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What is the best biodegradable shampoo for camping?
What shampoo is biodegradable? Should you even care about it? Answering the latter – yes, you should. If you plan to take a shower or wash your hair outdoors, you should be using natural and eco friendly toiletries only. So, you don’t pollute the planet. Another thing to remember is that you shouldn’t be using any toiletries next to any water source, not even biodegradable. Some 200 feet away is considered a safe distance.
Ok, but let’s talk about biodegradable shampoo.
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Table of Contents
Best Biodegradable Shampoo
What are the options? And which one to choose?
What are the best biodegradable shampoo brands?
Quick Answer:
- BEST SHAMPOO – 100% PURE Kelp & Mint Shampoo
- BEST CHEAP – Sierra Dawn Campsuds
- BEST MULTI-PURPOSE – Dr. Bronner’s
To put it simply – if it completely disappears, if it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, then it’s biodegradable.
1. 100% PURE Kelp & Mint Shampoo (click for more details)
An eco friendly shampoo for camping and use at home.
Overall, the best biodegradable shampoo, our favorite.
Made of natural ingredients this camping shampoo features green tea and pro-vitamin B5, which make your hair look better and healthier. Perhaps not the first thing you think about when going on a camping trip. But if you do really care about your hair, and don’t mind carrying a luxury like this, then the 100% PURE shampoo might be the best shampoo for camping for you.
SIZE: 8 fl oz / 235 ml
Read more: How to shower while camping?
2. Reef Safe Shampoo Bar (click for more details)
An environmentally safe shampoo bar.
If you don’t like carrying a bottle or caring about liquid toiletries, nowadays there are solutions like this one. In this case made of only natural ingredients, vegan friendly and fully biodegradable. One thing to remember, especially if you’re not used to solid shampoos – always put the bar somewhere dry, when you’re done washing your hair.
If you’ll need a soap case, check out this list of travel soap cases.
WEIGHT: 3 oz / 85 g
Best Biodegradable Shampoo and Conditioner
3. SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Shampoo & Conditioner Set (click for more details)
A set of eco friendly shampoo and conditioner.
Just like the 100% PURE shampoo this set is more on the expensive side. So it’s not really the biodegradable shampoo for camping for everyone, but more for those who do like to indulge themselves. And also for those kind of trips, when you don’t really care that much about the weight of your equipment.
And even then it’s a good idea to just take a travel size bottle with shampoo.
Of course, you can also use it at home.
In your indoor or – yes – outdoor bathroom.
SIZE: 16 fl oz / 470 ml (x2)
Best Biodegradable Shampoo and Body Wash
Many of the best biodegradable shampoos are multi-purpose.
You can use them also as a biodegradable body wash, some – also to wash dishes, as a travel laundry soap or to wash your dog.
4. Sea To Summit Wilderness Wash (click for more details) / (see on REI)
A multi-purpose washing liquid for outdoors.
One that you can use also as a shampoo to wash your hair.Biodegradable soap and shampoo, 2-in-1. You can actually use it to wash anything you need during your camping trip or travels, everything from your body and hair to dishes and clothes. The perfect solution for people like me, who likes to have as little gear and stuff as possible.
Since it’s a very concentrated solution, you need to apply very little of it.
The Sea to Summit shampoo is available in 2 sizes, also in travel size (carry on friendly).
SIZE: 8.5 fl oz/ 250 ml
5. Dr. Bronner’s – Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (click for more details) / (see on REI)
Quality liquid soap that you can use for everything.
Not only it’s made of organic oils, but also 70% of ingredients are certified as fair trade ingredients. If you do care about nature AND ethical working conditions, you should be caring about this. As all of the best eco friendly shampoos, it has no synthetic preservatives or agents. And it’s 100% vegan.
Available in different sizes, from 2 fl oz to 128 fl oz.
Do you want to save money? Buy the big bottle and refill it in travel bottles.
6. Sierra Dawn Campsuds (click for more details)
It’s cheap, and it’s multi-purpose.
If you are looking for a cheap earth friendly shampoo, that simply does its job, look no further. Yes, it’s an all-purpose cleaning solution, and you can wash dishes and clothing with the Campsuds, but you can also wash your body and hair with it. It works both in hot and cold water.
And since all you need is only a few drops of it, one bottle can last you quite a time.
Available in different sizes.
7. Joshua Tree 8 oz. Body Wash (click for more details)
A biodegradable shampoo and body wash.
Suitable for almost anything. For body, hair, dishes and even your dog.
Made of organic and natural ingredients, and fully biodegradable.
SIZE: 8 fl oz / 235 ml
What Makes Shampoo Biodegradable?
And what does it really mean?
If it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide within 6 months, then it’s considered biodegradable. To put it simply – if it disappears, then it’s biodegradable.
That’s not the case with most shampoos, shower gels and soaps most of us use daily. Most of these products contain chemicals. These chemicals are there to make these products antibacterial, to give them longer life, but at the same time it also makes them less earth friendly. And you should definitely avoid using them outdoors.
Popular shampoos and soaps that we regularly use contain chemicals like sulfates, triclosan (now banned in soaps), and phosphates. They make soaps antibacterial and the shampoo lather and give them a longer shelf life, but the chemicals are not biodegradable, so they’d flow into the earth or clean water resources.
Learn more about biodegredable shampoos here.
Why Choose Biodegradable Shampoo for Camping and Hiking?
Why it’s important to choose biodegradable shampoo for camping and hiking?
Many biodegradable soaps and shampoos are made of ingredients which is less damaging to the environment.
What shampoo is biodegradable? Should you even care about it? Answering the latter – yes, you should. If you plan to take a shower or wash your hair outdoors, you should be using more environmentally friendly toiletries.
If you are on an extended trip outdoors (camping, RVing), you’ll be washing your hair outdoors at some point. This means that you’ll rinse your hair and dump the water outside. That water will contain suds which in turn contain chemicals that are harmful for nature. They don’t break down naturally and stay in the water. This leads to pollution of lakes and rivers. That’s why you need to use biodegradable shampoo.
This type of shampoos break down naturally and do not cause pollution. However, it still doesn’t happen right away. A few months will pass until it breaks down 100%. Suds of biodegradable break down only when they are filtered through the ground. Only that they can eventually they break down. That’s why you mustn’t use them in a natural water source!
All biodegradable soaps should be used at least 200 ft (61 m) from a water source.
How to Choose the Best Biodegradable Shampoo?
1. Ingredients
Check what it is made of.
Are there some ingredients that you don’t like or are allergic to?
2. The Use of Natural Ingredients
Some biodegradable soaps and shampoos are made of natural ingredients.
Wait, aren’t all biodegradable shampoos are made of eco-friendly ingredients? No, not necessarily. If it is important to you, check the ingredients list on the back of the package. If you want an eco-friendly bar of soap, choose biodegradable soap which is made of natural ingredients only.
Such shampoos are not only better for the environment, but also for your health.
3. Your Hair Type
Always choose the best shampoo for your hair type.
If your hair is damaged or dry, choose moisturising shampoo (e.g., with essential oils). If you’ve got normal hair, don’t choose shampoos with essential oils in it, as it will make your scalp greasy.
4. Purpose
There are plenty of multi-purpose biodegradable soaps.
Are you traveling light? Consider getting a bottle of multi-purpose soap that you can use to wash your hair, body, face, laundry, and even dishes!
5. Biodegradable Shampoo and Conditioner
Do you use conditioner?
To save some space in your bag, choose 2-in-1 biodegradable shampoo and conditioner.
Sea to Summit Trek Conditioning Shampoo is one of the options.
6. Size of the Bottle
In your cabin bag, you are allowed to carry travel size bottles (3.4 oz/100 ml). In your checked luggage, on the other hand, you are allowed to carry full size toiletry bottles. So, if you are travelling with a carry on only, choose a small, travel size shampoo with a volume that doesn’t exceed 3.4 oz (100 ml).
Do you use shampoo when hiking and camping? What earth friendly shampoo do you use?
Featured photo: by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Book Your Trip Like a PRO
1. Book Your Flight. Find cheap flights using Kiwi.com, Momondo.com. Or subscribe to Dollar Flight Club, if you don’t want to be searching for the flights yourself. Kiwi currently is my first choice.
2. Book Your Accommodation. Booking.com, Agoda.com and Airbnb. I use Booking and Agoda at least a dozen times a year, and Airbnb – when looking for a long-term stay. My best tip is to ALWAYS compare the price. Sometimes the same hotel is cheaper on Booking.com, other times – on Agoda. Always compare the price!
3. Buy Your Travel Insurance. Ekta and SafetyWings are two companies I can recommend. Ekta offers some extra benefits, that will be important for those doing some higher risk activities (make sure to choose the right plan!), while SafetyWings is better for digital nomads. SafetyWings is also very affordable.
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