Whether in the form of a slatted dish or a bag, soap savers are handy to make your soap last longer. Moreover, when used correctly in your shower, it will prevent the soap from becoming slimy or worse.
We also would like to share with you our favorite option, i.e., the soap saver bag. Why? Because it is another of our easy-to-implement, long-lasting zero waste swaps.
A soap saver bag provides exfoliation, in addition to helping with your circulation. And it makes your soap bar foamier! Let’s take a more detailed look.Â
Why Is This a Better Alternative Than Its Plastic Version
It is quite common to find plastic-made loofahs hanging in the shower. Here are two simple reasons why we encourage you to switch them for a better alternative:
- They are not hygienic. How often do you wash or sterilize your loofah? Indeed, even though it was meant to scrub your skin better, it is the perfect home for bacteria. Also though they may be safe to use at the beginning, they rapidly evolve into spreading your previous dirt back on your body. Namely, as the shower is a humid environment, with low air circulation, the bacteria will grow ‘eating’ your skin cells found on the loofah.
- They are not eco-friendly. Often made of single-use plastic, loofahs are very unlikely to be recyclable. Moreover, because it is recommended to change them regularly for hygienic reasons, they increase the amount of home waste directly sent to landfills.
Reasons Why We Love Soap Savers
If you have been using liquid soap for a while and you are not sure whether to go for Zero Waste Bar Soap, adding a soap saver will smoothen your transition.
Besides the fact that most liquid soaps often come in plastic packaging, we encourage you to go for the combo bar soap + soap saver:
- It will store your soap correctly and safely: you will decrease the risk of it slipping in the shower, and you, therefore, stepping on it!
- It will avoid that your soap becomes a mush you cannot easily use anymore. Make sure to place your soap out of the shower steam properly. Fewer splashes mean your soap will remain firmer.
- In addition to making your soap last longer, you can easily find eco-friendly containers or bags (see below for our preference!) that will have more than one use.
- In addition to all the above, it is quite affordable. On average, in the United States, you can get a sustainably made Soap Saver anywhere between 5 to 10 USD.Â
Our Favorite: The Soap Saver Bag
Here are the simple reasons why we recommend a saver bag in your shower, and most notably, the one from EcoRoots. You will not regret this purchase:
- In addition to extending the life of your soap, it will allow you to combine two or more soaps in one bag. Instead of throwing away the last remains of your soap bar, you can let it ‘merge’ with the new one. A better use of resources.
- Put a bit of water on it, and you will notice it foams in no time! It functions just as the loofah but better. Because the saver bag dries faster, you will avoid the growth of bacteria. Make sure to rinse with clean water the soap and bag together after use, then hang them up. From time to time, place the saver bag in the washing machine and wash at cold temperature.
- The bag also acts as a gentle scrubber and will remove dead skin without scratching.
- It is made out of sisal, a natural fiber derived from the inside of the agave’s leaves. This means your soap saver bag is safe for your skin and the environment.
- EcoRoots guarantees that its sisal bags are ethically sourced and non-toxic.
- Lastly, we like this sustainable beauty item, as you can easily compost it.
How Do You Use a Soap Saver Bag?
Namely, with your soap saver bag in hand, you want to make sure you place your soap bar in the pouch and pull on the strings until it is firmly closed.Â
Follow that up by wetting the soap and pouch. Afterward, lather it up, hang it, and let it dry for the next use.Â
Tips for using your Body & Shampoo Soap Bar
In terms of using the Soap bar itself, you want to make sure to keep a note of the following:
- Bar Soaps can be irritating on your face, as it might dry your skin, so keep this in mind when buying specific soap bars for your face. Check out the brands and read the instructions carefully. What many people tend to forget is to look at the ingredients of the soap. If you know you are allergic or sensitive to certain ingredients, then you should avoid buying anything with the same. Additionally, some soap bars may last less due to certain ingredients, so you might want to avoid certain brands in terms of money.Â
- In terms of a shampoo soap bar, you do not want to wash your hair by directly applying the bar onto your head. Instead, what you want to do is create a nice foamy lather in your hands. And, with that lather wash your hair accordingly.Â
Final Thoughts
While there are many soap options that may do the job, you want to make sure that you choose one that will benefit not only the environment but also your own skin.Â
Consider the idea that you may currently be using a loofah to simply throw bacteria right back on to your skin. Hence, this is a no brainer Zero Waste Swap.Â
While we love the EcoRoots product(and highly recommend it), it does not mean that there are no other products out there to try. Â
Just be careful and make sure you are avoiding plastic sourced(or made) products at all costs.Â
Feel free to share any other products we should be looking at, and as always, let us know if you have any questions.Â
