Zero Waste Shampoo – Have You Tried it Yet?

Before I begin, I apologize for a blog that isn’t directly related to plants. It is tangentially related to plants though so I’m hoping you’ll give me a bit of leeway, dear Reader.

Like everyone else, I assume, I’m listening to loads of NPR and in between the updates on coronavirus death tolls I am hearing a lot about climate change which brings me to the topic of this blog. You see, my family and I have made quite a few changes to our daily life in order to reduce our carbon footprint.

One of those changes is switching to zero waste products when we can. The product I want to speak about specifically today is zero waste shampoo and conditioner. If you’re like I was when first discovering this product, you’re probably asking yourself, “What does zero waste shampoo even look like?” Let me show you.

I was really skeptical about making this change to my haircare routine. Thinking back, I don’t think I’ve made any drastic changes to that routine in my entire adult life. But I feel very obligated to force myself to try new (to me) things if those changes can benefit our planet.

I am delighted to say that the zero waste shampoo has been beyond successful. I feel like my hair has never looked or felt better. As an added bonus, I am crazy about the scents of these shampoos and conditioners. I actually look forward to hair washing days.

I have been using these products for 6 months as I write this blog. It did actually take a little bit of time to adjust. It took me about two weeks to get used to using bars instead of traditional shampoo. It was really just a matter of figuring out how much product to use.

One other adjustment has been the storage of the shampoo/conditioner bars. Obviously, they aren’t supposed to be left under the shower nozzle as they will just dissolve and melt away. Also, they should be allowed to dry out in between uses. I originally bought some metal tins to store the bars in, but have since changed to a soap dish. Which after all has been designed to extend the life of a bar of soap and works perfectly for a bar of shampoo or conditioner.

I’m sure there are many brands of zero waste or low waste shampoos available. But in case you were wondering what brand I am so smitten with, the company is called Lush Cosmetics. It’s that really powerfully smelling store in the mall. The one I used to avoid at all costs because I am not a lover of powerful scents. That has all changed for me. I now realize that this company has put a lot of effort into making products that are low or no carbon footprint and high quality. I recommend them very highly. And now my family of four is no longer contributing to the plastic waste problem. Of course, you can recycle, but that process itself contributes to the microplastics that are permeating our atmosphere. Why use plastic at all? Especially when the zero waste alternative is so lovely.

I want to end this by saying that I don’t in any way mean for this blog to come off as “judgy”. I only wish to make you aware of a very small (to me and you) change that can translate into a larger and more powerful change for our planet. Just think about how many bottles of shampoo and conditioner are in your shower right now. And then there are shower gels and face washes and such. And how many times a year do you buy new ones? That adds up frighteningly quickly, my friends.

My family and I have been making many small changes over the years. I have found that small changes are much more successful in our family than large and drastic ones. But as I look back, those small changes have grown quite large when added to together. And that’s something that I’m proud of.

Please feel free to ask me questions below. And make sure to like this article if you found it interesting or (hopefully) inspiring. I hope you are all staying healthy physically and mentally during this scary situation.

Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.