What is biodegradable?
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Whether your surfing through the fog at Stinson beach, camping in the backcountry or chasing sunsets on a bike your body wash needs to be strong enough to get you clean without destroying the places you play.
Sadly, the majority of personal care products are bad for personal and planetary health. Here's some helpful information about why this is important to use biodegradable products.
What does it mean to be biodegradable?
A product is biodegradable when it can be broken down to at least 90% water, CO2, and organic material by naturally existing bacteria within six months.
How do you know a product is biodegradable?
- Check the label. Labels marking products as biodegradable are the best bet.
- If the label doesn't say look at the ingredients. Plants will biodegrade, many synthetic ingredients won't.
- Unsure? Contact the manufacturer, if they don't know they should.
How are non-biodegradable washes making the planet dirtier?
If it doesn't biodegrade it stays in the water system, gets evaporated, or concentrated and ends up adding to smog, or polluting our natural waterways. We're part of the water cycle what we put in will come back around.
How do non-biodegradable washes harm personal health?
An analysis of wastewater in the SF Bay Area by the Environmental Working Group found that 90% of the samples contained at least 1 of 3 unregulated but widely used hormone disruptors- phthalates, bisphenol A, and triclosan. These hormone disrupters are largely attributed to personal care products that don't biodegrade.
How do non-biodegradable washes harm animal friends?
Hormone disrupters that don't biodegrade are even more disruptive to fish and amphibians, studies compiled by the USGS show these compounds are linked to die-offs and over 20% of fish in watersheds with hormone disrupters from water are unable to reproduce, this has ripples across the entire ecosystem.
Leave No Trace
Even biodegradable washes should not be used directly in natural waterways. To make sure you are using your soap responsibly make sure you're washing at least 200 feet away from any water source. Also, try to collect all your wastewater and leave it in a covered hole a few inches deep so that nature can work its magic.
Respect yourself and the planet, use a biodegradable body wash that can give you a clear mind and a clean body. The only impact our Mind and Body Wash will leave is a damn good shower.