5 green grooming gifts for guys
‘Green’ as in ‘eco’, not grass-coloured!
You run your eye down your Christmas shopping list, internally checking off the ‘sorted’ presents and feeling quietly smug with each mental tick, until… oh no… you reach… THEM. You know who I’m talking about don’t you? Those hard-to-buy-for-men in your life. Perhaps it’s your partner, dad or brother, as they can be tricky enough, but then you get to the truly elusive ones; brothers in law, fathers in law, grandfathers, teachers, next door neighbours.
But never fear! I’ve put together a shopping list to solve all your male present - predicaments. No more socks, undies and bbq utensils for the men in your life! We’ve got something for every type of guy; the smooth, the hairy, the clean, the grubby, the sporty, the suit-wearing, the rugged adventurer type and the rather-be-at-home type. While women’s zero-waste beauty products are becoming more and more mainstream, men often get missed out when it comes to sustainable grooming. But not anymore! Read on for 5 Green Christmas gifts to keep them looking and smelling good, while also giving a gentle nudge down the road to sustainability.
An All in 1 bar.
Perfect for? Practical Man! The less-is-more, no-fuss kinda guy.
My brother LOVES this bar. He’s a pretty low maintenance sort of guy, who thinks that one product that he can use to wash his hair, face, beard and body is ingenious. He actually said the words “where have you been all my life?” to the bar when I told him what it did. No fuss. No nonsense. This bar has it all (except for the plastic packaging!!) It lasts up to 100 washes, is soap-free and pH balanced. Use it in the shower and he’ll come out squeeky clean from head to toe.
Check out Miabelle’s All in One bar.
Shaving Bar
Perfect for: Mr Smooth! The smart, professional type of guy.
Seriously… this one is a must! Not only will you bid farewell to those nasty cans of shaving foam, but these ones last for SO long, so you will also save a lot of money. My husband’s first shaving bar was still going strong after a year, and we finally replaced it at around 16 months. To use, just work up a creamy lather with a shaving brush or hands, and shave in long clean strokes, then rinse off thoroughly. Miabelle’s bar has a delicious earthy peppermint scent, the bar is conditioning and pH balanced, so it will nourish the skin while providing an easy shave.
Plastic-free, Natural deodorant
Perfect for? Action-Man! The on-the-go dude who needs to stay fresh.
Chemical deodorants work by aluminium closing or clogging the pores under your arms. While it does the trick in terms of the odour, it doesn’t take a rocket-scientist to figure out that this is very unnatural, and just can’t be particularly good for us! Why not give him a gift that both he and AND his body will thank you for? A natural deodorant has none of the nasties that come in those air-choking aluminium spray cans or plastic roll-ons. Miabelle’s Oak Moss and Amber deodorant with magnesium is specially formulated for men, with a fresh, earthy scent. It is aluminium and baking soda free, vegan and comes in a compostable push up paper tube. Natural, easy-to-use and smells divine. To find out more about making the transition to natural deodorant, see this article from Viva Magazine.
Solid Perfume for Him.
Perfect for: Metro Man! The man who likes to feel fresh and smell good.
Who says perfume is just for the ladies?! (come on guys, we know what your ‘aftershave’ really is!). A solid perfume makes a great gift, as it is a perfect alternative for men’s fragrances and aftershaves. To use a solid perfume, just apply behind the ears, neck or on the wrists, as often as needed. This Pure Earth Perfume from Miabelle has an earthy, grounded fragrance with notes of amber, sandalwood, bergamot and orange. It’s natural, vegan and plastic-free – tick, tick, tick!
Shampoo bar for Him
Perfect for: Every man! (well, every man who washes his hair!)
Say goodbye to single use plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles with a specially formulated shampoo bar for men.
Don’t be fooled, a shampoo bar is not a soap. It is lush natural shampoo, without the water! Shampoo bars are amazing as they’re plastic-free, cost-effective, great for travel and easy to use. Just run it through wet hair until you feel you have enough product, then lather and rinse as normal. They’re also generally free of things like parabens, sulfates, silicones, synthetic fragrances and non-ethically sourced palm-oil. Many are also organic and vegan, and don’t forget to look for NZ made!
Infused with sandalwood, amber and peppermint, the rich oils and plant extracts in Miabelle’s shampoo bar will keep his hair healthy, clean and smelling great! Oh, and they last up to three times as long as ordinary shampoo.
Looking to really spoil someone this Christmas? Miabelle also have a gift pack for Him, containing the deodorant, solid perfume, shaving bar and all in one bar.
So pull out a pen and tick your way through your Christmas present list, right down to the very last, hardest-to-buy-for men in your life! And know that, not only will HE be happy with your gifts, so will the planet.
I love that, as part of my job, I get to share about incredible, sustainable NZ businesses. This post is written in collaboration with Miabelle. I only work with businesses that I use, trust and love. The words and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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