5 Sustainable Swaps for Earth Day

Don’t worry! This one sounds much harder than it actually is. Here’s the issue: lots of skincare products contain microplastics, mini beads that wreak major environmental havoc in the long-run. They’re not soluble in water, pass through treatment plans, and go on to pollute our oceans and seriously harm marine life. Luckily many brands these days are committed to sustainability, including some of our absolute faves, like LINNÉ–you won’t find microplastics in their products. So go ahead and restock your skincare cabinet. While you’re waiting for your skincare to arrive, why not try your hand at the gorgeous cacao-hibiscus cake we crafted with them? Want more recommendations? See our additional natural skincare faves here.

Last year, we interviewed the CMO of Force of Nature, our favorite sustainable home cleaning, about her crucial cleaning swaps. Below are a few takeaways from our conversation:

• Don’t underestimate the power of vinegar
• “Fragrance” in a product typically means multiple ingredients plus phthalates, a chemical that makes fragrances last longer
• Hypochlorous acid (the key ingredient in Force of Nature), is a safe and effective way to kill germs–no fragrances or phthalates necessary.

Since this conversation, we’ve bid our harsher cleaner products farewell; things have stayed just as clean, and, thanks to the refillable bottle, we feel good about not contributing to pollution in the process.

As passionate cooks who regularly share recipes on our site, we have a deep understanding of the power of high-quality ingredients. And buying local whenever possible is one of the easiest ways to ensure the dishes you make (and the raw produce you eat) will turn out top-notch. Our tips for eating seasonally will help you make the transition away from less sustainable food products with ease.

Another way to keep things sustainable: follow our tips and tricks for keeping your produce fresher, longer! Fresher food means fewer shopping trips – and every grocery purchase carries a carbon footprint.

Our reusable product selection goes far beyond Force of Nature; we’ve covered our favorite reusable products, from spices to coffee cups to grocery bags. Swapping out your plastic to-go-cups and shopping bags for these will have you feeling more sustainable and chic.

Yes, shopping for eco-friendly flowers is a real thing, and it’s possible. We shared some tips on how to shop sustainable flowers here.