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First of all, buy nothing if that’s the drum you march to. I love that for you!
Personally, I think never buying anything is unrealistic and devoid of pleasure and joy— which is why I set out to make shopping sustainably more fun, colorful, and bright when I started my own design-forward sustainable general store 5 years ago.
While my own retailer is no longer, I would say that my professional expertise in this realm has only grown in the years since! And you seem to agree— my piece on what “sustainable” products are actually worth their salt has become my second most-read piece of all time.
I ran a sustainable general store for 3 years. Here's what's actually "good" 💡
Did you know that before I started a sustainable marketplace, I actually just wrote a newsletter identical to this one about what sustainable new products actually worked and which was a total waste of money or complete greenwashing?
I stand ten toes down behind every recommendation I made in that piece, but the good news is even in a world where seemingly no one wants to acknowledge that we are in a climate crisis and making 0 progress towards the things that could save the planet we live on as it hurtles through space, there have been some shifts towards normalizing sustainability in consumer goods.
For example, I see waaaaayy more brands prioritizing refills and refillable products! Natural fibers are also way more popular with consumers than they were a few years ago, with big clothiers like Gap or J.Crew launching many 100% cotton items (like the sweater I’m wearing as I write this!). Baby steps are happening, and they’re worth appreciating… even if what we really need is giant leaps and bounds.
This is not a gift guide, but this is a guide to…
Shopping small! Small makers, Etsy, and independent brands will feel the value of your dollar in an insanely challenging environment for consumer goods right now.
Shopping smart! Duplicate my holiday gifting spreadsheet to keep track of things you want to purchase for yourself, friends and family. (You don’t have to use my ideas, you can clear it all out and just use it as a template!) That will help you manage your budget, keep track of everything you need vs. want, etc.
Shopping sustainable! Ahah! This part we’ll get into more below, I’ve rounded up all the good stuff for you.
Is there a deal to be had?: 30% off build-your-own sets through 12/2.
Best for: Their non-aerosol and refillable dry shampoo is some of the best in the biz! I really like their other products, like the overnight repair serum and the leave-in conditioner, but the only sustainability attribute there is the luxe glass packaging.
Is there a deal to be had?: 25% off everything with a free full-size product with purchases over $80 or 3 free full-size products with purchases over $120.
Best for: You can’t go wrong here! This brand and their small team (Hi Adrienne!) are the best. I like the counter sprays and soaps, and you can snag refills for all of them as well.
Is there a deal to be had?: 15-30% off depending on the size of your purchase. You can also get 30% off on the brand at Anthropologie, if you’re planning already to place an order there.
Best for: I love the Kiso Forest Soap as body wash— it’s a dupe for the Le Labo Hinoki scent— and the Pumice Stone Hand Soap as a perfect dupe for Aesop. The latter is available for a better discount at Anthro! I am begggging this brand to make dish soap soon.
Is there a deal to be had?: 20% off on Salt & Stone’s site, 30% off on Anthropologie.
Best for: Body wash refills! I actually really like the pump top containers that brands like Salt & Stone and Necessaire sell for shower products— they’re super easy to pour one of their heavenly scented refills into.
Is there a deal to be had?: 25% off on Kate McLeod’s site, 15-30% off at Nordstrom
Best for: I think the Sleep Stones are a brilliant gift— personally I will be gifting myself one! This is a body moisturizer that is in stone form, meaning there’s no plastic tube or glass bottle to recycle. They come in a wooden container to keep them safe on your nightstand, and you can order refills that come nude (hehe) to pop in the container. But not gonna lie, it’s the special edition holiday scents that get me every time.
Is there a deal to be had?: 5-20% off depending on the size of your order.
Best for: This is a holy grail body care brand for me— I do not go without the buffing bars (wrapped in paper and the only exfoliation product that really works, this month I’ll try the scented version in collaboration with DS & Durga) and the Theraplush hand cream (a standing plastic container designed for your nightstand with refillable pods you pop in— including scented collaborations with DedCool).
Is there a deal to be had?: 20% off sitewide.
Best for: Everything Roz does is magic, but I really like the aluminum pump top shampoo and conditioner with convenient refills. The milk hair serum is great too! I daresay the “salon size” bottles are honestly probably worth it if you have space in your shower…
Is there a deal to be had?: 20-30% off bundles.
Best for: Full disclosure, this waterless and concentrated formula in aluminum tins and tubes did not work for my extremely long, thick, color-treated hair— but my mom is their number one fan and I’ve noticed Everist products in every bathroom at her house! She has the basics in both the tins and tubes and really likes them.
Is there a deal to be had?: 10-30% off depending on how much you order.
Best for: This sale is very worth it since Cadence’s plastic travel pods are soooooooo freaking expensive. I’m eternally annoyed by how expensive their stuff is. I want to tell you it’s not worth it but I have been gifted a bunch throughout the years, and annoyingly, they’re so great and fantastic. My fiancé loves and hoards them too. I recommend the tall pods for shampoo and conditioner when you travel!
Is there a deal to be had?: 30% off sitewide.
Best for: I’m stocking up on these dissolvable and zero waste eye patches that I featured a few weeks ago! I feel like my under eyes are showing my age and exhaustion lately and I would use eye patches WAY more liberally if I didn’t feel so damn wasteful ripping open a single-use product that gets only 10 minutes of use before going to landfill… I’m going to try the night time ones too.
Is there a deal to be had?: 25% off sitewide.
Best for: I was so surprised this brand that is famous for their divine Bois de Balincourt scent has transitioned the packaging for all their hand and body care products into more efficiently recyclable aluminum containers, not to mention introducing refills! This is a 10/10.
Is there a deal to be had?: 20-40% off.
Best for: I love this brand and I am SO HAPPY they finally have refills!! I feel so much better about my illicit love for their soaps and lotions. I just ordered the Balsam Fireplace countertop cleaner because I’m a sucker for holiday scents, but Cipres Mint is my go-to for hand soap, hand cream, counter spray and dish soap.
Is there a deal to be had?: 20% off sitewide.
Best for: Ahh, Flamingo Estate is the name on every influencer’s lips. Unfortunately, everyone is right about how good their stuff is. They’ve transitioned a lot of their hand, home and body care into aluminum packaging, which is more efficiently recyclable. The Heirloom Tomato scent is divine, getting it in a dish soap or counter spray would feel very luxe and like a treat for the kitchen counter! Totally random but I’ve wanted this soap for two years now and I swear, this is the year I get the damn soap!
Is there a deal to be had?: There appears to be a Black Friday sale via app, but you can use code FIRSTRODEO15 for 15% any time, any place.
Best for: This is a new-to-me laundry pod brand that has really nuanced, clean scents— their pods come packaged in a very luxe feeling paperboard box. I love Siberian Fir, will be using my code to order Oregon Mint in a few weeks when I’m out of my Siberian Fir pods!
Is there a deal to be had?: 30-40% off bundles.
Best for: If you prefer liquid detergent, Dirty Labs makes some great options in non-scented and really great scents. I definitely recommend getting a pump container or dispenser (they sell some) because pouring just from the recyclable aluminum container gets messy!
Is there a deal to be had?: 30% off sitewide.
Best for: Organic cotton activewear, which is rare and hard to find! I’ve always been tempted by their waffle knits too…
Is there a deal to be had?: 30% off sitewide.
Best for: I love my damn clogs. I do! Everyone is (rightly) singing the praises of the bouclé clogs, which I have and love, but don’t sleep on the non-bouclé version, which are even more comfortable and great if you work a job that requires you to be on your feet all the time. They’re also machine washable, and I can confirm I have machine washed them and they are still good as new after a tumble in the wash.
Is there a deal to be had?: No, though you can save on bundles!
Best for: Undies and basic knits! I love my Big Favorite ribbed tank— their founder, Eleanor, really knows her stuff when it comes to sustainability and good design, and I love that TBF is revived from the brand her grandfather ran in the 30s.
Used & Vintage
Is there a deal to be had?: Yes! TheRealReal and ThredUp are definitely running promos, and individual sellers on Etsy, Ebay, Depop and Poshmark are too.
Best for: Overall sustainable pick! I find shopping vintage to be really satisfying and considered and I could spend eons picking out the exact right thing. Some great creators who publish regularly about shopping (and more importantly, styling) secondhand clothing are Tess Sullivan and Erika Veurink. Both are worth a paid subscription!
Okay, any sustainable favorites of yours that I missed? I definitely left out A LOT because I didn’t want to overwhelm you. This letter is so long that I doubt I accomplished that goal, hah!
If this was helpful, I have an inside scoop on all the best Etsy stores coming your way soon, eek. And pretty please check out my holiday spreadsheet— would love your thoughts on it!
Relax, plan ahead and steal my holiday gifting spreadsheet...
This is an incredibly frazzling (is that a word? I’m making it one!) time of year even if you have no complexity at all in your personal life— though let’s be honest, almost all of us do.
Great picks!
Love this!! Thank you for all of the goods!