Are you ready to take better care of YOU? If not, it’s never too late to commit to taking better care of yourself (and the planet)! Simply use our self-care checklist for inspiration—which, of course, includes sustainable tips and products.
Practicing self-care is crucial for both your physical and mental health. Many of us face daily stress and anxiety between work, family, personal responsibilities, and current events. And you have to fill your cup before you can genuinely fill someone else’s!
We’ve included a range of options that are healthy for you and the environment in our self-care checklist below.
9 Eco-Friendly Self-Care Items & Activities
Enjoy a Facial
You can DIY facial scrubs and masks with simple, clean ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, such as oats, honey, coffee, and apple. For example, create your own spa day with one of these homemade facial scrub recipes!
Or, shop locally for natural skincare products. Look for self-care items with ingredients you can read and products in glass jars. An at-home facial is a great way to take a break. Use the time to meditate and simply breathe.
If you’d rather someone else pamper you, find a spa that uses cruelty-free scrubs, masks, and lotions. A growing number of spas are opting for sustainable products.
Take a Soak
Who doesn’t love a nice hot bath? Taking a bath can be more eco-friendly if you’re in the mood for a long soak since the average showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute!
When you do take a bath, opt for Epsom salt or easily make your own natural bath salts. Other all-natural options include essential oils, oats, flower petals, or sliced oranges and lemons—and they boast plenty of skin health benefits! Grab your favorite candle (eco-friendly, of course), a book, and a relaxing drink, and you’re ready for a heavenly bathtime.
If you’d rather stick to showers to be super efficient, you can also spice them up by hanging a bundle of eucalyptus and/or lavender on your showerhead!
Go Clean Beauty
It wouldn’t be an Izzy self-care checklist without clean beauty tips! It’s amazing how looking your best can make you feel your best. And that doesn’t have to mean an extravagant makeup routine—sometimes, all you need is the right touch to enhance your beauty.
Whether running off to work or heading to a night out on the town, taking a few minutes to throw on some makeup is often another therapeutic routine. It helps us feel put-together, confident, and ready to take on the next adventure. Bonus points if your makeup is zero waste!
Keep green go-to essentials on hand, like Izzy’s:
- Zero Waste Mascara: Give your eyes a natural pop with our buildable mascara that gives your lashes a longer, fuller look.- Zero Waste Lip + Cheek Hue: Our new lip and cheek color delivers two easy solutions in one product. Add a hint of color to your cheeks and lips, applying extra coats for a brighter look.
- Zero Waste Highlighter: Also new, this sustainable illuminator is perfect for adding a radiant glow all over your face, neck, and décolleté.
Get Outside + Moving
Sometimes, movement and exercise is the best way to improve your state of mind. After all, we know exercise releases endorphins, those happy hormones. And, of course, there are physical health benefits too!
So if you find yourself stuck on something, lacking focus, or needing energy, get moving—ideally, outside! Dance around, stretch, or jump into your favorite type of workout. Try yoga, walking, running, or hiking. Reap the benefits of the fresh air and sunshine to elevate your mood and get your blood flowing.
You can also exercise with a friend, which adds a social and extra mood-boosting element to your workout.
Meditate
The wonderful thing about meditation is that it can look however you want it to. It’s all about you! Meditation forces you to center while focusing on your breathing. Perhaps you use it to clear or calm your mind, or maybe you take the time to reflect on a current challenge or decision.
You can choose calming music, ambient sounds, or guided meditations based on what works for you.
Brew Yourself a Drink
Whether you’re a coffee or tea drinker—or both—taking the time to brew your favorite comforting drink is its own form of self-care.
Coffee lovers, look for organic, responsibly-sourced coffee. If you’re a Keurig user, get a reusable K-cup and add your favorite coffee grounds.
Prefer tea? Opt for loose leaf or ensure your tea bags are sustainable and plastic-free—yep, some tea bags are made of plastic, meaning you could consume it!
While warm coffee and tea are always soothing in the mornings, especially during chilly weather, you may not feel it in the summer. Make yourself some iced coffee or tea at home. Either way, the process and break from work or other responsibilities can do wonders for the mind.
Clean Up
Have you ever considered cleaning to be a self-care activity? Often, stress comes from a feeling of lack of control. Taking time to focus on something you can control is the best way to reduce stress and make yourself feel better.
Since you’re in charge of your space, cleaning can often restore a feeling of control. This might mean taking a day to clean the whole house or taking a break to work on one room. It could mean deep cleaning or organizing and decluttering.
You can do so sustainably by using eco-friendly cleaning products, like vinegar, non-diluted 70% isopropyl alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide, depending on how much sanitizing you need to do. To declutter responsibly, you can donate items or resell them to a thrift store.
Treat Yourself to Sustainable Shopping
In addition to recycling clothes and items responsibly, you can also shop responsibly! Head to your favorite thrift store for a new ensemble.
Antique and thrift stores are also great for home goods and redecorating. Maybe you’re crafty and love repurposing used items. Stop by the consignment store.
Plus, if you resell your old clothes and items at one of these consignment stores, you can get cash to spend on your new additions.
Do you need a dress for that special event? Or do you need to freshen up your work wardrobe regularly? Another option is clothing rental services. Do it sustainably, and don’t let those beautiful clothes go to waste sitting in your closet.
Dine Farm-to-Table Style
Everyone needs a night out. And sometimes, the food just tastes better when someone else makes it!
Whether you’re looking for a date night or a place to hang out with friends, you can enjoy a delicious, healthy, clean meal when you go to a farm-to-table restaurant. This can mean the restaurant builds relationships with and sources high-quality ingredients from local farms. Other times, farm-to-table dining happens right on the farm itself, as some local farms serve their own produce!
Either way, you’ll also support a local, sustainable farm as you dine on their fresh food.
Choosing Sustainable Self-Care Items
Our #1 self-care tip: Work it into your routine! This ensures you will make time for yourself consistently, which means you’ll be at your best in all aspects of your life.
And always remember, self-care isn’t selfish!
Just follow our self-care checklist above to ensure you’re doing so responsibly. Shop for products and services that use environmentally friendly practices, ingredients, and materials. In addition to protecting the planet, you’ll also be supporting small businesses. It’s a triple win!
Looking for fresh zero waste makeup products to add to your lineup? Shop Izzy’s full collection today!
