Body and hair care products that are beneficial to garden plants

I have a vision of a shower/bath house that has the water drained into a garden bed full of edible plants. Are there any types of soaps/shampoos/conditioners that could be considered beneficial (or at the very least not detrimental) in the garden on a daily basis?

What you'll want to look for are those products that don't contain detergents, sulfates, artificial fragrances, dyes, or petroleum based ingredients. Toward that end, because I have a system very similar that feeds onto a hill that drains to our pond, as well as for my own health reasons, I've found it easiest to make my own - in bar form. The only thing I've struggled to make are conditioner bars - which I prefer, over liquid, which I *can* make, lol. So, it's the only thing I still buy - but, I buy the honey silk hair conditioner from https://beautyandthebees.net/
Their products are top-notch, and frankly the best I've found for not only my skin and hair, but the environment. If I ever have to stop making my own, I'll go back to buying it all from them, instead of just the conditioner, as I do, right now.

Any label that contains the word "fragrances" is used to hide the "secret ingredients"; typically they cram all the dyes & petroleum and nasty ingredients under that term and put all the non-chemically sounding normal stuff where you can see it.

If they don't list all the ingredients there is probably something bad in it. So as for types id say anything homemade or simple. You just can't be certain what you are getting with off the shelf products at a big box store.

My experience with ingredients lists is a bit different. I've found that reading the list and looking up anything that you're not familiar with is a wise practice. Even the things I personally make at home rarely have less than 6 to 8 ingredients.

I've read many places that camp soap is environmentally safe.

Dr bronners soap is supposed to be natural, so you might look into that as well. We use liquid dr bronners soap in a foaming soap pump I bought on amazon, and we love it. They have different "fragrances", but they use essential oils instead of chemicals for that.

I love what you are trying to do. I would like to set up an off grid outdoor shower using solar heated water. I didn't even think about using the water for the plants. Good idea!

Thanks a bunch for the tips guys!

Carla Burke wrote:I've found it easiest to make my own - in bar form.

I would love to have your recipe if you are willing to share

Jeremy Butler wrote:Thanks a bunch for the tips guys!

Carla Burke wrote:I've found it easiest to make my own - in bar form.

I would love to have your recipe if you are willing to share

That would be plural. Different purposes, different recipes - including household cleaners - but my tag line has a link for a great collection of household cleaners you can eat. Have you ever made soap?

Carla Burke wrote:My tag line has a link for a great collection of household cleaners you can eat. Have you ever made soap?

Oh thanks! I'll check out that link. No I have never made soap before.

Also, I found this product that claims to be "bio-compatible" and suitable for plant irrigation. https://www.bio-pac.com/oasis-biocompatible-cleaners/  Has anyone here tried out these products?

Edit: I just realized that those cleaners are for laundry, not body or hair.

I'll happily share my recipes, and have done, in several places, in permies, but please at least watch a dozen or so videos, before you attempt to do it? I use both hot process and cold process, depending on which soap I'm making. I probably won't have time to post them, this morning, but I'll also see if I can find my liquid conditioner recipe. Many folks just add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to a chip of water, and use that as a conditioning rinse, and for most, that seems to work well.

Jeremy Butler wrote:
Edit: I just realized that those cleaners are for laundry, not body or hair.

It appears their dish soap, however is appropriate for body wash and shampoo, too, when diluted, and is beneficial for plants:

https://www.bio-pac.com/oasis-biocompatible-cleaners/oasis-biocompatible-all-purpose-cleanerdishwash/

Edit: Here's the Amazon link. ~$29 for a US gallon.  Just have to make sure they send the all purpose variant, not the laundry variant.  The reviews acknowledge that others have used it safely/beneficially on veggies.  I'll have to try some of this myself, so thanks for the lead!

These are the two I use most. Please don't sell my recipes.

Goat-milk-in-oil shampoo/body bars (hot process)
(Heavily Adapted from Simple & Natural Soap Making, by Jan Berry, p.76)

3.9oz/111g(wt) water
3.9oz/111g lye

5.1oz/144g (wt) goat milk
7.5oz/213g coconut oil (zOP26.8%)
3oz/85g mango butter(10.7%)
10.5oz/298g rose & calendula-infused* olive oil(37.5%)
3oz/85g sweet almond oil(10.7%)
4oz/113g castor oil(14.3%)
2T raw honey
1oz/30g lavender eo
3T Neem (opt - helps with repelling ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, and I use it tomake this a dog shampoo, too)

*a strong, double infusion - first with 2oz calendula in a 1qt jar, topped with evoo, shaken & sous vide @ 130°F 24hrs. Strain, press, then pour over 2oz rose petals, in another qt jar, shake, & sous vide 24hrs. Strain, press, filter through super fine mesh.

Label: double-calendula-infused olive oil, coconut oil, goat milk, castor oil, sodium hydroxide, mango butter, lavender essential oil, neem oil, honey

The Bramble Berry Lye Calculator assumes a 97% purity for Sodium Hydroxide (solid bar soapmaking). These are purity levels commonly available for sale to consumers.

7% Superfatting Level

COLD PROCESS/MILK IN LYE METHOD:
LYE & LIQUID
Lye (Sodium Hydroxide)102 g
liquid 227 g (27g water & 200g goatmilk)
Total - 329g

OIL & FATS
Beef Tallow198g (24.06%)
Olive Oil - Pure - 398g (48.36%) (or infused)
Shea Butter - 57g (6.93%)
Sweet Almond Oil - 113g (13.73%)
Jojoba Oil 57g (6.93%)
Total - 823g (100.00 %)

TOTALS AMOUNT Lye & Liquid 329g; Oils & Fats 823g; TOTAL BATCH YIELD 1,152 g (2# 8.6159oz)

Add ins: 1T honey
Crushed, pressed flower petals from infusing (opt)

I've been so busy lately, but thank you so much Carla! I can't wait to try out your recipes and experiment a little bit! I'll try to post back to this thread with my results.

Jeremy Butler wrote:I've been so busy lately, but thank you so much Carla! I can't wait to try out your recipes and experiment a little bit! I'll try to post back to this thread with my results.

My pleasure!