Summer is just around the corner and proper skincare is important to prevent damage. During the winter I use potent antioxidant serums, but I move away from these in the summer because they make skin more sensitive to UV radiation. When the sunnier months approach, I turn to products with sun-protecting and moisturizing properties.

The two plastic-free products I'm using now is Antipodes, Immortal SPF 15, natural sun protection face & body moisturizer and All Good, Sunscreen butter, SPF 50. The Immortal SPF 15 moisturizer is a light, odorless, multipurpose cream and is therefore perfect for daily use. It consists of natural ingredients (see image below for ingredients) and offers some sun protection due to the zinc oxide. This cream comes in a recyclable aluminum tube. The only plastic is the cap.

UV radiation is at it's strongest between 12:00-18:00 and SPF 15 is not enough during those hours. I therefore use the All Good, Sunscreen Butter with SPF 50. This sunscreen comes in small, handy tin jar that is easy to bring with you everywhere because it fits in pockets. This sunscreen is water resistant up to 80 minutes, biodegradable, non-nano and coral reef safe. The active ingredient here is also zinc oxide. I don't know why the other ingredients are not listed on the back of the jar, but they're listed on All Good's product website. They are: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Calendula Flowers infused in Organic Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E.

I participated in an online Christmas calendar contest in december. It was run by a Norwegian organic beauty store called Skinlove. The contest offered daily prizes and was quite simple. I just had to answer a daily question related to organic beauty. Unexpectedly, I won on Christmas and the prize that day was a 500 NOK gift card (roughly 50 € or 60 $).

Because of the contest and a huge sale following the holidays, some of the items I had been looking at were sold out. I had to wait until they were in stock which is why I'm posting this so late.

I bought the following items with my gift card

• Wooden hair brush by Redecker
• Natural bristle hair brush by Redecker
• Hair Oil for dry and damaged hair by Badger
• Face Tan Water by Eco By Sonya

The wooden hair brush is amazing! It is so gentle on my hair and scalp. I cannot believe I didn't get one earlier. Both of the wooden brushes prevent static which is nice too. The natural bristle brush is good for distributing hair oil and brushing out fine knots and tangles. I'm also very satisfied with the hair oil by Badger. It is moisturizing, leaving my hair soft and shiny as well as having a lovely citrus scent. I've only tried Eco By Sonya's Face Tan Water once. I think I need to give this product a few more tries. I read the reviews and people were pleased because they got very even results, but I am exceptionally pale and my ended up a little patchy. I'm still overall satisfied with my purchase.

Great news for all the lazy people out there! I have found the easiest way you can be a tiny bit more environmental. It is so simple, you hardly have to do anything.

Ecosia
Ecosia is an awesome web search engine that plants trees with it's ad revenue. Eighty percent of the profits goes to support tree planting programs. It takes about 40-50 searches to fund the planting of a single tree, but it's totally worth it! All you need to do is download the extension for your browser and search the web with Ecosia.

Get Ecosia and start planting trees!

You can read more details about Ecosia here.

Or watch this video for more information.

So you've embarked the journey that sustainability is and now you're wondering what to do with all the plastic items that you already own. The zero waste superstars certainly make it look like you have to rid yourself of all plastic, but that would be a little bit paradoxical. Right? Some of the zero wasters have obviously cleared their lives and homes of all previously owned plastic. This is something I'm strongly against. Replacing disposable, single-use plastic items with durable and sustainable alternatives is one thing. Throwing reusable plastic items just because you're going plastic-free will only result in unnecessary purchases and waste.

The "toxic" reputation of plastic is being used as an argument, but can I just say that mixing your pancake batter in that plastic bowl you've had for years will not disrupt your hormones, nor make you sick. The toxic effects of plastic usually occur when heat is involved or when foods and liquids are stored in an unsafe plastic types over time. Your plastic mixing bowls, storage boxes, laundry basket, etc., are unlikely to be directly hazardous.

Keep in mind that plastic has its upsides too, it practically lasts forever. This is of course the main issue with it, but buying a plastic item that lasts may not be a bad investment after all. Plastic items that make good use shouldn't be thrown out because of a lifestyle change. Keep it, use it, wear it out. If you're going to get rid of it, recycle it. I still own plenty of plastic things that ain't going anywhere, anytime soon. The plastic you want to cut down on is short-term and single-use plastic, e.g., toothbrushes, cotton swabs, plastic containers, dispensers and other plastic packaging.

If your plastic item is useful and reusable, keep it.

Going out can be a nice experience, especially if you're a lil' lazy. No cooking or washing is required. Be it a restaurant or a fast food place, going out for a snack generates a lot of bad waste. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from going out, but there are certain things I want to shed some light on. Going out can be green but it depends on where you go. Takeaway food with it's disposable containers is the enemy. Plastic/paper cups, plastic cutlery, paper plates and takeaway containers are all single-use items that end up in the trash. Most of the time these are non-recyclable and even if they are, why make trash when it can be avoided?

Here's how you can do this the right way... be prepared, bring your own stuff.

• Takeaway containers. Bring your own box. Trust me, it's not that weird to ask for your food to be put in it. You're basically saving the company money by not using their containers.
• Paper cups. If you're a coffee or tea drinker, bring your own reusable coffee cup. There are many great alternatives out there (e.g., Joco, KeepCup, Onya, Ecoffee).
• Other drinks and liquids. Bring a bottle or thermos.
• Plastic straws. You can get reusable straws that are made out of steel, bamboo or glass. A brush is normally included too so you can clean the straw properly.
• Paper napkins. Bring a cotton napkin that is washable.
• Plastic cutlery. Bring reusable cutlery.
• Paper plates. You can use a lunch box.
• Bonus tip. Use a lunch box for your leftovers. Throwing food is completely unnecessary, plus you've already paid for it.

Hey! I've made my very first video about sustainability. The video is very basic and I'm not particularly proud of it but I felt like giving it a shot. Feel free to check it out.

Sometimes it can be hard to find exactly what you're looking for. Maybe you live in a small place? Or maybe your local store just has a poor range of products. I'm sure we've all ended up buying something online, at some point in our lives.

I won't argue, online shopping is great! Unfortunately, it also has some downsides such as long travel distance and that isn't very green. Most forms of transportation is not light on the carbon footprint. The best way to avoid being a contributor is to do thorough research and make sure that you're not missing any local store that might have your product. Keep in mind that cheapest often is the least sustainable. So please, don't be the kind of person who orders something from the other side of the globe, just to save a couple of euros. You're not saving the environment. Try to look at those extra euros you're paying for a more local purchase as a form of environmental fee.

Here are some questions you should ask before every online shopping trip

• Do I need it?
• Can I get from a local store?
• If it's for short-term use, can I borrow it from someone I know?
• Check if a local citizen is selling a used version it.
• Could this item be found in a thrift shop?
• Can I make this item myself?

Sometimes the answer to all these questions will be "no". If so, check out these points for a greener online shopping.

• Buy within your own country. If that's not possible, check out what the nearby countries offer first. Generally, try to stay within your continent. The only time you should be ordering something outside of your continent is when the product is completely unavailable in your own.
• Buy consumables in bulk so that you won't have to make frequent purchases.
• Try to get items from different shops sent to you in one package by finding a shop that sells them all. Getting all your items in one package accounts for one travel, instead of multiple ones. (This is difficult and sometimes completely impossible).
• If you buy multiple consumables from the same shop on a regular basis, wait until you've used up several of them before making your next purchase.