We’re halfway through the fall season and the ground is beautifully carpeted with red, orange, and golden leaves. As winter approaches, trees start preparing by shedding their leaves. Similarly, our bodies need to adapt to the cold. And just like trees, our skin is the first to feel the dryness from harsh weather.
You make your way down the aisles of the local beauty shop or drugstore, looking for the perfect bath products to give you that balanced winter skin care. You spend hours reading through recommendations for your skin type and sensitivities, but the mixed reviews leave you guessing. So, you choose some exfoliating shower gel with bright colorful beads and a synthetic fragrance that smells like cologne. After a few tries, you’ve noticed that your skin has become worse, and you’re back where you started – but now you smell like a chemical cologne!
Essential winter regime – Skin care
Commonly experienced effects of the harsh winter season can show up as dead skin flakes, cracked skin, and inflammation. Flaky and dead skin can clog up your pores, prevent the release of natural oils to moisturize your skin, and collect dirt, which can cause acne and pimples over time. Frequent skin care is the best way to get healthy skin, no matter sun or snow! Let your skin breathe by scrubbing off the dead skin and allowing your skin cells to rejuvenate. This will let the natural oils of your body moisturize your skin and make it soft and healthy.
Bath and bodycare products made from synthetic materials and chemicals can make winter skin problems worse! Bodycare products that use plastic-based exfoliators, or a simple plastic loofah you picked up at the Dollar Store can strip off your healthy skin cells and natural moisture, while its abrasive action can make your skin rough and bumpy. Synthetic sponges and loofahs can also become a breeding ground for bacteria over time. The loofahs break down into smaller plastic fibers and the plastic exfoliator beads go down the drain, ending up in our rivers and oceans.
And so, while you don’t get the skin care you deserve, the environment also suffers in the process. The best way to rectify this is to know the needs of your skin, its type, and most importantly, to use natural skincare alternatives, which treat your skin and the environment right!
Don’t let the cold get in between healthy skin care and your love for the environment this winter. Using natural bath and body products for well-balanced nourishment and deserved skin care can go a long way.
To start off with your plastic-free winter skin care routine, let us introduce you to our Unbleached Natural Sea Sponge!
Honey, comb see this natural sea sponge!
Have you ever come across those underwater pictures of bright marine reefs with colorful fish swimming through colonies of corals and sponges? These honeycomb-looking sea sponges are actually invertebrate marine organisms!
Quick Science Class: their cellular structure is absolutely fascinating! Sponges are multicellular organisms belonging to the phylum Porifera, with soft, porous bodies and fibrous skeletons. They get their squeezy nature thanks to the jelly-like substance between the layers of their cells, which allows them to absorb many times their weight in water. They don’t possess digestive or nervous systems, and obtain sustenance and oxygen by filtering the water through their pores. Usually most coral colonies have hard and rough mineral skeletons made out of calcium carbonate or silica, but some sponges are soft and flexible, which gives them a honeycomb-like structure. 
Sea sponges are commonly found in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Historically, sponges were used by Europeans as body scrubbers, armor padding, water filters, as well as tools for creating art and cleaning. Synthetic sponges were the mass-produced cheap replacements, which have destructive effects on our skin, as well as the environment, especially the environment where natural sponges have grown.
Become a part of the sustainable cycle of care
Our unbleached Caraibica Honeycomb natural sea sponge provides a soft, safe, and textured cleaning experience. The medium pores of the sponge make it highly absorbent and help exfoliate the flakes away with consistent rinsing and massaging of the skin.
At Life Without Plastic, natural sea sponges are sourced from the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas and harvested by divers who trim rather than pull out the sponges. As sponges possess the ability to regenerate, trimming them can help them grow as fast as possible. Since the sponge divers’ business depends on the regeneration of sponges, the divers only trim the overgrown parts of the sponges, leaving the base intact and ensuring it will grow back. They regulate how much sponge is harvested to ensure regrowth and are very careful in their practices to protect the future of the sponge bed and the reef.
Doesn’t it feel better to have your healthy skin be a part of a symbiotic relationship nurtured with care and respect?
Benefits – for the body and the environment
What makes our Unbleached Natural Sea Sponge so special?
It starts with soaking the sponge in the water and letting it drink up! As you lather up with your favorite soap, the sponge becomes soft for scrubbing. Take in that natural ocean fragrance – how fresh! Scrubbing your body gently with the sponge in a circular pattern will get rid of the dead skin flakes and dirt trapped in your pores. As the pores open up from the steam, blood circulation improves, and your skin can release natural oils. Make sure to moisturize with a lotion suitable for your skin type after shower.
Natural sea sponges are hypoallergenic and suitable for all skin types – including sensitive and hypersensitive skin. They are safe for any part of your body, and can be used even on your face!
For prolonged use of our natural sea sponges, rinse them before and after use, and wring them out to allow them to dry properly between uses. This will prevent bacteria from taking over your favorite bath accessory and keep your skin feeling healthy and fresh for longer.
Unlike synthetic sponges, you can toss the natural sea sponge in your compost, reuse it for some household deep scrubbing, or use it for art. The versatility of natural honeycomb sea sponges is endless!
Be part of a plastic-free history
Did you know that plastics are becoming a marker fossil of the Anthropocene epoch we are now living in? Imagine, someone millions of years from now will look at rocks on a cliff face. And instead of cool dinosaur bones or ancient fish scales, they will find plastic
fragments littered across the world. With sustainably harvested honeycomb sea sponges back on the market, we can be a part of a plastic-free history by following the footsteps of ancient civilizations.
Are you ready to start on your zero waste winter skin care with Life Without Plastic?
Grab your Unbleached Natural Sea Sponge today! If you’ve grabbed yours already, they also make a great gift or stocking stuffer for the holidays!
By Richa Agarwal, Administrative Lead, Life Without Plastic