A quick guide to an eco-friendly oral care routine
Do you want to maintain a healthy oral hygiene routine by making informed choices to minimize the negative human impact on the planet? Find a quick, stress-free guide to a step-by-step eco-friendly oral care routine here.
HOW TO GET STARTED
-How can you start this eco-friendly oral hygiene routine?
-Where do you start this eco-friendly oral hygiene routine?
REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION
-Turn off the water
-Install a tap flow restrictor or aerator
-Use a glass or cup
-Do not rinse after brushing
-Wash them twice a day
REDUCE WASTE IN ORAL CARE PRODUCTS
-Reject the plastic toothbrush and choose an eco-friendly toothbrush
-Choose an eco-friendly toothpaste and dental floss
CHOOSE CO2 COMPENSATED BRANDS AND PRODUCTS
HOW TO GET STARTED
How can you start an eco-friendly oral care routine?
First of all: what is eco-friendly? It means not harmful to the environment. And by protecting the environment we also guarantee ourselves and future generations a better quality of life and general health. And yes, you can be eco-friendly in your oral care routine, saving water when brushing, choosing a biodegradable toothbrush, producing less waste, and a few other things listed here.
Relax, there is no need for radical changes in products and habits, like changing every plastic in your bathroom. We suggest you go through your oral care routine by following the instructions below and commit to just one step for a set period to achieve consistent results and a genuine sense of change for the better.
Where do you start an eco-friendly oral care routine?
Our instruction list is just a randomized kick-off of our challenge. Choose the easiest step for you, not to feel the pressure, because embracing greener oral care doesn't happen overnight. Maybe you prefer to start by changing a product, or maybe you prefer to try a new habit. You choose the rhythm of your days!
REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION
Why?
Because it is a precious resource. Do not leave the tap running for no reason. This sounds pretty obvious, but it's still a bad habit we all have in our oral care routine. Who among you is without sin, cast the first stone. In the Western world we take water for granted, we need to protect it urgently and that means being more eco-friendly.
How?
1. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Don't overlook all that water running down the drain while you brush your teeth and maybe look at yourself in the mirror or whatever. It goes without saying that you are wasting water when you could easily turn off the tap and save 30 liters of water each time.. Incredible, isn't it? Imagine applying it while shaving or showering?
2. Install a faucet flow restrictor or aerator
Wouldn't you like to save on your water bill and save water at the same time? Obviously! Hence, this requires quick and easy installation with no need for specialist tools. A simple decision towards a greener oral care routine. You just have to choose one of these:
A tap flow limiter regulates the flow of water from the tap thereby reducing water consumption by up to 50% and continuing to provide flow at good pressure.
A faucet aerator installed at the end of the faucet or inside the spout will not only reduce your water consumption, but by using less hot water, it will reduce the amount of energy required to heat that water. There is no perceptible loss of pressure or scrubbing ability.
3. Use a glass or cup
The best way to save water when brushing your teeth is to use a glass or cup. And you don't need to fill it. You just need 250ml.
Wet the toothbrush by dipping it into the glass or cup and then brush your teeth gently.
Use some water in the glass / cup to rinse the toothbrush.
4. Do not rinse after brushing
Do not rinse your mouth immediately after brushing your teeth. The problem with rinsing after brushing is that it washes away all the concentrated benefits in the toothpaste, reducing its preventative effects. So just spit out the excess toothpaste and don't rinse your mouth. This will not only help save more water and toothpaste. And keep in mind that it doesn't compromise your oral health!
5. Wash them twice a day
It's a myth that brushing your teeth often means you're taking better care of your oral health. What's the problem with brushing after each meal (3/4 times a day)? This is your legitimate question. Well, the problem is you're wasting more water, so being less eco-friendly and lo and behold: you're not necessarily taking better care of your oral health.
Why brushing your teeth only twice a day isn't bad for oral health? Brushing your teeth immediately after eating, especially if you have acidic foods or drinks, such as orange juice, can remove enamel on your teeth that has been weakened by acid. So experiment with this new habit in your oral hygiene and wait at least 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth.
Good dental hygiene begins by gently brushing your teeth twice a day. At least once in the morning and once before going to bed.
Last reminder: More important than the number of times you brush is the time you spend brushing. At least 30 seconds on each side, top and bottom, two minutes with the water closed!
Sticking with these tips means you'll brush your teeth environmentally and still look after your oral health. Admit it: not that hard, so far, right?
REDUCE WASTE IN ORAL CARE PRODUCTS
Why?
Because it will clearly help the environment.
How?
Avoiding single-use plastics and less packaging is a must for sustainable dental hygiene. Check out what you can do with leading oral care products to be more eco-friendly one step at a time.
1. Refuse the plastic toothbrush and choose an eco-friendly toothbrush
Plastic toothbrushes are essentially indestructible.They are made of polypropylene plastic (handle) and nylon (bristles), both made from non-renewable fossil fuels. Obviously this affects the environment and our health a lot.
The main problem is that plastic toothbrushes end up in the oceans and you can easily avoid this by choosing a biodegradable toothbrush and packaging.
Sustainable toothbrushes are made from bamboo, recycled plastic, cornstarch, wheat straw, or even recycled yogurt pots.
The benefits of switching to a bamboo toothbrush
Bamboo is a naturally sustainable material, organic, vegan and without animal components.
As dentists and hygienists recommend changing toothbrushes every 3 months (based on brushing technique) for healthy oral hygiene, you may want to consider a reusable handle and you will only need to change the brush head and not the whole toothbrush. thus reducing waste to a minimum.
The nylon bristles can be removed from the handle and must be disposed of properly in a plastic bin. The bamboo handle is 100% biodegradable or you can give it a second life in useful and creative ways.
Follow this guide on how to properly dispose of a bamboo toothbrush.
But there are also some disadvantages of a bamboo toothbrush
We won't lie: although bamboo is a better option than plastic, there are some drawbacks to this eco-friendly material:
Bamboo grows mainly in China, where bamboo toothbrushes are made, so transportation involves carbon emissions.
La maggior parte delle setole sono realizzate in nylon, quindi non sono compostabili.
Only bristles made from animal hair are biodegradable, however this is not an animal-free or vegan option. And above all they do not yet guarantee constant maintenance of hygiene over the entire time of use of the toothbrush.
A bamboo toothbrush is still a disposable item, perpetuating our disposable society.
The good news! There is no perfect environmentalist. As zero waste chef Anne Marie Bonneau said "we don't need a handful of people who do zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people to do it imperfectly". So doing what you can is enough.
Choosing an eco-friendly toothbrush is truly a wonderful step in your oral care routine. Keep smiling!
2. Choose an eco-friendly toothpaste and dental floss
What's the problem with commercial toothpastes? They contain toxic ingredients and are impossible to recycle. One billion tubes of plastic toothpaste, which contain aggressive chemical residues, are thrown away every year, also causing a major impact on the planet and our health. This explains a linear and non-circular ecological life cycle.
Did you know that commercial toothpastes contain microplastics hardly visible to the naked eye and harmful to our health? They are also superfluous. Find more helpful information about these dangerous ingredients here.
Start by focusing on the ingredients. Learn to distinguish toxic substances from natural ones. If you are looking to bring about a positive and healthy change, we strongly recommend that you choose a natural toothpaste with ingredients sourced or made from a renewable resource found in nature (flora, fauna, minerals) absolutely free of petroleum compounds.
What's the problem with flossing? Most dental floss found in supermarkets is made from nylon, which is a petroleum compound. Each strand of traditional dental floss takes 50 to 80 years to decompose. Also, if you flush it down the toilet, be aware that it won't break.
Switch to charcoal floss: charcoal is a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent, it is generally made with burning wood, so it has a reduced environmental impact and uses candelilla wax which prevents the exploitation of animals by dental care. Learn more about the unexpected benefits of black floss for you and the planet here.
CHOOSE CO2 COMPENSATED BRANDS AND PRODUCTS
On your journey to a greener oral care routine you will be more aware of brands, products and services that are also committed to contributing to climate protection.
Why?
We all have an ecological footprint. Because every purchase we make, every move we make has an impact on the environment. If you are curious, calculate your ecological footprint here.
How?
Your best bet is to look for carbon offsetting brands, products and services that are committed to creating environmental benefit by removing additional CO2 from the atmosphere and reversing global warming.
Look for legitimate certifications and authentic registrations that companies and brands communicate on their packaging or websites. Always do what you can to confirm greenwashing.
Choosing a CO2 compensated product or service means contributing to climate protection and promoting the social and economic situation of communities in developed countries through compensation projects.
So we believe these are all small steps in your oral care routine for a bigger purpose: to strengthen your eco-friendly actions.
Last but not least, this is a great single step: don't give up! Don't be discouraged or frustrated! We all know it takes commitment and commitment. Do what you can and after a while it will become a habit.
Yes, it is an individual journey. Someone has to lead the way. So you can invite and empower family and friends to walk with you. But focus primarily on your small daily changes that will have a big positive impact on your life and on the planet.
BribeUShop wants to build a society of optimistic people. People who share similar values and interests and inspire each other to find alternatives for products and materials that harm this beautiful planet!
#bribeuworld