I’ve found 7 plastic-free organic hand soaps for you that contain no toxic chemicals and come in paper packaging you can easily recycle. Why hand soaps? Because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say washing our hands with soap and water works better than hand sanitizer for killing the germs that cause Coronavirus, the flu, and other illnesses, like diarrhea and the common cold.

Why plastic-free? Because plastic trash is out of control!

And why organic? Because as good as soap is for fighting germs, too many soaps contain harmful toxic chemicals or come packaged in throwaway plastic.  The soaps listed below contain healthy ingredients that work – and don’t come in plastic!

7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps

Dr. Bronner’s

Zum

Tom’s of Maine

O Naturals

Makes 3 Organics

Ma’na Organix

Patchouli Soap

Here Are 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu

Dr. Bronner’s – Made with vegan ingredients and castile soap, but no synthetic preservatives or foaming agents. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Available unscented, or in peppermint, lavender, almond, eucalyptus, hemp rose, hemp tea tree, and hemp citrus. Fair Trade certified and Non GMO verified, too!

Zum – Made with goat’s milk, essential oils, and fresh citrus herbs. Minimal paper packaging that can be recycled. Available in variety sampler pack as well as individually. Look for it online but in Whole Foods, natural foods stores, and food co-ops, too.

Tom’s of Maine – 5 oz. bars, available in 6-packs; available in lavender, orange blossom, coconut oil, and other plant-based compounds (NOTE: May also be available in store in CVS, various supermarkets, Whole Foods, Target, etc.)

O Naturals – 100% natural organic ingredients, vegan, and infused with essential oils. Available in oatmeal & coffee, agave nectar & soy milk, coconut & shea butter, jojoba & tea tree, and rosemary & peppermint. PETA certified.

Makes 3 Organics – Made in Santa Barbara, CA with USDA certified organic ingredients, including coconut oil and shea butter. Packaged plastic-free in a recyclable paper box. Also available in orange blossom.

Ma’na Organix – This hemp oil based soap is infused with eucalyptus that both cleans and leaves your hands smelling fresh. Ma’na is also sulfate- and paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. It’s packaged in a minimal recyclable cardboard wrap. Available in lavender, peppermint, spearmint, and cinnamon vanilla cappuccino.

Patchouli Soap – In case you’re wondering, patchouli is a fast-growing shrub related to mint and lavender with an “earthy, sensuous” scent. Additional ingredients in this soap include olive, coconut, avocado and castor oil, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, water, and sodium hydroxide.

When Should You Wash Your Hands During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

After you have been in a public place and touched an item or surface that may have been touched by other people, like door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping cars, or electronic cashier registers and screens

Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, because that’s how germs enter our bodies

Before, during and after preparing food, and before eating food

After going to the bathroom

After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

After shopping and packing and unpacking groceries

After opening mail

Remember to lather and scrub for 20 seconds. The CDC recommends people no longer shake hands with each other. If you somehow do shake hands with someone, wash your hands afterwards and before you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

NOTE: We may earn a small commission if you purchase a product through our link. It’s teeny tiny, so not enough to affect how we think, but helpful enough to keep us going. Thanks!

The post 7 Plastic-Free Organic Hand Soaps That Fight Coronavirus and the Flu appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Considering how many times you lick them each day, maybe you should. Many conventional lip products are made from ingredients you’d never DREAM of wiping your tongue on, like pesticides, dyes, and parabens. Lipstick may even contain lead. Ewww!

Good news: Conventional cosmetic companies like Softlips are extending their product lines to include pure organic lip conditioners in a variety of flavors.

About the Product: Pure Softlips is USDA Organic Certified. It’s made of 100% natural ingredients, 95% of which are organic. You can get it in five different flavors, including Acai Berry, Honeydew, Papaya, Pomegranate, and Peppermint.

What We Like: In addition to the fact that Softlips uses certified ingredients, its price is comparable to conventional products (see below) and it’s easy to buy in many retail outlets. Pure Softlips is cruelty free (animal testing is not conducted). In addition, the balm is sold in recyclable materials that include a minimum of plastic and are printed with vegetable-based ink. It’s not too greasy but still leaves lips feeling soothed. The flavors are pleasant, and the fragrance is not overwhelming.

There are no dyes or tints in Softlips, so don’t expect it to impart anything more than a subtle shine – which is just fine if you’re planning to pucker up and don’t want to leave any evidence behind.

Are you are allergic to gluten? Softlips pure organic lip conditioner is gluten-free (other lip glosses may list wheat as an ingredient).

What We Don’t Like: Softlips’ entire product line needs the same make-over it’s given to its “Pure” brand. The company’s standard products contain nasty compounds like petroleum, toluene and parabens. That’s a no-no for Big Green Purse fans. We hope the company will raise its entire product line to “Pure” standards.

Plus, five of us in the office tried different Pure Softlips flavors. We all liked the tastes – but we found the applicator tube itself way too small…and not because we have big lips! Softlips could double the size of the applicator, make the product last twice as long, and reduce packaging that comes from having to buy two applicators rather than one.

Product Comparison:

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm:
“Earth Friendly Natural Personal Care for The Greater Good”
The ingredients are 95.29% natural, and include ultra-emollient lanolin, coconut and sunflower oil, and beeswax. TThe tube is made of recycled plastic.

Herbal Choice  Herbal Choice uses natural herbs and oils to moisturize lips; the color from the tinted lip balms derives from natural fruit powders to provide sheer color.
• Paraben Free, Preservative Free, Mineral Oil Free.
• No Synthetic Additives, Fragrance Free.
• Pure & Natural Formula.
• Organic Ingredients.
• Allergen Free, Non Sticky.
• No Animal Testing, Vegan.
• Earth & Skin Friendly.

Eco Lips – Uses high concentrations of certified organic ingredients like green tea and kiwi.

Dr. Bronner’s All-One Organic Lip Balm: Dr. Bronner’s lip balms are USDA Certified Organic, and are made of natural oils and beeswax. The product is not animal tested; ingredients include natural organic hemp, pure organic oils and beeswax free of petrochemically modified ingredients. Organic essential oils infuse the balms with fragrance.

Price Comparison:
Pure Softlips – Lip Conditioners priced at $3.69

Burt’s Bees: Beeswax Lip Balm $3.00

Herbal Choice: Vitamin E lip balm $3.95

Eco Lips: Free shipping with orders over $15
Eco Lips Organic Lip Balm- $1.99
Eco Tint Line $3.99
Eco Energy lip balm3.49

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm
Lip Balms priced at $ 2.99

How Many Purses for Softlips? Two. We love the ingredients in Pure Softlips. But the applicator is too small, forcing us to buy two when one larger one would last longer. We also want to see Softlips raise the bar for its entire product line. Softlips should be “pure,” through and through.

by Sophia Bambalis

The post Environmental In-Box: Softlips Pure Organic Lip Conditioner appeared first on Big Green Purse.