The health and beauty industry is one of the fastest-growing business sectors internationally. But there is now an ever-increasing population of ethical consumers who are turning their back on the mainstream cosmetic giants in favour of clean beauty brands.
Not only are people looking for high-quality products, but there’s also an increasing demand for brands to be cruelty-free and to demonstrate an awareness of their impact on the environment. Around 10 million animals suffer and die due to cosmetic testing every year, and so there are now many cruelty-free products on the market hoping to challenge industry standards. One of these more ethical products is a natural deodorant, and here are five compelling reasons to choose it when you next go shopping:
5 reasons to switch to a natural deodorant
1. No nasty ingredients
If it hadn’t already occurred to you to check the ingredients on your deodorant, maybe you should. It turns out that antiperspirants are full of ingredients that could potentially harm you, such as aluminium. The aluminium salts contained within some deodorant formulas are formulated to actually block your sweat ducts. Preventing moisture from forming on your skin.
Aluminium has been linked to the development of certain cancers as well as Alzheimer’s, so by choosing a natural deodorant, you are reducing the risks associated with this particular ingredient.
2. Sweat it out – it’s good for you!
Whilst most antiperspirants block the sweat from exiting your body. Natural deodorants allow you to sweat whilst preventing the unpleasantness of body odour.
It is healthy and natural to release sweat while exercising. As it releases toxins and can help boost your immune system.
When you prevent sweat from leaving the body, this can cause build-up beneath the skin – resulting in painful and irritable bumps under your arms.
Natural deodorants allow you to sweat, however, they prevent the bacteria on your skin from reacting with the moisture you produce, preventing nasty body odour.
3. Goodbye sweat stains…
As mentioned before, most regular antiperspirants contain aluminium as a means to prevent you from sweating. However, as well as being harmful to you, aluminium can also react with your sweat and clothing to create unsightly sweat stains. By choosing a natural alternative, you are less likely to ruin your clothes.
4. It’s the ethical choice
With as many as 36% of women only buying from brands who don’t test on animals, it is clear to see that the beauty industry is changing – it has never been easier for consumers to go cruelty-free.
By choosing a natural deodorant, you are reducing your impact on the environment by not contributing to animal testing. Health and beauty brands now have alternative tests at their disposal, as there are more than 50 forms of non-animal related tests which have been validated for use.
For those who are conscious of animal welfare and want to make a difference, natural deodorant is the best choice. If a product is cruelty-free they are usually certified by companies such as PETA or Cruelty Free International.
5. Natural deodorant is good for your skin
Natural deodorants tend to contain natural oils and other ingredients that can actually condition and moisturise the skin beneath your arms. Unlike regular deodorants, they treat your skin sensitively whilst working effectively.
Leaving a cruelty-free life is much much more than just caring for the food we eat. It’s literally about living a cruelty-free life as much as possible and that includes sex.
Sex should be fun, exciting and pleasant and not another way for us to increase our carbon footprint and keep destroying the environment.
When I found out that many necessary sex products contain animal ingredients it was a shock… There are things that you don’t even question, right? After that, I started researching and looking for solutions. After that point, I opened the door to a new world of eco-friendly sex products.
I care that the products I use in my body are nontoxic, nonirritating, and align with my lifestyle and values— so they need to be animal-free and environmentally friendly.
Is your sex life impacting the environment?
Is not enough to only think about reducing plastic cups and straws, we need to think about how we currently live our lives on a deeper level.
Almost everything we buy and use is disposable, so we may not be doing a load of good to the world when we don’t think about our choices. Being a conscious consumer means making the best choices you possibly can.
Luckily, the act of sex itself is not bad for the environment at all 🙂 and there are great options in the market of products that are good quality, eco-friendly and cruelty-free, from vegan condoms, organic lubricant to sex toys.
So there is no need to buy products that contain animal byproducts, that use non-sustainable materials and ingredients that are harmful to us.
How to have a vegan-eco-friendly vagina?
Vegan eco-Friendly Lubricant
Some products in the market can be really harmful to our lady parts, with parabens and chemicals based in petroleum, that have been linked to hormone imbalances, infertility and some cancers. Not to talk about global warming.
Thankfully there are plenty of brands making vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly lube, without parabens or glycerin.
My personal choice here is Good Clean Love because they are really good for sensitive skin and also good to the planet.Good Clean Love lubricantsare made of plant-based ingredients, water-based and organically certified. Their products work really well for me.
Sex toys
This is a real problem that no one is talking about.. what to do with the sex toys that we don’t want anymore? Well most of them end up in the landfill… stubbornly not biodegrading.
I don’t really know any recycling programs so while we wait for a take-back program we need to be more thoughtful on how many items we purchase and what materials we choose.
So to have an eco-friendly orgasm and to have your conscience clean, for the sake of the world and your body, there are some options out there.
The greener options are the ones made from glass,silicone, stainless steel, ceramic, or even recycled hardwood, there are also soft-to-touch vibrators made with natural materials.
Make also sure they are waterproof, phthalate-free and chargeable, so you don’t have to use batteries.
What about condoms?
To start here I stand by the idea that is always better to have sex with any condom than sex without one. We are responsible to protect ourselves and others when we are sexually active.
Now you are asking, what is the problem with condoms?
Well, I will start from the beginning… More often than not condoms rely on animal testing, the majority of condoms are made of latex, along with stabilisers, preservatives, and hardening agents, so because is not made only from 100% natural latex, condoms are not biodegradable.
The most sustainable type of condom is latex, which is a renewable resource that biodegrades. Polyurethane condoms, definitely won’t degrade and aren’t recyclable either.
There are condom brands in the market that are 100% vegan, fair trade, non-toxic, cruelty-free, made with sustainable materials and paraben free.
When you want to spice things up
There are also great options for the BDSM community, with more accessible vegan items that are ethically made, many from recycled rubber. Just avoid leather or silk restraints, or anything feathered. Use hemp or bamboo rope for bondage.
Intimate washes
When we talk about intimate washes we talk about products that go well on an area that relies on a careful balance of bacteria to stay healthy.
The products need to be unscented and non-toxic to not undo our natural balance.
I personally use the Balance Moisturizing Personal Washfrom Good Clean Love, it helps cleanse, and to maintain optimal vaginal pH levels, and even though it refreshes and eliminate odour is free of artificial fragrances, harsh soaps and parabens.
They also sell an Intimacy Essential Kit that contains an organic personal lubricant, 12 individually-wrapped, pH-balancing wipes and one aphrodisiac essential oil bottle.
To keep in mind…
Remember that individually we will not save the world, but every little bit counts.
Do your part for the environment and share the love and in this case what’s better than being eco-friendly while having pleasure at the same time?!
Is there anything you do in the bedroom (or other parts of the house) to be cruelty-free and more eco-friendly whether you’re vegan or just looking after your body?
Personally, I love candles they’re great as gifts and they are also great to set the mood and fill my home all year round with light and pleasant aromas.
The problem is that most brands use paraffin or beeswax and stearic acid, produced from animal fat in their candles.
Although most candles contain animal products, vegan candles are easy to find.
There are some brands making non-toxic, cruelty-free candles with high-quality essential oils. The one I love to use is produced locally near me by a certified aromatherapist called Kasia, and her husband. Kasia is the co-founder of LUMINESSENCE NATURALS and she makes the essential oils and creates the delicious aromas.
They are a small business that sells mostly locally in the UK but they also export to other countries. Their candles are luxurious and smell deliciously.
Why choose 100% Natural Soy Candles with pure essential oils?
Soy candles are made from soybeans, derived from a Eco-friendly natural and renewable source. Plus soy wax is also biodegradable.
A candle made from soy wax burns cleaner and they are also non-toxic. When using Natural Soy Candles rather than paraffin-based candles you avoid breathing in toxic smoke or chemicals.
Soy candles typically last longer, you may pay more initially, but you won’t have to buy new candles as often.
The Luminessence Naturals Soy Candles contain the highest percentage of the best quality essential oils. Each Soy Candle is 100% Natural, ethically sourced & hand poured with absolutely no artificial ingredients. They not tested on animals, they are Vegan, Paraben & Chemical free.
Whether is to relax or lift your mood use eco-friendly, vegan candles ?? and relax without the worry of any chemical nasties polluting your home ?
Let me know if you knew about soy candles and if you have any thoughts or recommendations 🙂
(*Although I talk about a specific brand this post was NOT sponsored *)
As you all know I’m vegan, what you don’t know yet is why I went vegan in the first place. A plant-based diet came to me very naturally as my knowledge grew about the devastating implication that animal exploitation has on our planet.
So for me, it’s not only a diet but making thoughtful choices about everything in my life in order to cause the less impact on the planet as possible.
I probably consider myself to be an environmentalist first. A plant-based diet just fit on it naturally, because is the most environmentally-friendly way to live.
Nowadays I’m vegan for many reasons, for the environment, for the animals and, for my health. All the choices I make in my life go in this line. Choosing a shampoo couldn’t be any different ???
For obvious reasons, starting to use a bar shampoo is the right way to go, but the problem is to know what to choose.
I hope that you will find this post useful. Because for me when I decided to swap for a bar shampoo it was quite hard to find information and to know what was good on the market.
The brands
The brands mentioned here are all from the United Kingdom and all have a philosophy that agrees profoundly with my ethics.
All the shampoos were tried by me and also my partner (he volunteered himself ?).
So what is written here is a completely honest review about the experience we had with the products. A mere recommendation to start you off on your journey to find the best shampoo bar for you.
All bar shampoos mentioned here are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, free from palm oil, and are from conscientious businesses ??
probably, it’s also important to say that I’m not being paid to write this article, and I will not receive anything in return if you purchase a product from the list ?
Caroline’s NEEM & Rosemary bar shampoo is precious, it has a delicate smell and is packed with goodness. You can feel by the touch and smell how careful she is at choosing the ingredients.
I just love the ethics behind her small business.
When I first used the shampoo my hair got in a mess, was very oily and kind of waxy; I found it difficult to create a good lather and to rinse.
This is not an uncommon issue for some people when using a new bar shampoo!!
So I kept trying and my reward was a healthy, soft and silky hair, after 2 weeks 🙂 I found that with this shampoo was easier to create foam on my hands, and only use the foam to wash my hair, instead of rubbing the bar directly on my hair.
From day one I didn’t need to use conditioner with this shampoo, what was great. The shampoo is made with great natural ingredients and the packaging is very environmentally friendly! The product arrived very quickly, was packaged well, no plastic involved, and the ingredients were all listed.
All Caroline’s products are handmade with locally foraged herbs and she uses predominantly organic ingredients. Her products are based on herbal extracts, non-GMO, no artificial colorants or dyes, chemical free, no parabens, and no synthetic fragrances.
I’ve tried all the 3 different bar shampoos they have. The one with Lavender and Geranium, the one with Lavender and Tea Tree and the Travel Soap, that contains lemongrass, lavender, tea tree and peppermint.
They all smell amazingly and I found the performance between the three quite similar on my hair, my favorite in terms of essence was the Travel Soap.
Plus I found the travel soup’s idea quite clever because it’s formulated to be antiseptic, anti-fungal and insect repellent. You can’t really ask for more when traveling, can you?
All 3 shampoos lathered up super easily (actually its quite impressive for a natural shampoo), and rinsed well. I didn’t need to use conditioner (only an acidic (ACV) rinse twice a week).
During the first week I had to wash my hair every day because was super oily and greasy, but now I can go 3-4 days without washing my hair. It worked better for me to cut the bars in half, to have more hand-sized pieces.
The Friendly soap bars are the ones withthe best value for money, between all the bars I’ve tried. The product arrived very quickly, was packaged well on a paper box so no plastic involved. The individual paper boxes contain the list of all ingredients.
Friendly soap is a company from West Yorkshire (UK) with a strong connection to nature, so their products have little impact on nature and health as possible. Every bar is poured, cut, stamped and packed by hand.
They don’t use any animal products or by-products. They only use naturally biodegradable ingredients, plant-based oils, essential oils, flowers, spices and herbs and buy fair-trade ingredients.
I’ve tried the Rosemary and Lemongrass bar shampoo and it worked quite well on my hair.
During the first month, my hair was quite sticky. After that, I felt a boost on my hairs health. The Shampoo is extremely moisturizing yet lightweight and cleans well. The essence it’s also amazing, it smells lovely but doesn’t foam much.
I do an ACV rinse twice a week when I’m using this shampoo to help de-tangle and to add softness.
The product arrived quickly, on a lovely package, with a personalized letter and small note with instruction and the list ingredients. It was lovely to receive something so thoughtful. Because of the presentation this bar shampoo is great to offer as a gift.
Zoralou Organics is a mother & daughter business founded and based in The Lake District, UK. They create synergistic blends, with handmade products that are vegan-friendly. Everything they do is non-toxic, chemical and paraben free. They also have a resident Aromatherapist that is available to advise and tailor make specific blends on request to suit any individual needs, what is really cool.
I just loved the shape of this bar shampoo, much easier to hold and apply than the regular rectangular ones, really fits right into your palm.
The Pure Chimp only sells 1 type of shampoo, or you like this one or you don’t. One of its pros is the fact that only has literally 5 ingredients. Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Beer, Banana Extract, what for a shampoo is pretty amazing.
The smell reminded me of a banana bubble-gum that I used to eat when I was a child, not really a fan of the smell, but it’s imperceptible on the hair when rinsed. So not really a problem. The shampoo is incredibly easy to lather and rinsing was not an issue. During the first couple of washes my hair was a bit heavier than normal like it had wax, but naturally, after a couple of weeks that sensation reduced and my hair started to get soft and looked healthy and clean.
The product arrived very quickly, was wrapped in recyclable black pepper, with a sticker listing all the ingredients.
Pure Chimp products are all 100% natural and vegan-friendly, plus they give 5% of their profits to charity. They are a small company from Huntingdon, UK.
After a short adaptation period, of about a week, where my hair didn’t look really happy (neither I ?), I can go now for about 3 days before my hair needs to be washed again. So far I didn’t need to use conditioner with this shampoo. I only do an ACV rinse once/twice a week and my hair is very smooth. I’m really happy with the results.
This bar shampoo foams really well which helps to massage your scalp.
I cut the soap into 4 pieces to get the most out of it. The lather is amazing, and my hair feels soft and smells great. My partner also loved this shampoo.
The product arrived very quickly, involved in a strip of recycled paper which can be composted with all the ingredients listed and a note inside with instructions, hits, and tips.
Wild Sage is a small family-run business hand crafting cold processed soaps and skin-loving balms from natural ingredients, from their cottage in the Herefordshire countryside. “Simple, honest and good”.
All the soaps they sell are made with 100% natural, Vegan ingredients, The shampoo I’ve tried has Rapeseed oil and Organic Apple Cider Vinegar along with their home-grown Rosemary, and infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Truly amazing.
The bar shampoo I’ve tried was the Soak And Float, and as everything on the Lush shop this product is quite appealing visually and the smell is absolutely delicious. The size is perfect and easy to hold and use.
The Soak And Float shampoo is specific for dandruff/itchy scalp. But they have more than a dozen solid shampoos to choose from.
This shampoo gives a deep cleanse, from the very first wash. My hair felt healthy, light and bouncy.
This was the only bar shampoo that my hair accepted from day one. So I didn’t go through the adjustment period like I did with the other ones.
The shampoo foams so much more than any other bar shampoo I’ve used and has a good smelling lather. My experience with this shampoo was more than positive I only think that is a shame that they use SLS on their shampoos.
The product arrived very quickly, inside a colorful paper bag with a sticker with all the ingredients listed.
Lush is a cosmetics retailer headquartered in Poole, UK; they sell creams, soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, scrubs, masks and other cosmetics using vegetarian or vegan recipes, and use parabens to preserve their products.
The company do not support animal testing, and since 2008 they removed all traces of palm oil from the products. Lush donates 100% of the price of every ‘Charity Pot’ purchased to charities that promote environmental conservation, animal welfare, and human rights.
***
Which one to go for?
It is a matter of taste and type of hair. All the ones mentioned here are really good!!
So look for one that can be adapted to your hair, and persist if the shampoo doesn’t agree with you straight away, it will be worth it.
Keep in mind that bar shampoos do not strip hair in the same way as detergent-based shampoos so its normal that your hair will feel different to the touch after washing.
I found that shampoo bars worked well on my hair after the adaptation period. Although my partner had a different experience. His hair didn’t require any adaptation and was really easy for him to switch to a shampoo bar. That made me so mad and super jealous?.
Personally, after using the bar shampoos I’m not using conditioner, that I used to use after every hair wash. The nourishing butters and oils that the bars have worked really well for me. So far they have been enough to keep my hair smooth and healthy.
?Important
There is usually an adjustment periodof about 1 month on chemically treated hair when using natural products. So if your hair doesn’t look great after the first wash that’s normal, just keep persisting.
If you still think after a while that the bar shampoo is not agreeing with your hair, you are probably not using the right one for your hair. The true is everyone’s hair and scalp are unique so try different samples, until you find the one that is perfect for you.
What I’ve learned
Apparently, my hair is very picky. Almost all shampoos left residue on my hair and caused oiliness. I really had to keep trying until my hair and scalp got used to it.
I blame the water (hihi ?) from where I live that is just too hard to handle natural shampoo ?
Although I was able to make the change and I couldn’t be happier with that.
No more harsh chemicals, no more plastic bottles, zero effect on the environment. Yupy ?
What kind of shampoo do you use? have you tried to use a solid shampoo before?
Shampoo bars have been my latest obsession 🙂 they are great for someone like me that cares about the environment and avoids plastic, travels often, prefers to use natural products and only buys vegan products. Most of the Shampoo Bars will tick all those boxes easily.
A bar shampoo is basically a solid shampoo in a bar form, often made from just a few and more natural ingredients plus they are Plastic packaging-free
pros & cons
PROS
Travel-friendly (lightweight & compact size)
Most shampoo bars don’t contain SLS and use more natural ingredients
Cost effective (lasts longer than the liquids)
Plastic packaging-free
Reduced carbon footprint (because of their smaller size, more can fit into the lorries that transport them)
Affordable (lots of options under £6/€7/$10)
Shampoo bars can also be used for other purposes like washing your body, or clothes while traveling.
Great smell
CONS
Some companies might try to hide their ingredients and try to make it sound better than it really is
They are made of natural products, most expire within 6 months (unless otherwise indicated on the product)
Build-up can make adjusting to natural shampoo bars especially frustrating
If you live in an area with hard water, the bars shampoo may not perform as expected
You may have to play around with different bars to find the one that works for you.
Some people need an adjustment period before the scalp becomes used to the new shampoo.
If you’re interested in giving one a try look carefully at the ingredients, and keep in mind that for most people there is an adjustment period of about 1 month on chemically treated hair when using a natural bar shampoo.
Do you use a bar shampoo? have you ever tried one? Please let me know if you have any questions and comments!
As someone that travels for long periods with minimal luggage, finding ways to save space, weight and avoid liquids can be a bit like rocket science ?. The use of shampoo bars sounds an idea from heaven, not only because is not liquid, but because is small, compact, zero-waist, and seemingly longer-lasting than liquid shampoo.
A bar shampoo it’s essentially a solid shampoo in bar form, often made from just a few and more natural ingredients plus there is no plastic package.
Shampoo bars will likely have Little lather or bubbles to them because they often don’t contain an artificial lathering agent. So if you like lots of bubbles this is probably not for you.
The key is to know what to choose. Try to avoid chemicals and artificial ingredients, palm oil, SLS – aka Sodium Laurel Sulfate, artificial fragrances, harsh preservatives and, dyes. None of these additions are good for you, either the planet. Better to look for shampoo bars with highly nourishing butters, oils, essential oils and botanical extracts.
If you’re vegan, I’m too, so there is no problem here 🙂 there are many brands which make vegan-friendly shampoo bars. When you are looking for a bar shampoo just avoid ingredients like milks, honeys, or other animal products.
I know that it may sound a bit complicated at the beginning…
It’s hard to know what kind of shampoos are there in the market, and which ones are the best ones for your hair type.
In the end, choosing the right shampoo bar will really be a result of trial and error. But I might turn your life just a little bit easier 🙂> check it here <
To help you (and me ?) to choose, I’ve been trying different bar shampoos, if you do some research you’ll be amazed at the variety and quantity available on the market (what makes it harder to choose).
Bar Shampoo
How to use a shampoo bar?
First wet your hair thoroughly.
For me workes the best rubbing the bar between my hands first, instead of applying it directly on my hair.
Only a little of shampoo is needed, the bars are quite concentrated. If you use too much they can leave your hair feeling greasy and or waxy when dry. Take your time to wash out properly.
If you keep having the feeling that you are not raising your hair properly or if you live in a hard water area, you may need to do an acidic rise, with apple cider vinegar or diluted lemon juice to help balance and restore a healthy pH to the scalp and to remove old chemicals. Also brushing your hair often helps to redistribute the oils throughout the hair.
Make sure you store your bars in a dry place to prevent them from breaking down or melting. The bar should be completely dry between uses.
Note: for most people, there is an adjustment period of about 1 month on chemically treated hair when using a natural bar shampoo.
I hope you are thinking that this might be a good idea. If that is the case just think about the amount of plastic you can avoid and you will make your mind in a second 🙂
Leave in the comments box any questions or tips you may have!
