Bath routine in India has been quite sustainable for ages and according to my personal experience and observation, I feel (this is my personal view, no fact or judgement) that middle-class people invariably lead a sustainable life, without being aware of it, though. Having a luxurious bath once a month and pampering yourself with a spa day is needed but that shouldn’t be the routine that you follow every day.
In this post, we will share how to make an eco-friendly bath routine that will help our skin and our environment.
We have divided the Daily Bath Routine into 3 phases:
Pre-Bath Phase:
Oil massage: A basic oil massage before a bath is needed to protect the skin from cleansing agents daily. Even normal coconut oil will do wonders before a bath.
Cleaning Teeth: Use bamboo toothbrush v/s plastic toothbrush and the same goes for toothpaste. In India, even now you’ll see a certain group of people mostly in north India that brush their teeth by chewing a babul stick or a datoon stick. There are options for sustainable toothpaste & in different forms like tablets or powder or paste in a jar which can be a little different to use but most of them are plastic-free and they do the same job as the manufactured toothpaste that has SLSE in it and come in plastic packaging.
Bath Phase:
Bathtub or Bucket Bath: There are many options available now when it comes to having a bath. There are showers, bathtubs, jacuzzis etc. But in my opinion, a bucket bath is a must to add to an eco-friendly bath routine. 10 minutes of showering uses up to 100 litres of water! A bathtub uses approx 150-160 litres of water per bath. A bucket bath uses approx 18-20 litres of water per bath. It is a bit hectic way to have a bath where you have to pour water manually unlike a shower or a tub bath but it is definitely worth it.
Handmade soap vs body wash/shower gels: Handmade soaps can get expensive compared to manufactured soap mainly the pretty looking ones but do you know that your whole body doesn’t need cleansing every day?Exposed areas and sweaty areas like the underarms, groin, neck and especially feet. Try switching to handmade soap from the liquid soap that comes in a bottle. Even if you use manufactured soaps, still try and use handmade soaps instead. Read Why Handmade soaps are better than manufactured soaps. You can also save money by making your own basic soap at home with a basic melt & pour and fragrance oils kit.
Shampoo Bar v/s Liquid Shampoo bottle: Here more than the sustainable angle you can even think about loving your hair as they get 70% more
concentrated ingredients than the liquid shampoo you choose over convenience. It is easier to apply liquid shampoo on the hair and especially if you have curly hair but the shampoo bar are far more advanced now and you just have to get used to creating the lather on your hair by adding water at the same time. It is tedious I know, but again totally worth it.
Read more about Shampoo Bars v/s Shampoo Bottles
Note: The temperature of the water should be warm in winter and lukewarm in summer. Hot water damages & degenerates the skin cells.
Post-Bath Phase:
Moisturize your skin: An After-bath routine is the most important for the skin. Apply moisturiser all over your body and face after the bath. The pores of the skin are open after a warm bath and skin cells will seep in all the nourishments from the products you use like body butter, body cream, body mousse or a moisturizer.
Bonus Tip for Bath Routine:
There are more things to add that you can add to your bath routine and not just during the day but also at the night.
After your dinner give 2 hours break and right before going to bed have a rock salt water bath or a sponge bath. This will help activate the positive charge of the skin cells created by the salt.
There are interesting handmade bath salts that cater to different needs so you can relax after a tiresome day. Many bath salts have Epsom salt in them and it is the best source of magnesium that helps soothe joint pain as it nourishes your bones. Pink Himalayan Salt is great for relaxing too as it has a lot of minerals in it.
All in all, there are many more ways to be sustainable and to adopt an eco-friendly bath routine but this piece of advice might help to start the routine - when you adopt to go sustainable you are aware while using natural products about the way you help the environment & the skin. Or you just enjoy the lovely handmade products & enjoy your bath time.