Many of us are familiar with the global fight occurring that is aiming to reduce plastic waste and educate the public on ways that we can all take part. People from all ages and walks of life have taken interest in the new wave of the environmental movement that has focused largely on our consumption of resources and our wastefulness in many regards.
Plastics are everywhere. They are inescapable. Most plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, which causes them to linger in the environment, creating a suffocating effect on animals and ecosystems. They’re now causing issues in all environments; especially the ocean. Plastics contain compounds that have even been linked to certain cancers and hormone disruption. These are just a few of the plentiful reasons, supported by studies and data, that we should feel empowered and encouraged to take the issue into our own hands.
While the actions and efforts of one individual may not seem like a huge step forward, when it is multiplied by hundreds of thousands, millions, or even billions of people, the rippled effect is incredibly significant.
Again, while there are countless ways for us to reduce, or even cut our plastic usage entirely, we’d like to focus on an essential plastic-free bathroom hack. Why? The bathroom is the room in the house where we tend to use and waste the most amount of plastic; next to the kitchen, of course.
If shampoo bars ring any bells for you, it’s not by accident. They are one of the most effective zero-waste swaps. If they’re a new concept for you, great! You will be learning the ins and outs about what they are, how they reduce plastic. how easy they are to implement into your routine, and why traditional shampoos are not only a waste of money but why shampoo bars are a healthier alternative for the environment and us.
So, what’s a shampoo bar?
Shampoo bars are an alternative to regular liquid shampoos found in plastic packaging. Your usual go-to brand may have popped into your head while reading. They’re made and distributed without being packaged in plastic. In fact, they are self-preserving and do not require a casing of any type.
They usually come in the shape similar to a hockey puck or soap bar. Some are hesitant to purchase them due to them appearing in smaller size compared to a full plastic bottle of your ‘favourite’ brand name product. However, shampoo bars are incredibly concentrated with rich, wholesome ingredients, including oils and essences, and the phrase, “a little goes a long way’, could not be more true for shampoo bars. But, we’ll cover that in more detail down below.
Shampoo bars composition is triggered when exposed to water when they can be applied to the hair. There are shampoo bars for nearly every hair type and desired hair goal; beach waves, sensitive scalp, hair growth, shine, you name it! And yes, they lather up fast and easy, just like regular bottled shampoo.
When you finish a use, simply allow them to air dry on a soap dish until your next use!
How do they reduce plastic use?
Switching to shampoo bars can save a typical first world country over 500 million plastic bottles per year from being sent to landfills or sent through the tedious and expensive recycling process. While it may be redundant to point out, it’s important to remember that the best way to reduce plastic waste is to not purchase items that contain plastic in the first place. This makes shampoo bars the perfect and one of the easiest bathroom swaps.
Why they’re a better use of your money
A typical shampoo bar, due to their higher concentrations, last three times longer than a standard bottled shampoo. The lifetime of a typical bottled product simply cannot compete with the life of a shampoo bar. Mostly, this is due to what ingredients they’re made from.
What you will notice if you take a few minutes to read over the back of your shampoo bottles is the top ingredient used is water. This is also a marketing tactic that gets you to buy more of their products since the top ingredient is water, you need more product per use to clean your hair. Now, water is natural, but it really does nothing for the purpose of cleaning your hair, especially if your hair thicker. Shampoo bars are different. They use special oils and natural compounds that removed hair build-up and leave hair shiny, clean and replenished with nutrients.
Shampoo bars are also easier for travelling. Forget any leaks or hassles during security check-ins at airports. You’ll quickly enjoy their perks, especially when you know they’re healthier and purchase!
Why they’re healthier for us (and the planet)
Remember the start of this article when plastic compounds that can be linked to cancers and hormonal disruptions were mentioned? Those are not found in solid shampoo bars for the simple reason that they do not contain plastic. Also, it’s very important for makers of shampoo bars to produce them with high standards and codes. Meaning, that most large distributors of shampoo bars and other zero waste products know that their audiences are demanding and expecting products that beat out against plastic options in all ways, including the quality and integrity of their ingredients.
Thus, they only use ingredients that are naturally sourced and have not been found to cause any health risks. The planet benefits from the reduction in plastic as well as the reduction in chemical and agents that go into groundwater and water treatment systems.
While there are many reasons to switch to a plastic-free lifestyle, and many ways shampoo bars can help, these are a few of our favourite reasons to transition to using them. You can easily buy them online and have your first of many shipped directly to your door!
Tell us in the comments your experience with shampoo bars, or if you’re interested in starting to use them!
