My Top 5 Zero Waste Shower Essentials

Welcome back! In today’s article, I wanted to share some of my top zero-waste shower essentials with you. Going zero waste seemed really daunting at first, and I think it’s harder to do if you try to do it all in one go. So I’m steadily changing over little habits here and there to reduce my consumption and turn to zero waste alternatives.

One of the first and easiest places for me to do this was with my shower products. There are so many good zero waste shower swaps out there these days! There’s really no need for plastic or disposable products when it comes to showering anymore (as far as the basics go). So, here are my top five zero waste shower essentials.

1. Bar Soap

This one’s a no-brainer. Body soap has been coming in bar format for years! Plus there are so many neat, handmade varieties to try, and some of them are really beautiful too. Bar soap replaces plastic containers of shower gel or body wash. I store mine on a little wire rack in the corner of our shower. You can also get a re-usable metal container to hold it which doubles as a handy travel case when you need it.

2. Bar Shampoo & Conditioner

This one is a little harder to get right than straight up body soap, especially the conditioner, but it is doable. I’m currently using bar shampoo and conditioner from Lush Cosmetics. So far, I love the shampoo and the conditioner is okay – it really needs to be warmed up to get the product going. However, I recently learned that Lush products contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate), a toxic additive which gives them that foamy quality. So as much as I love that they’re zero waste, I won’t be purchasing them again.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other options out there to try, and it will just take some trial and error to land on the right one. The best part is there is still just as much variety out there when it comes to bar shampoo and bottled shampoo. For example, if you struggle with dandruff, try looking for a shampoo bar with tea tree oil. If you want your hair to grow faster, give something with rosemary extract a try. The possibilities and combinations are endless!

3. Biodegradable Sponge

Gone are the days of plastic loofahs on a string. Companies have gotten creative and are now making shower sponges out of natural, biodegradable components, like plants and vegetables. Believe it or not, there is actually a plant out there called the Loofah plant – a type of gourd which you can even grow in your own garden!

4. Safety Razor

Shaving with a safety razor is a much more eco-friendly and inexpensive way to remove facial and body hair compared to plastic and disposable razors. I’ve heard it takes a little bit of getting used to, but there are some great tips on how to do it here. The key is not to apply pressure when shaving, but to let the weight of the razor do the work as it glides over your skin.

I admit I haven’t tried this one yet, as I’m still finishing up using my last few cartridges with my old razor. Once that one’s good and gone, I’ll be investing in a safety razor which will only ever need the blades switched out.

5. Bar Shaving Cream

Finally, if you are making the switch to a safety razor, it’s imperative that you use shaving cream. I don’t typically use this since I’ve been using a plastic razor with cartridges, but once I make the switch it will become a necessity. Similar to body soap, you can find shaving cream in bar format which is an easy zero-waste swap for foaming canisters.

So there you have it – my top five zero waste shower essentials! Do you already use some of these, or would you consider swapping to them in the future? Let me know in the comments below.

I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something useful. Thank you so much as always for reading!