Eco- friendly Summer Travel Essentials

6 Eco- friendly Summer Travel Essentials

As the world is slowly opening after a full year indoors and social distancing protocols, the ability to hug your friends and family is refreshing and exciting! The silver lining to an incredibly tough year is what we used to take for granted is appreciated now. Many of us developed a deeper need to take care of our natural world, and a more conscious way of consuming in our daily lives. We spent more time outdoors with our families, kids, and pets. We realized that one pair of sweatpants last many washes (like a minimum of 52 times) in the laundry. Or getting creative with what we already have at home. Do you remember wine bottles as weights during the height of the pandemic?!  

This way of life is right up our alleyway so as we safely rush to book our next travel trips, these 6 eco-friendly summer travel essentials will be perfect for your new, post-pandemic, lifestyle without sacrificing the experience!

 

1. Are you someone who still buys plastic bottled water at the airports? If this is you, we recommend bringing an empty reusable water bottle in your carry-on. Make sure it’s empty because you can’t get past airport security with liquid. Once past security, airports have refillable water stations located near bathrooms. Not only will you save money from overpriced bottled water, but you will also not be contributing to the plastic problem.
reusable nalgene bottle in blue

I love my regular Nalgene bottle! They have an assortment of sizes that fits your need.

 

2. I am an avid snack-er. My closest friends call me a hamster because if you put a snack in front of me, you better believe I’m munching on it. And as someone who is perpetually snacking, I used to find myself in a Utensil Dilemma. I never had a fork or spoon when I needed it. Now, I carry a set of reusable utensils with me. Not only is it great for snacking, it comes in handy in the most unexpected situations. Tip: look for camping utensils because they can easily fold and more compact than what we have in our kitchen.

 

reusable plastic camping fork in teal

Here is one for $3! Easy to carry as a pen!

3. I carry our reusable bamboo makeup remover pads and reusable bamboo pads everywhere. They go straight into my cosmetic and skincare bag. Between these two, they will replace cotton balls, makeup wipes, q-tips, and micellar water! I love how soft our reusable bamboo charcoal pads are to remove makeup. With just some warm water, you’ll takeoff all your makeup. And once you wash your face, use our reusable bamboo velour pads to apply a toner and the rest of your skincare. Once you use it, you can hand wash it and let it air dry, or tuck it away for laundry day. It’s so easy and generates no waste. These are a must-have for your summer travel plans!

reusable bamboo pads for travel essentials

4. It’s summer travels so let’s get real: Bring the sunscreen and lather it on! It is important to protect your skin from both Ultraviolet B (UVB) and Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays every day. Simply, UVB is associated with skin burning and UVA is associated with skin aging. Sunscreen is a very personal item so what I use might not be great for your skin type or tone. Instead of recommending something, listen to the Breaking Beauty Podcast with Dr. Michelle Wong, aka Lab Muffin Beauty Science to learn more.

breaking beauty podcast logo
5. It is still a pandemic so make sure to bring hand sanitizer with you. It is hard to be no waste these days, but to reduce my plastic consumption, I refill the small hand sanitizer. To limit throwing out the small plastic bottles after its finished, I twist open the cap and squeeze from my big bottle of Purell at home. I refill as I go and throughout this year, I have used the same small travel hand sanitizer bottle all year.
hand sanitizer bottle

6. My last eco-friendly tip is toothpaste tablets! To be transparent, I haven’t made the switch just yet (still finishing a Costco purchase from many years ago) but I am 100% committed to making the switch. I’m eyeing these toothpaste tablets by Huppy. I had the greatest time meeting Dave and Cathy, Founders of Huppy and I love their mission and focus on sustainability. We jived because we all felt a greater need to protect mother nature. Also, how can I not support AAPI Founders?

toothpaste tablets being put down with hand and toothbrush on side on bright blue background

Hope these tips help you be more eco-friendly as you hit the road this summer! Be safe and don’t forget to share pictures with me @cleancircleofficial! Don’t let me be the only one who carries a spork in her bag!

With gratitude,

Lena

 

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