lowimpactdani

[lowimpactdani]

I finally picked up some soap berries from the bulk store after being curious about them for a while. For anyone who doesn’t know what soap berries are they are little nut like balls that can be used in place of laundry detergent. You throw about 4-6 of these bad boys in a cloth or mesh bag and throw them in with your laundry, you use the same nuts over agin until they turn white (between 6-10 uses) and then they can be composted. I also picked up a solid stain remover bar (visually looks like a bar of soap) which a shaved some off to add in with my laundry to give it an extra boost. I was impressed with the berries they seemed to do the job just fine! The only thing I miss is the ‘fresh’ sent that comes with traditional detergent as the berries are scentless (which makes them great for anyone with sensitive skin). I looked up a DIY scent booster for laundry which look very simple (just epsom salt and essential oils) which I will be trying next! 

I think laundry has been marketed as something that needs to be as simple as possible. This can be seen with rise of laundry pods that you just throw in with the laundry rather then measuring liquid or powder. Laundry detergent is also often advertised as being environmentally friendly because it is more concentrated then it used to be. However, the measuring lines in detergent is often way higher than it needs to be plus people are often inclined to use more detergent then is recommended. I think soap berries are a reasonable switch to detergents which come in plastic containers and are full of questionable chemicals for laundry detergent as soap berries can be bought in bulk or in cloth bags while being completely natural. Additionally aside from replacing the berries after the 6th wash they are not that different from the ease of laundry pods. Another benefit of soap berries are the cost. They are on average $0.05 per wash were as laundry pods are on average $0.30 per wash, added up that makes a large difference over all. The only barrier to these soap berries is the fact that they can be hard to find where as laundry pods are sold at every grocery store. Hopefully with more demand for sustainable products soap berries or similar products will be available more universally. 

[lowimpactdani]

Naming & shaming brands that use animals to test their products

Having completely removed animal products from my diet, I thought it was time to start looking at where else I was supporting the unnecessary use of animals for my benefit.

First: cosmetics.

There are SO many lists on the internet about who tests on animals and who is cruelty free, and there are also different types of cruelty free brands, for example:

- Does not test on animals and does not use animal products (cruelty free and vegan)

- Does not test on animals but uses animal- or insect-derived ingredients (cruelty free but not vegan)

- “Officially” does not test on animals BUT sells to China (By law, China requires animal testing of the products being sold there) (NOT cruelty free)

- Tests on animals “when necessary” (NOT cruelty free)

The products in this post that I will be going through are all NOT cruelty free. While I am surprised at how much is here, what also surprises me is that most of the higher-end makeup and most of my favourite makeup that I use is actually cruelty free. This was a pleasant surprise but it also showed me how much more aware I’m going to have to be when I buy new products.

Im disappointed that I have so many products that support cruelty to animals but by being aware of what I’m paying for I’ll be able to make sure that I stop supporting these acts.

Brands

- Dove

- Nivea

- Vaseline

- L’Oreal

- Garnier (owned by L’Oréal)

- Bioré

- Veet

- Maybelline

- Max Factor

- Benefit

- Compeed (Owned by Unilever)

- Estée Lauder

- New York Cosmetics

- Revlon

- Covergirl

- Rimmel

- Lancôme

- Essie

- Clarins Paris

- St Ives

- Sally Hansen

- Sephora

- Chapstick

As of today I won’t be using these brands or buying any more of their products. Animal testing is unnecessary, as demonstrated by many other brands, and we have no need to inflict suffering on innocent beings.

I’ve also linked some lists that I used to classify my products below, I hope they help you in making more ethical choices!

https://logicalharmony.net/cruelty-free-vegan-brand-list/#G

https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/list-of-cruelty-free-brands/

https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/companies-that-test-on-animals/

[lowimpactdani]

I have found so many art supplies that I’ve purchased and half used over the years, so I’m using what I have and making myself handly reminders to hang up in my apartment.

[lowimpactdani]

Plastic Packaging

Once you become aware and concerned about excess product packaging you will never see a supermarket the same way again. What was once a food store will now just look like a plastics warehouse.

[lowimpactdani]

Saw this and just had to share!!! We all have odd socks 🧦 and this idea is not only a great way to save water, stop animals from ingesting plastic, re-use/ recycling buys is also a great #zerowaste idea…

Share! Share! Share!

“Homemade, reusable water balloons!

The kids wanted some water balloons for a water fight but I can’t stand the waste of the real deal so I stitched up some of these instead. They are made out of a couple of pairs of tights Mena had grown out of stuffed with scrap fabric. (Stuffed baby socks would be ace too, and less stitching.) They sure soak up the water and give maximum splash but with zero waste!

Give it a go, make Attenborough proud!”

[lowimpactdani]

There’s no privilege in being vegan. Or a minimalist. Or zero waste.

If you do it right. It’s about doing he best you can, not doing the ultimate best.

Minimalism is about not buying more than you need.

Zero waste is about trying to reduce waste as much as possible.

Veganism is about reducing cruelty as much as possible.

That means takig meds, no matter how they’re packaged. That means buying food- and if the cheapest version for you is frozen in a plastic bag it doesn’t make you a bad person. It’s about reevaluating your morals and your things.

It’s not about winning or showing off how many new mason jars you have. It’s about reusing your stuff- like pickle jars to freeze extra food in etc.

It’s about being your best self and being supportive of others in the community. Helping each other out, educating people.

It’s about saving our planet, our only home.

[lowimpactdani]

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better

Maya Angelou, as written on the board of a hostel I stayed in. It stuck with me. (via trashfreecarter)