We are two friends living on opposite coasts (Brooklyn, New York and Santa Monica, California) that share a passion for living a minimal, zero waste lifestyle and on a mission to help others do the same.
Harper. Lives in Brooklyn with a +1. Sassy pup. Matcha. Wine. Whiskey. Cheese. Proscuitto.
Charley. Lives in Los Angeles with a +1. Doofy pup. Coffee. Wine. Whiskey. Cheese. Pasta.
All tagged Amazon Purchase
IT’S A MIXED BUY. We love Clean People’s Sink & Bath Scrub is made from natural ingredients, no bleaches, phthalates, ammonia, dyes, etc. We felt comfortable using this even without gloves on! We liked the citrus-y scent and appreciate that the product is vegan and cruelty free. The price point is in range with other scrubs on the market. Our biggest concern is that lack of larger refill options, and that it comes in cardboard and plastic one-time use packaging (when it could be refillable!).
Mixed. We hesitate to recommend Seaweed Bath Co Face Dewy Face Lotion with SPF given the ingredients that have come to light as well as its cost. We absolutely love the spreadability of the sunscreen and adore the dewy texture it leaves our skin. We also love that it is SPF 30 and that it contains more Zinc Oxide than typical sunscreens, thus relying more on the mineral elements. We will update the article as we learn more.
MIXED buy from us. From the makers of Beyond Laundry Sheets, Beyond Auto Dish Tabs, if buying the 8-pack, is a reasonable option that competes with Dropps when it comes to cost. Being available on Amazon makes it easy for those that have Prime and do not necessarily want to subscribe. Ingredients on the website can sound scary, but generally are low risk. We like fragrance-free, dye-free, and chlorine-free features. One small issue we had was that we found some items that would have a white film after washing.
GREAT buy if you like the convenience of a stick, but we want to try more. We’re a fan of Aveeno Kids Mineral Sunscreen Stick for Kids - for three key reasons: (1) the stick form factor is great when you’re on the go and you have a wriggling kid, our son actually LIKES it (2) sweat and water resistance means a little more time between re-applications (3) great for sensitive skin. Price point is very reasonable for stick form factor, but certainly more expensive than a liquid sunscreen. Biggest downside is that it does leave a white cast (photos below), so we like to keep some Pipette in the bag too.
It’s not really a buy from us. Kind Laundry detergent sheets are available in a scented and unscented options, and zero waste packaging, which we love. Sheets are lighter to ship, which means less carbon footprint overall. Unfortunately, they contain a sulfate which can be harmful to aquatic life and also isn’t one of the cheaper options. For convenience, and in a pinch, however, Kind Sheets are also available on Amazon.
It’s a BUY. We purchased Gaia Body 5% Bakuchiol Facial Oil primarily to help with dry skin and it delivered! It absorbed into our skin much better than other oils we have tried in the past (including argan, plum seed, squalane, blue tansy and more. Skin feels dewy and plump, and when we put it on before bed, our skin feels moisturized in the morning (not the case in the last couple of years after having a baby). We also appreciate that there are studies that say Bakuchiol is comparable with Retinol, without the irritation…
Probably not a buy. We think the ingredients in Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets may be questionable, offsetting the good done by being plastic-free, lightweight (less carbon footprint!), and having a fragrance free option. Lastly, this brand is relatively affordable if you go the (very flexible) subscription route.
It’s a buy! We thought ECOSNext Liquidless Laundry Detergent Squares worked well, and larger strips vs other comparable brands — as a much better price! Highly recommend!
Not a buy. While we thought Tru Earth’s laundry strips worked well enough, we did not see enough of a difference in the product from Beyond Laundry Strips or Sheets Laundry Club to warrant the MUCH higher price tag.
We think that Nature Clean Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner is a buy! We like how it dissolves and foams up nicely, is biodegradable* and comes in slim, recyclable paper packaging and very convenient to not have to deal with a bottle of liquid. However, you are paying a bit of premium for this strips format (versus a bottle) so we’re mainly using this for the powder room and guest bathrooms when we need to quickly clean up before company comes over!
*Note: this product does include PVA — read more about it in our article.
It’s a Mixed Buy! Sheets Laundry Club is a good option if you are looking for a linen scented option — middle of the range in cost when compared to other laundry sheet/strip options, though you can find other options that are more cost effective.
It’s a Strong Buy! Beyond Laundry Sheets is a terrific option if you are looking for an eco-friendly, linen scented option — less expensive than Dropps (our other favorite) and just as convenient and clean. This might be our new go-to for laundry!
BUY. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder was an accidental find at our grocery store. We liked that you can clean a load of laundry with 1 tablespoon: less shopping, less refilling, less waste in landfills, less space in your home. Given its eco-friendly ingredients, reduced-plastic packaging, and cost per year, we think this laundry powder is a BUY.
It’s a BUY. We are big fans of Cocofomm powder shampoo! We like that it can replace full sized bottles of liquid shampoo, completely plastic free packaging, and how nicely it foams up in the shower. Most importantly, our hair and scalp feels incredible clean and healthy afterwords. Great for travel too!
Buy. We liked using Ecover Dishwasher Soap in Tablet form. The product is made of better ingredients than traditional dishwashing liquid. The packaging uses much less plastic, despite the tablets being individually wrapped. For cost, Ecover is near the cheapest dishwashing of the options we’ve reviewed.
Overall, Hawaiian Tropics Tinted Mineral Face Sunscreen with SPF 30 is a buy. Because of the tint, the cast is a bit less noticeable, especially if you blend with foundation. The texture is still liquid (‘milky’) and more easily spreadable compared to other products we’ve tried. In terms of cost, Pipette is a much better deal, but for a tinted sunscreen, the Hawaiian Tropics Mineral is right in the middle in terms of price, which may be worth it given the tint.
Overall, Hawaiian Tropics Mineral Sun Milk with SPF 30 is a buy. While it does leave a bit of a white cast, the texture is liquid (‘milky’) and more easily spreadable compared to other products we’ve tried. Additionally, the Hawaiian Tropics is at the cheaper end, competing with Pipette in terms of cost.
Overall, MAYBE buy. The small garbage bags are good if used for composting — they are also cheaper than the composting competition. HoldOn uses much better materials that consume less energy, which is great. Additionally, we expect the trash bags to compost, even in landfill conditions. The kitchen zipseal storage bags are great to use - especially for marinating when tight on time (which is often). We like that you can toss them in the compost when you are done with them rather than the trash and that they compost in weeks. More expensive than typical plastic zip bags, but cheaper than the alternative composting one. The trade-off for all of the products is worth it if you can afford it.
We think Better Life Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner is a BUY, though it is fairy similar to Seventh generation’s toilet bowl cleaner - a bit of a toss up between the two in our book. We like that its Leaping Bunny certified, clean plant-based ingredients and smells great! It also cleans really well!
MIXED BUY. ThinkSport 50+ SPF mineral sunscreen is a buy if kids are constantly in the water and you’re looking for an affordable reef-friendly mineral non-nano sunscreen. Otherwise we found the lack of blendability and white cast to be less than ideal - Pipette’s mineral sunscreen did a much better job there.
