Non-Toxic Adventures: Shaving Cream

Oh boy.  Folks, this is going to be quite the journey.  I thought I was starting super easy, and it's already moderately weird and jarring to go non-toxic.

As I said earlier, I already use and love Dr. Bronner's soap, so I had the general "body wash" category taken care of.  (Although I decided to branch out and try a new scent this time and bought Hemp Rose.  Don't do it.  When I bought it, I only saw the "Rose" part.  I think if I'd seen the "Hemp" part, I wouldn't have gone for it.  It smells like roses, but then... weird.  Won't be a repeat purchase.  For those of you considering buying Dr. B, I really like Citrus and Tea Tree Oil.  And Peppermint and Lavender smell exactly how you think they would.)

[A quick aside on Dr. Bronner's: I remember reading this article from Inc. magazine awhile back, which first got me to try the products.  I'd always seen them in stores but thought they were too hippy/kooky for me.  I recommend reading the article if you have a few minutes -- great explanation on the origin of the brand and how the business has adapted over the years.  I was particularly impressed with how Dr. Bronner's has helped to "clean up" the personal care industry, including playing a major part in getting Whole Foods to have stricter standards for the products it carries.]

Aaaaaaanyway, I decided to start with something that I thought would be an easy swap: shaving cream.

I'd picked up the Alba natural-y stuff before at Trader Joe's and liked it.  The only reason I hadn't been using it was that I don't get to Trader Joe's that often.  Also, I checked out the ingredient list, and I doesn't look that clean.  So I picked up good ol' Dr. Bronner's shaving gel. 

Sooooo... here's the deal.  It worked and felt fine, I guess.  But it was... weird.

Here's what my old toxic shaving cream looks like when you dispense some into your hand:

Like... you push some out, and it's a thick gel, and then it becomes a big glob of foam.  Normal.

And here's what the Dr. Bronner's shaving gel looks like when you put some in your hand:

Whaaaaaa?????  Is it a bronzer?  Is it an exfoliant?  What's even going on???????  If you rub it vigorously in your hands, it becomes something the sort of resembles a cream.  And as I said, it worked and felt fine.  I'll definitely finish the bottle.  (And if I don't get used to it, I'll keep looking.  I heard Tom's of Maine had a nice one, but a quick google search seems to indicate it's been discontinued, resulting in many broken internet hearts.)

So... we're moving along folks, getting more non-toxic every week.  But I think the big lesson is it won't be super easy, and there will definitely be many weird stops along the way.