Tips For Reducing The Environmental Impact Of Soap With Your Own Routine

The average person washes their hands 8.6 times every day. In the past year, however, regular washing of hands with soap has been highlighted in order to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria, and people have been washing their hands even more frequently. Have you ever considered, though, the environmental impact of the soap that you are using? The good news is that research done by the Department of Environmental Science has found that the compounds in basic soap are relatively harmless: they break down very quickly, so they don’t have a great impact on rivers, lakes and our water sources. It is the manufacturing process that can be harmful, so it is important to choose your soap carefully.

The plastic bottle dilemma

When they were first introduced, plastic bottles were considered to be the miracle container, revolutionizing the way that products were sold all over the world. We simply didn’t understand the damage that plastic was doing to our planet. Every year, more than 500 million plastic bottles end up in landfill – they are not recycled. Those bottles take more than 500 years to decompose. The situation has gotten so bad now that there are plastic microparticles in our oceans and water systems, harming both animals and humans.

Abandoning plastic

There is a big supply and demand issue when it comes to plastic bottles. If the customer wants them, then the manufacturers will continue to produce them. It is ultimately down to the individual to take responsibility. When you buy soap and shampoo, look for products that are made ethically with regard for the environment. Get into the habit of making your beauty routine eco-friendly, and choose soap bars instead of liquid shampoos and soaps in a bottle. The liquid soaps use five times more energy in terms of raw material production than bars. The packaging uses 20 times the energy. Rather than choosing soap that comes in a plastic bottle, use a bar version that has minimal packaging. You can even buy shampoo and conditioner in the form of a bar that can be used every day.

The ingredients of soap

Soap is a simple product. It is made from an oil or fat, water and some kind of alkaline – salt is often used. All the other ingredients that you will find listed on the packaging are superfluous. They may make the soap smell nice, or make the bar of soap a pink color, but they are not necessary in order to do a good job of cleaning your hands. When you buy soap, look at the ingredients and disregard anything that contains parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) or Triclosan – these are all chemicals that can irritate the skin and harm the environment. If you want fragranced soap, try to choose a bar that contains natural essential oils, such as lavender oil.

When it comes to soap, the fewer ingredients, the better if you are thinking about the environment. Wave farewell to liquid soap in plastic bottles and choose a simple bar – it will be just as effective, and that one small change can make a big difference to the environment.