Category: shopping

Sustainable travel-friendly buys

no plastic, biodegradable, reusable skin-care and self-care products
no plastic, biodegradable, reusable skin-care and self-care products

Reducing plastic is a struggle. It’s a conscious choice you need to make over and over again, when you go grocery shopping, when you buy your new moisturizer, when you grab a beverage on the go, the list goes on…

I am no expert, but I am trying as much as possible to change my habits, even the most ingrained ones, and I challenge myself to always go one step further.

My next challenge is to embark in my upcoming travel through Mexico with less plastic products and less waste. Considering that I will be gone for almost three weeks and I will be travelling with carry-on only, I also need to be mindful of space.

I will run through some of the switches that I am planning to make. Some of these products I have been using for a while and I can recommend, while others are brand new additions and I will need to see how they perform.

Cleansing: A few months ago, I bought Face Halo, reusable makeup remover pads and I am really satisfied. You wet them with water and they remove all of your makeup, done. For the eyes I still need a bit of micellar water, as my mascara is rather resistant, but that’s it. After each use I wash the pad with a gentle soap and let it dry and after a week use, I stick it in the washing machine 60 degrees, no fabric moisturizer and it comes out as new. So I will take two Face Halo with me and a mini of my favourite micellar water, which I will use as eye makeup remover and as second cleanser (at home I use a jelly cleanser as second step, but that will definitely not come with me).

Toning: At home I have been using the Pixi rose tonic, which is very gentle. I apply it using the spongy pad of the Klairs set (I use the thinner ones with micellar water to remove eye makeup) and I am very happy with the results. Also it’s less cotton wasted and far less product needed. However, for travelling I will use a spritz toner that I can apply directly on the skin. I found this lovely Tammy Fender Bulgarian rose water toner in a glass travel size bottle and it is just perfect.

Night moisturizing: from the same Tammy Fender set, I will pack the moisturizer and the oil to give some good hydration to my face after a day out in the sun.

I didn’t find any good switch for day moisturizers and SPF (when I say good, I mean a product that works for my skin and comes in a small non-plastic package), so I will go with Paula’s choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF30 and the AvèneSPF 50+ Same for hair, I am still to find plastic-free alternatives that work for my curly hair, so I will just bring a Briogeo travel kit.

Grooming: I replaced bodywash for natural soap bars. I love those that are olive oil based like the Moroccan black soap. I am going to take with me a pretty cube that smells of ginger. I switched to Bamboo toothbrushes almost a year ago now. I tried a few brands and they have all been very suitable for me. I will be travelling with the latest purchased, but I can also recommend Lavish Essentials. Also, I have just purchased a silk floss which comes in a glass jar to replace the plasticky Oral-B, and it seems to work well. For toothbrush I am sticking to my usual  Marvis mini. For my ears, I bought a pack of fully biodegradable cotton buds months ago and they are of excellent quality. I have a plastic container to transport them, which I bought years ago in the US. Recently, I also switched the disposable razors for a wooden reusable razor, it needs a bit of practice, but it works really well and it will save me a little space, as I would have brought a couple of disposables with me. Finally, since it looks like I’ll be on my period during the first few days, I will pack some of these newly tried Rael organic cotton pads, very comfortable and individually wrapped in a papery fabric rather than plastic. A really good find.

Miscellaneous: I will bring my Chilly’s bottle which is great to keep water cold for hours and is completely hermetic and leak-proof. I am not sure I’ll be able to refill with tap/filtered water, but at the very least I will be able to buy a big bottle to keep in my room and refill my 500 ml to go, instead of buying a million tiny bottles. I will also pack my lovely Paul Smith handkerchief instead of tissues, as I find that it serves me as well with no waste.

A presto

 

Tunisi – into Phoenician land

Only one hour flight from Rome, and you are into the blue.

Tunis is a quiet city that is overly underestimated. While the medina is not as impressive as the souks of Marrakesh, it makes it for a really pleasant walk, and some good shopping, without the hassle of the Moroccan hard sellers. On the main roads the smell of fragrant food, spices and soap fills the air; off the main roads some interesting artisanal boutiques offer unique, original pieces, Makhzen is where I found my happiness. There are hidden restaurants inside beautiful courtyards that serve delicious food and cafes perched on terraces overlooking the city where you can sip rose water scented coffee.

La Marsa, off the city centre, is where I stayed. It looks like an Italian seaside town, with the houses overlooking the shore, little cafes and restaurants all big windows and tables on the pavements. I had lunch in La Gourmandise, a chain with a few restaurants around town, pleasant, but nothing special, and brunch in Sabato and in Ivy, both pretty amazing. For dinner it was fish in a beautiful restaurant called Le Golfe, on my first evening and couscous in a very local place on the second evening.

I also had a small taste of Tunis night life at Le Carpe Diem, a very laid back place where young Tunisians (and a few expats) were dancing with lots of joy and little to no pretense to the rhythm of a local band playing Tunisian music and some well-known international songs.

Sunday was a glorious sunny day and I explored more of the coast. In Carthage, I visited the Baths of Antoninus a really beautiful and peaceful site where Roman ruins overlooking the Mediterranean make an incredible scenery. In Sidi Bou Said I was amazed by the beauty of this little hilly white and blue town, where winding roads lead to the most gorgeous panorama. The bonus was the delicious bombolone eaten on the go.

I had a really lovely long weekend left on Friday morning, back on Sunday evening. Enough to explore Tunis and surrounding, but I would definitely go back and see more of the country.