Travel Light and Green:
The Best Eco-Friendly Toiletries for Your Carry-On
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With summer travel just around the corner, are you planning to travel with just a carry-on and looking for ways to make your toiletry choices more eco-friendly? You’re in the right place! Traveling light doesn’t mean you have to compromise on sustainability. In this guide, I’ll share my top picks for eco-friendly toiletries that are perfect for carry-on travel. These are products I personally use and love, and they help reduce environmental impact without sacrificing quality or convenience. Let’s dive into the best green travel essentials that will keep you feeling fresh and looking great while being kind to the planet.
Sustainable Toiletries
Below are some sustainable toiletry options that can help reduce the amount of liquids for carry-on, come in alternative packaging to plastic and include more eco-friendly ingredients.
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars or Dry Powders
To minimize the amount of liquid in your carry-on, I recommend traveling with natural-based shampoo and conditioner bars or dry powder formats in lightweight and recyclable aluminum bottles. These options not only save space but also reduce plastic waste. My go-to brands include HiBar, Ethique and Seed PhytoNutrients.
Soap Bars & Soap Holders
Not all accommodations provide soap, so it's wise to carry some soap with you. A bar of soap generates less waste than body wash packaged in plastic. I recommend Dr. Bronner's soap bars, as they have multiple alternative uses, such as hand washing laundry and washing dishes. During a two-week surf trip to Nicaragua, I used this bar for all of my laundry needs (granted I just wore a bathing suit all day !) To prevent your soap from unnecessarily wasting away, carry a lightweight silicone soap holder. It helps keep the bar dry, extends its lifespan, and you can rest assured that the holder only held your soap on it 😉
Facial Cleansers in Dry Powder or Bar Format
Opt for natural-based face cleansers in dry powder or bar formats instead of more chemical-based options packaged in plastic. Products from Seed Phytonutrients and Ethique are excellent choices.
Face Serums
For nourishing your skin on the go, pack travel-sized face serums with eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. Mad Hippie is a great choice.
Mad Hippie also makes luscious lip and cheek tints that come in glass tubs with bamboo lids.
Reef-Safe Sunscreen
If you’re planning a trip to a sunny destination, make sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen that comes in non-plastic packaging, such as aluminum or cardboard tubes. I recommend the brand All Good, which offers a sunscreen butter packaged in a 1 oz. aluminum tin, perfect for carry-on. The sheer tint sun serum from Mad Hippie is also an excellent choice.
Plastic-Free, Eco-Based Moisturizers
If your face or lips tend to dry out quickly, consider using a sustainable moisturizer or lip balm that comes in plastic-free packaging, such as a cardboard tube or aluminum tin. You can also make your own face and body moisturizer by combining shea butter with an oil like grapeseed, coconut, or almond oil. When traveling for longer periods, I usually find a bottle of these oils in a grocery store, and I’m good to go.
Plastic-Free, Natural-Based Deodorant
Opt for plastic-free, eco-friendly deodorant with alternative packaging such as glass, aluminum, cardboard tubes, or refill systems. The brands Wild and Native are excellent choices.
Eco-Friendly Dental Care
When it comes to eco-friendly dental care for travel, consider products like toothpaste and mouthwash tablets, biodegradable dental floss, and bamboo toothbrushes, which are both effective and sustainable. My favourite brands include Me.MotherEarth and Huppy. Huppy toothpaste tablets foam well, taste refreshing and do not have a chalky feel as some other tablets. Me.MotherEarth dental floss glides easily and has a very refreshing flavour. I used to hate flossing but now look forward to it. My teeth have never been happier 🙂
Reusable Feminine Products
Long travels through airports and planes while on your period require reliable and sustainable products to feel confident without leaks while reducing waste. (Crazy Stats: An estimated 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million pads are flushed down the toilet every single day in the UK alone! An estimated 100 billion period products are thrown away each year globally. Yikes 🙁 ). Using reusable feminine products also helps you save money in the long run, as the cost of disposable feminine products continues to rise due to inflation.
Laundry Sheets
I always carry eco-friendly laundry sheets in a reusable silicone pouch. They’re lightweight, and I use only what I need, reducing waste. Plus, I don’t have to worry about purchasing costly and bulky laundry detergent at my destination. Since I travel with only a backpack, I opt for accommodations with laundry facilities. With numerous laundry sheet brands available, I usually go for the more affordable options, though Earth Breeze and Sheets Laundry Club are reputable choices.
Reusable Bamboo or Cotton Pads vs Disposable Cotton Balls
If you frequently use disposable cotton balls, consider replacing them with a reusable option. It was one of the first switches I made on my zero-waste journey, and I’m thrilled I did. Reusable products work much better, save money in the long run, and eliminate one more thing to think about when grocery shopping.
I hope that the sustainable toiletry product ideas provided above can not only assist you in journeying more responsibly but also alleviate the burden of travelling with just carry-on.
Feel free to reach out to me anytime at info@nimabusiness.com with any inquiries.
Safe & Sustainable Travels!
