The Green Guide: Tip No.1 – Shower time

Tips and tricks for making environmentally friendly swaps today!

Today’s tips relate to more sustainable swaps you can make……….. in the shower!

• Turn the water off! Yes I know you went in to get clean and for the warmth, but you can have a comforting shower without having the water on the whole time. One way is to run the water, turn off while you shampoo, rinse, turn off while you condition and cleanse the skin, then rinse and finish. This has the added bonus of allowing products like conditioner more time to sink in and work on your hair, giving you better results for the same amount of product. Simples!

• Use solid shower products – shower gels, soaps, deodorants, shampoos and conditioners come in solid forms, the most well known are from the Naked range of products from Lush, but are also supplied by smaller retailers. If, like I was, you are sceptical about solid products compared to your favourite traditional liquid ones, do not fear! I took the plunge last year and I love my solid shampoo bar: my hair feels great, it lasts ages and I have no great desire to go back to liquid shampoo. Buying these shower care products in solid form reduces the amount of plastic and non-recyclable packing used, minimising the impact of you looking and feeling great!

• Use less of the products you have – are you using the right amount of shampoo for your hair? Sometimes, less is more, and we don’t end up using that huge squirt of conditioner we just squeezed out. So find a happy balance for you of using the optimum amount of product which you can use in a more effective way.

• Use more natural products – products like exfoliators don’t need microbeads and synthetics to be effective scrubs, so try looking for products with natural ingredients like walnut shell or coffee grounds. Or get creative and make your own with household staples like sugar, salt and oats. Then you are in control of how much you make, so less is wasted.

• Sustainable shaving – why not try swapping your plastic, disposable razors (which are highly wasteful) for a longer lasting alternative? Well now you can, with brands such as Estrid creating razor subscription services where only the blade head needs to be changed, saving the handle from landfill. This substantially cuts down on plastic waste, and also tackles societal problems like the Pink Tax on women’s hygiene products and finding vegan shaving products, as well as creating a female empowered brand. Who knew this revolution was happening in your bathroom?

So there was Tip No.1, a pretty long one, but should give you something to think about next time you’re contemplating life under the warm waterfall that is the shower. Can I make a change to this part of my life? Most likely…