𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏
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》Last week, we visited quite a lot of beautiful places in France. Some were hidden, more difficult to reach. But those were the most peaceful & beautiful places in our journey. The roads less taken, or more difficult paths, often lead to the most rewarding things in life. And that goes for sustainable living as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》Living a #sustainable lifestyle still isn't mainstream. It's not a path chosen by many, but still one with an amazing outcome. Just because a direction seems more difficult or different, shouldn't stop you from pursuing it. I never ever thought I could feel connected to nature, that I would see the importance of selfcare, sustainability & slowing down. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》But choosing to follow this road, gave me so much already, in all aspects of my life. I feel things differently. I feel stronger, more empowered, more driven than ever. I'm happy with less, I know what gives me joy & I honestly love myself more each day. Was it more easy sometimes before, when I didn't give a damn? Yes. But I never ever want to go back. The following sums up why: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"Imagine living a healthier life, one in which you don’t just look better, you feel better. Imagine a life with higher standards. Imagine a life with less clutter, less stuff, fewer distractions. What would it look like? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Now imagine cultivating your passion until you can’t imagine a day without pursuing it. Imagine creating more than you consume. Imagine giving more than you take. Imagine a consistent commitment to growth. Imagine growing toward your limits and then past your limits and waiving back at your previous limits with a smile.

What you’re imagining is a meaningful life. Not a perfect life, not even an easy life, but a simple one. There will of course still be hardships and pain and times when slipping back to the old passive world is appealing, but you won’t have to, because the real payoff is worth the struggle." ~ Joshua Fields Millburn 💚 Dubble tap if you agree! 🌻 ...

𝑺𝒐𝒂𝒑 𝑺𝒐𝒂𝒑 𝑺𝒐𝒂𝒑
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》This week, I asked you what your favorite shampoobars were. Why? I get lots of messages from people who gave up their search to the 'perfect' soapbar, 'cause they've been let down too much. And that's a shame! It also took me a year until I FINALLY stumbled upon two brands that worked perfectly for me, my family & friends (yes, I let a lot of people test stuff)! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》If you haven't made the switch yet or if you're looking for a bar that does the job right, take a look at all the options on the shop! They lather amazingly, smell heavenly and leave my curly, thick hair looking good for at least three days without getting greasy! I always combine them with a conditioner bar, for extra soft and nourished hair. We have a bar for every hairtype (just look at the descriptions)! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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》My absolute favorite bars (Guacamole & Coconuts) are made by an awesome couple (@savancosmetics) right here in Antwerp, who adjusted their bars together with me to create the best-working formula! It could'nt get any more #local & #sustainable than that! All the soapbars on the shop are vegan, natural & free from sulphates, parabenes, palmoil & other nasty stuff 🧼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》Since I'm so happy with the bars we offer, I won't be carrying other brands any time soon. I want to make sure the quality is good for everyone, so that people become more convinced of a #lowwastelifestyle after trying them! Who's a fan of our bars & why? Let me know below 🤩 #ecossentials ...

𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚
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》I have a very sensitive skin, so whenever I travel or go sunbathing, I use LOTS of sunblock. So I wasted quite some #plastic bottles of sunscreen the past years. It was hard to find good, #natural, #vegan, #reefsafe & #plasticfree suncare, but luckily there are some amazing brands out there who tick off all of the above! It's important to keep protecting your skin against sun rays & now you can in a way that's also good for the planet! ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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》These products contain a special mix of minerals to provide #sustainable and strong sun protection that is gentle to your skin and to our nature. The suncare range (some in sale!): ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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☀️ Mineral Sun Stick SPF 50 - for extra thick protection, perfect for water sports (white + tinted)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☀️ Mineral Butter SPF 30 - lighter formula with a pinkish tone⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☀️ SPLASH - a cooling down aftersun⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☀️ Amazinc Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 - liquid formula and perfect for your entire body (100ml-150ml)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☀️ Raspberry butter SPF 15 - lighter formula that also functions as a body butter which strengthens & restores the skin
☀️ Daily Regeneration - hydrates, moisturizes & regenerates the skin after the sun! Perfect for sunburn, dry spots or after sun care⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☀️ Tanning Oil SPF 10 - a blend of oils, that regenerates, moisturizes & restores the skin ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》If you do get burned (which happens to me all the time since I'm a bit too careless 🙃), you'll find different kinds of Aftersun on the shop! Rather have a sunstick in SPF 20/30? We have those from @wlp too! Tap to discover the range or find it under 'Travel' in the link in bio 🌻 Find a review on the product @heartfullyconscious or on the blog of @sustainablerox #ecossentials ...

𝑶𝑵𝑬 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹 𝑪𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑩𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵
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》Today, this page turns 1! Already one year of growing this kickass community, sharing #lowwaste tips, building a #sustainable business & showing you the entrepreneurial rollercoaster. I'm damn proud I've come so far already, thanks to YOU 💥 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》I still remember shaking when creating my first post. I made this page already months before, but I'm such a perfectionist! So I only wanted to start posting when all research & future goals were completely ready 🙃 It took some time to find my own voice on here, but pretty soon I understood why IG is such a powerful platform. Not only could I reach all of you to help build the dream, it also gave me the opportunity to really connect with & listen to my customers/followers. Thanks to all of your input, Ecossentials has changed for the better since the start of the crowdfunding, to the opening of the webshop and up to all my future plans! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》 Because I want you all to celebrate with me, I'm treating you with two things: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS UNTIL TOMORROW 12pm (CODE: ONEYEAR) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• An 'everyone wins give-away'! Check out my stories on how to participate (really easy!). Runs until the 27th of July. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》Ecossentials was made to help people live more sustainably in an easy way. I'm so grateful for all of you and for the opportunity to keep on kicking, learning & growing. Let's show the world #sustainability is the future & let's go for many more years! Building a better future together 💚 ...

ＧＩＶＥＡＷＡＹ (closed)
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》Happy National Day, fellow Belgians! To celebrate, I'm giving away three reusable & erasable notebooks from @bambook 🥳 I'm a BIG fan of their products and I take my notebook literally everywhere (as you've noticed). I'm not so much of a 'digital notes' person, so I wasted quite a lot of paper every year. The notebooks function as a whiteboard, so you can erase notes you don't need anymore or make them digital through the additional app! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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》How to participate? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•• Follow @ecossentials_ & @bambook
•• Share this picture in your story & tag me for an EXTRA chance of winning! If ur acc is private, send a screenshot!
•• Tag three friends below & tell us which color you'd like to win (each unique comment = 1 entry) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》There will be 3 winners (1 for each color)! Giveaway ends the 26th of July at midnight. Open for EU residents only ✌🏻 Good luck! ...

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆
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》A few days ago, I had a business lunch with different kinds of people. When upon asking me what I do (about Ecossentials), I got the respons: 'That's nice & fun, but sustainability will never survive and isn't the future, so you're not really solving anything' ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》That. Freaking. Sucked. This community works its but off to try making a more positive impact. Do we solve everything?Hell no. But for me, it's not only about using less plastic or eating vegan, it's about spreading awareness, inspiration & information. And I'm not letting anyone tell me we don't have any impact! But instead of letting my head down or becoming angry, I asked the person in question why he felt that way. I'm not someone to ignore a valuable discussion like this! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》We discussed about several topics around sustainability for the entire lunch. He was impressed by the facts & numbers around this topic, making him see it CAN be the future. Not that anyone should change their opinion, but it doesn't hurt to 'educate/inform' people sometimes. We agreed that there should mostly be a big system change & that lobbyists & moneydriven companies are the biggest threats. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》At the end, he thanked me for not just agreeing with everything he said & for giving him an interesting conversation with a 'millenial'. And that made my day. Talking about sustainability isn't always straight forward, especially with those who don't agree with you. But that shouldn't scare you or hold you back! Just keep an open mind, ask questions & engage as much as possible in their perspective. Information and a positive mindset is key and gets you really far! & if it doesn't, you tried 💚 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》Do you have conversations like this? What is your experience & do you have any tips on how to talk about it? Let me know & kick negativism in the face (like me on this picca!) 👇🏻 #ecossentials ...

𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈
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》Each year, 1 billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in landfills, taking a very very long time to biodegrade and causing all sorts of pollution. To avoid adding to that statistic, you can go tube-free by switching too #plasticfree & #natural mouthcare! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》One of the easiest swwaps I made was using this toothpaste from Ben&Anna! It foams (very important to me), tastes like the 'real' deal and lasts a long time! The natural toothpaste fades discoloration while the vitamins and antioxidants found in sage protect against tooth decay and free radicals 🦷 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》All pastes come in #reusable glass jars with a bamboo spatula for application and are shipped in compostable craft paper boxes with biodegradable vegetable ink labeling! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•• Vegan, cruelty-free & gluten-free
•• No phthalates, parabens, microplastics, •• SLS or formaldehyde
•• Glass jar with metal lid (with EDE liner)
•• Supports environmental organization One Earth – One Ocean
•• Made in the Netherlands
•• Lasts about 3 months ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》What are you waiting for? Choose for #plasticfree brushing: it's easy, tastes the same & it's cost effective! Comes in three tastes & with/without fluoride💥 Who uses this paste already and is a fan? Let me know! 👇🏻 #ecossentials ...

𝑺𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒃 𝑼𝒑, 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑!
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💥 I'm so happy to be working with Upcircle as they create incredible products from ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste! They elevate leftover natural ingredients, bringing them back to life as beauty products your skin will love. 100 % vegan, cruelty-free, UK-made and fully recyclable packaging. Good for you, good for the world! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》This face scrub gently buffs away dry, dead cells to leave my skin feeling soft, smooth and glowy. Blended with shea butter to nourish the skin post-scrub. The scrub is made with top-quality leftover Arabica coffee grounds sourced from artisan coffee shops! Rich in vitamins E and B, jojoba oil deeply moisturises, helping dry, my dehydrated skin regains hydration. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》The coffee scrub and face serum come with a plastic lid so I have been working with Upcircle to find the best solution; for every single product sold on my site with a plastic lid it will be white plastic instead of black (as black plastic can never be recycled). On top of that, you can send them back to me for a discount off your next Upcircle purchase! All of these lids will be re-used on future orders of products. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
☕ Discover this product & the UpCircle range by tapping! Not a fan of coffee? No worries, we have other scrub options too! Who's already a fan of the brand? Let me know 👇🏻 #ecossentials ...

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒈?
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》#sustainable living on the go isn't always easy, but being prepared makes the difference! Every evening, before I go to bed, I (re)fill my bag with all my reusables or I make sure I put them on the same spot. I always tend to leave in a hurry (always late 🙃) so it's suuuuch a good feeling when I don't have to create any extra waste in the day 'cause of my chaotic lifestyle! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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》So, come prepared! What's always in my bag? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• My @stojo Coffee Cup
• My Ecossentials water bottle
• Veggie bags & my Boc 'n Roll
• Some steel or bamboo straws
• My reusable cutlery
• My makeup from @zaoorganicmakeup
• My @welovetheplanet_official Deodorant ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
》Depending on where I have to be or which season it is, the content of my bag also changes (obviously!). Sunscreen, skincare, floss, pads, nail polish, stasher bags, earbuds, patch strips, toothbrush, a candle (?!)... you name it and it has been in my bag 🤪 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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》Living a #lowwastelifestyle can be challenging, but #reusables always save the day! And never beat yourself up for forgetting them, happens to me too! Even when you don't have the privilege to have all this stuff, one swap still has lots of impact! Do you, at your pace & together we're making this world a bit cleaner, one step at a time 💥 What do you ALWAYS carry in your bag? 👇🏻 (wearing a full #secondhand @vinted outfit) ...