Zero Waste Makeup & Other Empowering Tips For Women

EMpower feels so different than IN power. In a time where we see so many people “in power” taking advantage of their power, the word gets a kind of bad rep.

But the word EMpower is pretty badass. Feeling empowered is all about... 

Strength

Confidence

Self-reliance

And

Responsibility

Us women are here to support one another, raise one another up and make the world a better place. Our innate nurturing instincts are here to nurture our planet, each zero-waste decision at a time! From zero waste makeup, to menstrual cups, read on for our favorite tips.

Zero Waste Tips for the Empowered Woman

For the Menstruating Women

We have so many awesome alternatives to bleached tampons and diaper-feeling pads. 

❖ Silicone menstrual cups rock. They are safe for our vaginas, last years with proper care, and eliminate tons of trash. Lena Cup was voted best beginners cup, making it the perfect empowering step along your zero waste voyage. Take their quiz to see which cup is right for your body.

❖ Cloth pads can be made out of many different biodegradable materials. Look for ones made of organic cotton or bamboo. Sometimes they are backed with wool for extra absorption. Just make sure to avoid polyester and other synthetic fibers. The more you wash your pads, the more absorbent they become, giving them a really long lifespan! We are a big fan of Life Without Plastic's cloth pads*. 

❖ Got menstrual cramps? Try a herbal blend to ease your symptoms. We absolutely love DeLune’s herbal tonic — packed with herbs such as cramp bark and raspberry leaf known to relieve women during their cycle. 

Zero Waste Makeup For Green Beauty Aficionados

Because makeup and skincare can make us feel empowered and confident! Here are some of our top picks:

❖ Zero Waste Makeup - Yes ladies, there are so many awesome plastic-free makeup brands these days and it is completely up to us to support them.  We are super impressed with Aether Beauty’s eyeshadow - vegan ingredients and completely recyclable packaging. Their color palettes can be used on the eyes to create a masterpiece on your face. Once the color is used up, recycle the packaging and use the elastic around the eyeshadow pan as a hair tie! Oh - and they infuse rose crystals into some of their products! Uhh...genius!

❖ Refillable skincare - Most of our skincare products cannot be recycled. The alternative is to buy products that can be refilled to prolong the use of packaging. Check out Anato’s Regenerative Elixir and Arborescent Serum for multifunctional dry oils that have re-fill options.

❖ Refillable Makeup - More and more makeup brands are creating refills for products like face powders and eyeshadows. This allows you to reuse the base packaging and just replace the nitty gritty product. We love Elate’s beautiful wood packaging holds replaceable pressed foundation disks. Look great without compromising mama  Earth - heck yeah! A true zero waste makeup brand you must check out!

For the Foodies & Kitchen Dwellers

Taking control of our health and diet is a very empowering step. Getting comfortable in the kitchen, whether that means making a simple roast, or a creative concoction, is something we honor for all the empowered foodies out there.

❖ Bulk Bags - It’s no new news that purchasing dried goods from bulk bins saves so much waste in packaging. Mason jars work great but can be clunky to take to the store. Bulk bags are often made of cotton and have a drawstring to keep them tied tightly shut so as not spill your precious goods! An integral part of your zero waste voyage!

❖ Beeswax Wraps - Yep - beeswax based food wraps are a quintessential piece for your zero waste voyage as well. They keep food fresh for longer which minimizes food waste. And they also eliminate the need for seran wrap or aluminium foil. Learn how to make them with the founder of Anato.

❖ Grow Your Own! - What is more zero waste than growing your own herbs and veggies and fruits?! It saves packaging, it saves fossil fuels for transport, it saves time to the grocery store, and it instills a deep sense of empowerment.  The more self-reliant we can become, the more confident we feel. Another perk is that the super fresh harvest from a home garden means your food will be packed with ultimate nutritional value. Don’t know where to get started?! Visit your local nursery for some expert advice. Doable in urban apartments to countryside cabins. 

For the Mamas

❖ Food Scrap Bowl - When the kiddos don’t finish that banana or that apple, keep a bowl in the freezer in which you can add leftovers for future smoothie ingredients. For the veggies that go half-eaten, keep a separate bowl for scraps that eventually become the base for making a veggie stock that can be used in soups, cooking grains, etc. Eliminating food waste by repurposing it into healthy recipes is empowering for you, mama chef, and for your whole family as well!

❖ Mason Jars - We hope this isn’t too much of a no brainer. But mamas, a good collection of mason jars is essential for your zero waste voyage! They replace a mismatched selection of plastic cups, they are perfect food storage for leftovers or food on the go, they store craft supplies like crayons or markers, and the list goes on! Multifunctionality is a key component to a zero waste voyage.

❖ Our blog post titled “A Minimal-Waste Voyage Into Motherhood” has other minimalist tips to check out!

Some extra self-care resources:

❖ Get your hands on Shiva Rose's beautiful book 'Whole Beauty' - a guide to a holistic beauty practice at home. 

❖ Learn what the heck an armpit detox is! And do one to help you effectively transition away from toxic deodorants, and towards non-toxic options.

❖ Chocolate is self-care, right? Make these decadent, perennial plant powered chocolate truffles. 

❖ Zero waste skincare to compliment your zero waste makeup - check out our Forest To Face Skincare line!

Empower yourself with knowledge of the beauty industry

Our free ebook helps you understand everything you need to know about green beauty and how to make the transition.

 *Life Without Plastic is a resource for all things zero-waste. With all the essentials in one place, they make it easy to purchase plastic-free everyday items. For this reason, we are affiliates for their company.

Disclaimers apply to this blog post