My shower is a place of peace. It is wonderfully spare and uncluttered. While it could have even less in it, I am happy with what it holds.

I take great care to choose safe, natural beauty products that are gentle on the Earth and on me. I read every ingredient and I look up products on the Environmental Working Group’s fantastic cosmetic database before I buy them. I do my best to choose products with few ingredients and a score of two or below from EWG.

Shampoo

After many disappointing tubes and shampoo bars that left my hair feeling like sticky straw, I settled on Juice Organics Brightening Shampoo. It has a nice amount of lather and it doesn’t dry out my hair. It’s now available at Target (although I’m not sure every one will carry it), but it’s usually the cheapest here. My hair is silky for the full four days until I wash it again (more on that soon).

Conditioner

I like a heavy, hearty conditioner that doesn’t weigh my hair down. The Juice Organics Smoothing Conditioner is the best I’ve found so far. It smells great (it sometimes makes me a little hungry) and its very hydrating.

I break the rule when it comes to conditioner. I slather this on my scalp like I’m frosting a cake. My scalp gets dry and crazy itchy if I don’t. I apply the conditioner much like shampoo and massage it into my scalp. Once my scalp is covered I work the conditioner down to the ends of my hair with my hands and a wide tooth comb. I put my hair in a bun with a big clip and let it sit for at least a minute while I wash my body or shave before fully rinsing it out.

Soap & Shave Cream

My mom discovered this handmade soap years ago, and I haven’t changed it since. Gaia Essentials is made less than 10 miles from my childhood home, and I trust the maker and the ingredients she uses. I love her chocolate soaps because they are incredibly silky and nourishing. The soap doubles as a shave cream that won’t leave you with razor burn or parched skin.

While I love my soap, I highly recommend visiting your local farmer’s market or co-op grocery store to find a local soap maker near you. You can ask about their ingredients, and very often they will have little samples that you can try.

I wash my face with water or my microfiber face cloth, no soap or cleanser.

Razor

For years I’ve used the same Preserve razor. I’m not the most frequent shaver, so each disposable head lasts me at least a month. While I like that the handle is recycled and the company seems to have good sustainability practices, I am still looking into shaving with a safety razor instead of the disposable heads.

Related

My minimalist skincare routine.
The best after-shower moisturizer: Homemade Body Butter
Don’t forget to put on sunscreen before you leave!