Tammie’s Tips: Love yourself with zero waste self-care

By: Tammie Williamson, Assistant Director
Austin Resource Recovery | City of Austin, Texas

Taking care of our community and our planet does not mean we have to sacrifice caring for ourselves. Self-care is an essential part of living a healthful life, but often self-care items are marketed at luxury prices and packaged with single-use plastic. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make self-care part of your daily routine and live a zero waste lifestyle at the same time.

For many of us, coffee is already a big part of our morning routine, but did you know that coffee can help you wake up your skin? Reuse your morning coffee grounds to make a simple DIY coffee scrub. The caffeine in the grounds can help your skin look firmer, and it acts as an exfoliant – sluffing away dead skin for a more rejuvenated face and body.

Another simple self-care swap you can make is to replace your disposable cotton rounds with reusable bamboo rounds. This easy trade off not only helps you live more sustainably by limiting your use of single-use, disposable cotton products but ensures you'll never run out of cotton rounds again. Bamboo rounds are machine washable and you can use them repeatedly, no more late-night trips to the corner drugstore.

Finally, many of us have come to know and love the versatility of coconut oil in the kitchen, but did you know it has a place on your bathroom counter? You can use coconut oil for everything from make-up remover to a sunburn remedy. Dab a small amount of coconut oil under your eye to help prevent wrinkles, use it to moisturize and soothe dry skin and use it as a natural lip balm. Better add two jars of coconut oil to your next shopping list.

Now, more than ever before, I encourage everyone to take time for themselves. Try to take a moment every day to do something small for yourself, and bring a little self-care into your daily routine. Happy relaxing!