I’m a Woman.
Now that we’ve gotten rid of all the woman haters, let me continue. As a woman, I’m constantly bombarded by upfront and subliminal expectations that I should live like Cleopatra. That I should own balms, salves, shampoos, lotions, and perfumes. And whaddya know: all these products tend to come in plastic containers.
Even the stuff we use on a daily basis–soap–is sold to us in liquid form.
But never fear. You don’t have to go full Fight Club to sustainably use soap. Remember when I said you can form simple habits if you wanna be more sustainable? Switching to bar soap is definitely one of them.
If you don’t trust me, take it from my buddies:
The Truth About Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
As Bea Johnson says, soap is soap. Now, I don’t 100% agree; my face wash does a better job of keeping my acne under control than dish soap. But you don’t need a bunch of soap mixed with goop and chemicals in a plastic bottle to get things clean.
According to the Washington Post:
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”
Basically, if you scrub your hand with any sort of soap for 30 seconds (sing the Happy Birthday song 3 times), you’re doing the best you can to stop the spread of bacteria and disease. So why not choose soap that’s not in thick plastic bottles?
It’s Harder to Waste Bar Soap
This statement is subjective, of course. But in my experience, I’m far less likely to waste bar soap because:
- It literally slips out of your hands if you get carried away. Liquid soap dispensers can easily pump out an unnecessary amount of soap (especially if you have little kids around the house).
- You can use all of it til its completely gone. No packaging means you don’t have to squeeze out the last bit of liquid. Or do that thing where you put a little water in the bottle to extend the soap’s life until you’re not really sure if you have enough soap to be clean.
Bonus points: As a result of using less soap, I tend to save money when I choose bar soap.
You Can Find Bar Soap Just About Anywhere
It never hurts to call ahead, but I’ve usually been able to find bar soap anywhere they sell liquid soap. My current supply is from Whole Foods (it’s literally the only thing I buy there because it has zero packaging) and the farmer’s market.
Specialty Items Are Available (for a price)
Living the zero waste life doesn’t mean you can’t indulge. If you have the cash to spare, try out these zero waste options:
- Shampoo bars (I personally like the honey infused ones or anything that conditions)
- Cetaphil face wash
- Bath bombs and bubble bars