Sorry guys, this is not an homage to The Karate Kid, so you may want to tune out while I address body waxing to my female audience.  Parissa at-home Salon Hot Wax kit scored well with me, so I thought I would share the details.

I stumbled across Parissa products at Whole Foods and settled on the strip-free hot wax for face, brow, and bikini.  I have used other brands that use strips, and decided strip-free would reduce some of the waste.

I used Parissa on my underarms, something I have never waxed before but shaving always leaves me a little teeny bit stubbly… which I loath.  I also used Parissa on my bikini line, as swimming and Outer Banks were in my near future.  One kit (pan) did both my underarms and bikini area.

The pros:

• The product melts smoothly, and the hot wax, when used as directed, is perfectly comfortable.
• Ripping the wax off was far from comfortable, but worked flawlessly!  Worth the pain!
• Parissa is PARAFFIN-FREE!  No petroleum-based waxes here.  Only gum rosin, beeswax, and canola oil.
• Made in Canada (unfortunately not USA, but better than Asia!)
• Not tested on animals.
• Paper from instructions and such is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, made of Mixed Sources from well-managed forests and other controlled sources.
• Pan is recyclable, so when you are done, chuck it with your cans! (updated 29 Oct)
• Wax refills are available via their website, and does not come with the azulene bottle or pans, so you reduce your waste! (updated 29 Oct)
• GREAT customer relations!  Check the comments below to see for yourself!

The cons:

• $10.  Not a bad price.  I just have little to spare right now.
• The wax comes in a metal pan, which I had to throw away when finished.  Sad.
• I have been unable to find “refill” packs at stores, meaning I must continue to buy the azulene bottles and metal pans individually, creating plenty of waste.  The Parissa website shows “refill” kits but offers no description as to the contents of said kit so order those.

If you plan to wax, I think Parissa is a pretty great eco-friendly option.  If shaving is more your thing, I am happy to reshare my review of Preserve brand razors.

Happy smooth and sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

Shaving is another territory where our daily actions can have an immediate and huge impact on the environment.  Such a small choice, you would think, but consider all the people using razors and shaving products daily.  What if everyone used plastic disposable daisy razors and cheap, canned foam?

I’ve had this draft saved for over six months, but it took seeing Tiny Choices post on swapping razors to finish this up.

I’ll keep this easy… check out the Tiny Choices post.  Check out Allie’s post.  These two will be super comprehensive.

My vote?  I am a HUGE fan of Recycline’s Preserve razors.  My sister bought me a pack so we could get off our Gillette Sensor addiction.  I relate to Tiny Choices and her Gillette:

I have a Gillette Sensor lady’s razor and I dare say I’ve had it since the early 1990s – it’s been with me through high school and college, for sure, and ever since then. It’s served me well, and more so because it isn’t a disposable (the USEPA estimates that 2 billion disposable razors end up in landfills every year).

But Preserve has a great product, made of recycled plastic.  The double razor replacement heads can be a little rough, and you will notice the difference in quality if you had been using Gillette.  Spring and get the triple blade replacement heads.  You’ll totally dig them.

Or, just get really hairy when your razor is done, and save the water and waste.

Sustainably yours,

Ashley Sue Allen

OK, guys, tune out now ~ as this next resolution is for the ladies only (and or drag queens) ~ as I resolve to buy only earth and woman friendly products for my toiletries and makeup. Here, I talk deodorant, makeup and tampons (see).

First, I made the change to natural deodorant a couple years ago ~ I use Crystal Body deodorant spray (not the rock ~ I don’t like the crystal rock). Nope, not spray in the sense of aerosol, but as in a little bottle with a spray pump that finely mists you with a four-ingredient water solution.

I used to hate the fake-flowery smell of the tradition and popular deodorants anyhow, much less that atrocious stickgrip feeling it left under my arms for the next day ~ and I tried all of them (including other natural types). You see (TMI), I have what I call an overactive armpit, and no deodorant was able to stop the b.o.. Even within a couple hours, I’d smell like a mix of old wet dog and a cheap drugstore deodorizer… yuck. With Crystal, Marc no longer hears me say “Crap, I smell myself!” on a daily basis. I’m totally neutral smelling (uh… usually!)

Plus, all those commercial/popular (more…)