Green showering

AgentOrange · 27 November 2006 at 1:20PM

I've been living as 'green' & ethical a life as possible for many years now but i keep coming unstuck on one particular issue - bathing. Technically I shower pretty much all the time but I'm more worried about the type of shower gel I use. After having watched 'Planet Earth' I just can't stop thinking about that poor polar bear and it's vanishing habitat. So, aside from 'Green People' (who are mightily expensive) who make decent, cheap eco-bathing products and are 'Original Source' environmentally sound?

All_eBayed_Out · 27 November 2006 at 1:47PM

For the last three years I have made a rule that I don't buy any shower products from Boots/superdrug/chemist etc anymore (they all contain lots of rubbish ie foaming agents which can affect, the skin, and the envionment, particular aquatic creatures) and no deoderants from there either (but thats another posting).

I use Weleda body wash/Liz Earle body wash, these smell lovely. They are more pricey but as they are ok on your skin and don't harm the environment then I personally feel it's worth the investment. Health food shops stock some others but you do have to check the labels as some are still no nos.

Don't believe all the 'NATURE', 'NATURAL', 'HARMONY' marketing hype of a lot of products. I hope regular highstreet shops will one day respond and stock the products that are kinder on the environment.

Could you try making your own? I'm sure it's possible and it would be cheap.

exlibris · 27 November 2006 at 2:27PM

I make the shampoo do twice!

I have a pair of exfoliating gloves from Body Shop. I put the shampoo on my hair, rub it in and use the bubbles from the rinsing with the gloves to wash my body. Any shower gel I am gives as pressies go into the hand wash container, suitably watered down of course!

tim_n · 27 November 2006 at 4:36PM

I'd be interested in this two - but it'd have to be masculine = )

banthecar · 4 December 2006 at 12:24PM

I only use one thing for all my hygene needs - a bar of soap! I dont use anything that comes in a plastic bottle.
I have my head shaved so i dont use shampoo.
I use a bar of soap in the shower.
I use a bar of soap frothed up with a shaving brush for shaving. I use wilkinson sword traditional razor blades with no plasticy bits so I can just stick them in a tin can and recycle them. and I use the razor blades for weeks and weeks before replacing them - dry the blade off, its rust that causes the bluntness more than anything.
I dont use deoderant. I'm one of these people that doesnt smell much, honestly i dont.
And I dont use aftershave.

So there you go - 1 bar of soap can do it all.

P.S. do you remember the 1970's - I cant remember anyone then who washed their hair everyday. Its all a big con and its costing us all financially aswell as environmentally.

AgentOrange · 4 December 2006 at 12:58PM

All good advice but I can't use soap for dermatological reasons and I'm not keen on going down the DIY route. Aside from a company called GreenPeople who claim to make environmentally sound cleansing products (though at a whacking great cost) I'm just curious to know if Original Source really are environmentally sound. Anyone know?

pollys · 4 December 2006 at 8:23PM

Try Faith in Nature, they make lovely shower gels, shampoo and conditioners such as lavender and geranium, tea tree, seaweed, organic chocolate, aloe vera etc. They contain no nasties.

They also make Clearspring washing up liquid, laundry liquid and dishwasher gel.

Faith products are available online and can be found in Health food shops.

newleaf · 4 December 2006 at 8:41PM

This stuff is good http://www.drbronner.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=DBMS&Category_Code=SOAP but it comes from the USA, so you might need to persuade someone local to stock it for you. Unless you know anyone who's going and would bring you some back.
Liz Earle has recently launched a mens body & hair wash, it smells lovely but it's expensive. A nice pressie though

lynzpower · 5 December 2006 at 2:27PM

there is something that Ive bought fron mountain warehouse when travelling where ive been bathing/ showering in natural habitats and here it is
http://mountainwarehouse.com/shop/product/products_id/1126.html

you might be able to get it cheaper elsewhere though, but I was informed its "safe" to be used in protected habitats. Cheap too.

And no original source isnt natural im afraid.

the other thing to say is I have on occasion washed hair & body with ecover washing up liquid, ecover also do a handwash. tescos ( OK- debatable ethically of course) do thier own cheapie version of ecover.

Steel_2 · 7 December 2006 at 4:21PM

Original Source don't test their products on animals or use any ingredients that are tested on animals from whoever they source them from. From that repsect they're sound.

However, their products, like thousands of others, still contain nasty chemcals like parabens, which are hormone disruptors, so from that angle no they're not environmentally sound.

I've been reading a fantastic book by Ecologist writer Pat Thomas called "What's in this stuff" (and managed to find it new in a charity shop for £1 so well chuffed!!!). Very shocking. It's prompted me to cut back everything I use that has chemicals in and thoroughly consider the products that I do use from every angle before buying.

inkie · 7 December 2006 at 11:25PM

So how do people get around the same issues in deodorants for example/

Green showering

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free