard to find in France, so I switched to this zero waste toothbrush. You keep the base, which is made out of 70% caster derivatives which is a plant that absorbs carbon, and 30% plastic. The head is made from nylon bristles and they’ve partnered with Terracycle to give used heads new life. You can send them via post or drop them off in person at their Parisian shop. And it all comes in cardboard compostable packaging. No plastic!
Where To Buy? lamazuna.com – if you live in the U.S.A / Canada Bamboo brushes are plenty so try one of those instead here.
Need More Info? I’ve got a full post on the importance of eco-friendly toothbrushes rather than plastic ones HERE.
Eco + Ethical How? This toothpaste has been one of my best finds after my DIY toothpaste proved to hardcore for my old gums. You can buy refills of the toothpaste itself and you can recharge the toothpaste keeping the same container when you run out. It’s 100% natural and vegan as well.
Where To Buy? vegan-mania.com
Eco + Ethical How? Conventional dental floss, the stuff we all have in our bathrooms – unless we’ve made a conscious effort not to – is made from waxed nylon, which is derived from crude oil (a non-renewable resource). Unlike plastic, it ONLY takes about 30-80 years to decompose. That nylon is then rolled up into a small plastic box, which takes about500 – 1,000 years to decompose all on its lonesome. To top it off, the discarded floss jams pumps in sewage treatment facilities, (don’t put your floss down the toilet!) a shitty job (pun intended) for those city workers lucky enough to detangle our discards. Vömel is biodegradable, and while it’s still made of silk, which is not cruelty-free, it does seem to be the less cruel choice of the few available. It is also refillable and plastic-free, which means there is no waste in consumption and use.
Where To Buy? Vömel is only available in Europe, I get mine from SinPlastico.com – if you live in the USA or Canada, I feel Radius, for the best of my research, is second best.
Need More Info? I’ve got a full post on the issues with conventional dental floss and the solutions thus far HERE.
Eco + Ethical How? When it comes to super disposable objects, especially a small object (like a cotton ball) we don’t think about the implications its existence truly holds in terms of the cradle-to-grave story, nor how that tale impacts the planet or its inhabitants. Even if you’re using organic cotton balls (so pesticide-free) you’re still creating waste. Basically, by replacing disposable items in your daily routine using reusable ones, you’re reducing our impact on the planet exponentially.
Where To Buy? Lamazuna.com
Need More Info? I wrote a full post about the issues with conventional cotton balls/pads and cotton in general for that matter as well as offered some links to some sustainable solutions outside France, HERE.
Eco + Ethical How? Both Para Botanica and Nature and Nurture are small businesses, making amazing skincare that is vegan, palm-oil free, philanthropic, organic, ethical, sustainable and housed in glass bottles. Shane and I share our skincare, and both brands offer skincare that works for both of us. I’ve done a review on Para Botanica HERE and Nature and Nurture HERE and I continue to use their products to date. I don’t wear makeup on my skin so my skincare is hugely important to me. I find both of these brands individually or a combination of these two together does wonders for my skin. Para Botanica is based in NYC while Nature and Nurture are based in the UK.
[From Para Botanica]
I travel with: Komala Cleanser //Jasmine Sandalwood Tonic Mist// Immortal Oil // Haima Skin Dew // Immortal Facial Serum
** you can get the travel-sized versions to trial HERE and then use those as your travel containers once you decide which ones you like
[From Nature and Nurture]
I travel with: their Wrinkle-Repair Night Serum // Youth-Protect Moisturizer // Instant-Lift Eye Gel – I don’t usually travel with the scrub, but it’s amazing.
Where To Buy? parabotanica.com // natureandnurtureskincare.com
Eco + Ethical How? I’ve just started testing out this probiotic deodorant by Para Botanica, I’m a huge fan already, I have a huge skin issue with baking soda which is in most eco-friendly / ethically-made deodorants, but this one has proven to not only travel well but also work well. Conventional deodorants have a huge number of harmful ingredients in them.
Where To Buy? parabotanica.com
Need More Info? I wrote a full post about natural deodorants with a number of suggestions of natural brands to try HERE.
Eco + Ethical How? This brand creates medical-grade essential oils, hand-whipped in Brooklyn which I use on every inch of my body. from my chapped lips, sunburnt skin and razor burnt pits from surfing last week in Spain (don’t dry shave with a safety razor in the woods), to my dry, eczema, and wrinkle-prone skin. I use it as eye cream, moisturizer, split end repair, foot cream, and lip gloss … so from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
Where To Buy? sheabrand.com
Eco + Ethical How? I get dry feet in the summer, so I like to put this baby on before I go to bed with a pair of organic cotton socks over them. Badger Balm is made with essential oils and other natural ingredients and is free of petrolatum or chemicals of any kind.
Where To Buy? amazon.com
Eco + Ethical How? In the US, two billion disposable razors go to landfill each year (in the US) adding heaps of plastic to our landfills. I made the switch to a safety razor about a year ago and haven’t looked back. It’s loads cheaper as you’re just buying 0.99 cent razor refillers, and it is zero waste as you can recycle the razor blades once you’ve used them. I got mine from Kent Brushes, but any safety razor will do!
Where To Buy? amazon.com
Need More Info? I wrote an article last year HERE about making the switch and why it’s so important to break up with disposable anything.
Eco + Ethical How? I try to use my moon cup as much as possible, I’ve found it is the perfect way for me to reduce the amount of waste I’m creating (us women use an estimated 16,800 tampons in our lifetime) while also providing a toxic-free object that I can kind of forget about from morning til night. There are one or two days of my period when it is super duper light that I find it uncomfortable to wear. On such a day I use a light tampon by organic tampon brand Lola. I carry it all in this little wicker box which I tuck away until it is needed.
Need More Info? I wrote an article called DETOX YOUR BOX on my blog HERE which talks about the eco, ethical and health issues of conventional menstrual care products.
Video: Monique Pantel
** there area few affiliate links worked into this post, I get a few cents if you happen to purchase one of the items I use which helps cover some of the time I put into creating these posts!
** the video itself was sponsored by Alchemy Goods who sent me the bag for review. It was intended only for Instagram but I decided to post it on youtube and here as well as I thought this eco, ethical, vegan, palm-free, zero waste products might be a good guide for those searching for solutions!
Have you ever had any trouble travelling with a razor in your carry on? I can see how those types of blades might be considered a bit more threatening than the typical plastic disposable type.