I’ve fallen off the wagon when it comes to posting my monthly reviews; I will do my best to return to these posts at the end of May. In the meantime, I thought I would share some new plastic-free options that I have been enjoying made by the Montreal company Attitude. I have been using Attitude products since the company launched in 2006; their products have always been vegan and cruelty-free, and manufactured in Montreal. They have recently launched a growing number of products that are packaged in compostable cardboard. I’ll list below the products that I am using, as well as others that might be of interest and that I will likely use. I try to buy as many of these products as I can from local stores; what I can’t find there I order either directly from Attitude, or from Well.
Hair Care
I’ve had very mixed results from using solid shampoo and conditioner bars in the past; I’ve often found them to be too waxy. I’ve been using these two Attitude products for two months now and am very pleased with the results: Nourishing shampoo bar and Nourishing conditioner bar. I normally prefer unscented products, but they don’t yet have any in their hair bars. The Nourishing line has a subtle Sandalwood scent that doesn’t linger in the hair. The shampoo bar cleans my hair without either stripping it, or leaving a waxy residue, which has often happened with other bars. The conditioner bar has good slip and provides good moisture. My hair is curly and dry, so I sometimes use a leave-in conditioner, but this is normal for those of us with textured hair.
Body Care
I’ve been looking for a low-waste deodorant for a long time and, of crucial importance, that it be scent free and baking soda free. Most “natural” deodorants contain baking soda, which irritates my skin very much. The few baking-soda free options I’ve found have usually been scented, and I refuse to use scented deodorants. I used No Pong baking soda free for two years; while it’s a very good product, I was concerned about all the aluminium tins that I needed to recycle. People in the zero-waste community are often obsessed with “plastic free,” but are OK with products that come in other materials that still need to be recycled. I want to avoid recycling processes as much as I can, as they carry their own carbon footprints. I am so glad I found the baking-soda and scent free deodorant from Attitude, which comes in a compostable container. The container is large and the tube is easy to push up. Most importantly, the product works very well and does not irritate my skin at all.
The Sandalwood body butter comes in a compostable tube; it’s very generous in size and easy to push up. The body bar is very smooth; I’ve used other brands that were rather crumbly in texture. They don’t yet have an unscented option, but this Sandalwood scent is very subtle and dissipates quickly.
Facial Care
I use the unscented lip balm in a compostable tube, which is big enough to allow you to insert a finger to push up the tube. I’ve used compostable lip balms below that were too narrow to push up properly. The lip balm works well, although I find the Toronto-based More Than Lips compostable lip balms to be more moisturizing. This latter company makes only lip balms and is woman owned and operated.
I was absolutely thrilled to find solid face moisturizers in compostable tubes. My skin is very dry and requires the layering of two products. I always need to use a moisturizer under my sunscreen, even though the latter is moisturizing as well. At night, I need to layer a moisturizer under the barrier-repair cream by local company SkinFix. I have been using the Attitude solid Night Cream in a compostable tube for two months and love it. I layer this under my sunscreen and at night under my SkinFix. You need to apply it lightly, as it can be waxy otherwise. My dry skin loves the product, but it could be a little heavy for those with normal, combination or oily skin (there are other tubes for different skin types). The company has just launched its solid sunscreens in compostable containers for both body and face. They have unscented versions that I would like to try. It’s a shame that the sunscreens are only 30 SPF, as I prefer to wear 60+, especially on my face. They use zinc oxide, which could potentially leave a white cast on the skin, so it may not be suitable for all skin types. I also don’t know how well the product works under makeup and whether it pills, as this can be a common problem with mineral sunscreens. I plan on buying one stick to see how it works. I will continue to use the higher SPF facial cream for the spring and summer months, and will use the solid 30 SPF in the Fall and winter months, assuming it works well.
I am so very pleased that a Canadian company is producing such high-quality products in compostable containers and I look forward to seeing their continued expansion into more low-waste products.
Vegan Footprints 