I Founded a Zero-Waste Toothpaste Company—Here's My Sustainable Morning Routine

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

We non-morning people can learn a thing or two from Lindsay McCormick. The founder of Bite, the zero-waste toothpaste bits, is no stranger to early mornings from her past life as a sports instructor. And even though her mornings look a little different now with quarantine and social distancing, they still start early and with intention. Take a look at her routine below.

Hi, I'm Lindsay, and I'm really into mornings. Before starting my company, I worked as a snowboard instructor in the winter (rise and shine by 7 a.m.) and a surf instructor in the summer (hello, 5 a.m. dawn patrol), and now, my company, Bite, makes plastic-free alternatives for morning routines—so mornings are a pretty big deal around here

7 a.m.

My alarm starts going off at 7 a.m., but I don't get out of bed until 7:20 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. because I must get cuddles with my pup, Nemo.

7:30 a.m.

Up and ready to start moving. The first thing I do is brush my teeth with Bite and wash my face with Drunk Elephant's Juju bar. I don't put on any skincare products before I go for a run. I just throw on a baseball cap, and I'm out the door.

What's in my beauty setup: Homemade ACV toner (this has changed my skin!), Bite toothpaste, Sunbum sunscreen SPF 30 (to protect from the sunshine that I love), Le Mieux Vita-C (to protect from pollution; hello, living in L.A.), and a touch of Youth to the People glow oil. I usually don't wear makeup unless we're doing videos, photos, interviews, or events.

7:40 a.m.

My favorite time to run is in the morning when the beach is quiet and not many people are around. L.A. beaches are closed due to COVID-19 right now, so I'm exploring the side and back streets. It's a pretty change of scenery! I usually don't listen to music (weird, I know). Working from home means this is my time to catch up on audiobooks or podcasts. My current listen is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

8:15 a.m.

Home for a quick shower and some much-needed caffeine. I stopped drinking coffee a few months ago and switched to loose-leaf yerba mate tea with a squeeze of lemon or lime. No more afternoon crashes, and I swear, I sleep better now too. Yerba mate has a long brew time, so I meditate while it steeps—#multitasking before 9 a.m.

What's in my shower: Hibar bar shampoo and conditioner—I've tested them all, and this is my fave brand. Bite toothpaste—I have toothpaste and toothbrushes everywhere. Also, a leaf razor for a plastic-free shave and palm oil free oatmeal soap from Whole Foods.

8:45 a.m.

This is the most peaceful part of my morning and the glide into the start of my day. After meditating, I write out my priorities for the day in my day planner, journal bigger goals and ideas that don't fit on a to-do list, watch sea lions play, and drink tea. I've been keeping a daily planner since 2003 and have all of the paper planners stored in my closet, except for 2013! Somehow I lost both the planner and the journal for that year, but it's still fun to go back and see what my priorities were on what days and how some things stay the same and others change over time.

9:30 a.m.

Once I feel focused and ready for the day, I open my laptop, do a quick scan of social and emails, and it's game on!

Next up: How This Clean Beauty Brand Founder Adapted Her Morning Routine to Her Pregnancy