environmentally friendly personal products

[Brixton]

Having read in the sundays about sun tan oil turning fish female I got to pondering.
I'm a bloke and would like to stay that way and I presume fish feel the same about their sexuality.
So
Anyone know of products such as
soap
suntan oil
toothpaste
mosquito repellant
shaving foam
That have as near to nil effect on the environment as possible
I obviously burn loo roll

 

[bushtuckerman]

The active ingredient in most suncreams is also considered carcinogenic by some (these tend not to be the people selling it to you) so probably best avoided!

I don't know about suntan oil, but maybe if you did a search on olive oil you might find something on that, i seem to remember it had a relatively good effect at blocking UV.

Lavender oil and aloe vera are good at repairing skin which has been burnt so if they are in the suntan cream/oil then all the better.

randomly searching myself i found this:

http://www.yaoh.co.uk/hemp-sun-cream.html

Note the aloe and olive oil. Yaoh is a good make generally, but it seems they can't avoid using more effective chemicals for the higher spf suncream, they do have a totally plant based cream though at the lowest spf end. It is possible that the ingredient i have heard is carcinogenic is also the ingredient that affects the sexuality of fish, but i don't know what that is.

You can also get an olive oil soap which is good and has three ingredients! the reason for this is that it does not have hydrogenated oil (you have to allow it to dry after using it to stop it going gelatinous). You can find that (oliva soap) here:

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/894400.html

Toothpaste i use is Sarakan, i like it, not everyone does (especially not those used to artificially sweetended stuff i find).

Don't know about the others. hope that helps.

-ian

 

[Cairodel]

I don't know about suntan oil, but maybe if you did a search on olive oil you might find something on that, i seem to remember it had a relatively good effect at blocking UV.

Forget about olive oil as a sunblock With the addition of UV rays, it'll fry you

 

[bushtuckerman]

Lol! good point. but Cairo does receive its fair share of sun. maybe for nothern climates it's not such a problem. And if it is a toss up bewteen cancer by suntan or cancer by sun then we may as well be kind to the fish.

 

[Goose]

I suppose bicabonate of soda would be the greenest toothpaste unless you used woodash, but I wouldnt really fancy that myself.
Have you tried shaving oil, not sure if it is better or worse for the enviroment but due to the minute amount that you use it must be better surely. Or use whatever soap you use for washing, saving weight too!
You could always make your own soap, not something I have tried tbh.
The pitrok deodorant is supposed to be very green, it does work but is not as efficient as some "normal" types.
Suntan lotion I wouldnt have a clue, I got caught on an estuary once (I was young and even more foolish) without a teeshirt, and used mud as sunblock but dont think it would be practical in all situations
There are loads of green insect repellants but depends on how reliable it has to be!

 

[Nemisis]

Whats wrong with plain soap and shaving brush?
Dave.

 

[khimbar]

http://www.drbronner.com/

 

[Brixton]

I like Dr Bronners site
Ta everso

 

[Ogri the trog]

Brixton,
Working for a well known toiletries manufacturer, as I do, I try not to go anywhere near any of their products, primarily because I regularly find myself up to the elbows in raw product which gets a bit excessive at times.
I have found "Pit-rok" (IIRC) to be a good deodorant. Don't know much else from the list that you mentioned, other than;- weren't the Ghurkas allowed a daily rum ration to keep the biting insects away

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[match]

If you want to go completely natural, then:

toothpaste: bicarb/charcoal and water, mix in some root ginger to give it flavour and freshen breath

Soap/Shampoo - boil up plants high in saponins and use that as a hair wash, or just use 'plain soap' - which if you pick properly should be free from nasty additives.

Deoderant - either a mineral deoderant like alum, or a masking scent, like essential oils, mixed with witch hazel and bicarb.

Of course, you could just leave your hair and dread it, wash only with water, and not bother with toothpaste, but this might not make you popular with your friends :roll:

 

[gregorach]

I've long been of the opinion that both shampoo and deoderant are counter-productive. Shampoo makes your hair manky and deoderant makes you stink. The problem is that it takes quite a while for your body to revert to it's natural balance once you stop using these products. I haven't used either in many, many years.

Oh, and shaving foam makes your skin hypersensitive too...

 

[Rod]

I'd echo khimbar - go with Dr Bronner's he's about as green and animal friendly as you can go.

 

[Lurch]

I haven't used either in many, many years.

Yeah but people cross the road to avoid the smelly fella with the whacky hair.

 

[gregorach]

I could take offense at that baseless slur, but I'm not going to...

I'm the one crossing the road, to avoid those people that reek like the perfume department at boots (and that's from upwind), and I regularly recieve appreciative remarks about my beautiful long hair from girls who want to know what my secret is. None of them take it on board when I tell them though...

I am not a crusty!

 

[Lurch]

I could take offense at that baseless slur, but I'm not going to...

Goodo, I had the horrible thought that you might take me seriously!

 

[bushtuckerman]

Interesting points gregorach. Personally i do use soaps and shampoos but i am aware that poor shampoos affect my scalp, and i think it is sensitive to laureth sulphates which is a foaming agent in most. What i try and do is limit their use, because you are absolutely right, they make you less clean if used to often (since your skin is more suceptible to bacteria having just stripped it of it's protective oils - hence why i use the olive oil soap), and deoderants make you stink to high heaven, either because they smell truly awful themselves (ditto boots comment) or because you have just added them to bacteria laden sweat. IMO staying clean goes far beyond obsessive lady macbeth-like washing with soaps, but there some nice ones which i like using.

-ian

 

[JonnyP]

Just found this thread and have enjoyed reading it, so here are some more........
Teeth........
Instant tooth cleaner.......rub over teeth with a sage leaf.
Chew the end of a twig of dogwood to make a brush and rub over teeth and gums.
Toothpaste.......One teaspoon of powdered strawberry root, add 2 drops of essential oil of peppermint and enough drops of water to make a paste, mix and use.
Strawberrys make good stain removers, as does the inside of lemon peel.

Hair.........
Dry shampoo............2 tablespoons of orris root and equal amount of powdered arrowroot. Mix together and sprinkle into hair, leave for about 10 mins to soak up any grease and brush out.

Suntan lotion............
15ml lanolin, 60ml sesame oil, 90ml rosewater, 5ml cider vinegar and 2 drops of essential oil of bergamot........
Melt lanolin, warm the oil and mix together, add rosewater and vinegar and mix well to a lotion. When cool add the bergamot and use as required.............Jon

 

[bushtuckerman]

reminds me of the liquorice roots we used to chew...

 

[JonnyP]

reminds me of the liquorice roots we used to chew...

I still do, love them................Jon

 

[bushtuckerman]

Me and my siblings had them in christmas stockings when we were younger. I should get some now come to think of it!