Bathroom Swaps That Take A Little Getting Used To

Ok, so I've already recommended my Top Swaps for your bathroom. The easiest, most effective, least likely to cause you any problems, and most likely to seamlessly slip into your daily routine. Now, for the not-so-straightforward swaps. I would recommend only turning to these swaps once you have got the Top Swaps under your belt.

I'll explain why each one presents a slightly bigger challenge than my original three, and why they are worth it. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that they take a little more getting used to than the first three. They are less of a seamless transition (I tend to use my long suffering husband as a bit of a swap-o-meter in these circumstances) but arguably even more important.

Swap # 1: EcoLiving Toothpaste Tabs

What's The Problem?

In the United Kingdom, around 300 million toothpaste tubes are thrown away each year. Globally, that number is estimated to be around 20 billion. Toothpaste tubes are often made from a combination of materials, including plastic and aluminium, which makes them difficult to recycle. Anything that is going to be recycled also needs to be cleaned of any excess residue that might contaminate the recycling process, which is why I am very sceptical of any toothpaste tube that claims to be recyclable. It would need to be processed in a specialised recycling plant like those used in TerraCycle's mail-back Oral Care Recycling Programme. TerraCycle is a fantastic company focusing on specialised waste solution programmes, but it is for very specific brands and products and therefore is not the all-singing solution we might be hoping for. Apart from the more obvious issue of waste, there is also the slightly grainier question around Flouride. See my blog ... For more information.

What's The Solution?

There are alternative toothpaste tubes—some made of aluminium alone, others that call themselves recyclable, but as you can see from what I've described above, that's not particularly easy and is incredibly energy-intensive. The very best alternative forms of tooth"paste" come in tab form. They take a bit of getting used to. They are definitely not the same as a paste. For one, you don't get the foaming texture, which is created by adding SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and is more for show than effect. It's also tempting to swallow the tablet, but that sort of defeats the point. Have a drink of water first, wet the toothbrush, chew on the tablet until you get a paste, and then brush away.

I go for ecoLiving fluoride-free toothpaste tabs. They are by far the most effective and best value—£3.50 for 125 tabs, that I have found so far. That's £3.50 for 125 brushes, which is not dissimilar to your average tube of toothpaste. If we assume that you can get 60 brushes out of a tube of 75ml toothpaste at £1.50, then it's a pretty good swap. They are also pretty handy if you are flying with just hand luggage!

Swap #2: LiveCoco Toothbrush Heads

What’s The Problem?

his one really is bonkers. Especially when it comes to children's toothbrushes. I don't know about you, but my children seem to enjoy chewing the toothbrush head rather than focusing solely on brushing their teeth, so the brush lasts a nano-second.

When it comes to adult toothbrushes, a lot of people use electric toothbrushes which obviously last a lot longer and are less wasteful because you only need to throw away the head. Having said that, the general advice is that a toothbrush should be changed every three months, which leads to the UK throwing away 264 million manual toothbrushes each year and 212 million electric toothbrush heads. Those numbers are totally mind-boggling, and that's only in the UK!

What’s The Solution?

Switch it up and go bamboo with the toothbrush. They are just as effective as a plastic toothbrush and sold in most supermarkets and high-street stores like Boots. If you already have an electric toothbrush, then the best swap I can recommend is LiveCoco, who advocate a closed-loop recycling programme. If you buy their electric toothbrush heads—which are Oral-B/Braun compatible— you can return them to LiveCoco to be recycled. If you plan ahead and buy in bulk, you can get 6 toothbrush heads for just £24.99 (please note they are under offer at the time of writing) including free returns packaging for when you're done.

Swap #3: Wild or Fussy Deodorant

What’s The Problem?

So, there's the obvious issue of single-use waste. Latest estimates state that over 3.2 billion single-use plastic deodorants are thrown away each year globally. Definitely opt for a roll-on over an aerosol. Aerosols are made up of VOCs that can react with nitrogen oxide in sunlight to create photochemical smog. This can cause irreversible damage to the lungs and heart and can also harm wildlife and agriculture. On top of that, when choosing your roll-on deodorant, be careful because many deodorants contain aluminium, which is a heavy metal and has no business being coated onto our skin and absorbed on a daily basis. (More on this in my blog: Detoxing.)

What’s The Solution?

There are brilliant brands rethinking deodorant packaging and ingredients. There are two that stand out: Wild and Fussy. I use Wild, and my husband uses Fussy—we both love our new deodorants. And one other real win for switching to an aluminium-free deodorant is that aluminium is also responsible for the nasty yellow marks you get on white clothing, so now our white t-shirts are lasting much longer too! Goodbye yellow stains and hello fresh armpits. It can take a bit of time for your body to become accustomed to a new deodorant, so there may be a few days before you really feel it working for you. The slight barrier to these more natural deodorants is that they are definitely an investment. You're looking at £12/£15 for the initial purchase, including outer casing, and then £5/6 for the refills. Versus £2.50 for Dove single-use. But, as I mentioned above, aluminium is a heavy metal that has been linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer's. This swap is as much a health swap as it is an environmental swap.

Final Thoughts

Some swaps are easy, while others take a little more time to get used to, but all of them make a big difference. If my swap-o-meter (a.k.a. my husband) can get on board, then trust me, so can you.

I’d love to hear about the swaps you’ve tried in your bathroom—let me know in the comments! 💚♻️