Greenwash and Organic Shampoos
Ok, the Sustainability Nut is on the Sustainable Shopping Hunt again, this time in search of the ultimate Sustainable Shampoo.
Now, this isn’t just any ordinary chemical-laden shampoo that you find decorating the supermarket shelves with non recyclable bottles…
It has to pass the rigorous demands of the Sustainability Nut Household.
AND it has to help your hair look good. Afterall one doesn’t exactly want to look like a hay bale with legs, nor does one have any desire to create an oil slick when jumping into the neighbour’s pool.
So, I’ve been on the hunt. Good thing is I don’t have to worry about catering for LTSH (Long Term Suffering Husband) as he has an allergic reaction to just about everything you put on your skin or in your hair. And hence, refrains from using anything too much apart from the good old Eco Store Lemongrass Soap – obviously not on his hair! (Basically he doesn’t have much of that – he’s into that whole ‘Prison Break’ look with the number ‘one’ crewcut.)
Remember when looking for an environmentally friendly shampoo (or any product for that matter) that some manufacturers and retailers are guilty of ‘green washing’.
Green Washing is a new marketing… shall we say, technique (a much nicer term than ‘con’) for enticing eco-friendly consumers to buy a product. Basically, the seller takes their standard sales copy and ‘greens’ it. So, for example, a product that contains a plant-derived ingredient is suddenly marketed as ‘natural’ and in some cases ‘biodegradable’. And if a product has one ingredient that is organic, the entire product is labelled as organic. Then there are the companies who state that their products are ‘carbon neutral’ because they invested in carbon offsets which went towards protecting natural rainforest. Others introduce a ‘hot’ environmental term into their product’s name, eg. organic, wildlife friendly, energy efficient, etc.
Fortunately, we as consumers are becoming more and more educated in the environmental stakes and aren’t as easily conned. Do a little research on the products you intend investing in. Check to see that the manufacturers and sellers can back their claims on sustainable practices – and trust your gut instinct; if something doesn’t feel right, then avoid it.
Here in Australia the ACCC (Australian Competition and consumer Commission) have put together some helpful guides:
Tips for Shopping for Products that make Environmental Claims
Educating businesses in relation to Carbon Offset Claims and the Trade Practices Act
And now back to the Sustainable Shampoo Hunt…
I have tried one commercial Shampoo so far: Ni Organic Instinct Natural Shampoo.
It fit perfectly with my agenda:
- Australian made and owned (supporting local business, and avoiding long transits that waste resources)
- Not Tested on Animals
- Organic ingredients
- Recyclable Bottle
- Doesn’t contain those nasties like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Petroleum by-products, Artificial bits and pieces, and Parabens.
It foamed nicely and smells beautiful. I revelled in that fresh, clean feeling during and after washing. My hair really liked it… but my body didn’t. 
I came up in an itchy rash on my stomach and legs. When I told LTSH his response (as you would expect) was, “Aren’t you supposed to use it on your head?”
Hmmmmm…
And then of course, the test and measure principle came into play at LTSH’s insistence and I waited a week before I used the shampoo again to see if it was responsible for the rash, and yes, I came up in spots that itched like mad again.
Which was a real bummer because the product fulfilled the rest of my criteria. So I’m back on the hunt.
In the meantime I attempted the old Egg Shampoo which is very nourishing for your hair.
Ingredients:
2 Organic Grain-fed, Free-range eggs
50ml still mineral water
15ml Organic Lemon Juice
Place ingredients in blender and blend for 30 seconds at low speed. Massage into scalp and hair. Rinse thoroughly with luke warm water.
Don’t make the mistake I did and jump into a hot shower (because it was winter) to rinse your hair. The egg sets, and I spent the next half hour pulling chunks of boiled egg out of my hair.
LTSH found this rather amusing, and I earned the nick-name “Egg Head” and “Omelette Head” over the next two weeks. He also said I was a real ‘yolk’ and that I ‘cracked him up’ and had great fun ’shelling’ out more lines.
If you come across a Shampoo and Conditioner that fits the sustainability requirements let us know, and if we can source it here, I’ll test drive and publish the results.
Please… anything to save me from more rotton egg jokes!
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Natural Skin Care Lady | Dec 2, 2008 | Reply
Looks like a wonderful organic, natural products as well as the shampoos.
Very interesting! I have a new Great GrandSon and I will e-mail this to my GrandDaughter.
It was also quite humorous about the egg shampoo,which I enjoyed reading.
Thank you,
Natural Skin Care Lady
Ira | Dec 3, 2008 | Reply
A low cost, green eco friendly, healthy natural way to shampoo is to make a homemade liquid cleaner from soapberry which grows on the Chinaberry tree and has been used for thousands of years. It works very effectively.
admin | Dec 4, 2008 | Reply
Hello Natural Skin Care Lady (I hope you don’t mind me calling you that – afterall, people do address me as Sustainability Nut! Yours has a much nicer ring to it!) Thank you for the comment – I’m glad you enjoyed the Egg Shampoo story… I’m determined not to mention the incident again to LTSH otherwise he starts cracking those dreadful egg jokes again.
admin | Dec 4, 2008 | Reply
Hi Ira – Ah! Thank you! Soapberry for shampoo. I’ve been using them (calling them Soapnuts) for my washing (it’s gentle, yet cleans well and leaves the clothes soft)… and now this evening I’m going to make the Shampoo Liquid (got the recipe from your webpage) and try it out on my hair. I checked out your website, and Stargate Sanctuary in Arkansas sounds simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
admin | Jan 20, 2009 | Reply
Ok, here’s the outcome of using the Soapnut (Soapberry) as Shampoo… it didn’t work for me.
My hair felt heavy like it still had residue in it and it looked like it too – and I know that for a fact, because LTSH (Long Term Suffering Husband) even commented on it. (And for LTSH to even notice the state of my hair is a highly unusual occurence! So it must have been bad!)
So the conclusion is – it’s a no go for Soapnuts as Shampoo for the Sustainability Nut. Sorry guys! I will stick to using it for washing my clothes – I’m exceptionally happy with the performance.
The next best thing I discovered at the shops (which is working for me) is the Natures Organics Shampoo Range. The product is:
* sourced from plants
* doesn’t contain the nasties like sodium lauryl or sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium, mineral oil, parabens, propylene glycol or dye
* is not tested on animals (cruelty free) and the company refuses to deal with any other business that tests on animals
* vegan (no animal products)
* grey water safe with a low sodium content of .2%
* is made in Australia
* uses great packaging (biodegradable and made from plants)
The only question I have yet to answer is: are the ingredients organic? I’ve sent a query – and hopefully will have an answer soon.
But I’m giving it the Sustainability Thumbs up.
The products are:
‘Organic Care’ by Natures Organics and most likely can be found at your local shopping centre.
Maria | Mar 17, 2009 | Reply
I have been using veggie wash recently as shampoo and body wash. The brand is called Safeguard. I love it because it smells lemony. I have dry hair and it works great on me. It doesn’t tame the unruliness but its much better than so many other shampoos I have used meant to do wonders to your hair! Ingredients include organic aloe vera, citrus essential oils, olive leaf extract, emulsifier (from fruit & berries), glycerine (from vegetable sources) & purified water. Oh and I also use it to wash my puppy. She is fluffy as ever and smells awesome.
Don’t expect the wash to be foamy like commercial products but it does the job just as well. The great thing about this product is that it is concentrated (very thick mixture) so a little goes a long way. I usually mix it half part water to half part wash in a squirt bottle. The trick is to get its consistency like shampoo so it won’t be difficult to rub on your hair or body. No more spending loads of money on exclusive organic shampoos for me!
Below is the website if you are interested. Hope it helps…….
http://www.safeguardproducts.com.au/
admin | Mar 18, 2009 | Reply
Hi Maria,
Thank you so much for your recommendation – you’ve certainly piqued my interest. Mmmmmmm, lemon scented, I love lemon… just have to resist the urge to munch on the bottle!
I checked out the Safe Guard Products website and the credentials are certainly attractive to this Sustainability Nut. I’ll get some veggie wash today and give it a go.
Thanks again.
mm | Sep 13, 2009 | Reply
I have fine, thin hair and consequently have tried several volumizing shampoos. I find that the Made from Earth “Tea + Protein Shampoo” does truly add volume to my hair, as well as making styling control a bit easier.
And it does have a wonderful scent! I could stand in the shower all day washing my hair with this shampoo!
I will continue to buy this product over and over again because I’ve seen it make my hair thicker…its prob the protein making the hair strands stronger.
Plus it chemical free, so there is no harm in using it. Recommended if you are interested in adding more colume to your hair.
Allison Miller | Oct 15, 2009 | Reply
I love peppermint so I had to give the Made from Earth organic “Tea Tree Shampoo” and “Peppermint Conditioner” a try. I’ve used Castille soaps before and never really loved the distinct smell they have.
Anyway, the Peppermint Condition er and the Tea Tree Shampoo (from Made from Earth)are amazing and I LOVE the way it smells. And it really is true that you get a bit of tingle from the mint.
I only use sulfate-free washes because they don’t make me dry and itchy. Sulfate-free washes are pretty hard to find so do yourself a favor and buy this wash!