All the Cosmetics I Own as a Minimalist

So, I didn’t really know what to call this blogpost. Beauty products sound weird to me. Nobody needs special products to be beautiful I guess. Stuff can’t make you beautiful. Eventually I decided to call this category cosmetics. If you’d ask me if I’m a fan of cosmetics I’d answer no. But toothpaste and soap are cosmetics too and I definitely do need those! I claim to be a minimalist, so I thought it’d be good to share what cosmetics I use on a daily basis as an addition to my make-up stash from last week. Here are all the cosmetics I own as a minimalist.

My opinion on cosmetics

I’m not a fan of cosmetics. Not at all. The cosmetic industry is an industry I would define as toxic for the most part. We are made to believe we are ugly and dirty all the time. All the commercials, the magazines, the tv-shows, they tell us what to look like and why we’re not perfect as we are. All just to make money. I find it disgusting and I think we’re all perfect as we are. That does not mean I judge anyone who uses a lot of cosmetic products. We’re all different and everyone has their own right to use whatever he or she wants. If it makes you feel better, use it! Rock it.

But I personally think less is more. And I also feel like we’re made to think that we have to look a certain way. Some products are toxic in my opinion. The hair mousse, the anti-aging cremes, the face cleansers and what more. I don’t think they work and I think we should spend our money elsewhere. I think we should love ourselves, as hard as that is these days. You are beautiful! Now, that’s my opinion on cosmetics basically. That being said, that’s actually not my opinion on all cosmetics. There are some cosmetics I think I do need. Chosen carefully, with no harm to the planet and cosmetics that do not change me. Less is more to me as I said. Today I want to show you what cosmetics I own as a minimalist and so what cosmetics I think are necessary.

Water

The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face. With just water, that’s all. I don’t feel like my skin needs anything else really. I feel like most products only dry out my skin or make it way too fatty. A splash of water and my hands are all I use, that’s all.

Soap and shampoo

Besides my face, I also wash my body quickly with water. I do this in the morning and before I go to bed. It makes me feel clean. Depending on how much I’ve been sweating I’ll also use some soap to clean myself. I always wash myself with a washable washcloth. Currently I use a package free soap from Lush to wash myself. It’s vegan and package free but it’s not organic. I also know someone who makes soap herself so maybe I’ll switch anytime soon. That is local, package free and vegan. We’ll see, for now this is my best option. I also use shampoo for my hair. I’ve tried to go water-only several times, but it didn’t work just yet. For now this shampoo made by a fellow blogger is perfect. It does not contain SLS, is plasticfree, fair and locally made.

Tooth Brush and Tooth Paste

After I’m clean I brush my teeth with my bamboo toothbrush. Sustainable and zero waste. All I need really. I am currently using tooth tabs as a toothpaste but I think they’re horrible. The feeling of biting them is disgusting. I am finishing them now and looking for another alternative. My dentist told me I absolutely need toothpaste with fluoride and these are without fluoride. I can’t seem to find toothpaste with fluoride zero waste so I am still on a quest here (update: I found it). The tooth tabs are in compostable plastic. I don’t like that, but it’s the best I can find.

Tooth Picks

Every night I floss my teeth with tooth picks. I don’t use floss wire because it doesn’t work for me. The wooden picks I use are perfect for me and the lowest waste option I could find. They’re plastic free. I might be able to do better here. Something organic and local maybe, but that’s a challenge still. For now this is my best option.

Deodorant

After I brush my teeth I put on deodorant. I use my homemade deodorant which is low waste and I know all about the ingredients that go into the deodorant. When I run out of ingredients I will look for organic baking soda and organic maizena. Currently I am using non-organic baking soda and maizena, but I now know that organic is more sustainable than low waste. I have some improvement to do there.

Sunscreen

I put on sunscreen every day. I’ve read so many articles about the effects on sunlight on your skin. It makes your skin age, just like sugar and smoking. I try to reduce all these factors, therefore I put on sunscreen every day. Yes, that means in winter too. Last year I wrote that I use Suntribe, but in 2019 research showed that zinkoxyde, the main ingredient in Suntribe, wasn’t so sustainable at all. However, I am still finishing it up and once I do that my quest for a sustainable sunscreen continues.

Perfume

Right now, I don’t use perfume. I wear a body mist. I am using up this mist which a family member of mine wanted to get rid of, so it’s basically trash. My mom has a big stash of perfume and she lets me use hers too, so I don’t have any of my own. Once I move out of the house I will purchase my own perfume. I’ve actually seen them a lot at thrift stores so I guess that’s where I’ll go. (Update 2022: I don’t use any perfume anymore).

Birth control pill

I don’t know if I should include this in the category cosmetics. But it’s something I use daily so here it is. I don’t know what to tell about it. It’s not zero waste but necessary, I don’t want babies right now haha.

Make-up and make-up remover

Last week I wrote about my entire make-up stash. You can read there what make-up I own. Make-up is not part of my daily routine, but it is part of my cosmetics so I did include it in here. In addition to my make-up I use a homemade make-up remover. The recipe for that can be found here.

Safety Razor

I don’t shave myself daily. Not at all. So, just like make-up, this safety razor is not part of my daily routine. However, I do think this razor belongs in the category cosmetics. The only waste I get from this safety razor are the blades. Very sustainable! I don’t use shaving cream, I use soap for that.

Those were all the cosmetics I own, being a minimalist. After having written that all down, it still seems a lot to me. But it’s not. This is the perfect amount to me. I don’t want to get rid of any of it and I don’t want anything other than this list. Some things I do want to replace someday, for a sustainable alternative. But that comes with time.