Sudsy Swaps

Welcome back to my blog! If you're new here, check out my first post and my About page to learn more about me and how I got to where I am with my sustainability journey :) If you're not new, thanks for coming back!

One of the easiest swaps that can be made to cut out plastic is switching from buying soaps in plastic bottles to buying soap bars. There are soap bars for just about everything these days. Shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, body soap, even dish soap! Some bar soaps tend to still be wrapped in a plastic film of sorts, but it is a significantly smaller amount than a full plastic bottle. Plus, they are cutting out a significant source of water usage. If you didn’t know, bottles of soap are primarily water! What is the point of that if we are also using water to do the washing?

There are plenty of brands that make their products in liquid form as well as in solid form so some may be able to find a low waste solution with a brand they already feel comfortable with! Examples of these brands include Dove, Mrs. Meyers, Love Beauty and Planet, and more.

One of the first soap swaps I made was body wash. I’m a big fan of Dove’s sensitive skin soap, it is unscented and it is great for, well, sensitive skin which I have been known to have. I was faithful to their bottle of body wash for many years, but found that they have the exact same product in bar form, how cool is that! It does the exact same job, but takes up less space in my shower, and comes in a recyclable cardboard box, much better.

Once I switched over to one soap bar, I started looking for others that I could incorporate into my routine. Over the years I have tested MANY a shampoo bar, and honestly I am yet to find one that I love. However, I am having a blast trying out all of the different brands and will probably be able to make a full new blog post about all of the different ones I have tried and give some suggestions. For anyone reading this that wants some immediate options, here ya go!

Ethique – Ethique makes a shampoo and conditioner bar sample kit, I purchased mine about three years ago. I tried out all of the samples, and didn’t love them, but that doesn’t mean you won’t! I do still use their Wonder Bar conditioner and it is a hit for sure.

HiBar – HiBar has a bunch of different options for different hair needs, I am currently trying out their unscented moisturizing shampoo, and I may not be the biggest fan, but I’m not mad at it either. They also sent me a free conditioner bar so I have to give them some props.

Habitat Botanicals – Of the shampoo bars I have tried, I do like this one the best. It has a great lather and leaves my hair feeling clean, but I have also noticed my scalp being a tad dry after using this one for a few washes in a row. I currently switch between this one and my HiBar to give my hair some variety.

Spring & Vine – Spring & Vine is available at Target so this one is accessible to almost anyone. However, I felt like it totally stripped my hair and I was happy when I had used it up. Again, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!

Now let’s chat about conditioner bars for a second, I hate them. However, I recently discovered that it is super easy to turn a conditioner bar into liquid conditioner. All you need is hot water and a knife to chop up your bar. Mix it all together, and BAM! Liquid conditioner. I was so happy when I discovered this trick because even though I am still using a decent amount of water to make the concoction, I am cutting out the middle man. There is no water being shipped across the country to the store where I purchase the conditioner. As I mentioned, I am currently using the Ethique Wonder Bar conditioner bar and I really like it. Once I turned it into more of a cream I was super happy because it smells great and leaves my hair feeling soft. I have a few others to try from HiBar and Habitat Botanicals, but it takes me quite a while to use one up so no conditioner bar reviews and comparisons coming any time soon.

We’ve gotten through hair care, now we can discuss one of our most basic hygiene habits, washing our hands. In the last few years I made the switch over to hand soaps that seemed more natural, but for some reason I was stubborn to give up my liquid hand soap. Now that I have made the swap however, I notice no difference in how clean my hands are or the time it takes to wash my hands, so what was I waiting for? They also last way longer than liquid hand soap in my opinion, so you get a little more bang for your buck here. There are no shortages of brands and scents so it is much more likely than not you could find one that matches your vibe. A few brands I tend to stick with are Mrs. Meyers and Schmidt’s, or whatever grabs my eye when I’m out and about. Bar soap is also fun because you can pick a cute soap dish to match your bathroom decor, even better if you can find one at a thrift store!

Last, but certainly not least, and maybe the most surprising is dish soap. This is my most recent bar soap swap and it is so great. Dish soap bars are the perfect size to keep next to your sink or take camping. If you do take it camping.. don’t leave it on top of your car and drive away. It will roll off. I may have learned this the hard way when my best friend and I were walking up the side of the highway searching for it in ditches. You may be thinking, Clare why didn’t you just leave it and to that I say.. Great question..

Anyway, dish soap bars can be purchased through most online zero waste shops such as Marley’s Monsters (local to OR), The Package Free Shop, and Zero Waste Store. If you are local to the Portland area, you can even purchase these from the sweetest low waste pop up shop called Zero Waste Utility. Dish soap bars are super easy to use, no other tools are needed other than whatever sponge or scrub brush one would typically use to do dishes. One could make some swaps to cloth sponges, bamboo brushes, and/or natural loofah, but that is a post for another day I think.

I almost forgot. Another random soap bar swap I have made, but not stuck with would be face wash bars. I tried out one to target acne by Neutrogena, and one from Lush, but in the end I didn't love either of them. Ultimately I felt that for my skin, it was best to stick with liquid face wash options for now. I landed on one that comes in a glass jar so I feel better about that at least.

Well! I hope I have inspired a couple of people to consider swapping out the bottle for the bar. A reminder that it is always best to use up what you have before trying out a new, low-waste product. Don't toss a shampoo bottle that is half empty because you like the idea of a shampoo bar. Using old products up (and hopefully recycling their packaging) is a key step towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

That's all I have for now, let me know if you have any tips, tricks, or suggestions. Any requested blog topics are welcome as well. Let me know your thoughts :)

And tag along for the ride if you're interested!