Soap Bars for a Cleaner You and a Greener Planet
Many of us would remember using soap bars in our childhood. We probably used the same soap bar on our hair too. There were a few soaps available specially advertised for hair wash. That was before we got lured by fancy ads promising long flowing hair, convenience and a lovely fragrance. With these, we switched to body-washes, liquid soaps and shampoos available in attractive use-and-throw plastic bottles.
With increasing awareness about the millions of tons of plastic being dumped in our landfills and oceans each year, and also the kinds of chemicals used in these liquid cleansers, it is time to do a reality check and take responsibility for our carbon footprint-especially through beauty and skincare products. Not just for the environment but for our own sake too.
While the ideal cleansers are soap-free 100% herbal or natural cleansers, bar soaps and shampoo bars (solid shampoo) come a close second. They are definitely much better and a greener alternative to the liquid soaps and shampoos that we are so used to now. Not convinced? Let's make it easier for you to decide.
1. According to a Swiss study, the carbon footprint of liquid soap is 25 percent greater per use than bar soap. Liquid soap requires five times more energy to produce and twenty times more energy to package into a plastic bottle than bar soap packaged in paper or cardboard. (Source :oliverthom.com.au)
2. Shampoo or soap bars are more sustainable because they are zero waste. No plastic bottles to be recycled or in land fills, no major packaging contraption, no fear of spillage or breakage.
3. Mass production of chemical-laden soaps and shampoos that get washed off into water bodies destroys the marine ecosystem as well.
4. The added chemicals and preservatives in liquid versions leave your skin dry and hair brittle, resulting in the need for extra hair treatments like conditioners, hair spas, etc. Some of these chemicals can cause even skin allergies or long term harm to the skin.
5. Standard liquid soaps or shampoos contain palm oil, which is cheaper alternative to other vegetable oils, but has also been linked to deforestation and habitat destruction
6. Very often, standard shampoos contain animal-based ingredients (a good example is Keratin which is derived from animal hair or horns). Soap and shampoo bars are mostly vegan products.
7. As concentrated bars, they last longer than bottled versions of soap or shampoo and are, therefore, more cost effective for like-to-like products.
8. Last, but not the least, bars are more convenient to store at home (read less clutter in your vanity shelves) and while travelling. No fear of spillage, wastage or need for separate travel-sized bottles.
Which Soap Bars should you buy?
When we say 'Soap bar' it's not the commercial, mass-produced ones that we're talking about. These are usually made using paraffin, Carbopol and artificial waxes in addition to harsh chemicals, artificial colours, sulphates harmful preservatives etc., often like their liquid counterparts.
Handcrafted cold-processed natural soaps are the best bet for not only for you but for the environment as well.
The cold process soap making method is an age-old, time-tested one that involves use of natural oils and butters to create gentle soaps.
Most soap bars are made of natural oils and are completely safe to use, which are then cured over 4 to 6 weeks to produce a long-lasting soap bar which is suitable even for sensitive skin. This method also ensures that the innate goodness of the natural ingredients is preserved.
So its time to flip the switch, ditch the nasty chemical-laden plastic bottles of liquid soaps and shampoos and go clean and green with Cold-processed Soap and Shampoo bars.
For more information on different kinds of Soaps, read our blog https://paramanaturals.com/blogs/news/three-critical-soap-selection-criteria
Buy the popular Parama Naturals hand-made cold-processed Turmeric soap, the Neem-Turmeric Soap, the Lavender-Turmeric Soap, the Haldi&Ubtan Soap or the Shampoo Bar (Solid Shampoo).