Bar Soap is Greener Than Liquid Soap

I personally prefer using bar soaps rather than liquid soaps because not only do I feel like it lasts longer than the same amount of liquid cleanser, bar soaps are generally sold in less packaging. Liquid soaps must always come in a plastic bottle, which means purchasing it is encouraging the production of more plastic bottles, not to mention resulting in more waste. There is also a common tendency to overuse liquid soap because it's sometimes difficult to gauge how much you need for a decent lather.

But if you still prefer using liquid soap, learn how to make your own foam hand soap here!

Pencils Are More Eco-Friendly Than Pens

The next time you're thinking of buying a new pen, try purchasing a pencil instead. The millions of pens that are used everyday require a lot of plastic to manufacture, and it is usually difficult or impossible to recycle. This results in a lot of waste that doesn't easily break down. Although I'm a big fan of pens, I recently realized I don't have to write everything down in ink, and can choose to use a regular lead pencil or colored pencil instead. If you absolutely need to use pens, buy the ones where the ink cartridges are replaceable, or buy from companies that make their pens out of recycled plastic.

How to Cut Soap

Cutting up a block of bar soap into more manageable portions is really very easy. Also, be careful to remove the soap carefully from the wrapping so you can rewrap the remaining soap pieces that you aren't ready to use yet. This is an easy way to reduce waste.

You'll Need:
  • Cutting board
  • Large, sharp knife
  • Flame

  1. Place your bar soap of choice on a clean, sturdy cutting board.
  2. Heat up the blade of the knife over an open flame, such as the stove, for a few seconds. The blade doesn't have to be scalding hot, just warm enough to feel uncomfortable if you put your skin against it. Be very careful when handling fire and sharp knives, especially together.
  3. When you feel the knife is hot enough, place the blade down against the center of the bar soap, and use your other hand to carefully press down on the top of the blade with even pressure until you've cut all the way through. If the blade is too hot too touch, use a clean rag to hold against it.

If you want the soap in smaller portions, simply cut through the pieces again.


Rewrap any extra pieces to use for later, and enjoy using your soap!

How to Make Natural Face Toner with Rice Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

The original purpose of toner was to help wipe away the last bits of dirt, oil and make-up from a person's face to keep the skin clean. However, that seems a bit redundant, considering if you are using a facial cleanser that already does its job properly, there should be no need for toner. In fact, I find most commercial toners only end up drying out your skin, which isn't good for you, even for those who tend to have more oily complexions. Toner that is too harsh will only force your skin to produce even more oil to compensate for the dryness.

Now when I occasionally use toner, I use it for the purpose of lightening any blemishes and keeping new ones at bay. And instead of spending money on commercial brands of toner, which are mostly bottles of water and/or alcohol, I opt to make my own using natural ingredients.


Rice vinegar tonerYou'll Need:﻿

- distilled water
- rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- tea tree oil


1. Find a clean, empty container you want to use to keep your toner in. I use a a small, plastic travel container I bought from Muji since I only make a small amount at a time, as I don't use toner that often.
2. Fill about one-third of the container with the rice vinegar.
3. Fill the rest of the container with distilled water.
4. Add a few drops of tea tree oil (3-4 drops per 100ml of solution should be enough).

To Use:

Apply the solution to your face as you would with any other toner. I assume most people pour some onto a cotton pad then apply it to their face after washing.


For me this works very well, if not better, than the toner available in stores. Try it out for yourself.