My Ethical Bathroom.

This is my bathroom. To the left, is my toilet, to the right is my shower. Tiny, my own and probably the most ecological and ethical part of my bedsit. Confused? So was a friend of mine, who raised one eyebrow and said "How? Surely it's the least eco-friendly with all the water?" Well, I considered that, and this is how I answered.

My Sikkim Girls Perfume, Sea Spray Hair Mist and Olney.

My Angels on Bare Skin Face Cleanser
(put back in the fridge after my shower),
Fair Trade Honey Shampoo and
Miranda Soap.

My first and most obvious answer to my statement is within the products I use to fill my bathroom. I have been an all-time Lush fan for about four years, and am very, very lucky to have gotten myself a Christmas Temp job there this year. Having been a vegetarian since I was seven years old, and profusely involved in a number of different charities and community events, it was only natural that I was drawn to this wonderful company who put ethics and the environment first. Their range of products are vegetarian and vegan, and strive to be as preservative free as possible. They also trade as fairly as they can and are against animal testing. Oh, and they recycle the plastics they do use and all the glitter in their range is PET free and safe to go back into the earth. No, really, they even invented a glitter made out of agar (that's seaweed!) just so that they could make sure their glitter wasn't going to damage the planet. So, as you can see, aside from my little plastic Octopus (his name is Olney and he glows) my bathroom shelves are filled with Lush products, wonderfully ethical and, once I use these lovely pots up, ecological. You see, another great thing Lush does is ask their customers to bring back their pots so that they can be recycled. In return for five pots, you get a fresh face mask too!

Okay, so we've looked at the ethical side, and some of the ecological side of my bathroom, but what about all that water? Well, this is where it gets pretty good. I'm a very lucky girl to be living on my own because not only do I NOT have to figure out where all the bread is going, but I also have no opportunities to be embarrassed. That's right, ladies and gents, I can use my toilet without thinking about who might use it after me and that makes me immensely happy. Of course, this also means I have control over who flushes it - me. The European Commission recently conducted a study and found that us Brits flush our toilets the most out of any other country in Europe and the average person could use around 150 litres of water a day just from flushing. THAT IS A LOT. So, I combat this by being very selective in my flushing. If it's yellow, yes, I will let it mellow for a bit, except when I have guests. Aside from those very rare moments when people are in my bedsit (really, it's no place to socialise), my toilet will only see one or two flushes a day - if I need to "flush it down", and one after all those yellows have mellowed for a while.


Brushing your teeth with running water is also a huge waste of water. I have never fully understood why people have this compulsion to leave the tap running whilst they're not using it. My tap stays off until I need to rinse my toothpaste from my brush and down the sink. Simple. We don't need the tap running and by leaving it to do so, you could waste up to 6 litres of water. At last, we came to my shower. I don't have a bath, but that's a very good thing. A shower is already has the potential to be more ecologically sound than a bath, all you have to do is limit yourself.

Now, the final thing that I liked to show off about my bathroom was this wonderful tub right here. It may not seem very special, but this piece s actually where I wash my clothes. Hand washing my clothes may seem like a long and difficult chore, but it's not only saved on the amount of water and electricity used in my flat, but also on the amount of pounds I would have to spend in the laundrette. This tub saves at least £6-8 a week in laundry (including drying), excellent savings for a student like myself. The stuff that's in the tub? That's also a Lush creation. FUN is a fantastic soap that you can model, re-use and wash yourself and your clothes in (though don't wash your clothes with the red one - I have pink pants because of this). It also gives a donation to a charity that supports children effected by the Fukushima disaster in Japan each time you buy it. This stuff lasts a long time and leaves your clothes smelling gorgeous and fresh. It's worth mentioning that you can wash your clothes in some of the shower gels that Lush offers also, just ask a Lushie in store!



So, there you have it - my ethical bathroom. Why not try to make a difference in your home, whether it's from swapping to something fair trade to just making sure you switch off a light you don't need, it's all worthwhile and I can tell you now, it feels great knowing what you're doing.

Feeling LUSH

So it's pretty widely known amongst my more recent friends that I am an official Lushie. I came across the store three years ago, when the most gorgeous of smells led me through the shopping centre to a shop piled high with colourful lotions, potions and soaps.

The service is fantastic, with the staff  trained to be ever courteous, upbeat and helpful. After being advised on all the delights that would benefit myself (and how ethical they are, to benefit others too), I was allowed to choose some samples to take away with me. Trust me, it's worth telling them you're a Lush virgin to benefit from a little taster pot of facepacks, shampoo and shower gels that smell delicious. Hint - keep the pots when you're finished, because if you bring back 5 of them you get a free facepack. Lush love to recycle and I think that's a pretty good incentive.


So, what would I recommend?

Phoenix Rising

 Phoenix Rising is a magical, spicy bomb which fizzes glorious purple and green colours, with glittering gold flecks to add that extra magic sparkle. The smell's base all comes from the wonderfully warm cinnamon, which is accompanied by cocoa and shea butter, citrus and organic jojoba oil that leaves your skin feeling soft, and scents that fill your nostrils and bathroom for hours after. You do leave the bath and yourself a little sparkly, which I found perfect before a night out.

Angels on Bare Skin

This is a face cleanser that I swear by. Ever since using it, my skin has felt smoother and appears clearer. It's packed with sweet almonds and lavender buds, which smell divine and rubs into a paste in your hands, so a little really does go a long way! As all the ingredients are fresh, you do have to keep it in the fridge (even I can admit it can be weird going to the kitchen to fetch your face cleanser), but this is even more beneficial to your skin as it's not packed with preservatives, and the results are truly visible - the redness in my skin has been evened out, leaving me with a healthy glow!


Admittedly, some of these products can seem a little steep (some larger bottles of shampoo can be up to £17), but the benefits are phenomenal and make up for spending a little extra. On top of that, Lush is proud of its ethical status, with most products being vegan, organic and sourced and paid for fairly. Recycling and putting the planet first is also on top of their agenda, and it's not a rare occurrence that they'll be raising issues, passing out petitions and hosting  awareness events in store.

So, get yourself to your nearest Lush, or visit their website here to explore more of their wonders (or to purchase my top recommended) and watch this space for more Lush reviews!



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