Aug 1, 2020
Intentful Consumer #3 — Lotion
Foreword:
As a project this year, I’ve committed to researching the most ethical brands of the products I consume such that I can change my spending habits to support the causes I believe. I’m of the opinion that this is the best way as an individual to make an impact on the world; the way I consume, or lack thereof. However, I realize that there are a lot of logical traps in determining what is ethical, and I’m sure a lot of my other existing behaviors might be counter productive or downright hypocritical, but my intent is to at least start trying. Thus, I’m deeming myself an “intentful” consumer (You’re right, intentful is not a real word).
So this time, I learned that lotion bars are a thing and are the best option for avoiding plastic and other packaging for lotion. I also learned that ingredients in cosmetics are not really that regulated by the FDA thus there’s health and environmental concerns over common chemicals in mainstream lotions and cosmetics.
To keep things short, the best bet is to order lotion bars online, make DIY lotion yourself, or last resort buy Dr. Bronner’s lotion at the store. Some eco-friendly stores even offer lotion refill stations, so that’s an option too.
Here’s my ranked top 8:
- Ethique Butter Block — $.74/oz — plastic free — vegan
- Chagrin Valley Lotion Bar — $7/ solid oz — plastic free — vegan
- Moon Valley Organics Lotion Bar — $6.32/ solid oz — plastic free
- Dr Bronner’s Lotion — $1.249/oz — 100% recycled plastic — vegan
- Plaine Products Lotion — $1.875/oz — refillable aluminum — vegan
- MadeOn Hard Lotion — $5.75/ solid oz — plastic free
- Bluecorn Beeswax Lotion Bar — $6.66/ solid oz — single use tin
- Public Goods Lotion — $.375/oz + membership
Once again, Dr Bronner’s seems like an easy route to go, it’s affordable, widely available, and well rated in terms of being an eco-friendly company. At least they try and use 100% recycled plastic in their materials.
Resources:
Want to do your own research? Here are some links that should help!
https://betterworldshopper.org/
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/
P.S. I use Amazon referrals in my links when possible, because, why not?
