Use This, Not This: Part deux

It's the return of "Use this, Not this"! In hindsight I probably should've made my sign say, "Use this, Not that," but oh well. For now, I'll let it be. Anyway, let's review. During these posts, I will give sustainable, more affordable, and overall more healthy product alternatives to every day items we use. So, let's get started!

Deodorant. We all need it. No, seriously, we all do. For years I searched for a viable non-aluminum-containing alternative. They all were sticky and/or not very effective. Until now. This year, I discovered the Deodorant Stone. It is made of Potassium Alum (natural mineral salts) and it is so very effective.

I purchased this deo stone on Amazon for a bargain price after reading rave reviews. The label reads: "24-hour deodorant protection made with natural mineral salts that eliminate odor-causing bacteria: *Non-staining, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic *No parabens, no propylene glycol * No animal testing *Gluten Free"
Yes, it really is a rock! You simply dampen one end and very lightly rub it into your armpit, re-dampening for the next armpit. It will last a very long time, because you are just taking a tiny portion with each use. My fiance was skeptical and laughed at me. He tried it one day and has been amazed and hooked ever since. Not even regular deodorant completely eliminated slight odors, but this stone does!
Household Cleaners: We all have to clean. Again, yes we do! I have used homemade products for years, so I have no alternative "Not this" to show you. On the left with the blue cap is my glass cleaner: 1C rubbing alcohol, 1C water, 1Tbsp vinegar. Works like a charm! On the right is my all-purpose cleaner: 50% vinegar, 50% water, splash of lemon juice (something new I tried this batch). To learn more about the anti-bacterial effects of vinegar here is a PubMed study and a little Wiki history. Buy the large jug of distilled white vinegar, nothing fancy. These will save you loads of money and will reduce the plastic containers you consume as well.

Paper towels: Now that we've got our cleaners in order, what do we wipe our mess up with? Cloth napkins reduced my paper towel consumption, but use of these kitchen cloths has completely eliminated my consumption of them. Seriously, this pack has been sitting unopened in my cupboard for months. I purchased my cloths from Trader Joe's, but you can find kitchen cloths nearly everywhere these days. They are highly absorbent and dry quickly. Literally the same material my dad and his colleagues used to wash and dry the fire engines when I was a kid, called a shammy! Or you can use washcloths or rags. It really doesn't matter, so long as what you use is reusable.

Sustainable cotton balls

If you're like me, you use cotton balls on a daily basis. I use two per day: one in the morning and one at night with my toner. Cottons balls aren't the most expensive item I buy, but when I added up how quickly I go through them and how much waste that creates, I knew I had to do something to offset this. I was initially inspired by The Zero Waste Home's blog, which tipped me off to reusable (washable) cotton face rounds. I know, you'd think these would've been a no-brainer!

Their blog recommends Better For Grown-ups Cotton Rounds, but I hesitated to purchase these because of the price. I did a lot of searching and found many alternative options on Etsy; some for a better price. When I finally found some that satisfied me - fair cost for amount of rounds + material that pleased me - the seller ran out! So, I patiently began to wait for the seller to make more and put them up for sale.

While waiting, Pinterest (seriously, this site has changed my life) lead me to a tutorial on how to make your own make-up remover cloths/cotton pads. Again, what a no-brainer! I have made 31 of these so far and have plenty of fabric left for more. Making my own is by far the best deal I could've gotten. And compared to my napkins project - though it was easy - this is even easier, simply because I do not have to care what they look like! This tutorial includes a recipe for homemade make-up remover too. I have yet to make this, but it is something I will be trying as a replacement to my make-up remover wipes (as soon as my stash runs low).



For the cotton side of my pads I purchased a yard of organic cotton hemp fabric on Amazon. For the other side I used an old flannel nightshirt I no longer wear. These cotton rounds work like a charm! If you aren't someone who sews, I still recommend purchasing these as they will definitely pay for themselves in no time and will reduce waste from day one. The ideal rounds I found were made by an Etsy shop called BabyZing. I'd recommend checking back to see when she has them for sale again if you decide sewing is not the route for you.