Hola friends,

Who else feels like the world is a hot mess right now? You can argue this is true on many levels, but the biggest concern for me right now is climate change. We only have one Earth and low-key: it’s not doing so well.

In the last few years I've felt like I should be doing more beyond sharing news articles on social media. So I've decided to take things into my own hands and try to lead a more sustainable (susty) life...and I'm bringing you along the journey!

Analysis Paralysis, Anyone?

I started where everyone starts: research. News articles, blogs, instagram, reddit, and wherever else I could find information about zero waste, eco-friendly, and sustainable living. There are so many new terms! Closed loop, fair trade, compostable… I have a vague idea of what they mean, but not gonna lie: it's confusing.

Not to mention the doomsday feeling you get when going down the research rabbit hole when trying to unpack the drivers behind climate change and plastic pollution. To say it's overwhelming is an understatement. I felt I was being nudged to buy so many new things and change everything about my lifestyle. Whoa - I needed a pause from all the reading. 

Starting Small and Keeping it Fab 

After giving my head some time to cool off, I decided to start my new adventure with something simple: cutting back single-use plastic in the shower. I chose the shower because it felt like the easiest place to start. The amount of single-use plastic I was going through with my fancy shampoo and conditioners was dizzying.  

The thing about me is I love me some self-care. Doing my make-up, self-administered manis and pedis, using curly girl method products on my hair, or showers with nice smelling products are things I do to take care of myself and bring me joy.

My one condition for trying out a more sustainable lifestyle is that I don't want to give up the joys of beautiful products. I want to be susty, but don't want to be deprived of my hair smelling amazing or scented body wash. A girl can have it all, right? ;) 

I talked to my sisters Monica and Aidee, co-founders of VOLVERde and susty life experts. They reassured me that I could find the right susty products for my newbie and fabulous lifestyle. They kindly let me start testing products for their business launch. They let me browse their collection of different biodegradable and plastic-free shampoos, conditioners, and body washes.

Discovering Salon-Quality Shampoo & Conditioner Bars

I started off with Dip Shampoo and Conditioner bars in the Rosewater and Jasmine scent. I'll be honest: I was initially nervous. I had some bad experiences with bar shampoos and was worried for my curls.

Listen, I worked really hard over several years to get my curls healthy after years of dyeing and straightening my hair. But, I trusted my sisters when they told me the Dip Bars are salon-quality shampoo and conditioner bars formulated for hair people like me. 

First thoughts: yo, this is legit! The bars smell amaaazing and actually work!  

The shampoo bar actually suds up and cleanses your hair. You don’t need to do much work to get a good lather going. Once you rinse the suds, it leaves your hair feeling clean and smelling delicious.

As for the conditioner bar, it’s not as intuitive as I thought. The trick to get the conditioner activated is to keep rinsing it with water and glide (don't rub!). I glide it through my hair a few times and then rinse it again before I continue on another section. I always comb conditioner through my hair and was pleasantly surprised that the comb went through my hair with ease.

Once I rinsed it out, my hair felt super soft, as if I had used my regular fancy conditioner. After styling like I usually do, my hair felt soft and my curls looked amazing!

Final Thoughts

After this first step towards a more susty life, I feel encouraged to try other products. Next on my list is the body wash, body scrubs and agave body scrubber. Don't worry, I'll bring you along and share the full chisme so you can learn alongside me. 

To all the susty newbies out there, my one piece of advice is to take it one day at a time. Try one swap and go from there. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to the VOLVERde team with any questions. They’re very helpful, knowledgeable and ready to answer your questions about getting started with your sustainable lifestyle.  

Lead your best susty life amigis!

Best,

Lili aka your new Susty Life Bestie