The Shower Hates Me: Consumer Ire

So, I'm going to take a moment, possibly several, to indulge in a bit of shallowness.

Truth is, in some ways, I'm very much a 'girly-girl'. I enjoy RomComs and bodice-ripping 70% random violence 30% ridiculously corny sex and courtship Harlequin novels of the medieval/barbarian or sometimes western variety. I really do like gardening, shopping, home-y arts and crafts, candles, and dinner-sets and home decoration-y things.

I also really really like yummy smelling bath stuff. And I kind of also like the freedom to pick what that yummy smell is.
Which is frustrating, because I also try pretty hard to be an ethical consumer.

I mean, really, all I want is to smell like coconut and or pretty pink flowers without endorsing animal cruelty, major environmental or health damages, or worker exploitation. I'd also really like it to come in a recyclable bottle, and not cost me an arm and a leg.That's not really asking so much is it?

Well, yes actually, apparently it is.
First of all, it can be really frustrating finding information on the ethics of various companies in the first place, and packaging isn't always trustworthy. I actually rely on the PETA recommendations list, because I figure not contributing to the pointless torture of animals is pretty much the least I can do. Also it's one if the only extensive lists I can find that doesn't require a paid subscription. Info on Fir Trade and such is harder to come by. Anyway that right there knocks off most discount brands, such as Suave (Unilever) SoftSoap (Colgate-Palmolive) Dove, and Dial. Hair stuff doesn't fair much better either. Of course, scratching of these discount brands also removes most ability to pick stuff to put on your body that you actually like the smell of. For some reason Burts Bees, Alba, Yes to Carrots, other various organics and on up only seem to come in one or two smells, on top of quickly becoming prohibitively expensive.

Luckily, White Rain brand is cheap, and can be confirmed not to do evil things to animals at least. E.L.F (Eyes Lips Face) is also pretty awesome that way, and sells make-up and shower gel astonishingly cheap, when you can find their products. Bath and Body Works is much more expensive (though not as much more as a lot of not evil stuff), but easy to locate, offers many choices, definitively on PETA's good list, and I can't find any other information that would convince me not to buy from them.

This has to be all the more frustrating for conscious consumers who want soap or shampoo on the more traditionally masculine side of the smell spectrum. I mean, there isn't a lot for them to choose from anyway, and most of the above mentioned good brands are pretty femininely coded. Some people would just rather smell like Sports or Icy Blast than Calm Chamomile & Honey or what have you. But let's look at the brands they do have:
Suave- owned by Unilever: Animal Cruelty
Axe- Unilever: Animal Cruelty
Dove-Animal Cruelty
Irish Spring- owned by Colgate-Palmolive: Animal Cruelty
Old Spice- owned by Proctor&Gamble: Animal Cruelty
Dial: you guessed it! Animal Cruelty.

Yikes! And, once again, that covers just about everything in your supermarket that comes in at under $6/bottle. Actually, the only brand I know of that definitely has 'guy smells' is BBW.But that still doesn't do much for the folks who want to wash their hair without causing it significant damage.

I realize that in the grand scheme of things, what you smell like when you get out of the shower isn't all that important. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem like a luxury that should be that difficult to obtain without punching the world in the face.
I mean, no, I have no expertise in the realm of bath product making. But seriously, is it really that hard to make soap that just smells like strawberries OR oatmeal OR lavender OR...whatever all that 'guy stuff' smells like, without animal testing, or loads of other unethical practices? It's not like vegetable based cleansers are that difficult to make, or like essential oils are that hard to come by.
If I was more entrepreneurial/qualified, I might try to do something about this.

As it is, I already make my own environmentally friendly laundry detergent and all purpose cleaner and that kind of thing. I've explored soap/shampoo making before. I think I'm going to look into that again, though at the moment, it seems like a lot of effort and funds (stuff for cleaning product making has to bought in bulk, I assume stuff for soap making would too) for just myself. Anyway, I'll look into it. If I know you and you're interested let me know! I'd be happy to either make you stuff, or teach you how to make stuff. Maybe we can bypass some of the supporting nastiness, without giving up too much by way of stuff we like.

Stuff this week

So, it's been a while since I posted one of these. Anyway, here are some things going on you can participate in to help make the world a better place!


Speak out against the forced sterilization of Tibetans by the Chinese government
 I don't think I really need to outline how reproductive rights are human rights, and that includes the right to actually have children. Not only is the forced sterilization being carried out in Tibet a gross human rights violation, but the conditions under which it's done are cruel and dangerous. Add your voice to the petition above, and spread the word!

 Support the universal healthcare act in California
 Universal health care would be awesome wouldn't it? Especially under a single-payer system. Contrary to the fear mongering constantly being thrown about in the U.S, most countries, like Canada for instance, who have single payer health care systems not only haven't collapsed into a disease ridden heap, but their practitioners actually work fewer hours, while spending more time actually with patients than U.S doctors, and take a pay-cut that really doesn't reduce their standard of living (roughly 110,000 USD vs 130,000). So, while it would be super cool if we could get something like this nation wide, we should support California getting it in the meantime!

 Brighten someones holiday with an e-card
Mothers Day is coming up. Take this opportunity to send an e-card to let the Mom or Mom-figure in your life know that she's appreciated, while spreading the word about the work done by Meals for Moms. Meals for Moms, in association with Meals on Wheels, help deliver meals to the doors of homebound and elderly women and mothers. You can also have a card sent to a Meals for Moms recipient, making sure everyone knows that someone out there cares about them!