For a second I know you thought I was probably getting into some voyeuristic camping experience. Sorry to dissapoint – I am talking about plastic-free living. Our world is being destroyed by the amount of plastic we throw away each day – it chokes and kills, and will not decompose. We can no longer promise to leave our earth the way we found it – because everytime we throw away that plastic wrapper or shampoo bottle, we are adding it to a pile that will never fully decompose.
Sam and I have made a commitment to cut out plastic in our lives as much as possible, if not completely. There are so many alternatives, but let’s start with going plastic-free on our travels shall we!
You gotta brush your teeth. But do you need a toothpaste tube? Tooth powder. I am addicted. I made a first batch at home using THIS recipe. I substituted stevia with xylitol, which is better for your teeth anyway. I use this powder
version for longer trips, but for short camping trips, Lush toothie tabs are amazing! Along with this, we switched over to bamboo toothbrushes – so much better for the environment -and compostable! There are so many kinds out there.
Shampoo bottles are soo last decade! And I have hair that is known to be flamboyant, 
so it requires washes fairly frequently. It disturbed me how much plastic I was using for my hair products – and at the hotels I travel to, I often picked up the free shampoos and conditioners and stocked them for my camping trips. But, now having found amazing alternatives, I don’t think I will go back to that. Earlier this year I discovered Lush Shampoo Bars – having tried them out, I am probably the biggest fan! And I am even happier that there are amazing companies in Kenya like D’Vine also testing out shampoo bars (hint – I was one of the test subjects!) – all you need is a tin to put the bar.
Moisturized? All the stuff we carry to take on our trips! That’s the part that i need to work on better this year. But making some changes – I make a home made face oil with coconut oil as a base, tea tree and lavender that I used in the evenings , even when camping – definitely helps save the skin against sunburn.
Aunt Flo’ – all the things about being a woman – How annoying it is to have your period on a trip! But it happens! A few years ago, I would have to carry around sanitary pads and tampons, and it was always such an issue to find a place to dispose them off. Then I discovered Ruby Cup , a menstrual cup on a social mission in Kenya. Oh how my life changed! Menstrual cups are fantastic – no need for extra stuff to carry – and as long as you have water there is always a way to sort your stuff out!
I would love to hear your thoughts on plastic free toiletries and camping!
Reshma
