13 Zero Waste Body Wash Brands For a Sustainable Shower

After an hour working out in the morning, I love jumping into the shower. It feel so good to wash away the sweat and come out squeaky clean! And it doesn’t hurt that I’m using zero waste body wash I can get behind. Did you know conventional body wash (and bar soap!) can contain additives, dyes and harsh chemicals that can pollute waterways when washed down the drain? Plus, if you use liquid body wash, you’ve probably noticed by now it comes in a plastic bottle. Plastic only gets recycled 5% of the time, so there’s no guarantee it won’t end up in a landfill. Don’t even get me started on those plastic luffas people use to wash up with! Those are destined for the landfill. Instead, why not give one of these zero waste body wash brands a try?

FYI, this is a guest post written by Sydney Montagna, a zero waste advocate and aspiring writer. Intro was written by Ariana Storniolo. This post contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase one of these items I will make a very small commission at no extra charge to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

13 Zero Waste Body Wash Brands For a Sustainable Shower

Is body wash wasteful?

Body wash is wasteful if you’re purchasing it in plastic, single-use packaging. Over 1 billion bottles of body wash are emptied and enter the garbage and recycling system each year. That’s an astronomical number, especially considering approximately 250 million people in the United States use body wash in disposable bottles.

Plastic is made from non-renewable resources that take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to break down. It also has limited recyclability, which is why only 5% of recycled plastic actually gets recycled. 

Since body wash is considered a cosmetic, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) states, “The law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market.” Which means nothing can stop these brands from including harmful chemicals such as sulfates and parabens, which have been linked to breast cancer. 

But chemicals are only bad when they’re harsh chemicals, aka harmful to us and the environment. These tend to be ingredients that are man-made and used in products for numerous reasons (usually because it’s a cheaper option).

Some other harsh chemicals to lookout for include PFAs (aka forever chemicals), phthalates, colorants and some solvents. You’ll want to avoid these in more than just body wash too, as they’ve been known to pollute waterways and be harmful to the human body.

What body wash is good for the environment?

A sustainable body wash that’s safe for the environment would include:

• Packaged thoughtfully (ideally plastic-free, so glass or aluminum containers)
• Have a refill scheme of some kind (or come in compostable/recyclable/reusable packaging)
• Be vegan and/or cruelty-free 
• Non-toxic and harsh chemical free (aka, natural ingredients)
• Ethical ingredient sourcing (which means no forced labor for workers, the ingredient aren’t harvested from an endangered plant, no forests were burned down for the planting of said plant, etc.)
• Palm-oil free
• Gives back to environment/community in some way (be it through donating to non-profits, being a B Corp, planting trees, or being climate neutral – giving back is always a good sign).

What is zero waste body wash?

Zero waste body wash simply means body wash that produces little to no waste while only using organic, natural ingredients that are biodegradable. Aka, healthy for you and the planet.

When I talk about zero waste body wash in this post, I’m referring to both liquid and solid forms. So for example, a body soap bar from Lush would also count as body wash. Essentially, anything you use to wash your body, that doesn’t create waste.

Zero waste body wash also reduces the single-use plastic bottle waste that most body wash comes packaged in, which typically ends up in landfills and waterways. 

Which is better for the environment: soap or shower gel?

Although soap and shower gel are similar and accomplish the same cleansing tasks, shower gel tends to be more aggressive with their ingredients and packaging. There’s a detergent in shower gel that uses fossil fuel reserves, which doesn’t biodegrade well. It also tends to be packaged in plastic, which also doesn’t biodegrade. 

However, bar soap is typically made using plant or animal oil with sodium hydroxide. This requires less energy and doesn’t require a bunch of harsh chemicals to be dumped into landfills or drains.

It’s much easier to find soap packaged in recyclable or compostable packaging than it is to find shower gel in any type of eco-friendly packaging.

Using bar soap is probably the most sustainable body cleansing option there is. They tend to come in recyclable packaging and contain ingredients free from harsh chemicals, instead using organic and plant-based ingredients.

Also, once you’re finished using bar soap, there’s nothing left to throw away. So it’s waste free and you won’t have to worry about harmful chemicals washing down the drain.

The best zero waste body wash brands

All of the brands listed below are free of excessive packaging or harsh chemicals.

They utilize both natural and organic ingredients that aren’t polluting our waterways when we wash them down the drains. Many of these brands are fully transparent about the ingredients they use and list them on their websites.

Best of all, many of these brands offer refillable packaging options, or at the least, compostable/recyclable packaging.

Image credit: Plaine Products

Image credit: Blueland

Image Credit: Ecoroots

Image Credit: Ethique

Image Credit: Public Goods

Image Credit: Zero Co.

Image Credit: Alpine Provisions

Image Credit: Herbivore

Image Credit: Bathing Culture

Image Credit: Everist

Image Credit: Upcircle

Image Credit: Dr Bronner’s

So, what do you think of these zero waste body wash options? Let me know in the comments!

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