This is a diary for women only. Men, you have been warned--do not read below the Fleur du Kos. This is a diary for reducing bathroom trash. Up here in the intro are universal zero waste bathroom ideas.
Consider switching to bar soap rather than liquid soap. Yes, you have to wash the soap dish every so often but much better than recycling all those plastic bottles, not to mention the extra shipping costs for a product that is mostly water. Bar soap is much cheaper too, in these frugal times.
Also consider some of the bar shampoos, which are green for the same reason. I believe the brand Lush carries some, although I have never tried that product. I've been pretty happy simply using Dove bar soap to wash my hair, as long as I follow up with an acid rinse to balance the pH. Diluted vinegar or lemon juice will work but it's harsh on the hair. Dr. Bronner's has a lemon juice rinse that works well--it's rather pricey but extremely concentrated, so you dilute with water and a little goes a long way. For the more adventurous, there is the no poo method.
Both men and women can save money and trash by switching to a safety razor and badger brush for shaving. Then the same bar soap can be used for lather, no need to buy shaving cream, and traditional razor blades are much cheaper and greener than cartridge blades.
Using handkerchiefs has turned out to be much easier than I was expecting, just throw them in the wash. They are hard to find, nowadays; I found some very economical ones at a craft store. I also bought some very expensive reusable cotton pads for makeup removal. I use them with olive oil for eye makeup removal. I know I could have made some myself out of old clothes, but I knew I wouldn't use them. These came with a mesh bag for washing and a nice box for dispensing. For nail polish removal I use the cotton wadding that comes in pill bottles.
That said, the main source of my bathroom trash, of course, used to be...
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