5 Gifting Ideas To Make This Diwali An Eco-Friendly And Healthy One

With the festival of lights just around the corner, it’s the time to share warmth and smiles with our loved ones, especially when we all have had such a challenging year. The pandemic and the lockdown have made us aware of our old patterns and lifestyle, which were probably harmful to us and the environment. It has also mostly made us mindful of the importance of supporting smaller businesses and local artisans, who have been through a lot of hardship. While some of us have been able to embark on a quest to conscious and natural living enthusiastically, a lot of us continue to feel stuck with unhealthy, chemical-laden, hyper-consumerism lifestyle patterns. This Diwali lets help smaller businesses, local artisans, and help us reconnect with nature to build a healthier environment for the generations to come! 

Listed here are five eco-friendly and healthy Diwali gifting ideas that can be a life-changing experience for your loved ones!

Personal grooming products

This is another common gifting area, although it generally comprises of fancy and expensive perfumes and plastic and chemically-laden beauty and wellness products. This Diwali, choose from a wide range of eco-friendly personal grooming products to gift, that range from eco-friendly lip balms and skincare products to bamboo razors with replaceable blades, coconut coir body brushes and pedicure brushes etc., which can go a long way in helping keep harmful plastic and chemical-laden products at bay. Fancy reusable steel straws, copper water bottles, wooden comb, and bamboo toothbrushes, packed in a neat cloth pouch, make for excellent travel toiletry hamper, and an ideal gifting choice.

Also Read: 12 Benefits of Hair Spa Treatment

Handmade soaps

This is another beautiful and healthy gift one can give, this festive season. Exotic handmade soaps offer naturally relaxing and calming bathing experience while also nourishing the skin, and are devoid of phthalates and harmful chemicals. From medicinal essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender to skin nourishing and fragrant flavours like strawberries, chocolate, charcoal, vanilla and citrus etc., handmade soaps use the best of natural ingredients to offer the perfect experience that can rejuvenate, relax and nurture the mind and body while also cleansing it thoroughly. 

Earthen Lanterns/diyas

Earthen days have been an integral of Diwali since generations and its time to bring back the simple, rustic and earthen charm, this Diwali. Diyas and earthen lanterns can not only brighten up the homes and lives with a soft radiance but also help create a peaceful and calming vibe, something that fast blinking LED fairy lights and plastic lanterns in various shapes, fail to do. Gifting your loved one's beautiful handcrafted earthen lanterns and diyas will help bring in the sense of peace and calm, while also supporting local artisans and potters.

Also Read: 5 Essential Oil Home Remedies For Your Kids Safety

Up-cycled Fabric bags/ accessories

Up-cycling is the new buzzword this season, and one of the most easily upcycled material is fabric. Source from smaller businesses that are working towards creating handmade, upcycled products and accessories could be a great idea as it offers unique designs and variants that are also stylish and eco-friendly. From jute tote bags to patchwork shoulder bags and slings bags, fashionable wallets and pouches to even jewellery and belts made out of cotton rags, meant for the landfill, are excellent gifting options.

Jaggery Sweets

Last but not least, Diwali is incomplete without sweets! However, these also double as the most harmful indulgence in Diwali, leading to bloating, weight gain and significantly detrimental to people with diabetes. Especially store brought mass-produced sweets, may contain impure or toxic ingredients, like synthetic silver foils, or expired milk powder etc. Switching to simple, homemade and healthy sweets, that use alternatives to artificial powdered sugar, are an excellent choice when celebrating with friends and family. From sweets using whole grains and jaggery to sugar-free candies made of dates and apricot, are not only exotic and healthy but also nutritious, and can be binged without guilt!

So this Diwali, choose from a range of eco-friendly gift options at Almitra Sustainables, co-founded by Anamika Sengupta. And let's make this festival a truly prosperous, peaceful and as naturally beautiful as possible, not only for our loved ones but also for the smaller, local businesses that have suffered a hard time! 

Read more articles on Miscellaneous