The Conscious Traveller
Whether you have a trip planned to a sunny destination or are just someone who is on the go a lot this blog post is for you!
I recently returned from a beautiful trip to Mexico with my daughter and am proud to say we left a minimal footprint behind. I’m not saying it was easy by any means but we did pretty well and I have compiled my notes to share with you all in hopes we can all start thinking more consciously while on vacation or just on the go at home.
First and foremost the WATER situation in Mexico and many other countries is an issue and we cannot simply fill up a water bottle whenever we want from the tap so you’ve got two options…plan ahead with bringing plenty of water with you on your journey or be prepared with a fancy travel filter! This trip to Mexico we were on a budget so a fancy water filter was not in the cards. We did however bring three reusable vessels between the two of us which we promptly filled after security with our precious homeland water and that tied us over for our flight and trip to our Airbnb. Flying in and out of Puerto Vallarta (PVR) we were warned about NO REFILL STATIONS and there is no using the tap water there!! I found a LOOP HOLE though on our way home and was able to fill my two thermos style bottles with Hot Water from the cafe near gate 11 !! My daughter wasn’t super excited about it but we made due until we were in hour 6 of delays to our flight and she had to resort to the free water in plastic bottles from the airline….we were sooooo close!
Most hotels, airbnbs and homes throughout Mexico resort to bottled drinking water in large carboy size plastic bottles and there are filtration systems/exchange stores almost everywhere. If you are on the road and in a vehicle that could carry such a large bottle I suggest you bring a carboy pump down with you for dispensing easily !
Straws are pretty much Everywhere and although most places have switched to bio-plastic straws which are just as bad you should be prepared with your own reusable option including a straw cleaner brush. Have it out even before you even order and practice the phrase “Sin paja por favor” hard! Charlie and I each came prepared with our own Bamboo Utensil Sets including cutlery and a linen napkin. I would also highly recommend having an option for left overs like these Reusable Silicone Ziploc Bags which are awesome and easy to clean out. You can even heat up your food in them and eat directly out of the bag! Styrofoam is still the most commonly used takeout box option and there is just no getting that imprint back…
On to personal care! When it comes to products think Multi Purpose + Concentrated, don’t waste storage space lugging water based products around (only what you need to survive! haha). Turn to Solid Shampoo + Conditioner, all purpose bar soap and tooth paste tablets because not only can you carry these on, they work waaaay better! After the first day of pool and ocean water my daughters hair was completely dried out and straw like and mine felt greasy yet crunchy so we resorted to double washing and a leave in conditioner treatment with the bar that protected our hair from the salt and chlorine.
I also loved my bug repellant option that consisted of bringing a small dropper bottle of a pure oil blend and raw shea butter to mix it with to create a thick barrier to repel the biters! (Thank you Candace for the suggestion!). Come find that in store or reach out to me directly to create a special blend for you!
Laundry is another one that you want to come prepared with if you want your cloths to remain smelling scent free! I found the laundry service at our Air BnB to be heavily scented and was glad I brought along some Laundry Strips to do some small hand wash loads. Even if you are staying in a hotel it’s nice to have them on hand for washing your under garments and swimwear every few days.
Sunscreen is a big one and can be very harmful on the environment if you are using a traditional Chemical based sunscreen. You want to stick to a non-nano zinc oxide based sun block that doesn’t leave behind any toxic chemicals. Here are the brands I’ve tried and loved!
Just Sun which is a Kelowna based company and soon to be partnering with Bare Refillery for refills! I’ve tried their tinted and regular spf and both go on smooth and lovely!
Beautycounter who is my current go to and I trust above all other brands because of its third party testing and highly innovative, easy to ally products. No refill option yet however they do use recycled plastics for their packaging.
DIY option - at Bare we carry all the single ingredients including non-nano zinc oxide to create your own sun protection. Feel free to contact me directly to help you find the best option for your skin!