1. They’re about half the size of a Top 10 list, so you can finish reading before your legs fall asleep.
2. They give you enough information to be helpful without making you eco-overwhelmed.
3. Let’s be honest, our attention spans aren’t what they used to be. I could explain this further, but you’d probably skip ahead.
4. They force me to prioritize the things I don’t want you to miss instead of dumping ten years of eco-nerd knowledge in your lap.
5. You can jump around and read whatever catches your eye. No guilt. No quizzes afterward.

It’s not like each of the 5 has a DON’T SKIP ME label on it, because that would be cheating. So anyway let’s get down to it…here are my Top 5 ways to go green and save money in your shower.

DON’T SKIP ME #1

Rethink Your Shampoo and Conditioner

You ever been at the bar late at night in your 20s when someone yells “Last Call!” Suddenly your options aren’t nearly as good as they were an hour ago. The same thing happens when you run to the pharmacy ten minutes before they close. You’ll find something that works, but it probably won’t be your first choice. To make your life easier, I did the research for you.  My point is if you want more options then you need to put in some effort.

Option #1: Shampoo and conditioner bars. They seem strange at first because they’re basically bars of soap for your hair, but after a week or two they become completely normal. You realize the bottle of shampoo was all water anyway so why waste space in your shower and all that packaging. I liked the Badger Shampoo Bar.

Option #2: Refillable subscriptions. We use Plaine Products and absolutely love them. They ship shampoo and conditioner in aluminum bottles. When you finish one, swap the pump onto the new bottle, stick the empty back in the original box, slap on the prepaid label and send it back to be cleaned and reused. If subscriptions aren’t your thing, you can simply order replacements whenever you need them.

Option #3: Zero-waste refill stores. Yep, they’re real. Bring your own container, fill it with exactly what you need and head home. It’s one of those ideas that makes you wonder why we weren’t doing this all along.

Option #4:  The DIY route. There are a ton of recipes to make your own. Skip the conditioner and make your own apple cider vinegar rinse (just google that one too). Or you can always reach out to me as I’ve done a lot of the work already. I’d be happy to share some of the recipes that have worked out for me (as well as some that haven’t).

DON’T SKIP ME #2

Drop Your Soap

I haven’t bought soap from a store since 2016! I have a soap dealer, yes you read that right. Years ago I was at a farmer’s market and came across a vendor selling homemade soap. This person was not the creator, just the seller. I had just had a conversation with my husband who swore he’d never leave his favorite green St. Patrick’s Day-themed brand of Leprechaun lather. Long story short, we never purchased green soap again (that’s a whole other story that you can read about here). Now as much as we loved our new soap it was expensive so I took out the middle man. I contacted the creator directly and we made a deal. We meet up (I’m dressed like Carmen Sandiego with dark glasses and I carry a briefcase, she dresses normal), I buy her soap in bulk and she gives me a discount. There’s no chemicals, it’s locally made, no shipping charges and lowers my impact on the environment. Biggest bonus…I’m supporting a local business and I know what’s in it. But if you can’t seem to find your own soap dealer there are tons of toxic free options on Etsy. Just be careful. My soap dealer says to make sure you read the ingredients (if they don’t list them then don’t buy it).

DON’T SKIP ME #3

Trade Razor Burn for a Safety Razor

Our shower caddy used to have at least 2-3 plastic razors in it, pink for me and blue for him. It looked like a goth gender reveal party and it was really just a lot of crappy plastic that we were paying for. Over the years we dumped the disposables and opted for buying the razor handles with the detachable heads, we were on the right track but still a lot of wasted material. Fortunately there is an even eco-friendlier option regaining some popularity. When I was a kid medicine cabinets had razor blade slots where you would toss used blades into an abyss. This was really just a hole in the wall where they would pile up. I’m not saying this is an excellent idea, especially for the contractor who finds the surprise when redoing your 1960s bathroom, BUT the old fashioned safety razor is making a comeback. It’s plastic free, sturdy (seriously this might be the one and only razor you use for the rest of your life), has steel recyclable blades and is WAY better for the environment. I have a test subject in mind (let’s call him husband) so be on the lookout for an article about that experience in the near future. Bonus option…if you’re an eco-loving, hairy crazy woman like me you can ditch the razors and shaving cream forever and go for laser hair removal. Warning – it’s EXPENSIVE but seriously it’s the best. I shave maybe once or twice a year. I figured with waxing, buying razors and shaving cream I’ll end up saving money over my lifetime.

DON’T SKIP ME #4

Low Flow Is Good to Go

I’ve been talking about low-flow shower heads for years. When low flow shower heads first came out all I heard was you’ll lose all your water pressure. Not sure what changed but they’ve come a long way and I have zero complaints about mine. My hubby loves all the different spray modes, they’re super easy to install, and they save both water and money. Here’s one of my picks to get you started. Bonus idea…you can get a Berkey shower filter to attach to make sure you’re bathing with clean, chemical free water.

DON’T SKIP ME #5

A Better Option Than Paper or Plastic

I first learned about soap bags when I cheated on my soap lady and ordered this bar of soap that caught my eye. It came with a soap bag. I thought it was just for packaging, but turns out it’s great for exfoliation and foaming up. It dries in between showers keeping it from disintegrating which also saves you money. When your soap bar gets super small it won’t matter because it’s in the bag and won’t keep falling out of your hands (which means one less thing rolling around your shower floor). So if you don’t want to be feeling around on the wet shower floor with your eyes squinted shut like Velma looking for her glasses (Scooby Dooby Doo!) then you should definitely check these out. They sell tons of them on Etsy and Amazon (like this one) and if you buy a good one, you can wash it and use it for a really, really, really long time.

I should point out, my husband made his own Top 5 Shower list for me. It went about as you’d expect.

It came as no surprise that every single suggestion somehow involved showering with me.

I chose not to publish his version.

You’re welcome.

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