Okay.You buy
the funny looking light bulbs.You
purchase green power or have solar
panels.You bring your own shopping
bags to the Co-op.You get around with
a fuel-efficient vehicle, public transportation or bike.You grow your own produce, frequent the
local farmers’ markets, buy a share in a CSA, and/or purchase organic
and/or
local produce at the Co-op.You
purchase as many items as you can in the bulk aisle, using your own
containers.
What else could an
earth-conscious person do to reduce one’s negative impact on the
environment?Think soap and
cleansers!Nestled near the pet foods,
right near the window overlooking the parking lot, there’s an entire
display of
liquid (and solid) soap available in bulk-shampoo, conditioner, body
lotion,
baby soap, shower gel, body and massage lotion, laundry detergent, dish
soap…and bath salts.Just be prepared
to do some pumping.
This display is actually
under the auspices of our Health and Body Aids department (HaBA), and
many of
these products are made by companies that have signed a pledge not to
use
chemicals on the EU Cosmetic Directive’s banned list.HaBA manager Kathleen Boehning’s
favorite is the organic brand,
Lifetree.
Familiar products by Kiss My
Face, Nature’s Gate and Giovanni are also available in a bulk format.For example, recently a Kiss My Face olive
oil and aloe lotion was available, as was their liquid moisture soap.The Daily Shampoo and Conditioner from
Nature’s Gate is available in bulk at a reasonable price.A few Giovanni shampoos and conditioners
are
available in bulk.(I wish I could
suggest bringing in the empty Giovanni shampoo or conditioner bottle to
refill
that, but the opening of the original bottle is far too narrow.Bring some other container and transfer the
goods when you have more time at home.)The Triple Treat shampoo and conditioner
have an invigorating minty
smell and are gentle.The conditioner
is light and effective.
There are many liquid soaps
available in this area, all intriguing.The line of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
offers a delightful range of
liquid soaps: Many have the title “18-in-1” Hemp__ Pure Castile Soap:
__ fill
in the blank with Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint or TeaTreat.One exception to the formula is 18-in-1
Unscented Baby Mild Pure Castile Soap (no hemp).In
addition to those liquid soaps, there’s also a French lavender
from EO Products.Nutri-Biotic makes a
shower gel, which is a refreshing way to wake up in the morning.Caveat:These soaps seem watery to people used
to other liquid soaps; really, a
little of these liquid soaps goes a long way.It’s fun to try the different scented
soaps from Dr. Bronner.
For those interested in
practical matters (domestic matters like washing dishes and clothes),
Life Tree
makes both a dish soap (citrus scent) and a laundry detergent.For those of us whose dishwasher is still a
human (that would be me), it’s nice to have a liquid dish soap that is
refillable while also cleaning the dishes.
To conclude on a
self-indulgent note, there’s the Body and Massage Lotion from Earth
Science, as
well as bath salts from Biotherapy Lavender Natural Mineral Salts and
Mineral
Bath from the Dead Sea (the latter two on the very bottom shelf).Why not treat yourself, while also reducing
your impact on the world?
[See also Louise
Maher-Johnson’s “Informing about Skin Deep” in the January 2008 Coop
Scoop.]
