Six ways to survive without a shower

Maybe you are ‘off the grid’ for a brief hiatus from life, or you are rushing between appointments in the middle of summer. Whether you are far from a shower or just trying to save time, body wipes are your best friend. You know when you need them.

As with most consumer decisions, there are plenty of ways to get lost in the features of the leading brands as you stare at the range on your local retailer’s shelf. So be prepared for no shower with these six simple tips:

• Consider your family … is anyone in your family allergic to anything or have sensitive skin? Water wipes may be the way to go, with 99.9% of the product being just water. They are gentle and hypoallergenic and will help avoid those red patches.
• Buy in bulk … needless to say, if there are many of you, you will need more wipes. This might be more wipe itself, a larger wipe size. Or it might be a bulk pack or the ability to purchase a box.
• Be travel-ready … make sure you have enough packs to keep everywhere, including your handbag, gym bag, purse, car, desk at work, and even at your parent’s house. These should be suitably small in size and easy to carry ‘on-the-go’.
• Seek that soothing smell … ok, so anything called ‘lemon sorbet’ will not smell natural or be soothing. You would expect it to be on garish packaging promising the world. These tacky fake fragrances were so last decade, and in an increasingly environmentally-focused world, consumers want natural fragrances. Even better if they are at their back door, like pristine Australian environments Kangaroo Island or Byron Bay.
• Everyday moisturising … no ‘shower in a wipe’ should strip you of moisture. Pick a wipe with a naturally hydrating oil like Jojoba for long-lasting moisture.
• Pick our planet … the more you dive into wet wipes, the more you realise that the vast majority are made of plastic. Imagine wiping your baby or your kitchen with a plastic bag? Fear not, there are plastic-free alternatives that are compostable.

We make hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions daily without thinking. Conscious consumption, however, is a broad term that refers to engaging in the economy with more awareness of how your purchasing impacts society and then buying ethically produced goods. For example, sustainability is important to us. In that case, we are looking for any sense of ‘greenwashing’ (which would put us off instantly). Instead, we want genuine products that do not add to the plastics issue. Another example is if we have a busy lifestyle, the product must integrate with our comings and goings. 

Ultimately, if we purchase Australian made, we can have greater confidence in the quality of the product, and we know what the water standards are. From a broader perspective, we know what the working conditions need to be and what the consumer laws are. The bonus is that buying locally will reduce your carbon footprint too.

Maybe it is ‘just wet wipes’, but it is your choice of what you use on your body and where you spend your money.