The Body Shop helps you to start your day the earth lovers way!

Just in time for Earth Day, The Body Shop introduces the first ever 100% biodegradable shower gel range - featuring a blend of herb and fruit extracts and Community Fair Trade aloe vera to leave your skin naturally fragranced and super soft.  The entire range is made from a soap-free base, so it's non-drying and suitable for sensitive skin, you'll also be happy to know that they don't contain sulfates, parabens or colourants.

The Body Shop also conducted a Canadian Shower Survey - some of the results that I found interesting:
3 out of 4 Canadians are spending 5 or more minutes in the shower;
71% of Canadians are willing to reduce their shower time by at least 1 minute;
34% of Canadians are willing to cut more than 3 minutes off their shower time;
64% of Canadians are willing to give up showering 1 day a month to conserve water and protect the planet;
39% of Canadians spend most of their shower time washing their upper bodies. However, 19% of men focus their cleaning energy on their privates (big shocker there)!

Upon reflection, I realize that I take a far longer (and hotter) shower than I should, so I'm going to try very hard to knock the 3 minutes off my shower time!  Maybe one of these great smelling gels can help me:

The Body Shop Shower Gels for Earth Lovers - 250ml - $12 - in 6 scents:

Lemon & Thyme - lemon is great to brighten, cleanse and tone oily skin and the aroma is invigorating and stimulating, for those mornings where your ass is dragging and thyme is an astringent, toning, cleansing herb which can benefit dull, tired looking skin.

Mint & Cucumber - mint is an energizing herb with antiseptic properties to rejuvenate the skin and cucumber has cooling and soothing powers often used externally to treat minor skin complaints. 

Watermelon & Eucalyptus - watermelon is an excellent source of anti-oxidants, rich in vitamins A,B and C and is nourishing to the skin while eucalyptus is a stimulating, purifying and cleansing herb used to tone, cleanse and  and help improve tired, dull, mature skin and hair.

Apricot & Basil - apricot extracts are ideal for softening, nourishing, moisturizing and regenerating the skin while basil is used to relieve fatigue, to balance the mind and emotions as well as improve and enhance the skin's texture.

Fig & Rosemary - fig extracts help remove dead skin cells, leaving skin soft and silky while rosemary is a cleansing, stimulating and restorative herb used to tone and improve skin texture. It also has astringent properties, which help to reduce excess oil in skin and hair.

Pear & Lemongrass - pear is abundant in vitamin C and is known to soothe and rejuvenate the skin. Ideal in restoring radiance in dull, tired looking skin as well as exfoliating and toning while lemongrass uplifts the spirits as well as balances oily skin.

I spent a great deal of time at The Body Shop last night sniffing them all - so much so that the salespeople were starting to look at me funny, and after a serious sniff test I am going to have to proclaim the Apricot and Basil my fave - sweet and delicious smelling!

Having read that some of the stuff in a typical shower gel takes 200 to 300 years to biodegrade once it washes down the drain not to mention some of the health risks that are being associated to the chemicals in beauty products - well, it makes me happy to know that there are alternatives out there that still smell and work great!

- Lisamarie -