Photo by Natalie Lennick

Sedum and Suds: Shampoo bars

Shampoo and conditioner bars that beat the bottles and an inspirational mompreneur who makes them? Sign me up. Please note: this is not a sponsored post.

Flourish separator

Last week I sent my friend a picture of the sedum growing in my backyard.  These perennial succulents sprang from a handful of clippings she shared with me from her own garden over a year ago.  “Just sprinkle it anywhere and it does its thing!” she said.  I scattered it, ignored it, and it has spread beautifully into a perky little groundcover in a spot where I can’t get anything else to grow.  


As I showed her what her clippings created, she filled me in on what she’s been up to this past year: launching her own company.  As a fellow mama of littles, she performs the balancing act that comes with continuing a career while raising kids, and I have such admiration for women who get creative with their juggling.  She decided to use her background in science to create income and flexibility for her family while developing a product that helps to solve a problem. She fine-tuned a formula to produce shampoos and conditioners in a concentrated, solid form.  I tried them, and am completely sold.


Here's why I love Green Ablutions:


  1. No plastic bottles.  I know you know how bad they are for our environment, and the fewer that are put into circulation, the better.  Liquid shampoos and conditioners contain 80% water and all that volume must be bottled. These tiny but mighty bars are shipped in simple cardboard boxes with no plastic whatsoever. Easy for traveling, too.

  2. They work!  I was surprised at the amount of lather from the shampoo bar, and a few swipes from the conditioner bar left my hair soft and shiny.  Simple hair care made from a short list of sustainable, natural ingredients.

  3. They are reasonably priced.  Especially since each solid does the work of about three bottles of liquid.

  4. Sea turtles.  Every sale gives back to them.  Just keep racking up the good juju.

  5. The name.  Bear with the bookishness here, but I love the symbolism of the company name.  “Ablution” means the act of cleansing oneself.  Remember Lady Macbeth scrubbing her hands while sleepwalking?  “Out, damned spot!”  If she can only wash the blood from her hands, she will be rid of the guilt that haunts her mind.  Emerson too writes about the “Macbeth effect” of showering, and how literal ablution is always linked with shedding emotional and material burden.  How very Transcendental, but isn’t it true that the world always looks a little brighter after a shower?  There is something about the water that refreshes us and allows us to see a little more clearly.  “Green” choices are good for our earth, and for our conscience. 


But the most important reason I love this company is that I see in my friend a mom who knew what she wanted and went for it.  She is utilizing her skills, setting an example, and making a difference in the world that our kids will inherit.  As I find myself at a bit of a crossroad with figuring out what form of my previous career will best fit the needs of my family, I am inspired and encouraged by her entrepreneurship.  Green Ablutions products are already being sold in a chain of family-owned Whole Foods stores in Pennsylvania, and their line is expanding.  You can follow them on Instagram at #GreenAblutions, or check out their website


Again, mine is a voluntary, non-sponsored post intended to share with you a worthy product from an influential mama. I think that shared stories like this one (and plant clippings, too) have the ability to create new growth wherever they may land.




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