The Conscious Shopper: Challengicious Monday: Go Green in the Bathroom

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Go Green in the Bathroom

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Use fewer personal care products. Think about your morning routine. How many products do you use? Do you really need that many? If you can leave something out, then do it.

JOGGING STRIDE

Avoid the Dirty Dozen. These are the ingredients that have been most commonly linked to health problems.

MARATHON RUNNER

Switch to products that score low on the Skin Deep Guide, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database. They have tested thousands of products for toxicity and rank them on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being the best and 10 being the worst. Even some products labeled as "natural" rank high on the scale, so it's important to check out all products before you buy.

According to the Environmental Working Group, 10,500 unique chemicals are used in personal care products, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. How many of these chemicals have been tested for safety? "An EWG analysis found that in its 30-year history, the industry's self-policing safety panel has reviewed the safety of just 11 percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products."

And I'm putting those products on my face (and hair and mouth and eyes and all my other 2000 parts)? And the 2000 parts of my babies?

A quick look at some recent posts indicates that I'm struggling a bit in this area because it is SO HARD to find personal care products that meet all aspects of my criteria: non-toxic, affordable, and actually work. But I'm doing my best with what I can find and afford, so come back tomorrow to read more about what I've been using.

Like the green your household cleaners challenge, I stuck this challenge with the trash challenges because it didn't fit anywhere else, but it's not going to have an effect on your trash unless you make specific changes: using fewer, buying in bulk, buying concentrate, or making your own. Switching to a menstrual cup and using a safety razor are also good ways to decrease your trash production. And of course, by being more conscious about your personal care products, you avoid putting toxic chemicals into your body, water supply, and the environment.

For more specific information about how and why you should green your bathroom routine, check out:

And for some DIY personal care products, try out:

Make Your Own: Body Lotion
Make Your Own: Sea Salt Scrub
Love Love Kiss Kiss Blah Blah Blah (for facial cleaner, toner, steam, mask, and moisturizing lotion)

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

image by ali edwards

7 comments:

mudnessa, February 15, 2010 at 12:32 AM: I'm a marathoner and have been for quite a while. After about a year of no poo though I recently bought a bottle of shampoo but it's ingredient list is beyond simple and it works great, Alaffia is the company. Details on it all on my blog if anyone is intersted in details.
Jeannie, February 15, 2010 at 8:27 AM: Another razor solution is using an electric one. They last for years!
Juno, February 15, 2010 at 10:11 AM: I'm ready to try this, but only the baby steps. I want to simplify to just one kind of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion rather than trying zillions and getting a new one every time I hear about it.
Ashley, February 15, 2010 at 10:58 AM: I progressed quickly to marathon runner on this one after reading Gorgeously Green. I'm even using a shampoo bar now (with wonderful results). The only thing not 0-3 on the skin deep scale was my bottle of lotion (it's a four or five) but since I'm keeping well hydrated and switched from my old soap and body wash products, I'm not needing the lotion as much.
Lisa, February 15, 2010 at 12:08 PM: I'm a marathoner runner. This is one of the first things I did because I have Fibromyalgia and chemicals make it worse. I even use natural low scoring makeup.
Anonymous, February 15, 2010 at 8:56 PM: I think I've definitely graduated to marathon runner in this area, as well. Now that I have my first real career job after getting out of grad school, I've decided to quit using whatever personal care products are on sale at the grocery store and I'm slowly beginning to afford to be able to buy the more expensive, natural care products that have responsible or sustainable ingredients. I started using bar soap about 6 months ago from the Durham farmers market and I love it! No more shower gel for me! I've gotten my husband to switch, too!
Erin aka Conscious Shopper, February 15, 2010 at 9:52 PM: @Michelle - Yeah, another Triangle resident! (My husband and I just brainstormed to try to figure out what you'd call someone from the Triangle, and we couldn't figure it out. Triangle-an? Triangler? Triangle-ite?)