February 11, 2021
Sustainable Haircare
I am guilty.
Guilty of falling into the haircare trap that mainstream brands will give me long, luscious hair like Rapunzel and that each coloured plastic bottle has magic within it.
With advertisements all over TV and social media showing models and celebrities with gorgeous hair, how could I not?
However, with each bottle purchased, my hair did not reach full voluptuous capacity, and I contributed to the millions of shampoo bottles being tossed into the environment each year globally. It sounds like an antonym for “win-win” if you ask me.
This ignited a brand-new approach to haircare in my home. A few months ago, I decided to ditch plastic bottles entirely and give my hair what she was asking for; natural oils and ingredients that brought life rather than weighing her down with residue and chemicals that she could do without.
Now I know incorporating a new routine might seem daunting at first but let me dig into some facts of how this could help positively impact our ecosystem while keeping your hair healthy and beautiful.
When I first thought about eco-friendly practices, recycling, electric cars, and single-use plastic came to mind. Yet another culprit is hiding beneath my initial thought: the beauty industry.
Not many of us consider our daily beauty regime a threat to our environment, especially if you are buying “natural” haircare products that boast no harsh parabens or sulphates. Although these ingredients might not be as harmful as other commonly used chemicals, we also have to consider what these products are packaged in and their impact on our environment.
Did you know that plastic can take up to 1000 years to break down? Another daunting fact is that plastic doesn't entirely break down but instead it ends up choking our oceans and rippling down through the ecosystem into our marine life and even onto your dinner plate! If we do not make drastic changes now, it is predicted that by 2050, our oceans will have more plastic than fish.
Here are some of my other top reasons for switching to sustainable hair care:
- Concentrated – use less water.
- No harsh chemicals washing down the drain, damaging our ecosystem, marine life and us.
- Easy for travel (when we can again!)
- Less space taken up.
- No plastic!
After learning all these facts, I decided to give shampoo and conditioner bars a chance. My personal favourite: Plenty & Spare. I chose this local East Vancouver apothecary as their bars are simple, gentle on the body and enjoyable to use. The ingredients they use include:
- castor oil
- olive wax
- citric acid
As these ingredients wash down the drain, it’s also comforting to know they will not be causing harm to our ecosystem.
There are three varieties of shampoo & conditioner bars from Plenty & Spare:
How to use:
Thoroughly wet hair and lather the bar, then massage the bar where your hair needs the most love. Use your hands to massage the product through your hair and rinse as usual. It is important to note that shampoo bars do not lather up the same as most liquid shampoos, so do not be alarmed, they are doing their job!
“Feel good about what we put on our bodies” – Plenty & Spare
- - -
~ Sophia B.