Going Green in the Bathroom

May 24, 2008 – 2:48 pm

Stand in your bathroom and just take a look at what you see there.  Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, maybe some makeup, body lotion, cleanser, toner, some cleaning products, toilet roll sanitary products, all the normal things you could expect to see in a bathroom.  But how green are they?  Could they be greener?

Like most people, I don’t want to live in a world without nice products to clean my face with, I want toothpaste and soft toilet paper.  I even want some fancy smellies to put in my bath on occasion.  However, I want to have all these things AND be green.  So can it be done?

Yes it can, it’s not as easy as it should be, and the more of us who demand eco friendly products, the easier it should get.  At the moment walking into your local supermarket or chemist and buying things along with your everyday shop isn’t always possible yet, but I’m sure with a little pressure from us, the consumer, it will be.

Brands such as Lavera, Lush & Logona who make facial, body & bath products, Moom who do a range of natural hair removal items, and Natracare who make natural tampons and towels (as well as nappies), are going a long way towards making it possible for the modern home to be stocked with all the goodies you’d expect to find in a bathroom, and still be green.  Add to these, environmentally (and people) friendly shampoos, conditioners, hair dye and hair styling products that are all becoming available and all you have to think about is which one you want to use. 

Where can all these things be bought?  Well a few places you could look are:
Lush
Spirit of Nature
Lavera
Ethical Superstore
Naturally Thinking
Forest Soap Factory
Nigels Eco Store
Cellande
Fresh Face Cosmetics
Calm N Comfy
These are by no means all the online stores that sell this sort of product, but just a few of the many that are out there.   

Prices vary a lot – just as they do with non eco friendly varieties of the same products, so you’ll have to evaluate which ones are best for you and in terms of value for money, but it is nice to know there is a choice.  One thing I always try to remember is that I could well be not only extending the life of the planet, but my life also by using less chemicals on my body, so even if something does cost me a few pence more (and many of them don’t cost any more anyway), then I think it’s worth it.