Ever since my eye-opening 7 day Palawan trip with my family, I came back as a different person. Palawan wasn't always beautiful according to the tour guides. There was a time when there was a lot of plastic bottles in the sea, plastic bags and trash by the shore. After seeing how beautiful the sea animals, the corals (their home), and beautiful blue sea water, I am amazed how they were able to maintain it and I respect how strict they were with plastic products.When I came back home, I started searching for how to switch into plastic-free or zero waste lifestyle. 

Some people might think it is a difficult change, but I am positive that it is hard but doable. I know this change won't happen overnight, but I am willing to create small changes along the way (as soon as I can). I also decided to start with my personal items. I currently live my parents and I personally think starting the shift within myself and letting them see what I'm doing is better, just like how my mom started decluttering after me. So for those who are wondering, I'm starting with my hair and bath products. Currently, I'm trying out some DIY zero waste hair and skincare products which I will be talking soon and slowly changing my skincare and makeup products into less waste (at least). 

1. Cloth pads - As a beauty enthusiast, I often use cotton rounds to remove heavy eye makeup after a big event and all makeup in general after gym (so that I don't have to wet my tired hands). I opted for these cloth pads from Paraluman PH so that I could still remove my mascara and makeup and apply my toner and wash them for my next use. Money-saving tip: You could cut old shirts and sew them on the sides or simply use a micro fiber cloth or any good cloth you have for your face.

2. Bamboo Cutlery - I got this bamboo cutlery from Paraluman PH as well and I plan to bring this in my everyday bag. It has a bamboo spoon, fork, knife, chopsticks, straw and straw cleaner. Money-saving tip: You could simply grab silverware and chopsticks, etc. at your home and sew an old cloth to put everything in. If you can, prevent buying bamboo products as they don't last long, and if you don't like steel straws look for glass straw. I already made my purchase when I realized this, and I would definitely switch to silverware and glass straws when these things are up to their lifespan.  

3. Safety Razor + Blades - Technically, we use a lot of this in a year and majority of it is plastic.  I buy a lot of razors a few years ago simply because they get rusty easily, which was entirely my fault - as I don't know how to properly store them in a cool, dry place. So I got this safety razor from Paraluman PH and I could change its blade when needed. 

4. Shampoo, Conditioner and Feminine Wash Bar - The flower child shampoo bar, buttercake conditioner bar, and honey propolis feminine wash bar are also from Paraluman PH. It is a bit tiny than what I expected but we'll see if they will work for me and how long they will last.

7. Bar Soaps - I used to use shower gels that were in plastic bottles. I still have them now and I still plan to use them up and reuse the bottles to store my DIY skincare/bath products in the future. But I have purchased some bar soaps for me to use. I got the Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Bar Soap which is safe to use for the face and body, the Sallye Ander Milk and Mint Soap which was a gift from a friend and an unknown soap which was given to my mom by a cruelty-free store. 

8. Reusable Pads - This would be the most difficult part of the shift. Changing my menstrual pads to reusable pads. I never used a tampon so a menstrual cup was a big no no for me. Let us see how this goes for me. :) 

Have you adopted a zero-waste lifestyle? What are your favorite zero-waste products?

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