It occurred to me recently that I’ve never written a blog post about my favorite vegan non-food products. Craziness! Since today is cold, gray, cloudy, and rainy (my ideal weather!!!) I figured it was a good time to sit down and write such a post. Please keep in mind that I am writing this post at my own free will and am not benefiting from promoting the products mentioned. It’s just nice to spread the word about great vegan products!
Let’s begin!
(1) I am a lip balm fanatic. I used to have a lip balm collection as a kid (anybody remember Bonne Bell?). I even have fond memories of eating banana-flavored lip balm. There are plenty of vegan lip balms on the market but most of them are either too grainy, too glossy, or too sticky. I don’t want shiny lips! Here is a lip balm I absolutely love (photo courtesy of Crazy Rumor’s website):
Crazy Rumors makes all sorts of magnificent flavors of lip balms – all 100% vegan!! They are smooth, not too shiny, and keep lips soft and happy. My favorite flavors so far are Mint Bubble (shown above) and French Vanilla. Have you tried these yet? What’s your favorite flavor? I fear I may need to try every single flavor!!
(2) Being stinky is uncool. There’s no good reason! I’m not one to wear perfume because it is expensive and often smells way too strong. I am usually content without any spritzy accomplices, but if I’ve been riding around on my bike and then meet up with friends for dinner, it’s nice to have options. Last summer I discovered a lovely product on sale at my local co-op and I decided to buy it as an alternative to deodorant/perfume (photo courtesy of Avalon Organics website):
Lavender Deodorant Spray from Avalon Organics is amazing! The ingredient list is clean and minimal and the 4-ounce bottle lasts a long time. I have used this as a deodorant, body spray, and room freshener. The smell is wonderful, relaxing, and refreshing. If you aren’t a fan of lavender, check out the other available scents.
(3) What’s a great substitute for plastic-bottled shampoos? Shampoo bars!! I learned about shampoo bars earlier this year and became addicted. While I can’t always afford to purchase them, they are definitely a great package-free solution to standard shampoos. The only shampoo bars I have tried are from Dress Green, an amazing little (actually it’s quite large) shop on Etsy filled with heaps of vegan-friendly items (HEAPS!). Shampoo bars last a long time and make hair soft, shiny, and clean without silly ingredients (photo courtesy of Dress Green) or unnecessary packaging:
This is the Pomegranate Juice Shampoo Bar. It smells superb. Want an extra bonus? You can use these bars as body soap too! Less clutter in the shower is always a plus.
(4) I never learned how to properly brush my teeth as a child. As a result, I have receding gums. I truly fear a dependence on dentures in my near future. My dentist keeps telling me not to fret, but I’m no optimist. Anyways, lots of toothpastes are too harsh for my mouth. It took me a long time to find a nice, gentle, effective toothpaste that was vegan (photo courtesy of Dr. Ken’s website):
Dr. Ken’s to the rescue! I love these toothpastes. They are so gentle and leave my teeth and gums in A+ form. I am learning to brush without angry force to prevent a permanent visit from dentures. Dr. Kens has a variety of flavors so you are bound to find one you enjoy (with or without fluoride).
Those are just a handful of my favorite products. What are some of yours?
Oh, and take a peek at this sweet wee goat I met at Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary a few weekends ago:
Cute as heck, right?
Root beer, ginger ale and grapefruit!
Chad said the root beer flavor sold out quickly! I wanted to buy one of each flavor, but you know, budget restrictions!!
I love love love shampoo bars – can’t wait to order a couple of them from Dress Green! And that goat is adorable – we’re adopting a runaway goat later this month. We have a cadre of hens we rescued last year…hmmm, maybe I’m starting my own mini farm sanctuary?
Which shampoo bars have you used? I’d love to try others!
There are some locally made shampoo bars I get at the co-op here, but I also like LUSH, J.R. Liggett’s, and Mehandi bars. I can’t wait to try out the one you suggested, though!
I am a huge fan of the orange juice Crazy Rumors, and my mom is addicted to raspberry sorbet.
Thanks for the head’s up on the toothpaste; I never seem to find one I like enough to buy twice, so I’ll give this one a try next.
Ooooh! I saw the OJ one and was very tempted. Definitely try Dr. Ken’s, it’s really nice to teeth and gums!
I did have a Bonne Bell lip balm collection in high school! Dr. Pepper flavored, bubble gum, etc. I had forgotten all about that, but I do currently have a similar collection of Crazy Rumors lip balms! My favorite is hazelnut, but at the moment, my purse is holding almond fudge and my desk drawer has French vanilla. YUM!
How did I miss the hazelnut flavor?
The funny thing about my collection was that I rarely used them, I just liked the smells!
Thanks for the tips! Love the shampoo bar idea especially.
Ahh I love the crazy rumors lip balm! Key lime is my absolute favorite
Key Lime?! I need to try that one now too!!
Ah, Bonne Bell – I was a collector, too! Crazy Rumors is great, though.
So… does that deodorant work well as an actual deodorant? I wouldn’t mind smelling like lavender!
The lavender spray will make you smell nice, but it won’t keep you super dry unfortunately. Sometimes I just spray it over the unscented deodorant I normally use (Kiss My Face Unscented roll-on). Combined, they work quite well!
I like that idea! I’ll have to try Kiss My Face next. :) Thanks for the tip!
Good morning, Amy! You’ve won my Tropical Traditions coconut oil giveaway–congratulations! Please email me at dietdessertdogs AT gmail DOT com to give me your address so we can ship out your prize! Yay! :D
oooh, that deodorant spray looks wonderful. must try!
Sweet, I’m going to have to see if my co-op carries the deodorant spray! I’ve been needing one that actually works. & the lip balm looks super great too!