This was originally posted on 8/26/15, but with a weekend at the beach coming, I thought we should all give it a look again. Be earth concious, but more importantly, enjoy that outdoor shower!
Taking an outdoor shower is hands down my favorite way to bathe. A couple years ago, our father installed one at the beach and since then the whole crew has paraded in and out trying to wash the sand from our tootsies. Because I would rather take all my showers outside under the moonlight, I thought it would be helpful to share our five favorite earth friendly products for the outdoor shower. These products are all biodegradable and earth friendly, but what does that mean really?
First off, biodegradable soap and shampoo does not mean it’s actually good for the environment, it simply means it can be broken down in the soil within a reasonable amount of time (about six months) by bacteria or fungus in the soil. Biodegradable soaps can still contaminate water supplies so it’s important to use them at least 200 feet away from water sources. Never ever bath directly in a river or stream with biodegradable soap let alone other soaps. That being said, some of these biodegradable soaps are gentle and earth friendly. They don’t include phosphates and other chemicals that are nearly impossible to break down and remove from the water supply, even in treatment plants.
When thinking about using biodegradable bath products, it doesn’t stop at shampoo and body wash. If you think about it, anything you put on your skin from deodorant to lotion to bug spray will eventually have to be washed off and added back into our water supply. Keep yourself clean and the environment healthy by making informed decisions about body products and only choosing earth friendly, biodegradable brands. Below are our absolute favorite brands and that we are truly proud of.
Five Best Earth Friendly Products for an Outdoor Shower:
- Dr. Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap is my favorite body wash and it can even be used as shampoo too! If you use Dr. Bronner’s as shampoo, make sure you also get the Conditioning Rinse. *Amazon now offers the 32oz bottles and half gallon jugs as Prime products.
Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo really hydrates hair with its combination of argan oil, fatty acids and vitamin E. I love the story of KISS. Their products are healthy, effective and earth friendly and have been for over thirty years.For the longest time we recommended Kiss My Face, but their EWG score just isn’t good enough for us to recommend. An alternative that we’ve tried and loved are the Avalon Organics Shampoos (EWG top scores). The scents are amazing. Try their lavender, rosemary, or lemon for an awesome shower experience.- Tom’s Natural Toothpaste has been around since 1970. Check out their Reason For Being and tell me that’s not enough to switch to Tom’s forever. For the record, my favorite flavor is Fennel.
- DIY body scrubs with natural ingredients like our easy Fresh Lemon foot scrub or the Mint, Salt, and Sand body scrub. Scrubs are perfect for exfoliating rough skin with sand and sugar while also adding moisture with coconut and olive oil. You could also lotion up with coconut oil after your shower while you’re still damp. I buy Viva Naturals brand.
- Big Fluffy Robes are imperative! They make a great gift too. After your shower, wrap your hair in a towel, put on a robe, and get inside before the mosquitoes start biting. Or plant some mosquito repelling plants and take your time getting inside.
What do you think of our list? Have you ever tried Dr. Bronner’s or Tom’s or Kiss My Face? They’re all great products and pretty awesome companies. You can tell by their websites that their companies are run by compassionate and ambitious individuals. Do you have an outdoor shower? We would love to see a snapshot of it. Tag us on instagram @liveseasoned.
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I want to make my own hair and body shampoo that is earth friendly. Does anyone have a good recipe?
we are making one and i have a good recipe
re. shampoo and also face scrub – I have been using rye flour for a few months now and can totally recommend. You simply get rye flour, sift, make a paste and rub into your scalp. I rarely use conditioner. It is a little messy but has been awesome for my dry and irritated scalp. I can’t imagine soil friendly shampoos come any simpler.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing – I’m going to give this one a try. Happy shampooing!