I’ve gone soap free. I like it. And I’m not alone.
Okay — I’m not entirely soap-free, but I’m definitely very soap-lite. But before I get into the details, here’s the story. It all started with a little curiosity, when I read Sean Bonner’s soap-free story on BoingBoing. The local L.A. blogger revealed he’s been soap and shampoo-free for a year — aside from his hands, which he still washes with soap — and enjoying softer, healthier skin, a dandruff-free scalp, and more manageable hair — while smelling sweet too!
That story went viral — at least among environmental bloggers — and soon, two dirty-clean challenges entered the blogosphere. GOOD asked its readers to replicate Sean Bonner’s challenge for a month, basically saying bye bye to all hair and skin products. I wasn’t ready to go that far, but the girlier green beauty site No More Dirty Looks kicked off a less hard-core challenge: To go soap-free — with exceptions for the face, hands, and private parts where soap would still be allowed — for at least 5 days.
If you’re asking why anyone would go soap-free, here are the reasons that have attracted curious minds and bodies. Most obviously, there’s the financial savings. No soap means no need to buy soap! Then there are the health and environmental reasons. Many soaps are made with a whole lot of chemicals, fragrances, and antibacterials that aren’t good for you or the planet.
That leads to the third reason to try a soapless lifestyle: (more…)
In case you’d forgotten, I’ve been blogging at KPCC’s environmental blog, 
