With Mother’s Day just one week away, many of us are searching for gifts online as traditions have shifted a bit this year. Apart from a few states that are slowly reopening their businesses amid the crisis, most families won’t be celebrating Mother’s Day brunch or taking Mom to the spa. This Eco-friendly Mother’s Day Gift Guide highlights a few fun alternatives to the norm. Perhaps we can honor Mother Earth along with our favorite Mothers this year.
Eco-friendly Jewelry
Arguably one of the most underrated places to shop for jewelry online is Etsy. It’s easy to get lost browsing for hours as there are countless options of unique and often handmade treasures. Some shops create their entire line of handmade jewelry from recycled or upcycled materials, while others craft a few select pieces from vintage or found parts. Let mom get noticed with something beautiful for her and the planet with wearable earth-friendly art.
With loads of stops and products to sift through, I recommend typing recycled or upcycled jewelry into the search engine, and selecting “can ship in 1-3 business days” on the left-hand side as Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Or check out a few of the suggested shops below.
Recycled mason jar from bottledupdesigns
Recycled vintage watch parts from steampunqjunk
Upcycled spoon from MidnightJo
Upcycled sari from BigSkyAlchemy
Upcycled tin from RefabJewelryCo
Safety Pin from BluKatDesign
Bottledupdesigns is created by a woman who collects reclaimed broken pieces of glass from her local wooded habitat and rural farmland area where she has seen animals run through the broken messes. From 1940’s ruby beer glass, antique milk bottles and mason jars to cobalt Noxzema bottles, she offers the history of each unique piece with each purchase.
Steampunqjunk is run by a woman who creates each piece of jewelry with vintage watch parts and found pieces.
MidnightJo gives silverware and coins a second life.
BigSkyAlchemy offers upcycled sari earrings in different colors.
RefabJewelryCo is a Washington based company that creates jewelry mostly from recycled tin.
BluKatDesign creates statement necklaces and ornaments from repurposed, recycled and materials.
Cruelty-free Spa Day at Home
One of the best parts about an at-home spa day is that you are in charge of the products selected for yourself (or in this case, for mom). How many spas are solely dedicated to non-toxic or cruelty-free products anyway? Please drop a line in the comment section below this article if you know of any – we love learning about places that support our ideals.
While it may feel overwhelming to scour the web for cruelty-free products that work, it’s vital to protect those without voices through conscious consumerism (see our review on Animal People & Stink documentaries here). To make it easier, here are a few options from companies that we have researched and either love or are dying to try.
Spa Body
In typical spa-fashion, we must exfoliate dead skin cells before treating and hydrating. Osea offers a non-toxic, cruelty-free line of luxury products with Mother’s Day written all over them. Their Undaria Body Polish exfoliates pores with acai, rice powder and pumice and their Undaria Body Oil provides lightweight moisture designed to firm and tone. Both products use mineral-rich seaweed to soften and nourish the skin.
Spa Face
Every true spa day includes a mask of some sort. Instead of the single-use, often environmentally damaging sheet masks, opt for a one where Mom can get more than one use out of it.
Alpyn Beauty uses sustainably-harvested, wild botanicals grown at elevation in the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole and their skincare line is free of parabens, phthalates, PEGs, sulfates, silicone and synthetic fragrance and dyes. Their Natural Calming Midnight Mask with Melatonin and Wild Dandelion uses Bakuchiol, a natural alternative to Retinol.
If mom isn’t the overnight mask-wearing type, maybe pick her up a moisturizer rich in antioxidants, specifically made for aging skin like Osea’s Advanced Protection Cream. This cream uses DPHP, which is a plant-based amino acid compound said to firm skin and increase elasticity. Or gift her a natural eye cream like Alpyn Beauty’s Line-Filling Eye Balm.
Spa Atmosphere
An essential key to mood-setting and relaxation is soft lighting. If I could have LED fairy lights in every room of the house, I would. However, I suspect most Moms are traditionally more on-board with candles. There is a sense of comfort and serenity that comes with the soft glow of an open flame.
For candle lovers, consider eco-conscious companies that use sustainable, safe materials for wax and wick and source their fragrances responsibly (more on this in an upcoming article about the dark side of essential oils). P.F. Candle Company is an independent operation based in Los Angeles, CA and their entire line is cruelty-free, phthalate-free and uses 100% domestically-grown soy wax. P.F. Candle Company recognizes that some human-made fragrances are more sustainable (for the environment) to produce, while also allowing a lower price point. Some of their products use a blend of natural and human-made ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced and safe to bring in our homes and gift to loved ones.
Organic Treats
Most of us are likely beyond the age of creating finger-painted posters for our moms, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still make something from the heart. We can bake mom something special in the comfort of our kitchens and send it over in a recycled tin. I like to create from scratch, using organic baking ingredients.
If baking from scratch sounds like too much work, consider Miss Jones mixes. “As the creator of the first-ever organic ready-to-spread frosting, Miss Jones is paving the way for a clean-label revolution in the frosting category…” said Sarah Jones, Founder & CEO. Miss Jones is committed to only sourcing palm oil from Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms and creates 90% organic products.
For the non-bakers or a healthier option, consider an organic fruit basket.
Unique Eco-gifts
Lastly, these unusual gifts may not fit into a category, but the best never do!
Etsy Shop: MetalRelic
Etsy Shop: ArtePlastique
MetalRelic: An artsy alternative to the traditional bouquet, these up-cycled metal roses are sculpted from recycled washers, scrap metal and wire.
ArtePlastique: This amazingly talented woman creates art out of plastic bottles that bare resemblance to Dale Chihuly. Her door wreath in the image above can be found here.
Quarantine has reminded many people how beautiful puzzles are for our minds. Help out the forest by sending one made of recycled materials, like this abstract art puzzle made from 100% recycled laminated cardboard from Etsy’s shop: AmberLamoreauxArt.
Let us know if you found this eco-friendly Mother’s Day shopping guide helpful or not in the comments section below!
Featured Image:Plastic bottle wreath from ArtePlastique.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Meaning if you click through and make a purchase, we will receive a small amount of commission, at no additional cost to you.
No Comments