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Public Goods Pet & Personal Care Items: Testing Out Their Latest Products

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Sep 17, 2020 | 11 comments
Public Goods Pet & Personal Care Items: Testing Out Their Latest Products

Public Goods Pet & Personal Care Items

How are some new Public Goods products fitting into my new WFH routine?

I am pretty much 99% WFH these days which, to be extremely honest, was very difficult for me for the first two months. I am an extrovert and I LOVE having coworkers to visit with (distract?) throughout the day. My husband Will is in and out of the house a lot for his job and the whole place felt so empty at first. Luckily, I do have my own personal zoo with three dogs, a cat, and loads of backyard wildlife! After the initial adjustment, I am actually really enjoying our extra time together. My pups and I go through so many extra dog treats, walk so many extra walks, and generally spend 24/7 together. I am also of the mindset that this year is absolutely crazy and treating yourself to some comforts at home is essential to mental health. Public Goods recently launched all new products for pets and with that in mind, I decided to build a little self-care package for myself and the pups. I love that their products are committed to sustainability and loads are US made.

About Public Goods

The Subscription: Public Goods

The Cost: $59.00/year for the annual membership

What You Can Get: They offer a wide selection of high-quality household items, personal care items, vitamins, supplements, and grocery.

Ships to: The US (free over $45 to the continental US) and Canada (free over $100)

Public Goods: Self-Care Items for Me and the Pups

Public Goods is an annual membership service for household, personal care items, vitamins and supplements, and grocery items. They aim to cut out the middlemen and eliminate the retail markup on quality goods by delivering brandless products that contain "healthy ingredients with nothing to hide" straight to your door.

In this review, I’ll be talking about a selection of their new dog items and personal care items. To get a nice overview of this brand and what is included with an annual membership, check out Marne's first order in her original Public Goods Review. To find out more about their pantry items found in their grocery section, check out Marne's Public Goods Grocery and Pantry Staples Review. It might not be a one-stop replacement for the grocery store, but there is some really great stuff here!

Personal Items

So, as I mentioned, walks are my new gym membership! Tucker LOVES this. And I am kind of dreading when the weather gets too gloomy for our now twice-daily habit. We like to make a few stops along the way, sometimes the bank, often the farmer's market, and sometimes just to a neighbor's stoop to chat. With these walks in mind and the need to be mindful about social distancing, I decided the following items would be great additions to my wildly stylish fanny pack:

 

Public Goods KN95 Masks, 10 count - Retail Value $44.00 (Currently sold out, but sign up for a restock!)

Because of COVID-19, our fave farmer's market is mask-mandatory and though I have some really cute fabric masks I normally wear out, sometimes it feels a little crowded still. These KN95 masks fit my face must more seamlessly and the elastic ear loops aren't super uncomfortable like some can be. There is a flexible metal wire across the nose so you can custom fit it to your face. Ten masks felt like a lot, so I gave quite a few of these away to some of our elderly neighbors. It's nice to have some in my pack for backup though!

Made in China.

 

Public Goods Hand Sanitizer, 12 oz - Retail Value $7.50

Hand sanitizer is finally becoming easier to find around here, but for the price, I snagged this large bottle to have on hand. This is a very basic sanitizer with no color, scent, or other bells and whistles. And that is just fine by me! The texture is a medium weight gel that is clear, and the addition of aloe and glycerine makes it less harsh on your hands. It has the FDA recommended 62% ethyl alcohol and also boasts being free of triclosan, benzalkonium chloride, and parabens. This bottle was surprisingly big (like.. too big for a purse, IMO) so it should last a really long time even if it ends up being more of an at-home item than a dog walk item.

Made in New Jersey, United States.

 

Public Goods Hand Sanitizer Spray, 2 oz - Retail Value $3.75

This is much more of a purse-sized option for sure! Similarly to the other hand sanitizer, this formula is triclosan and benzalkonium chloride-free and feels quite gentle. It isn't a gel-like the other formula I ordered but is instead a spray. Though I didn't notice much of a scent, it supposedly does have a light and natural aroma of evergreen needles, rose, lavender, and a little cinnamon. I can kind of notice it if I really try, mostly the juniper. This is a great size for a purse or dog-walk fanny pack.

Made in Colorado, United States.

 

Public Goods Wet Wipes, 50 wipes - Retail Value $3.75

I always like to have wipes on hand in my car for spills, pumping gas, wiping down my credit card after it changes hands, or even for Tucker's paws if they get muddy. This pack of 50 fits into my console easily and I like how gentle these vegan wipes are while still being effective. Again, there isn't much of a scent here which is fine. This formula includes aloe, vitamin E, cucumber, and marshmallow extracts, as well as oat and chamomile extracts. This is a super gentle wipe that I have even used to remove makeup! For all of my parents out there, they are also baby-safe and decently large. Each wipe is about 7”x 6".

Made in California, United States.

NEW! Dog Items

Time for some stuff for my #1 walking buddy, Tucker!

 

Public Goods Dog Waste Bags, 8 rolls / 80 bags total - Retail Value $13.25

Ok, so these might be more for me than Tuck.

Tucker is my first "big dog". Compared to my smaller seniors, he is downright huge! With that size comes larger "presents" to pick up on our walks. I was impressed that these bags were certainly large enough to get the job done without any fear on my part. Since these bags are 100% biodegradable (made of cornflour and vegetable matter) I was a little concerned Tucker's gifts might start dissolving through the eco-friendly material since I had to use one at the beginning of a long walk. Thankfully this wasn't an issue at all. I have been trying to use less plastic where I can, and this is a pretty excellent option for still making sure I am a responsible dog owner who doesn't leave behind Tucker's mess for anyone else while still avoiding extra plastic waste.

Made in California, United States.

 

Public Goods Sweet Potato Fry Chews Dog Treats, 6 oz - Retail Value $7.75

Tucker is great on a leash but he still has a little room for improvement since he used to run wild and free on a farm. These dehydrated sweet potato treats are the perfect sort to stash in my pack to keep him motivated when there are other dogs or squirrels around. They are also made of 100% sweet potato so I can give him more of them than some of his other treats without spoiling his dinner or being overly indulgent. Charlie and Piper liked these too! They aren't soft by any means, but even Piper could enjoy these in her toothless state if I broke one into smaller pieces. While I think my pups would normally prefer their less healthy treats, they still had zero issues making these disappear.

Made in North Carolina, United States.

 

Public Goods Peanut Butter Cheese Chews, 3 pack - Retail Value $10.00

Many of you know that I save every chew sort of treat for Tucker since Piper has no teeth and Charlie tends to just try to eat them whole. The older pups tend to put themselves to bed these days so after they creep up the stairs I treat Tucker to a chew! He was crazy about these! Cheese AND peanut butter? Does it get any better for a dog? He is a larger guy, so though these are harder, he still made decently quick work of them. I was pleased that they didn't leave behind any stains on my rug and that they weren't stinky like so many chews out there. I wish there had been more than 3 in the bag, but I would absolutely buy these again for my favorite big guy.

Made in the United States.

 

Public Goods Dog Shampoo with Oatmeal and Aloe, 16 oz - Retail Value $9.00

Poor Will. He is pretty used to me dropping random shampoos and conditioners into our shower to try out and he often indulged in them too. I am sure you see where I am going with this. Without his glasses, he doesn't have great eyesight and he ended up using this on his head! He actually really loved it and I broke the news to him after. I had placed it in the shower to give Piper a bath later on that same day! Well, both Piper and Will seemed to like this gentle formula quite well! I really love that it is tear-free, especially since Piper is mostly blind and dunks her head in the water on accident a lot while getting a bath. It truly does smell wonderful! It's a clean and comforting scent that is nice enough for human shampoo and gets human hair as well as pup fur nice and clean. It is also vegan friendly and plant-based. With some of our walking days getting rather muddy, this is also a great shampoo to use when I have to just wash or deep rinse off Tucker's muddy paws.

Made in Missouri, United States.

 

Great news! Public Goods carries items for cats as well!

Cozy Time Personal Care Items

The last three items are ones I choose to compliment my evening routine of couch lounging after our last hill walk. I like a nice cup of tea, a candle burning, and some skin-loving self-care. And probably a true-crime doc, too.

 

Public Goods Green Tea, 20 bags - Retail Value $3.50

I drink green tea daily, and I certainly have my favorites. I wouldn't consider myself a snob, but when Will saw I was trying out the Public Goods green tea, he mumbled "Poor them." I don't think I am that hard to please? Well, either way, this tea was pretty good. I prefer my greens to have some earthiness or nuttiness and this one delivered! It wasn't a weakling either. The green tea flavor was robust and on the heavier side compared to some. I also thought that this tea didn't go bitter as easily as some other greens, which was a plus as someone who likes to leave her tea bag in the mug for way too long. The tea snob inside of me wishes she knew a little more about the tea leaves source, but that's ok. This is still a fine brew that is 100% organic and tasty, tasty, tasty. The only complaint I have is that the bags come in plastic and I didn't see any mention of it being biodegradable or eco-friendly material.

Packaged in the United States.

 

Public Goods Candle in 'Black Currant', 3.5 oz - Retail Value $5.95

It is candle season! I literally have candles burning all day in the fall and winter. Something about the glow makes my least favorite weather more bearable! This is a smaller candle with a really nice black currant scent. While I liked the look, smell, and burn, I don't know that I would buy this one again because I like a very powerfully scented candle, and this one was more subtle. That might be a selling point for someone else out there though! For the price, even without a strong scent, it is still a very nicely made soy-wax candle with an even burn.

Made in the United States.

 

Public Goods Lotion, 12 fl oz - Retail Value $4.50

My last treat was a nice sized bottle of lotion. Between all the extra hand-washing and the upcoming cold winds, I know it will be put to good use! Props on the pump too, I love when lotions have this sort of nozzle. This formula was quite nice! It has a pretty standard lotion texture and inside is glycerine, coconut oil, and a really lovely scent from essential oils. The oils on the ingredient list are cornmint, lemon, cedar, western red cedar, eucalyptus, cedarleaf, patchouli, Amyris balsamifera bark oil, lavandin, galbanum which altogether sounds like a lot of elements going on but the way they were blended is so super soft, a little sexy, and perfect for anyone. While this probably isn't the most heavy-duty of lotions, It does the trick easily for my hands and arms and I like that it is both paraben and cruelty-free.

Made in New Jersey, United States.

So, what’s the verdict?

I think I made a pretty great little brandless bundle here! It totally complimented my new routine and included items for myself, safety, and for the joy of my dogs. What more can I ask for? I also found that compared to a lot of the items I usually buy, the Public Goods items were mostly less expensive and just as nice, if not better in terms of quality. I think this is a great annual membership if you are looking for personal care items, groceries, or pet items that aren't "big brand" but still deliver on quality and value. I am also finding myself quite liking the whole minimal aesthetic of the brand in general too!

Are you a member of Public Goods? If not, would you try it?

Starting at $79.00
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Public Goods is a membership service for household, personal care, vitamins and supplements, and grocery items. They aim to cut out the middlemen and eliminate the retail markup on quality goods by delivering products that contain healthy ingredients with nothing to hide straight to your door.
Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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11 comments

Steph

I don’t understand their pricing structure. The items aren’t much cheaper than name brands, you have to pay $59 upfront every year just to get access to buy the products, and they still charge shipping unless your order is over $45? I don’t see the appeal.

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Lynn m.

Thank you for putting where the products are made! That is huge for me with any consumable item, for my family and my pets

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Megan K.

Absolutely Lynn! Public Goods makes this info very accessible on their product pages, which I also appreciate!

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Julia

If the selling point is “it’s not a big brand!”, then the price needs to be lower, not higher. Just another company using the “we’re better for you” angle to blind First Worlders. I bet they use the word “carbon footprint” on their website. Who would pay $3.75 for FIVE wipes and $13.25 for 80 dog waste bags?

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Izzie

There was a typo on the wipes, I was surprised as well, but then I zoomed in on the pic and saw it’s 50 (the review says 50 too, just didn’t know which one was the right info). Anyway, I find the items to be on the pricey side as well.

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KAB

NIce review. On a side note what are some green tea brands that are at the top of your list?

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Megan K.

Ooooooh this could be a whole post. I am very into Japanese Genmaicha right now. I bounce around a few brands, none of which I can read because they are straight from Japan. I also recently tried two greens from August Uncommon that I did like: Ventura Highway and Under the Willow. Their Black Lodge is also incredible (though it is a black tea.)

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Tat

And they just lost a potential customer. You have to give them an email address just to browse. Deal breaker.

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Bee

If you click on the sitemap link at the bottom of the page, you can browse without giving your email address.

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Beth

thanks for pointing that out to others. that’s true for almost all companies I’ve explored.

maria

I agree – I don’t patronize companies that make you provide email just to look.

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