Less plastic: solid shower gel: a sustainable alternative for people and the environment

Conventional soaps consist of animal or vegetable fats (e.

Less plastic: solid shower gel: a sustainable alternative for people and the environment

Conventional soaps consist of animal or vegetable fats (e.g. coconut oil or olive oil) and alkaline solutions - i.e. a lye with which they are cooked. A solid shower gel, on the other hand, may look like a bar of soap, but it should be understood differently: it is a classic shower gel from which the water has been removed. In other words, the caring ingredients are still the same. With the difference that the solid form is much more economical: depending on consumption, a solid 100 gram shower gel should replace two to three 250 milliliter bottles. And that's not all the advantages that even convinced the consumer magazine Öko-Test.

In addition to the yield, the ecological balance also plays an important role: Because unlike the classic products, solid shower gel does not need plastic - instead it is packed in small cardboard boxes. In addition, most brands (regardless of whether they are conventional or certified organic) avoid problematic and critical ingredients: silicones and paraffins, preservatives, PEG compounds and synthetic polymers. As a result, people and the environment benefit equally when you switch to solid shower gel.

Öko-Test tested a total of 18 different products, including eleven natural cosmetic products - ten of which received the best rating (meaning "very good"), such as Niyok, Rosenrot and Greendoor. But solid shower gel from conventional manufacturers was also able to convince the testers: Five out of seven products also scored "very well". These include brands like Foamie, which currently comes in three different varieties: papaya and oat milk, coconut and cocoa butter, and peppermint and green tea.

The application works no differently here than with a classic body soap: Take the solid shower gel in your hand, rub it between your wet fingers (until it starts to foam) and distribute the foam on the skin. Alternatively, you can slide the shower block directly over your wet body in a circular motion, thereby distributing the foam evenly. Then rinse off the shower gel as usual.

So that the solid piece of shower gel does not break over time, it is advantageous to store the product properly - for example in an airy sisal soap bag that you hang on a hook in the bathroom (near the shower). This means it can be stored dry without the risk of it slowly becoming soggy. Alternatively, you can use an ordinary soap dish with small holes in the bottom to allow the water to run off better.

Source: Öko-Test

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