Shower Essentials

In my attempt to move to a more sustainable, environmentally friendly way of living, I realized that all my shower products came in plastic bottles. I work hard to recycle everything I can, but who knows what really happens to that plastic once I drop it in the bin? I also don’t like the ingredients in a lot of the standard shampoos and conditioners as well as body washes. With your skin being the largest organ on your body, don’t you want to use the healthiest products to clean it? What if I could find products that were vegan, all natural, smelled good, little to no packaging or waste, that worked and weren’t expensive?  

That was easier said than done.

I realized very quickly that most products out there were either more expensive than I was willing to spend on a regular basis, or the packaging was more wasteful that I was hoping for. I started doing more research on shampoo and conditioner bars and kept getting drawn back to Lush. I have shopped there before and even use their dry shampoo on a regular basis but didn’t know a lot about the company or their mission. Not only are all their products vegan, (except for items with honey in it) lots of items come in “naked packaging”, they use ethical buying practices, they are fighting animal testing, they are all handmade, and reasonable priced. Not to mention everything they make smells amazing and makes you feel great. The reviews on the hair and body bars were all good so after picking out a few I was interested in online, I went to the store to see what I could find.

I had help from one of their team members when I went in to make the switch to all naked bars and she was helpful. Did you know that they will take back any of your used (and cleaned) lush black pots, so they can be reused again? Not only that, but if you wait and bring in 5 at once, you get a free fresh face mask just for helping them cut down on plastic waste. That’s a win win right there. I haven’t reached out to them since Covid-19 started, so that practice might be on hold now. Double check with a store near you if needed.

Over the last year or so, I have really gotten into anything rose themed especially body products. Some might say that rose scents should be worn by baby boomers not millennials, but I have grown to love it. There is something to be said about the fact that it does remind me of my grandma and my childhood. Because of this, I was really looking forward to the Jason and the Argan Oil rose scented shampoo bar and it did not disappoint. I also purchased the Big conditioning bar which worked a lot better than I was thinking it would. I have always struggled with finding products that can handle my quick to get greasy roots and dry ends, but these two work like a charm. They both lather easily and I just rub the shampoo bar across my scalp on the top and bottom once or twice. I then rub the conditioner bar all over the rest of my hair until I’m happy. The shampoo lathers easy and I love how clean my hair feels after using it. The test for me if a conditioner is going to be any good, is how easy it is to run my fingers through my hair after putting it in. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to do that with hardly any conditioner used. My hair started feeling amazing after the first wash which I also appreciated. I can let my hair dry naturally without my roots feeling greasy or weighed down and smells amazing for days after. This all paired with the fact that when I am done with the bar there is no waste, I think I have found my shampoo and conditioner for life. I decided to go all out, and I purchased their silver travel tins to fit each item, but you could obviously put them in anything. The main thing is to make sure they don’t stay near water like under a shower head. I moved my shower caddy to the other side of the shower and leave the bars in their open tin when I am not using them, and they dry quickly. This is the best way to get the most out of the bars because they are self-preserving. 

 As far as body soaps go, I am big on finding small businesses, (this goes for anything I am buying)  especially ones run by women, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ+ and its easy to find them. A couple of years ago I found Perennial Soaps at a vegan fest in the Twin Cities, and I fell in love with her soaps and decided to buy several of them. They are large bars so I will cut them in half to switch up scents around the house. They are all plant based ingredients, fair trade, locally sourced, and certified cruelty free by Peta and Leaping Bunny which is amazing. I just purchased another handful from her, but next time I want to try another small business. If you know of any great ones, leave their info in the comments. I also use these soaps for all the hand soaps in the kitchen and bathroom, so I go through them quickly.

I hope this was helpful and let me know if you have any questions or comments for me! 😊

**Make sure you keep a look out for my post on DIY toothpaste, mouthwash, chapstick, and deodorant which will be up soon if you are interested in making the complete switch to greener choices in bathroom products.

Thanks for reading,

Jessica