There are a lot of discussions about avoiding certain ingredients in soaps, such as sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens, but an even bigger issue is packaging. Body washes all come in bottles, usually plastic, and one ingredient is water. And even the cheapest body washes are still more expensive than bar soap. And expensive soap is way, way, way cheaper than expensive body wash. And it's still only wrapped in paper: renewable, recyclable, biodegradable (okay, not all of it, but you get my point). And stretching my point even further is that with a body wash you also need something to apply it with: a bath poof (usually made out of petroleum), loofah (can be natural, but doesn't last very long), or washcloth (soooo unfashionable!). The washcloth is the best choice since it's easily washed and lasts a long time.
Yeah, I know, I'm kind of stretching it tonight. But bar soap really is more environmentally friendly than body wash, even if you use regular cheap stuff from the supermarket. I usually use whatever my husband brings home from the hotels he stays in for work, it's going to be thrown out anyway (and this way I feel like I'm getting presents for free). If only I could talk my husband into using it. That's a battle for another day.
(oh, a baby connection: when you have yours, be really careful what you put on his/her skin. Now is the time to really, really read the labels. I love Burt's Bees! And don't wash the baby too much, other than the diaper area, they don't get that dirty.)
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