This week is Zero Waste Week and here at Little Soap HQ we’ve been looking at all the different ways that we can incorporate this philosophy into our every day lives, every day. It’s great to have a focus week like this because it helps to spread the message a little wider, but its also great to look at how we can make the changes stick for the other 51 weeks of the year too. With this in mind, we decided to share some of our favourite at home beauty remedies that help us to live our best zero waste life. Without further ado, here are three little DIY beauty recipes you can try now. Enjoy!
Why DIY beauty?
Before we get into the amazing recipes, we wanted to talk a little about why we think DIY beauty is the way forward. The aims and objectives of Zero Waste Week are clear. The campaign aims to :
“bring awareness to people that we are all individually and collectively responsible for what we consume and that the short time of usefulness is only a small part of the overall life cycle of any product… the concept of Zero Waste is ethically and morally driven through a shared understanding among subscribers for the need to reduce waste as far as possible to Zero in order to maintain environmental sustainability.(zerowaste.co.uk)
So what does this mean for us? It means striving to reduce the amount that we consume, and to make better choices for the things that we do buy. It means opting for the greenest choice we can, and sometimes that involves good old DIY recipes rather than purchasing plastic packaged, synthetic versions. It means reducing the amount that we waste, by using the ingredients available to us if we can. It means saving and re-using your old soap scraps, making your own compost, re-using your plastic bags when you go shopping. It means focusing on what we can do today, and carry on doing tomorrow and beyond too.
With this in mind, we’re excited to share our favourite three DIY beauty recipes with you. Do let us know in the comments if you try them!
Lemon, salt and rosemary to exfoliate
Avoid highly processed manufactured exfoliators and made your own instead. Our favourite recipes are so simple to make and you can rest 
assured that there are no nasty chemicals working their way into your skin and on into the oceans too. Sometimes all you need is simple brown sugar, and the rest is up to you. Mix half a cup of brown sugar with half a cup of coconut oil for a super moisturising skin treat, or try mixing three tablespoons with a ripe banana. Experiment and find the combination that works for you- that’s the beauty of DIY recipes!
But our favourite recipe we want to share actually uses salt instead of sugar. We just love this recipe for the most beautiful lemon and rosemary salt scrub from I Spy Plum Pie. It also uses coconut oil so it’s super hydrating for the skin and smells amazing too! Let us know if you give this one a go!
Crowning glory hair masks
There’s nothing quite like a good hair mask, and even more so when you make it yourself! We absolutely love the feeling of our hair the day after we’ve treated it to a sumptuous mask, and this is one recipe we tend to go back to again and again. We’re talking coconut oil. We’re talking avocado… you already know its going to be amazing don’t you?!
To make the BEST hair mask, all you need is one avocado, one tablespoon of coconut oil and one tablespoon of coconut milk. Mash the avocado, then add the milk and the oil. That’s it! Apply to the hair and leave for around 45 minuets before rising well and washing. We guarantee you will never buy another manufactured hair mask again!
Face masks for the win
In our day to day lives, our faces tend to be on the receiving end of a fair amount of stress. We’re exposed to UV rays, air pollution, central heating and air conditioning, and not to mention the fumes of the city too. Add to that the fact that we may wear make-up that hinders our skin’s ability to breathe… Every now and then your face needs a re-boot. And what better way than with a face mask?
Our favoriet recipe for those times we feel our face needs some TLC? Aquafaba! You know, the water you drain away when you open a tin of chickpeas? Well, save it. And use it in this recipe from Organic Beauty Recipes. It’s amazing, simple to make and oh so fantastic if you need to replace the glow as we move into autumn. Give it a try, seriously.
So what are your favourite DIY beauty recipes? Get in touch on Facebook, Instagram or in the comments here. We love hearing from you. Happy Zero Waste Week!
