Guide To Eco-Friendly Travel Toiletries For Your Next Trip

From wooden toothbrushes to toothpaste tablets, solid shampoo and more, here are the eco-friendly and zero-waste toiletries to stash in your travel wash bag for your next sustainable adventure.

Something I know a lot about is the art of travelling light!

Pre-kids, I backpacked across large parts of Europe – stuffing my belongings into a backpack, before jumping on a train to the next country on my agenda.

I’ve also camped for months at a time, I’ve hitch-hiked, I’ve travelled by bus. And this year, it feels like my biggest adventure yet. My partner, our two kids and I are jumping on a train and travelling to the opposite end of the UK for our holidays.

It might not sound like that much of an adventure, but we’ve never done that kind of long-distance travel by public transport with our kids before. Instead, we’ve stuck to Scottish holiday destinations that we can reach within a couple of hours of home.

I know we’ll need to pack super light. The thought of dragging heavy luggage onto a train with kids in tow just does not appeal. Thankfully I’ve had years of practice! We’ll be minimising the clothes we take. And I’ll also be considering the eco-friendly travel toiletries we take, to keep things to the bare minimum.

If you’re looking for some zero-waste and sustainable inspiration, I’ve shared some of my favourites that I’ll be packing in my rucksack.

The Eco-Friendly Toiletries To Stash In Your Travel Wash Bag

However you are planning on spending your summer, whether you are camping, travelling across Europe on a train, travelling locally, or something else entirely, then let me help you out. Here are the sustainable toiletries you’ll want to stash in your travel wash bag. It’s certainly what I’ll be stashing in mine!

Dental Care On The Move

For on-the-move dental care, forget liquid mouthwash and squeezy tubes of toothpaste that can leak or burst in your travel wash bag.

Instead, consider solid toothpaste tablets that you chew and solid mouthwash tablets that dissolve in water. There’s no danger of leakage, and you still get all the benefits of conventional dental products:

Toothpaste

My top picks for toothpaste tablets are the super-minty Parla tablets – available at Bower Collective. Simply chew the tablet, hydrate with a wet toothbrush and brush for a minty clean smile. No mess. Just clean teeth.

Mouthwash

For mouthwash, try Georganics spearmint mouthwash tablets, available from Ethical Superstore. All you have to do is dissolve one vegan-friendly minty tablet in a little water, before swilling it around your mouth and spitting.

Check out my guides to eco-friendly toothpaste and eco-friendly mouthwash for more recommendations.

Toothbrushes & Cases

Of course, don’t forget your toothbrush! As well as being able to buy wooden toothbrushes, you can also pick up a bamboo travel toothbrush case from &Keep. This prevents your other toiletries from getting wet and keeps your toothbrush safe from dirt and damage while you travel. It’s also a more sustainable and zero-waste alternative to the plastic toothbrushes cases on the market.

Eco Travel Hair Care

For hair care on the go, here are my top sustainable recommendations:

Shampoo

A solid shampoo bar makes for a great plastic-free toiletry choice when it comes to eco-friendly travel. There’s no worry about the bottle coming open and leaking all over your wash bag.

Plus as well as washing your hair, it’s multipurpose. You can also use your shampoo bar to wash your body and hands on the move, meaning you don’t have to carry separate products. Simply pop your shampoo bar in a travel soap tin – like this one from Big Green Smile – and you are good to go.

If you are new to the world of solid shampoo bars, then do check out my guide to the best shampoo bars for every hair type to help find the right one for you. These bars have come recommended by Moral Fibres readers, and cover almost every hair type imaginable!

Conditioner

Conditioner is a little trickier. I haven’t had much success with solid conditioner bars. Instead, I would recommend decanting your regular conditioner into a sturdy aluminium travel bottle, like the ones linked here from Etsy.

Alternatively, if your hair can tolerate it, you can use moisturising hair oil in place of a conditioner. I don’t use conditioner, and instead, use this hair serum by Evolve, which works wonders on my hair. It also comes in a small travel-friendly-sized bottle. Don’t let appearances put you off – this tiny bottle lasts for ages!

Eco-Friendly Skin Care

Skincare-wise, I don’t tend to carry many products with me. Your regular makeup remover can be decanted into an aluminium travel bottle or mini jars. Apart from that, I just take one moisturiser that I use both day and night.

My favourite moisturiser is Evolve’s Daily Renew Facial Cream. It’s just a small glass jar that I’m happy to sacrifice space for. If you are looking for more zero-waste suggestions, try my guide to plastic-free moisturiser.

Sustainable Sunscreen

Even if you are holidaying at home, sunscreen is still vitally important to prevent damage from the sun’s rays. I have a plastic-free tin of SPF 30 Sol De Ibiza sunscreen that I use on the whole family. I find it works best if you have moisturised your skin first – it’s easier to rub in that way.

I’ve tried the stick version but I found that it needs to be really warm to be able to apply it, otherwise, it doesn’t glide onto your skin. Warmth is not always a given in Scotland in the summertime, so I’m sticking to the tin.

If you are looking for more eco-friendly sunscreen options, do check out my full guide to eco-friendly sunscreen, which has recently been updated.

Travel Wash Bags

Of course, you need a wash bag to corral all of your eco-friendly travel toiletries.

The most sustainable wash bag is the one you already own. If yours has seen one too many trip, and is beyond repair, then there is no shortage of eco-friendly bags online.

I’ve had the most success finding eco-wash bags on Etsy. These wash bags made from kraft paper, for example, are hand washable, and plastic-free. Meanwhile, Jungley Vegan Co’s wash bags are made from recycled truck tyres, for zero-waste toiletry storage.

Shaving Toiletries

A safety razor (like these ones from Shoreline Shaving) makes for a great sustainable and zero-waste method of hair removal. There’s no need to carry around shaving gel or foam with you – I have found that a standard hair conditioner makes for an effective alternative. Simply wet your face or legs, apply conditioner and shave as normal.

If you are travelling by plane, do note that only fixed cartridge razor blades – the disposable type – are allowed in your hand luggage. Make sure your safety razor goes in the hold. If you aren’t checking your bag into the hold, opt for disposable razor blades in this instance.

Deodorant

I’ll admit, I have fully struggled with eco-friendly deodorants and haven’t found one I’m on board with yet. I definitely need an anti-perspirant rather than a deodorant to stay fresh. However, I have heard from quite a few Moral Fibres readers that Fussy Deodorant is the one to try if you can get away without using aluminium formulas.

Fussy Deodorants are packed full of natural and vegan-friendly ingredients to help keep you smelling fresh all day. The prebiotic ingredients neutralise odour-causing bacteria. Plus Fussy even offers mini deodorant sticks – in heaps of different scents and in plastic-free packaging – that are perfect for when space is at a premium in your bag.

Your Top Recommendations

What do you think? Have I missed anything? Are there any eco-friendly travel toiletries that are a must-have when you are on holiday? Let us all know in the comments below!