My top eight sustainable products

Don’t get me wrong, I know we cannot buy our way out of a climate crisis, but we can choose to buy less and make our purchases more mindful and considered. With that in mind, I thought I would share the top eight favourite sustainable products that I use pretty much every day. 

1# Leaf razor

Justin bought me this for Christmas after it was recommended by a YouTuber I love, GitteMary Johansen. It wasn’t the cheapest piece of kit (I think he paid £80), but I reckon it will last me forever.

It is absolutely beautiful, but more importantly than that, it has a brilliantly ergonomic design that allows me to shave all my bits and bobs without cutting myself. I was much more likely to take a chunk of skin off with my previous Bambau reusable razor, especially as my eyesight is not what it once was. Honestly, I love it and it was worth every penny.

I recommend buying the stand and plenty of blades as well, so you will probably spend £100 easily. Not cheap, but I am sure it will pay for itself over a couple of years if you currently use disposable razors. It is available in the UK from Klipshop.

2# WidEYE cleansing fluid

As you can see, I am just at the point of needing to buy more of this lovely, gentle cleanser from eco Brighton-based brand WiDEYE. I like the rehydrating facial cleaner, which comes in a glass bottle and is great for my very dry skin. It cost me £10.95, but has lasted six months so far, so I think it’s a great price.

WiDEYE aims to be an ethical health and beauty store, so they used natural ingredients in eco-friendly packaging. Incidentally, if you visit Brighton, Rye or Bournemouth, you can pop into their shops.

3# Clean and Green by Nancy Birtwhistle

I like all of Nancy Birtwhistle’s books, but I have pulled this one out in particular as I use several of her recipes for pretty much all of my house cleaning these days. This means fewer harmful and polluting chemicals, I reuse containers from shop-bought products and I save loads of money. 

Nancy’s Toilet Magic and All Purpose Cleaner both take minutes to make and are incredibly effective. I have slimmed down my box of cleaning products so much and eventually I think I will pretty much use just these.

4# Earth Conscious Deodorant

When I first purchased my Earth Conscious deodorant I found an amazing deal on eBay – I bought four for £15.49 a year ago, and I am still ploughing through them. However, this  was a huge bargain! Usually, you can expect to purchase one pot for around £8 plus postage.

However, I really love this deodorant. It works brilliantly, is made in the UK and comes in an easily recyclable tin.

5# Zao face powder

I like Zao products as they are made with high-quality, natural ingredients in refillable packaging.  They aren’t the cheapest products, but as I wear very little makeup I feel justified in paying a bit more for a few good products.

I was given the Zao face powder as a gift, and have since purchased a refill. The compact is priced at £21.50 and a refill will set you back £10.75, so I think after the initial investment this is a good price.

6# SESI hand and body lotion

We have a refill shop in town that stocks SESI products, which seem very good value for the quality. I popped in rather unprepared as I was just passing. For ages I wanted a sustainable hand and body lotion, but they were all very expensive and came in teeny-tiny sizes. So I was delighted to find some SESI hand and body lotion, along with some empty containers donated by other customers. The size pictured above cost just £7, and I am very happy with it. 

I’m going to try some of the other products as and when I need them. They sell shampoo, conditioner, washing up liquid and all sorts.

7# Naked Sprout toilet paper

Because I generally shop at Lidl or Aldi, I can’t buy recycled loo paper at all there, let alone without plastic packaging. I decided to have another go at a subscription service. Before the pandemic we used Who Gives a Crap, which was a godsend when other people were panicking about a lack of loo roll. However, I cancelled that when we were feeling the pinch and could no longer justify the cost.

This time I decided to go with Naked Sprout, because it claims it is the UK’s most sustainable  toilet paper. Unlike Who Gives a Crap, you don’t get each roll wrapped in a pretty (but in my view rather pointless) paper wrap and it is unbleached. Brown loo roll takes a little getting used to, let me tell you! However, I don’t even think about it any more.

8# Wonderbag

The ultimate energy saving slow cooker, the Wonderbag is a great piece of kit and one of my favourite sustainable products. It is a large super insulated bag. When you make a casserole, cook rice, potatoes or vegetables, as long as you bring the food to the boil, it will continue cooking in its own heat once placed in the bag, saving loads of money on gas or electricity. I use mine most often to make yogurt.

You can see me reviewing it on my YouTube channel (it was very kindly gifted). Currently the Wonderbag is priced at £60, which I think compares well with a large electric slow cooker.

What are your favourite sustainable products? Please share in the comments!