3 Green Beauty Tips for Your Morning Routine

Living sustainably isn’t necessarily something that can just happen overnight – of course, some people are able to completely change their daily habits within just a few days, but the ability to stick with that over time can be really difficult. When it comes to making changes in our own lives that will help our planet, we believe the best way to do that is by starting small. It’s easy to think that we’re not having much of an impact when we incorporate one sustainable act into our lives, but that’s just not true – even making a conscious effort to become more sustainable with your morning routine can inspire others to do the same. 

Our morning routines are often the very first thing we do when we get out of bed, and by focusing on small, sustainable habits during the morning, we can set ourselves up for a positive day. Whether that means using a safe, non-toxic cleaning product or supporting businesses that work to end single-use plastic, there’s something we can all do at the start of our day to live a greener life. If you’re looking for convenient and easy ways to become greener in your morning routine, here are our tips. 

Clean Area to Start Your Day

There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning and knowing that your bedroom and bathroom are clean…plus, it’s been scientifically proven to impact your day! According to a study conducted by Indiana University, people who had a clean home were also the most active and healthiest, physically and mentally. 

Start your morning by cleaning the space that you’ll be getting ready in, which includes your bedroom and bathroom (this could even be done the night before!). When you’re creating a clean area to start your day, it’s important to understand the types of products you’re using to clean and how those can impact your physical health, too. The Environmental Working Group held an investigation into 2,000 cleaning supplies that are regularly found on shelves in American stores, and the results show just how negative the side effects of these products are: 

• Common cleaning ingredients can be laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1,4-dioxane. Independent tests have detected the presence of 1,4-dioxane in numerous name-brand cleaning supplies. Other products contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.

• Fumes from some cleaning products may induce asthma in otherwise healthy individuals.

• Despite these health concerns, cleaning product labels often do not give consumers enough information about their ingredients to allow people to make informed decisions on which ones are safer and which ones might harm their health.

Instead of wondering and blindly hoping for the best when you purchase new cleaning products, opt for ones that are transparent and trustworthy. Puracy, an all-natural cleaning brand, focuses on creating products that are “tough as nature” and “gentle on you and powerful on gunk”. Not only does Puracy explicitly state what ingredients are found in their hand soap, dish soap, and more, but they also educate their customers on why those specific ingredients are preferred over the toxic chemicals you would normally find in Clorox or Scrubbing Bubbles. 

While many would believe that supporting a sustainable cleaning brand instead of purchasing what’s readily available on Amazon is less convenient and more expensive – that couldn’t be further from the truth. Take the Puracy multi-surface spray, for example: not only is this cleaner safe to use around kids and pets, but if you’re on the east coast you can have access to it at any time by visiting a Good Filling Station. To stock up on your cleaning products, simply visit a Good Filling Station and refill a container of your choice. By refilling, you’re saving single-use plastic from entering the landfill, you’re saving the time that would normally be spent shopping in a store or waiting for your packing, and you’re saving money. On average, refilling your cleaning supplies through Good Filling will save you $1.50 compared to buying a new bottle of the same product.

Zen and Zero Waste Shower

Now that you’ve cleaned your space with earth-friendly ingredients, the morning routine can officially begin. To us, creating a morning routine that is relaxing helps set the entire tone for our day–and making this routine more green is much easier than you might think. 

To create a zen morning, start with your shower: the simple act of tying a eucalyptus branch to your shower head is a cost-effective and zero-waste way to set your intentions for the day. Instead of dropping essential oils from a disposable bottle into a diffuser, let nature give you the exact same benefits! By hanging that eucalyptus bouquet in your shower, you’ll be able to take advantage of this plant’s calming and healing properties. Once you’ve used the plant for a few weeks, you can keep the dried plant as decoration or compost the leaves. 

Zero waste “shower fizzies” have also taken the internet by storm, and we love that more and more people are deciding to ditch disposable and single-use plastic in their bathrooms. Shower fizzies or shower steamers are usually solid, round disks that contain essential oils, citric acid, and baking soda. To add more soothing aromas like peppermint or rosemary to your shower, just place one of these shower steamers in the tub where water can reach it. While you’re showering, the shower steamer will break down and release steam and a wonderful smell–and the best part is that there will be no waste left behind! Shower steamers can be purchased from small businesses or even made at home.

Safe Beauty We Love

If you’ve ever had to stop at a Sephora or Target to pick up new beauty products, you likely know just how overwhelming the shelves full of thousands of products can be. With greenwashing at an all-time high in the beauty industry, it’s become even more difficult for consumers to identify which brands and products are as “clean” as they claim to be. While large brands like L’ Oréal, The Body Shop, and Maybelline have talked about their commitments to become more environmentally friendly over time, it’s best to purchase from businesses that you know have ethical and sustainable practices right now. Figuring out where to start can feel very confusing and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be!

Before you head out to shop for your next skincare or makeup product, make sure you’ve done a little bit of research. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep is a great resource for those who want to easily find and learn about green beauty products. Just visit the site and browse by category or brand, and EWG will give you all of the information you need to determine whether or not that brand or product is truly sustainable. 

Safe Beauty Products to Try: 

• Rejuva Minerals Concealer: This concealer has been verified by EWG, which means that it met the standards for overall health and safety and does not include any of the ingredients deemed “unacceptable” by the EWG. 

• Plaine Products: Plaine is on a mission to celebrate individual actions for the planet, and make it easy with their refillable + vegan bath and body products. Choose from their list of hair and skin care products and your order will arrive to you in a refillable, aluminum bottle. Once your bottle is empty, swap it for a refill, visit a zero-waste shop or visit select Good Filling Station locations to refill yourself! 

• 28 Litsea Top Note Body Oil: This Boston-based artisan brand offers a small-batch skincare collection that is infused with natural butters and oils. They’re also working to become as sustainable as possible with their packaging, and their Top Note Body Oil is stored in light-protective Miron glass that can be reused and recycled. Plus, the natural fragrances smell incredible! 

At the end of the day, it’s nearly impossible to find one single cleaning or beauty product that is perfect and 100% sustainable. As consumers, it can feel extremely overwhelming and defeating to know that there isn’t one product that can do it all, but remember one thing: in order to create a green future, it has to start somewhere, and it can start small with just one change to your morning routine. Want to know how you can spread that impact? Tell your friends and family about the sustainable habits you’re creating, and inspire them to do the same – that’s when the real change begins to happen. 

About Good Filling

Good Filling offers all-natural products for home and body—plus an easy way to help the planet. Enjoy high-quality, name-brand soaps, lotions, detergents, surface sprays, and more. When the bottle is empty, continue using it and get a discounted refill.

Our Good Filling Stations allow consumers to reuse their containers to prevent plastics from entering the waste stream. With Stations across the North East, and many more on their way, we’re bringing convenience to the zero-waste movement. To learn more about Good Filling Stations and to find one near you, click here.