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5 Things You Don't Want in Your Conditioner
There’s a number of ingredients most mainstream shampoos, conditioners, washes and lotions have that ours doesn’t. Here's 5 Ingredients that are NOT in Plaine Products Conditioner.
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Beach Cleanups to Biology: Celebrate Kaysha With Us!
Recognize this girl? If you follow us on social media, chances are you’ve seen her face. But it’s time to get to know her a little bit more! Kaysha Kenney has been with Plaine Products since June of 2021, helping to create the engaging and informative posts you see on our social channels today. She even helped kickstart our TikTok! In addition to being a fab TikTok star, Kaysha is an extremely passionate environmentalist. A native Californian, Kaysha has devoted her life to protecting our oceans and beaches through education and advocacy. Kaysha worked as a tidepool educator for the Laguna Ocean Foundation while also cleaning up some serious trash from our beaches. In 2021, Kaysha set an ambitious goal to pick up 1000 lbs of trash via individual and community beach cleanups. Not only did she reach that goal in just 6 months, but she more than doubled it! Kaysha, alongside 274 volunteers, spent over 100 hours picking up trash across 96 miles of shoreline at 17 different beaches. All of this hard work led to Kaysha cleaning up 2500 lbs of trash from California’s beaches in 2021! (cue the applause) While the solution to ending plastic pollution is to stop plastic production altogether, beach cleanups are still a helpful tool in the fight against plastic pollution. They help reduce litter, protect wildlife, and most importantly, raise awareness about litter and plastic pollution. Individual actions like these are important, because a bunch of individual actions added up together can equal major progress. Just look at Kaysha and her volunteers! “I hope that if you take anything away from this, it’s that we have a tremendous problem, so much bigger than ourselves, but we have the power to create change. No action is too small.”- Kaysha Kenney We’re so proud of her hard work and dedication. But Kaysha’s story doesn’t end there! It has always been her dream to get a Masters in Marine Biology. COVID did its best to derail those plans…until now. Kaysha has been accepted to James Cook University for a Masters in Marine Biology in Australia, starting in February of 2022! We’re so excited for her to follow her dreams and continue to advocate for a healthier planet. We are SO excited for our TikTok star! If you want to follow along on her journey through Australia, follow her on social media here. And check out all the fun videos she’s made on our TikTok!
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What We Believe In and How it Guides Us
The idea for Plaine Products was born out of a desire to have less single-use plastic bottles in our showers. Starting a company was an experiment to see if other people were interested in having less plastic bottles in their showers. If given the opportunity, would they be willing to purchase reusable bottles and return them? Thus far that experiment has been successful and we’ve been able to expand as a company and add more products and opportunities for people to reduce plastic waste. As we’ve grown as a company we’ve added more people to the team. Suddenly it became important to pull the core values of Plaine Products out of our heads and put them onto paper. Both to communicate these core values to the people we work with and to more consciously communicate them as a company. Saying them out loud helps us to recommit to these values and sets a goal post for achievement. We started with a list of phrases that we found we were repeating, like "progress, not perfection" and "sustainability"; priorities we have, like transparency and empowerment; and goals we want to achieve better, like inclusivity and justice. We discussed the list as a draft in an all-hands meeting and worked together as a team to refine it. The result is below, but we want this to be a living list. I hope that it will continue to evolve as we grow and learn as a company. - Lindsey PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION We recognize that we will never fully achieve zero waste and we want to meet everyone wherever they are on their low waste journey. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and shutting down in the face of waste and climate crises, we cheer every small change that each of us as individuals and businesses make towards a better world. COLLABORATIVE We recognize that we can’t solve the problems of plastic pollution and climate change alone. We partner with advocates, like-minded nonprofits, and businesses in an authentic way to achieve real change. We choose community over competition. INCLUSIVITY We respect and honor the diversity of all individuals and strive to include them in all of our actions, through hiring, partnering, and communications. TRANSPARENCY We are committed to being transparent, honest, and providing timely communication with customers & employees in all that we do including our ingredients, reuse systems, and sustainable business practices. EMPOWERMENT We work to empower customers to take positive action to reduce waste, with our own products and educational efforts around the plastic crisis. Additionally, provide the tools and autonomy to empower employees, both in the workplace and out in the world, to achieve our company's goal of less waste on the planet. SUSTAINABILITY From offering refillable, nontoxic, plastic-free products to cultivating a space that supports long-term relationships with our customers and employees, we operate with the goal of sustainability for our planet and our community. JUSTICE We recognize that environmental and climate justice can not come without social justice. We will speak out against corporate polluters. We must amplify the diverse voices that are educating us on environmental racism. We must continue to learn more and do more to fight for a better environment for everyone.
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Celebrating Valentine's Day Plastic-Free
Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day with a significant other or gathering with a group of friends for Galentine’s Day? We’ve got you covered with some great plastic-free and sustainable ideas whether you are gathering together or celebrating from afar! Decorations We know all the themed heart-shaped balloons can be hard to pass up but making your own decorations out of paper or scrap fabric saves you money and you can reuse them every year! Try making a heart banner out of pink, red, and white cardstock or using fabric to make a pompom banner. If you are hosting a party try finding cute items at the thrift store for your table like pink glasses, white plates, red napkins, and heart-shaped bowls instead of using disposable items. Or upcycle a plain table runner or old sheet to create something fun and festive! Gifts Instead of gifting the typical candy and flowers that will inevitably get thrown away, opt for a long-lasting gift like a potted plant, a subscription that you can share, or a handwritten card. You can also pass on the physical gifts and focus on simply spending time with the people you love! Make a meal together, finish a project around the house, bake some treats to gift to others, or plan a fun day trip to reconnect. If you like to send out cards to loved ones or have a child who exchanges cards in school consider purchasing plantable cards. Plantables and Paper sells lots of options that are great for kids on their Etsy shop! Self Love Regardless of how you are spending Valentine’s Day this year don’t forget to show yourself some love too! Take time to relax by bringing the spa right to your bathroom with our Day At The Spa bundle, put on a face mask, and unwind with your favorite book, show or podcast. Here’s an easy DIY face mask that you can make for yourself on a night in or for your friends at a Galentine’s Party: ½ avocado ½ very ripe banana 1 Tbsp. olive oil Just mix all three ingredients together and apply to a clean, dry face for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. Follow with a moisturizer or a beauty oil for extra hydration! Regardless of how you spend the day or who you spend it with, remember that it is simply about spreading love, no need to overcomplicate it!
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All You Need To Know About DMDM Hydantoin
Have you heard of DMDM Hydantoin? If you search its wildly popular hashtag on TikTok, you may find some scary information. But is it actually harmful? And what does it do exactly? Here's everything you need to know about DMDM Hydantoin. What is DMDM? DMDM hydantoin is a preservative found in a wide range of cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products. Some examples include makeup, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, exfoliants, and more. This chemical is considered a “formaldehyde donor.” It releases a small amount of formaldehyde over time to prevent the growth of things like yeast, fungi, and bacteria in your products. Now, we know what you’re thinking…”Formaldehyde? Like the stuff you use to embalm people? And a known carcinogen?!” But it’s not as bad as it sounds. Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring chemical that can be found in food and even our own bodies. While exposure to high amounts of formaldehyde can lead to serious health issues, it is normal to encounter small amounts of formaldehyde throughout your life. Consumer products that contain DMDM hydantoin contain amounts far below what would be considered dangerous. For example, when you shampoo your hair, the level of formaldehyde that's released is around the same amount found in a medium-sized pear or apple. Should You Avoid It? In the U.S., around 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser like DMDM hydantoin. So you’ve likely encountered it before. Some people have reported hair loss as a result, but there are no studies that link DMDM hydantoin exposure to hair loss. Some studies have found that formaldehyde-releasing ingredients could cause allergic dermatitis or eczema in people who are allergic to formaldehyde. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer watchdog group, states that DMDM is a known and common allergen in personal care products. So if you know you’re allergic to formaldehyde or have sensitive skin, we’d recommend avoiding DMDM hydantoin if you can. While there’s not yet enough scientific evidence to prove that this preservative is harmful, we’re all for limiting exposure to chemicals! Here at Plaine Products, we believe in creating vegan, cruelty-free, and chemical-free products. You won’t find DMDM hydantoin in any of our products. So you can shower peacefully knowing your shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and more are safe for you and your family!
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Don't Be Trashy: A Practical Guide to Living with Less Waste and More Joy
Meet Tara McKenna - blogger, Plaine Promoter* and now author! We are thrilled to celebrate the release of her new bookDon't Be Trashy. This is THE ultimate guide to going zero waste(ish). Don’t Be Trashy offers an approach to reducing waste that emphasizes progress over perfection (our favorite motto!). Tara guides you month by month and shows you how to dramatically reduce the waste you produce over the course of a year—one sanity-saving step at a time.Keep reading for more from Tara and be sure to head over to Instagram for your chance to win a copy of the book and some of Tara's favorite Plaine Products!(Update: Giveaway closed) Tell us about yourself and your message. Why is it so important to you to share that message with others? I run the blog and lifestyle website The Zero Waste Collective, and I'm the author of the book Don't Be Trashy: A Practical Guide to Living with Less Waste and More Joy. Don’t Be Trashy offers easy ways to reduce your waste that fit within your lifestyle context! It’s a step-by-step guide to streamline and simplify your life while reducing your impact on the planet. My book helps readers to live their best lives, with less waste and more joy! An important message I love to share is that sustainability doesn't have to be perfect, and low-waste living isn't an all or nothing lifestyle. It's better to do something than to do nothing. It's important to me to share this message because often environmental living can seem overwhelming to people who are new to it, and people may give up on it if they feel like they have to do ALL OF THE THINGS. I'm here to tell everyone it doesn't have to be that way! And this is a strong message from my book: take what works for you, and leave the rest. You do you! What is your favorite chapter of your new book and why? My favorite chapter is the one on decluttering and minimalism; it's early on in the book as a foundation for subsequent chapters on other topics like low-waste grocery shopping, sustainable fashion and capsule wardrobes, and nontoxic beauty, among others. I'm all about streamlining and simplifying our lives to make them easier, more enjoyable and less wasteful! I believe there's such a strong and important connection between living with less and sustainability, because the less we consume and the more conscious we are as consumers, the less waste we'll create! What's your one best, easiest tip for minimizing single-use plastics? Start with one simple swap. For example, ditching tampons for a menstrual cup can save so much plastic waste! Or commit to only using reusable shopping bags. Or both! These simple changes can create a huge reduction in our use of single-use plastics, it just takes one change. Then, you may be inspired to make other changes too! What do you think is usually the biggest blocker for people in regards to living a more sustainable lifestyle? A lot of people don't believe that individual actions matter. I do believe that individual actions do matter. Because – assuming – most of us don’t live in isolation, what we do as one person tends to rub off on other people. There’s an incredible ripple effect of what one person can do to make a difference within a family, group of friends, classroom, office, community, country, and the world! Whether the difference is small (inspiring your sibling or friend to get their coffee in reusable mugs) or big (creating a global movement like Greta Thunberg has done around climate change activism), one person can make a huge difference. What individuals do can creep up into the collective, create cultural change and paradigm shifts, leading to policy and legislative changes. If that starts with choosing to reuse and refill everyday products like toiletries, then that's fantastic! So I say go for it! Do it! Get into sustainable living, and if it makes people feel better, don't label it - it just is what it is! :) Do you have a favorite Plaine Product and if so, what is it? Face wash and face moisturizer. Perfect duo! Be sure to order Tara's new book today! Don't Be Trashy will guide you to your best life—one with less waste and more joy! Plaine Promoters are individuals who use Plaine Products, love them and want to get others to join in eliminating single-use plastics while enjoying outstanding products. Plaine Promoters spread the word about our products and get 10% from every sale they generate.
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The Indisposable Podcast: Stopping Single-Use in the Shower
Plaine Products CEO Lindsey McCoy was recently featured on The Indisposable Podcast™ - Celebrating solutions to plastic pollution and featuring heroes of the movement. Tune in for an episode in the series for The Reusies™ as host Matt Prindiville sits down with Lindsey McCoy, CEO and Co-Founder of Plaine Products – the 2021 Fan Favorite Reuse Company award winner at the National Reuse Awards. Matt and Lindsey discuss how Plaine Products is guiding reuse solutions for bath, beauty and beyond. Plaine Products delivers its personal care and beauty products directly to consumers in reusable aluminum containers, along with a prepaid mailer to return old bottles for washing and refilling. Learn how Plaine Products came about as the first beauty company to employ a reusable packaging business model, and how the company is leading others to do the same. The Indisposable podcast is hosted byUpstream , a nonprofit working on real-world practical solutions to plastic pollution and today’s throw-away culture.Have a listen: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify
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A Look Back at 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back at the 2021 goals we set for ourselves and reflecting on the progress we’ve made. We truly could not have accomplished any of our goals without the best community by our side.Here’s to setting and reaching more goals together in 2022! Opened our new warehouse! In late 2020, we purchased an abandoned building to convert into our new warehouse and showroom! Our warehouse team worked extremely hard to ensure that all materials from the previous building were sent to be reused or properly recycled! Diverted a total of 350,000 plastic bottles. We didn't quite reach our goal of 400,000 bottles, but we're close! As of December 2021, we've diverted over 350,000 bottles from our oceans and landfills. That's 112,000+ bottles this year alone! Launched our full Unscented Line! We were finally able to launch our highly requested Unscented Line! In February, we released our Unscented Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, and Body Lotion, and in June, we expanded to our Unscented Face Wash and Face Moisturizer. Print instructions on our boxes. We're now printing our instructions directly on our boxes, eliminating the need for our card inserts! You may still see our older boxes with card inserts because we want to get as much use out of our existing boxes before they are recycled. Launched our Plaine Community Spotlight Series! In addition to increasing collaborations with BIPOC environmental activists and smaller creators, we've created a program to highlight diverse members of our community through video content. Check out our IG Reels and TikTok (@plaineproducts) to see their amazing videos! Partnered with 185 retailers! In order to increase access to our products, we are always looking to partner with more refill shops and hospitality locations. We've exceeded our goal of 150 partnerships and are currently working with 185 retailers across the country! Progress, Not Perfection Thank you all for an amazing 2021! We are so grateful for your support and are incredibly proud of the progress we've made together as a community. We cannot wait to reach more goals together in 2022!
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Things We Love: Children's Books About Stopping Plastic
This post has been updated for 2021 with even more great children’s books about plastic pollution and protecting our oceans! You can check out the original post here. Looking for a holiday gift for your little one that teaches and inspires them about how to tackle the plastic pollution problem? We’ve compiled a list of some of the best children’s books that address the issue of plastic pollution and protecting our oceans. These books are colorful, informative, and present an otherwise challenging topic in a light-hearted, age-appropriate way. The Adventures of Myrtle the Turtle by Julie Jakeman Come along on The Adventures of Myrtle the Turtle as she discovers the harm that plastic pollution causes to sea life and the importance of recycling. Readers will meet Myrtle’s new ocean friends as they all learn about plastic pollution and how to prevent it by reducing, reusing, and recycling. This book is filled with colorful ocean images and fun rhymes to engage young readers. This Class Can Save the Planet by Stacy Tornio This Class Can Save the Planet shows students how they can help save the environment when they work together. This book offers simple ideas that can be implemented in their own classrooms right away. It’s also perfect for educators because it provides simple advice on sustainable, actionable classroom practices. This book is perfect for Earth Day, Earth Month, and anytime of the year to help students establish environmentally friendly habits. Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species by Ana Pêgo Inspired by author and marine biologist Ana Pêgo’s life’s work, Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species examines plastic pollution in the ocean and why it’s such an important issue. Pêgo explains how plastic can end up in rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans! As a fun twist on scientific field guides, Ana Pêgo describes plastic as a new species, Plasticus maritimus, and offers tips on how to identify the invasive species. She also offers solutions on how to combat plastic contamination and motivates young readers to get involved in environmentally friendly lifestyle changes. Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species is geared towards readers 11 and older. A Planet Full of Plastic by Neal Layton Award-winning author-illustrator Neal Layton explains where plastic comes from, why it doesn't biodegrade, and why that's dangerous for animals and humans alike. But he's also full of ideas for how you can help! From giving up straws to recycling to taking part in a beach cleanup, this book will get young readers excited about how they can make a difference to keep our planet clean. Let's Investigate Plastic Pollution: On Land and in the Oceans by Ruth Owen This new title in the Get Started With STEM series gives young science enthusiasts all the information they need to investigate and do their part to help solve the plastic pollution problem. It is packed with facts; discussion topics; and imaginative ideas for activities, experiments, and investigations. What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French This book will teach young ecologists how our actions affect the planet. Discover shocking facts about the waste we produce and where it goes. It also highlights plans already in motion to save our seas and how our waste can be turned into something useful. Saving Tally: An Adventure into the Great Pacific Plastic Patch by Serena Lane Ferrari Tally is a curious little turtle with a talent for getting into trouble. Her best friend Ara is a wise and strong lobster. The most dangerous part of the ocean is about to shock Tally and Ara and make them realize that their underwater world isn’t always so safe. Will they be able to escape the danger? This is an engaging book that addresses plastic pollution and how it impacts our oceans and sea life. It speaks directly to kids by showing what plastic pollution can do to wildlife and sea creatures. Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Great Pacific Garbage Patch―where millions of pieces of plastic have collected—and what alarming discoveries they made. Harry Saves The Ocean: Teaching Children about Sea Pollution and Recycling (Harry The Happy Mouse Book 5) by N.G. K. and Sylva Fae From the bestselling Harry The Happy Mouse children's picture book series, join Harry and friends as they teach children about plastic pollution in the oceans. Harry stumbles across a whale that is in trouble. The whale then explains the growing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, and Harry decides he needs to do something about it. This rhyming book not only explains plastic pollution as a problem but also explains how we can help by taking actions like recycling. One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul This is an inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community. In Njau, Gambia, people dropped bags and went on their way. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Isatou Ceesay found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. One Plastic Bag shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world. All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper This is an uplifting story about two best friends and their discovery of the cause and effect relationship between our cities' storm drains and the world's oceans, lakes, and rivers. This book is sure to inspire readers that we can do our part to ensure a cleaner, safer environment. Pesky Plastic: An Environmental Story by Leticia Colon De Mejias This is a fun educational book about plastic and its impact on our planet. Learn what you can do to help Sally, Allen, Pat, and all the sea animals survive "pesky plastic." This ecology-centered story is a wonderful way to begin conversations with children about how each of our actions directly affects the environment. It aligns with National Education Science Standards (NSES). 1, 2, 3, Who's Cleaning the Sea?: A Counting Picture Book About Protecting Our Planet by Janina Rossiter This beautifully created and hard-hitting educational book highlights the issues of ocean pollution and its effect on marine life. Inspired by powerful images of ocean pollution, this book will teach your child not only numbers and how to count but also the importance of taking care of our environment. What's the Commotion in the Ocean? by Nyasha Williams A mermaid has a message for the earth about our seas and oceans! This is a rhyming children’s book reflecting on the current happenings in the ocean and what we can do to save them. An African American mermaid tells the story and addresses our impact as humans on the ocean and inspires change.You can even pair the book with their very owntravel-sized Plaine Products. Books and bathtime always go together! Who knows, one of these children's books about plastic pollution may become your little one's favorite book to read in the bathtub. Most of these books are available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, or find them at your local indie bookseller!
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