People who know me know that I'm a big fan of sustainable products and I try to avoid single-use plastic whenever possible. However, I have to admit, sometimes I feel quite frustrated when here I am trying to not take straws or bags... and then the pandemic hit and millions of disposable masks, test kits and PPE are being used and discarded after 1 use. Also not to mention the disposable containers to takeaway food. All of which goes straight to the incinerator and landfill (which we are lucky to have!). Aaanyway. That's just a small rant. I find that it's really on the big corporations and governments to treat this plastic problem like the crisis it is.
Regardless, I try to do my part because individual action still counts if everyone does it together. So when I heard about a Singaporean startup called Eco Soaps set up by a retired pharmacist homemaker - I was definitely intrigued to find out more. I met up with the founder, June, who told me how she got fed up with carrying bottles of detergent and soap one day nd had the idea to make her own eco-friendly versions and passed me the products to try.
All 3 products can be purchased at
The Sustainability Project store. During our lovely lunch, I found out that the
soap flakes and
dishwashing bar were designed in Singapore and the materials (primarily coconut oil from coconuts littering the islands of Malaysia) were sourced from Malaysia, giving the locals a green income stream. It's great because these did not have to travel too far (not by plane!), supports the economy and even the packaging is biodegradable as well.
Here's the soap flakes, already shaved down for convenient use and lightweight transport. They are unscented because you get to add your own essential oils to it to customise if you like! But there's a soap smell, if you know what I mean.
The process to turn the flakes into liquid hand soap was super simple (and they have videos, plus instructions on the packet). All you have to do is to boil some water and stir in the flakes. Because everything is natural and there were no chemicals or colouring, I felt very at ease using eating utensils to mix them up.
And here it is in the empty foaming bottle that June passed me as well! The
liquid hand soap was shimmery for some reason and looked so pretty. I had added two drops of pure lavender essential oil in there too (which June also gave), which made hand washing a mini aromatherapy session every time. This hand soap is great because I just need one pump and the foam spreads out. When I wash with water, there's this very clean feeling (not like some mall toilets' bright pink hand soap which feels slick and has a strong chemical smell even after lots of water - I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). So now I tend to wash my hands more regularly in the day even when I'm at home working, because I can get that aromatherapy + clean feeling AND I can rest my face on my hands without having bacteria transferring. You can get the
Eco Soaps soap flakes here (it's also my top pick!)
She also shared some scented and unscented paraben and chlorine-free
laundry sheets that she brought in from the UK by a brand called
Simple Living Eco. I have seen these in videos by people who go on long camping trips and instead of lugging heavy detergent liquid around, they use these in pots of hot water (and clothes). And even in cities I think these are a great idea to stock at the washing area and not have to buy those really harsh laundry detergent powder/liquid and throw away the bags and bulky containers all the time. I'd imagine this to be a great laundry solution (ha!) for people with sensitive skin and allergies. You can buy the
laundry sheets here.
Lastly, the dish washing bar is another wonderful creation. Have you ever felt like your hands are very dry after washing the dishes? That's one of the reasons why I hate doing that chore. With this dish washing bar, it's a super effective yet gentle way to get the dishes squeaky clean WITHOUT having to ingest those chemicals which could be left behind if not rinsed well.
I tested it out on a very oily plate of bolognese pasta and it worked like a charm with just a tiny bit of the scent-free soap on the sponge. Just a couple of swipes with water and it was foamy and ready for oil-busting action. I don't feel like I need to waste so much water or detergent with this method. You can get the dishwashing bar
here.
I found that there are also bundles available, such as the trio of the soap flakes, dishwashing bar and laundry sheet
for $31.45. It might sound pricey but if you think about the small-batch locally produced quality, the amount for the price and the space you're saving, it's actually worth it. A Bath & Body Works hand soap is already $12...
Overall I would totally recommend for everyone to give
Eco Soaps Singapore a try because they are sustainable, healthy and affordable. Visit
their website and browse through it, send this post to a friend or buy something as a gift for someone even if you are not ready to use it yourself because like I said before, every bit counts and here, individual action will count too! It's not easy to be green especially in Singapore, but this plastic-free July we can all try to reduce, reduce and reduce.
Thanks June from Eco Soaps for sharing your wonderful products with me!
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