You may consider yourself an environmentalist or conservationist. Keeping waste to a minimum is important to you and you do your best to reduce, recycle, reuse, downcycle, and upcycle every item, product, or resource your have access to. Waste consciousness not only does good for Mother Nature, it can also do wonders for your hair care regimen as well. Here are three easy ways to reduce environmental waste in your hair regimen:
Use chemical-free products
As consumers become more health conscious, more hair care brands are starting to offer natural, chemical-free product formulations. Brands are eliminating harsh chemicals and preservatives and opting for conditioning oils such as castor oil, olive oil, and coconut oil as well as herbs like lemongrass, chamomile, rosemary, and mint. Rather than opting for synthetic detergents that are drying to your hair and scalp, find brands that adhere to testing and production practices that are sustainable and eco-friendly.
Repurpose kitchen products for your hair
If you’ve been part of the natural hair community for a while, you may know about the wonders of olive oil, aloe vera juice, and apple cider vinegar to name a few! Olive oil, which is used in many recipes, can also be used as a sealant to lock moisture in your hair. Aloe vera juice, which is often mixed into smoothies for an added dose of antioxidants, can also be sprayed onto our hair as a moisturizer. Rather than going out to buy more hair products, duck into your pantry and feed your hair with some of nature’s best delicacies.
Think about the packaging
This part of a hair care regimen is often overlooked. After all, when we run out of product, most of us simply opt to chuck the packaging in the bin. To reduce waste, you could buy smart. By this I mean buy products that are wrapped or packaged in recycled material. You could also opt to bulk buy products you know you’ll use for months to come. For example, rather than buy 100 small containers of shea butter, buy one large bulk container. This may not only help you cut down on the amount of plastic you’re buying, but may also guarantee you a sturdy hard plastic container that you can downcycle for composting later down the line.
These hair care product alternatives may not only be better for the environment, they could be great for your overall health too.
How do you reduce waste in your own regimen? Leave us a note down below.
