Before I started this whole "going green" journey last year, my bathtub resembled the bath and beauty supply aisle at Walgreens. I had my big plastic bottle of liquid soap and the big plastic poof I used to suds up with. I had a plastic bottle of shampoo and another full of conditioner. There was a steel can of shaving gel next to my plastic razor with the disposable plastic heads that hung on a plastic wall-holder thingy. I also had a plastic bottle of Neutrogena face wash, and, for those rough days - a big bottle of bubble bath. Oh yeah, and hubby's lone bar of Irish Spring.
Now? I've taken the plastic out of the shower. All you'll find in there now is a locally-produced, castille-style goat's milk soap bar, a locally-produced goat's milk shampoo bar and my "vintage" metal safety razor. Oh yeah, and hubby's lone bar of Irish Spring.
Not only have I dramatically reduced the toxicity level of my beauty products, I've also reduced the odds of dropping a big bottle in the shower, forcing me to bend over and get it, possibly slipping on the soapy tub, falling and cracking my skull open, where I would lay dying until supper time, when someone noticed there was no food on the table.
Yes, I'm having one of those days.
Anyhow, what's all this got to do with you? Today's challenge is to try to source out natural, organic products for your shower.
And to help encourage you to do try something new, I'm going to do a Burbanmom Giveaway! I'll be giving away one Wild Heaven Farm Goat Soap Bar and one Goat Soap Shampoo bar as a package for one lucky winner! Leave a comment and I'll draw a winner on Friday.
Oh, and I bought an extra shampoo bar for you folks who are looking for a 'poo alternative. If you want me to slice you off a sample and mail it to you, just drop me a line at emcoe AT verizon DOT net and I'll send you slice. Mary has promised me it won't melt in the mail, unless it gets wet. So if as long as your mailman doesn't lick your packages, it should arrive in fine shape.
36 comments:
How do you like the shampoo bar? I can get goats milk soap but I have to drive all the way out to the beach to get it and I didn't see that they made a shampoo bar. Every time I spend 4 bucks on a bar of soap I find myself staring at it for a few weeks before I'll actually use it. It's so pretty and it smells so good and I know it won't last long once I unwrap it. I have soap envy. I need a goat.
Oh, I've never tried the goat's milk soap or shampoo, but it sounds lovely.
Goatastic is right. Count me in. Hope your day gets better.
Me Me Me Me Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love to get this giveaway -- it looks so luxurious!
I have been working on my bath too. So far I suds up with Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap, have a plastic squirt bottle of baking soda/water solution for shampooing, have a spray bottle of apple-cider vinegar/water for my hair rinse, and then my PLASTIC razor. Life is soooooo much better when it's simplified! My next step is to forgo the razor with a homemade sugar wax. We'll see.... :)
I still have a shower full of plastic, but at least what's in the plastic is less toxic. My shower contents:
Two Dial liquid hand soap pumps (leftover from pre-green days) full of Dr. Bronner's. Peppermint for me, almond for hubby - the mint is too tingly for him, "er, the other him". We use this as a shower gel, shampoo, and I shave with it. Cleans the shower, too. I purchase it by the gallon, refill the little pump bottles, and recycle the gallon when empty.
One plastic razor - with disposable head. Pondering a better method. How safe is the "safety razor"?
One plastic bottle with the last of leftover Paul Mitchell conditioner from years ago. I am looking for an alternative to this as it is almost gone. Any suggestions for curly hair?
A wooden back brush with natural bristles and a natural sea sponge.
That's it. Not nearly as crazy as it used to be, but far from plastic free.
You know ~I~ love a freebie, and to try new things!! How's your hair likin' the shampoo bar? My hair hated the burt's bees one.. :(
I love this totally new-to-me use of goat milk.
After reading about your experience with the goat soap, I actually looked for something similar at my local Farmer's Market, and found these guys. They use olive oil (not local), but all of their "beauty" products are free of unhealthy additives, and it's manufactured very close to me ;).
I also found these guys (at the grocery store, not the farmer's market ;), which I actually like better, even though they use plastic in their packaging and are further away ;). I just like the liquid soap, I guess ;).
Oooh! Everyone needs a flop-eared nubian shampoo bar, but I need it the most. Pick me! Pick me!!
*crosses fingers*
must... have... goat poo... :o)
Seriously though, congrats on weeding out all the chemicals from your daily powder room life, working toward the same thing here.
~Tiff
IBM, I LOVE the shampoo bar! It beats the hell out of the Burt's Bees bottled shampoo in terms of lather and getting my hair clean.
Green Sheep, I also LOVE my safety razor. I've been using it for a couple of months and I've only nicked myself once. No worse than a "normal" razor. In fact, safety razors or other alternatives will be one of our upcoming changes! The best thing is, the replacement blades are inexpensive and last practically forever. I've only replaced the blade twice since I've started using it.
Fear not the safety razor.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME!
I'd like to win this!
So far this summer I've eliminated the plastic shower poof and switched to bar soap. I tried a Nature's Gate shampoo, which I do not like at all (but now I must use it up). Finding a good shampoo/conditioner are my next goal. Low or no plastic would be cool!
Sign me up please! I usually make my own soap, but I've never tried goat milk soap. I've heard a lot about it!
Please add me to the drawing. I am not yet ready to make the no 'poo switch, but it is on my list of future changes.
Oooh, me me me, please!
Ooo, pick me pick me! I want to try a poo soap, and goat's milk is wonderful stuff!!
Please sign me up for the giveaway!
Have you found a good alternative for the big plastic poof? Because nothing suds up like a big plastic poof, although my hand-knit chenille washcloth is close-ish.
(And does "big plastic poof" sound like something dirty?)
uh, thanks for that acronym... that's pretty much how i feel lately on chile's challenge:)
heather from Make A Bag said...
Have you found a good alternative for the big plastic poof?
Heather, have you tried a natural sea sponge? I switched from the big plastic poof to the sea sponge. I love it! It lathers like crazy and is super soft. Feels like a spa session in your shower.
So THAT'S how to get comments -- give away Goat-head soap! Brilliant! And if I win, I can give it away on MY blog! Not baaaaaad.
Oh this sounds really nice, I"d love to win it. Going green is certainly the way to go.
Ooooooooooooooooo...goat soap! Sign me up! I can't resist a good goat product...
:)
I'd love to try the goat soap. It would be a handy bridge between the dregs of the various petro-chem products I have around here and finding some locally available soap. (or getting up the guts to try making my own)
Greeen Sheeep, I have long, dry, curly hair, and I've switched from conditioner to coconut oil. If my hair isn't feeling too dry, I shampoo bar my hair and then put a tiny bit of coconut oil in my hair after I get out of the shower (like a pea sized bit, it's solid usually). If my hair feels dry, I wet my hair down, saturate it with oil, sleep with it under a shower cap and warm hat all night, and shampoo bar it out in the morning. It's actually much more moisturizing than the normal shampoo conditioner route. Olive oil works well, too.
-Elizabeth
I've been wanting to try a shampoo bar, as I too am trying to green-up my shower. So far we use Dr. Bronners, especially for the baby, and some glycerin bar soap. The shampoo is a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner, which I find saves water. I just can't find an eco-friendly one at the health food store. My hair gets so frizzy without a little conditioner, although I should try the cider vinegar.
Elizabeth -- Thanks for the tip. I have heard others talk about coconut oil. Once my conditioner is gone I think I will give it a whirl.
On burbanmom's advice to "fear not the safety razor" I am on the hunt for one of those, too. Once my last two disposable Venus heads are gone I am making the cut.
..... hopefully not literally.
With a husband that has a bald head, he only uses soap and shaving cream. The razors he uses were freebies that were about to go into the trash (brand new, too!!) and he rescued them more than 5 years ago (there were a lot!!). He is now starting to get down to the last couple of razors and then he plans to go back to the good old-fashioned razors.
I don't shave. Well, I shave the pits every now and then (with his razor! shh!!), but the rest of me is blond and you can't see it unless you look closely.
I have super long hair, so I wonder about the goat soap poo bar and how long it'll last me. I'm working on using up the last of my bottled shampoo and then I can start my hunt for natural stuff.
If I don't win, I'd love a sample!
I'd love to win! Is the soap OK for dry sking? My dermatologist recommends Dove.
(Just checking)
Jenn MC, I too have VERY dry skin and could only use Dove. However, the goat soap (especially the castille-style) is VERY moisturizing! No more itchy skin!
oh Id love to win a goat soap! (ad who wouldn't?)
thanks!
~Ellie
Oh, oooh ooohoooh. Pick me teacher, pick me.
Uh, I mean, I would love to win this. Pretty please?
Victoria
Please pick me. I'd love to try goat poo in my hair! I've tried the Burt's Bees as well as the baking soda/cider vinegar (not really feeling the love), but who can resist saying they WASH their hair with goat poo?
Love the blog.
Sarah Meow-meow
I've always wanted to try a shampoo bar, now is my big chance! Thanks for offering it!
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