Worth The Hype: Do You Need A Sustainable Waken Mouthwash In Your Daily Routine? Apple & Mint review

 

The consumer quest for more sustainable and eco-friendly everyday products is never-ending, and today I wanted to share a quick post about Waken Mouthwash as they have been popping up in my social feeds a lot lately. Are they worth the hype?

It may seem odd to be reading (or in my case, writing) an entire blog post about just one particular mouthwash, yet Waken has been causing quite the stir online since they launched here in the UK two years ago. 

A celebrity favourite, Waken has a luxury range of sustainable products which include mouthwash, toothpaste, lip balms, and associated eco-friendly accessories. The brand is the brainchild of Simon Duffy (founder of the famous Bulldog skincare company) and promises gentle and effective everyday products that also tread lightly on our planet earth.

But is Waken worth the hype? I tried out one of their 'hero' products, the Apple & Mint Mouthwash to find out.

Packaging

For an eco-friendly brand, you might be wondering why their signature mouthwashes are packaged in plastic, right? Well, this is a pretty interesting discussion point because Waken's mouthwashes were originally packaged in aluminum bottles before the brand decided to make the switch to plastic last year. 

It may sound like a backwards move, yet the switch to these new plastic, BPA-free bottles has actually helped to certify the brand as Carbon Neutral due to the aluminum packaging requiring a lot of external packaging during transit to prevent denting. The change to plastic has also helped to bring the price point of these luxury mouthwashes down from a hideously expensive £8, to a much more reasonable £4.50. In addition, this new PCR plastic is made from a blend of recycled old plastic milk bottles and sugar cane plastic which is better for the environment, and the end product is fully recyclable again. 

Waken has kept the aluminum lid as it is though as plastic tops are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their smaller size.

Ingredients

Waken's mouthwashes are formulated alcohol-free so they don't have that nasty stinging burn that a lot of mainstream mouthwashes possess, and they are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. The ingredients are mostly natural with the exception of PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (a synthetic emulsifier/surfactant) and Sodium Fluoride. I know that the Sodium Fluoride debate continues to divide people, yet from my own research I personally don't have a problem using it and I often look for it in more natural dental care products as I believe it's useful to keep teeth strong and healthy. Overall, this is not a 100% natural mouthwash, nor does it market itself as one, so it's worth bearing in mind that the 'sustainable' aspect here is purely focused on the packaging.

Flavour & Performance

There are nine different mint-based flavours to explore in Waken's mouthwash range and the one that caught my eye the most was the Apple & Mint. The flavouring is crafted from natural ingredients and it really does have a refreshing zing to it! I was pleasantly surprised and absolutely love waking up with this in the morning. My mouth feels wonderfully fresh and clean which is exactly what I want a mouthwash to do.

Overall Thoughts

Whilst Waken's mouthwashes are not as natural as many would expect, for those looking for a refreshing mouthwash that works well, comes sustainably packaged, is cruelty-free and vegan, and looks very fancy sitting by your bathroom sink, you'll love it. But if you're after a purely natural and fluoride-free option, this isn't for you.

Waken mouthwashes (£4.50, 500ml) are available from various stockists and online via wakencare.com

Have you tried anything from Waken?

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Sustainable Beauty: Just One Switch Campaign with Counter Culture #JustOneSwitch

 

This month, I've been taking part in Counter Culture's online campaign to encourage consumers to make more environmentally friendly purchases. The focus has been on making 'just one switch' in your daily beauty routine to get you started towards a more sustainable lifestyle, one step at a time.

Counter Culture is an online UK store that is home to some of the best sustainable beauty and wellbeing brands, and it's proud to champion female founders and indie/boutique brands as well. Their #JustOneSwitch mission resonated with me as soon as I received an email about it because I often see people on social media saying how difficult it is to go from using conventional products to finding more eco-friendly alternatives. 

It can be a consumer minefield out there and thoroughly overwhelming at the start, so by shifting the focus on making just one switch at a time, the journey to a more sustainable lifestyle suddenly becomes a much more attainable goal. But where to start?

Counter Culture kindly asked me to choose a couple of products from their online store to show you how easy it is to make 'just one switch'! 

Switch Your Deodorant: POSY Grapefruit & Lemon Deodorant* (70g, £9.95, link)

Get rid of polluting aerosol deodorants that are full of nasties and switch to a clean, natural, eco-friendly one instead. There are so many brands out there nowadays that do them, so my advice would be to pick one in a scent and format that you like the most. 

For this challenge, I decided to try POSY Grapefruit & Lemon Deodorant which comes packaged in a plastic-free cardboard tube that has an easy push-up, solid cream stick of deo inside. I find this ultra-convenient to use and I just love the fresh scent of grapefruit and lemon essential oils. It's made from natural and organic ingredients, and comes in a card tube or tin format, as well as a range of different scents.

Switch Your Hand Wash: Flamingo Soap Co Citron and Coffee Soap Bars* (£6 each, link)

Washing our hands has become more important than ever for obvious reasons and I honestly dread to think of just how many plastic bottles of hand wash have been used up and thrown away during the course of this awful pandemic. However, it's super easy to switch to using a bar of soap instead! I'd recommend buying a couple of these and placing them next to every sink in your home - you'll be amazed by how many plastic bottles just one bar of soap can replace as they really do add up throughout the year. 

I love these soaps bars from the Flamingo Soap Co as they're affordable, free from palm oil, parabens, and SLS, and they're vegan-friendly too. They're a completely zero waste solution to plastic hand wash bottles and even the label is embedded with wildflower seeds so you can plant it and feed the bees and butterflies in your garden. My two faves are the Citron and Coffee soap bars, and if you're already thinking of doing another sustainable switch, why not pop one of these into your shower to use instead and save even more plastic waste?

Switch Your Face Wipes: Bamboo Collection Bamboo Flannel* (£3, link)

When you're thinking about moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle, one of the easiest ways to adapt is by making a pledge to yourself to stop using anything that is single-use. From face wipes to cotton wool rounds, there are reusable replacements for all of these things that are kinder to your skin and the planet. 

I would suggest starting with disposable face wipes because they are so commonly found clogging up our rivers and beaches; a soft and luxurious Bamboo Flannel is the perfect switch for these. This one is made from a blend of 50% bamboo and cotton so it's naturally anti-fungal and super absorbent. When you've finished using it, simply put it in the washing machine along with your towels, dry, and reuse it again and again. A super easy switch!

Visit CounterCulturestore.co.uk for all of these eco-friendly products and more

What product have you switched to?

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Health & Lifestyle: Creating A Plastic-Free Dental / Oral Hygiene Routine

With routine dental appointments now cancelled until further notice in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become more important than ever to establish a good daily dental routine at home to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Here are some of the best natural dental products on the market that will also help you to go plastic-free with your routine at the same time!

One Small Step - Swap Your Plastic Toothbrush for a Bamboo One

If you only make one change, make sure it's this one - simply swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one - super easy! Plastic toothbrushes are a major contributor to the growing pollution that's clogging up our oceans with over 3.6 billion of them thrown away worldwide; that's an enormous amount. Luckily, bamboo toothbrushes offer a biodegradable and sustainable alternative to this problem so when it comes to replacing your current toothbrush, why not make the switch? Woobamboo has bamboo toothbrushes for the whole family with prices from £4.49 (link).

No More Plastic Packaging - Buy Your Dental Floss In Refillable Glass

All dentists recommend flossing at least once a day as part of a good oral hygiene routine, but did you know that most plastic containers of dental floss are not made from recyclable materials? Many are simply thrown away with the usual bathroom waste, but you can now purchase your dental floss in glass thanks to Organically Epic. Their vegan-friendly dental floss is infused with Charcoal to remove stains and it has a refreshing peppermint flavour. You can also purchase refills to reduce packaging waste further and one pack will last around 3 months (£5.25, link). 

Bye Bye Plastic Interdental Brushes - Swap To Sustainable Bamboo Instead

I've been looking for a sustainable alternative to plastic interdental brushes for a long time and I was beyond happy to finally come across this nifty assorted pack from Woobamboo. Featuring a mix of interdental brush sizes, these are made from 97.6% biodegradable material including eco-friendly bamboo, so this is another easy swap to make (12 pack, £6.99, link). 

The New Natural Plastic-Free Toothpastes

Plastic-free toothpastes have been popping up on my beauty radar for a while now and a growing number of natural brands are bringing them to the market. I've tried several of them from various brands in a range of formats such as powders, solid bars and jars of pastes, and I have to admit that the latter has worked the best for me. I've been enjoying using the Sensitive Natural Toothpaste from Ben & Anna since my last plastic tube ran out and it has a lovely refreshing flavour, with a gentle but protective formula that's been specially created for sensitive teeth (100ml, £8.95, link).

A Glass Alternative To Plastic Mouthwash Bottles

Also from Ben & Anna, I discovered the matching Sensitive Natural Mouthwash which utilises natural ingredients such as Sea Buckthorn, Aloe Vera and Sage to disinfect, soothe and protect your whole mouth. The glass bottle definitely adds an extra touch of luxury to my bathroom sink! (500ml, £10.95, link).

Introduce A Stainless Steel Tongue Cleaner 

For the most optimum oral hygiene, the practice of using a Tongue Cleaner has been popular in Ayurveda and natural health circles for thousands of years, yet I've only recently started to see more and more people in the West embrace them. This stainless steel option from Organically Epic helps to get rid of bacteria and dead cells that build up on your tongue, which in turn improves your sense of taste and banishes bad breath at the same time. With a lifetime guarantee, it's hygienic and easy to clean, whilst this handy 2-pack is perfect for you and your partner/family member (£6.15, link).  

Time On Your Hands? Try Oil-Pulling

Oil-Pulling is another long-standing Ayurvedic tradition which has become popular in the last couple of years and if you find yourself with lots of time on your hands in the mornings now, why not give it a try?! The general concept is based on Coconut Oil's prized natural antibacterial properties which help to draw out any build-up of toxins and pathogens, leaving your whole mouth cleaner than it's ever been before. It's also known to naturally whiten your teeth as an added bonus! 

To take part, simply add a teaspoon full of Coconut Oil to your mouth and move it around with your tongue, making sure to push it between the teeth - do not swallow it! Swish it around for 15-20 minutes and then spit it out into the bathroom bin (never spit it into the sink as the oil will solidify and cause blocked pipes!). It takes some time to get used to but I find it oddly satisfying! Using an organic, raw, cold-pressed Coconut Oil such as this one from Kiki Health will help you to reap all the benefits (500ml, £13.95, link).

Have you switched to any plastic-free alternatives recently?

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