Switch from shower gel to bar soap
Why This is Green
The heavier something is, the more energy it takes to ship it around. Shower gels contain water, which adds to both transportation costs and fuel usage. By switching from a liquid body wash or shower gel to a bar soap, you save the water used in the manufacturing process as well as the transportation impact.
Shower gels are typically packaged in petroleum-derived plastic. Using a paper wrapped bar soap cuts down on packaging from a non-renewable resource, and the waste associated with it. You can also buy bar soap with no packaging at all.
Learn More
- PracticallyGreen.com: Bar Soap Vs. Shower Gel--No-Brainer Switch
- Bookmark This Site: GoodGuide.com
- DrBronner.com: An Overview Of Soapmaking
- The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
- PracticallyGreen.com: Blogger Explains Her Preference For Bar Soap
- Must Watch: The Story Of Cosmetics
How To
Finish up the shower gel you’re currently using and recycle the packaging. Instead of buying a new bottle, replace it with a natural bar soap in minimal packaging.
Keep in mind that not all bar soaps are created equal; like most conventional cosmetics, soaps can contain a number of synthetic chemicals that have been linked to everything from cancers to hormone disruption to birth defects to skin or eye irritation.
Before you shop, look up bar soaps containing natural, organic, or biodynamic ingredients on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database or the GoodGuide. Or seek out a soap with a third-party natural or organic certification label.
Recommended Products
Weleda Iris Soap
Weleda says their Iris Soap is made with organic and biodynamic ingredients designed to gently and effectively remove dirt and impurities from your body and support your skin’s natural moisture regulation.
Follow Weleda on Facebook and Twitter.
Sign up for Beauty in Bloom newsletter.
