Just because you’re in the backcountrydoesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all sense of hygiene. You can clean up a bit. And you can do it with eco-friendly biodegradable soaps, which are void of phosphates, surfactants, triclosans, and antibacterial ingredients that wreak havoc on natural waterways. That’s not to say biodegradable soaps are good for the environmentor wildlife. Don’t wash directly in a stream, and never dump your wastewater into a water source;instead, follow Leave No Traceguidelines and get at least200 feet from the nearest water source, dig a six-inchcathole, and dump your dirty water into it. While Dr. Bronner’s is the most well-known biodegradable soap, it’s not the only option. Here are five more choicesfor your next backcountry bath.
Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash ($4)
You can use on everything from your private bits to your dirty dishes, and it’s concentrated, so the three-ounce bottle goes a long way (Sea to Summit recommends one capful per shower). It’s pH neutral and free of phosphates,and the container is practically bombproof, so you don’t have to worry about spillage.
Campsuds ($5)
uses all sorts of natural ingredients (lavender, mint,and citronella) for a biodegradable soap that smells great and also doubles as an insect repellent (bugs hate citronella). Just like the Dr. Bronner’s and Sea to Summitoptions, thisfour-ounce bottle is superconcentrated, so it should last a while.
United by Blue Lost Creek Rogue Soap ($8)
is inspired by the Rogue River in Oregon, which runsfrom Crater Lake to the Siskiyou Forestand emptiesinto the Pacific Ocean. It’s made with 100 percent organic ingredients, including palm, coconut, and olive oil, as well asoatmeal and honey. United by Blue makes a whole line of biodegradable bar soaps, so there’s a scent just right for you.
Juniper Ridge Cascade Forest Body Wash ($12)
Juniper Ridge has a roving field lab that harvests the ingredients for itssoaps in the wild. For the , certain ingredients werepulled from the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwestand thenblended with coconut oil, sunflower-seed oil, rosemary,and distilled essential oils. The result is an organic soap that smells like Mount Hood in the fall.
’s Original Coco Castile Soap ($15 for eight)
Founded in 1839,might be the original biodegradable soap. It’s a fragrance-free Castile soap (sans animal fats) with only a few ingredients—and thosegentle enough for babies. ’s uses a bunch of natural, organic oils as its base, including coconut oil and a handful of citrus-peel oils.