Sustainatarian

Think about how many plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles you have gone through in a month, a year, your ENTIRE life.  The idea is frigtening.  Out of sight, out of mind right?

It seems that in our culture everything good comes in a package, how that package was made, or where is goes after were done with it is lost. I really need to make an effort to stop myself, even when I buy things I say ‘great this can be recycled’, but as of late my focus has really been on not taking any packaging at all.

As a kid I remember washing my hands with a bar of soap, then came along the “evolutionary” liquid soap.  No more lil soap bars sticking to trays, or the ol pubic hair in bar…now its body wash.  Plastic, plastic and more plastic.

I’d like to start off by my search online for eco shampoos, most of them i found came in plastic bottles, to me in a sense it negates the fact that whats in the bottle is green because of the plastic it is in.  Even recycled plastic consumes mass amounts of energy and resources.  Yes please cut down and buy bulk, but perhaps there’s another solution that doesn’t come in a plastic container.

I remember the days where I thought I would die if my hair wasn’t washed every day, I am part Asian and it is prone to oiliness.  Then I went on my Otesha cycling tour this summer, where we went  sometimes a week without showering, never even mind hot water.  When you tour, its important to try and not carry a lot of weight or bulk, so I set out to look for a solid shampoo bar.  I am not one to rant and rave about products, but I just couldn’t help myself. Then i found it, the lush squeaky green shampoo bar.  I know what your wondering, and yes this “squeaky green” solid shampoo bar made me squeaky clean!  It was crazy how amazing it was, the lather is out of this world with just the smallest rub on your hair. It gets even better, in fact if your not sitting down go grab a chair…it has lasted me since June 2010.  It still has id say another week or two left…I was reminded to write this blog because its finally coming to an end. I also use it for my soap, and its great to use when/if I shave.  Not only that but the travel possibilities, you can bring it to the gym, to a sleepover, or carry it on with you on the plane, because its a solid.  And well no messy leaks.  Its a wonderful product.  And best of all NOOOOOOOOOO PACKAGING, wooohooo!!

So i leave you with a few things to ponder and to challenge yourself.  Think about trying out a shampoo bar, and then just shampooing your hair every other day to begin with, then after a week go wild and try 2. I promise you the less you shampoo your body will naturally decrease the amount of oil it produces (thank you body). Try and get back to the ol school soap bars to wash your hands/body and try to find natural organic products, and like with your hair, try to limit the amount of soap you use.  And lastly, try to take it one step further and not just look for products you can recycle, but don’t have any packaging.

Oh I just remembered, I have made it my goal to not use a blow dryer too (blow dryer free since August 2010), now I shower at night (one because i think in the morning I am so sluggish and tired that I waste more water, and two because I can shower when I get home from the gym). Since I have stopped blow drying my hair I wear my hair in braids to sleep (it minimizes bed head).  If you have shorter hair…well I can’t have all the answers…can I? but you can try my “ill just throw on a cap over this mess and no one will know”.

There are two companies where I have tried their products, and they have no or limited packaging, if you have other links please post them in my links with a review * If you happen to try a lush solid shampoo bar, its just important you don’t leave it sitting in water, then it will go bye bye, just leave it on a tray to dry.

LUSH

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOAPS

I wish you all a lovely sustainable day.

xxoo