The best zero waste shower gels are made from plant-based ingredients, packed in plastic-free packaging like aluminium bottles, which are easy to recycle. You can recycle plastic bottles and tops with most household recycling services. Ensure brands chosen are made with biodegradable ingredients (including real essential oils over fragrance oils) so that don’t create algae bloom in our oceans, once rinsed down the plughole.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing, avoid rosemary oil for high blood pressure. Due to concern over harvesting harming koalas, avoid eucalyptus oil for now. Avoid rosewood oil, from an endangered tree. Do not use human shower gels on dogs (use organic dog shampoo instead).
SOP Body Wash is named after Dene (the Norfolk word for a sandy stretch of coastline) Sold in an aluminium bottle, this is made with bergamot (to lift food) and spicy black pepper (to improve circulation).
Kind Beeuty Hair & Body Wash is handmade in England, sold in a refillable aluminium bottle with metal screw top lid, and optional reusable pump (recyclable in household waste). In 3 versions: scent-free, peppermint or tea tree.
Fulfilled Bodywash combines 5 essential oils to soothe and protect skin cells, sold in a refillable aluminium bottle. One large bottle lasts 3 to 6 months. Contains lavender, peppermint, lemon tea tree, frankincense & rosemary. You can order a refill pouch (plastic, but you can return it to them to be recycled).
Ksoni Hydrating Body Wash is infused with a blend of essential oils, sold in aluminium cans (you can buy an eco-friendly lid made from recycled wood chips and biodegradable cornstarch plastic, to reuse with new cans). Choose from Unati (ylang ylang, lavender), Zakti (grapefruit, lemon, sandalwood) or Jivati (frankincense, bergamot, jojoba oil).
Balade en Provence Body Bar is made in France, with fast cheap shipping. Use voucher code PROVENCE10 for 10% off every order above 25€. Gentle and nourishing, it’s enriched with coconut oil and shea butter, and includes the delicate scent of orange blossom, to transport you to the fields of Provence. Also in a Heritage Collection.
Leave No Trace Shower Pouf is handmade in the UK from cotton scrim, and includes a recycled cotton hanging rope to be hung up to dry, between uses. The scrim is a loose woven fabric to create a rich lather, ensure this is thoroughly dried between uses, to prevent bacteria. The coarse weave offers a gentle exfoliating quality, or alternatively you could use an exfoliating shower mitt (made from ethically-sourced cotton).
Conventional shower puffs are made from nylon, and tiny bits of plastic can break off in the shower and get washed into the sea. Most shower puffs also have plastic tags attached. The above is a better choice. But due to the difficulty in getting shower puffs dry, 98% of dermatologists say to just shower with your hands.
Zero Waste soap-on-a-rope takes plant-based soaps (free from palm oil) one step further. Usually handmade soaps and shampoo bars have to stay on a slatted soap dish, or else they get too creamy and go squishy. But these soaps are on a rope, so can hang up in the shower after use.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing, avoid rosemary oil for high blood pressure. A few of these soaps have eucalyptus oil (there are concerns that koalas are being harmed during harvests and rosewood oil (from an endangered tree). But the other soaps are fine. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies. Do not use human soap on dogs (use organic dog shampoo instead).
Kleen Soaps (Kent) offers soap-on-a-rope which lets gravity dry out your soap naturally. Handmade with real ingredients like coffee grounds and pink clay. The range includes grapefruit (uplifting), lavender (calming), minty fresh (with oatmeal & spirulina) and spicy (ginger, cinnamon). Some soaps contain healing oatmeal and turmeric.
Soap Daze (Devon) also makes soap on a waxed cotton rope. Get a discount if you order these soaps without packaging. There is an unscented Oatmylk bar (ideal for sensitive skin, pregnancy or nursing), along with many scents including coffee & cacao, You get a discount if choosing bars without paper packaging. There is an unscented lemon patchouli, black pepper & ginger, cedarwood & grapefruit, lavender & orange, lemon & lime and coffee & cacao.
Harmony Soap on a Rope is named after songs and bands that Soap Daze love. These large soaps are also handmade in Devon, again with discounts if you order without packaging. Try Echo Beach (grapefruit, lemon & seaweed), Replica (lavender, vetiver & Kaolin clay) or Canyon (frankincense, rosemary & charcoal).
This zero waste hair & body wash is made with plant-based biodegradable ingredients, and packed in a zero waste aluminium tin. Detergent-free, you can buy a pump to reuse, or just use the bottle as is. This body wash contains peppermint oil to wake you up. It’s also available in cleansing tea tree or scent-free (ideal for pregnancy, nursing or allergies).
About the Maker
Kind Beeuty is a zero waste beauty brand founded by someone who was frustrated with excess packaging in the beauty industry. Everything is locally hand-crafted using natural ingredients in eco-friendly packaging.
These Zero Waste Beauty Kubes from Cornwall are a nice alternative to plastic bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Just crumble a cube with water to wash or condition your hair. Sold in various scents (there’s also one for men), you can get away with half a cube, for short hair. Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies.
The company even makes these cubes with green energy. And the wrapper is made from paper so easy to recycle. Why not switch to a plastic-free shower experience from today? And the ingredients safely biodegrade down the sink, at the end of your shower.
