Introducing the Weleda Shower Bar range

Weleda have taken another step forward with the release of the Weleda shower bar range to provide a plastic free alternative to their creamy body wash range. It's not just another soap bar. Soaps and body wash bars are made differently and have a different pH level. Body wash bars, like this shower bar, are much gentler on the skin. While they normally coming with a higher price point at the checkout, the team at Weleda have created a shower bar for the price you might expect to pay for ordinary soap.

Here's what we love about the range.

1. Weleda Shower Bars are long lasting
2. Weleda Shower Bars are only scented with natural essential oils
3. Weleda Shower Bars are vegan and biodegradable
4. Weleda Shower Bars don't use artificial foaming agents
5. Weleda Shower Bars are creamy using Shea Butter at their core
6. Sustainably Sourced Ingredients at the core of the whole Weleda brand

The Weleda Shower Bar is long lasting

Soap and body wash bars may look similar, but they have vast differences in the way they are made, how much they cost and how long they last. Traditionally, soap is longer lasting but not pH balanced and can be drying to the skin. Body Wash Bars, like the Weleda Shower Bars, are creamier, softer and don't usually last as long. There are some brands who manage to bridge the gap and create a creamier and longer lasting bar that is priced like a soap yet performs like the more premium product that it is. We are starting to see it in this category much like we see the difference in quality and performance in the variety of shampoo bar options on the market today (where Shampoo With A Purpose managed to triple mill their bars to outlast so many others).

Weleda have definitely made a mark in this area with their bars lasting approx. the same period of time as 2 x 150ml tubes of creamy liquid body wash, all for under $10, which is around 1/3 of the price of their liquid alternatives with ZERO PLASTIC.

The Weleda Shower Bar range is only scented with natural essential oils

Don't be concerned by the words 'parfum' on any Weleda products. While it's a name that mainstream brands hide behind to use cheap artificial fragrances to scent products, for international labelling, it's also a necessity for naming natural scents.

Weleda only use 100% natural essential oils in their products, including the Shower Bars. In a hot and steamy shower, the oils in the shower bars are strong enough to create an aromatherapy experience as you shower. Your 4 aromatherapy options in the range are:-

1. Ginger & Petitgrain - a spicy and refreshing / energizing aroma
2. Lavender & Vetiver - relax and unwind with the floral notes of lavender balanced with woody tones from vetiver
3. Ylang Ylang & Iris - a tender floral experience
4. Geranium & Litsea Cubeba - a balance of fresh floral and uplifting and refreshing aromas

Author Kate Grenville wrote a book called The Case Against Fragrance talking about this topic. It's a fascinating read and one close to my heart as my own sensitivities to artificial ingredients, in particular, scents, is one of the reasons this shop exists.

The Weleda Shower Bar range is vegan and biodegradable

What you wash down the drain is just as important as what stays on your skin. Each bar is vegan and made from 100% natural ingredients that are biodegradable.

The Weleda Shower Bars don't use artificial foaming agents

It's a myth that you need bubbles to clean. We see it in our skin care category with oil and cream cleansers. We even see it in dishwashing bars instead of liquid. Bubbles don't clean, but it's a common myth. Surfactants clean. As long as your product has the necessary surfactants, the bubbles are an unnecessary addition. These bars foam naturally.

Weleda Shower Bars are creamy using Shea Butter at their core

The Creamy Body Washes in the tubes have always been a soft to the touch creamy cleansing experience. The same experience comes from the shea butter used in the Weleda Shower Bar range. It is a natural that comes from the nuts from the shea tree. In Africa, it is also sometimes used in food preparation. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used in skin care.

Sustainably Sourced Ingredients at the core of the whole Weleda brand

Weleda have good control over their supply chain and work closely with growers for their raw materials. This ensures safe working conditions and quality ingredients for a brand the world has trusted for over 100 years now.

Their shea butter is predominantly sourced from an established supply chain in Western Africa. Fruit collection from the wild means it's collected sustainably and are ripened in the sun.

Small scale organic farmers in the Atlas mountains of Morocco collect iris rhizome rood, 20 tonnes of it, to produce 500kg of fragrance. That's no small undertaking.

Farming partners in Moldova biodynamically cultivate the organic lavender used by Weleda. 100kg of lavender flower is converted to 1kg of lavender essential oil.