Non-Deathly Camp Suds?

[Fog Horn]

My fiance is allergic to coconut and goes into anaphylaxis when he comes into contact with it or any derivitives (except Cocamidopropyl Betaine, he's okay with that one). Doc Bronner's and McNett Smart Suds both contain coconut derivitives (Coco Glucoside) so we cannot use them.

Does anyone know of any backpacking soaps that can do dishes/wash hair/etc that doesn't contain coconut or derivitives, or does anyone have a REALLY great recipe for making suds on your own?

Thanks!

[Old Hiker]

Coleman soap sheets? Not sure what's in them, but I'm pretty sure they didn't smell like coconut. One sheet + a little water did great for my attempt.

Lots of prices: http://www.amazon.com/Wisconsin-Pharmacal-Biodegradable-Coleman-Sheets/dp/B004RZKA3G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_3

[diyguy]

I use Dr. Bronners soap

[Tinker]

You might want to check out this website: http://www.campsuds.com/

I've been using it for years.

Note that they recommend not using their products directly in water sources. I usually take a pot of water back in the woods, wet a bandanna, soap up, and then rinse off with the remaining water. If it's raining it makes it that much easier.

The ingredients are not listed individually on the bottle that I have. You might need to contact the company with your questions about possible allergenic contents.

[Fog Horn]

Thanks Tinker, I just put a message our to their company. I've seen Camp Suds in stores but for some reason or another the store always places their price sticker over where the ingredients would go.

diyguy, Dr. Bronner's will kill him :(

[Slo-go'en]

Ivory liquid dish soap. Has no additives, cuts through grease very well. Available everywhere.

[Fog Horn]

Ivory liquid dish soap. Has no additives, cuts through grease very well. Available everywhere.

My mom used to use it on our hair when we ran out of shampoo and she didn't have time to get to the store. It strips it completely of oils, but that might be a good thing on a backpacking adventure. Depending on what Camp Suds comes back with, I'll have to try this on a test hike! Thanks! I'm not sure why I didn't think of this!

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.be-healthy-with-coconuts.com/coconut-allergy.html

Palmolive and Ivory
http://www.ehow.com/about_5286266_palmolive-dish-soap-ingredients.html


Found this helpful as it lists names that you can type and ask ingredients

Commercial bar soaps that contain animal tallowate:

Ivory
Dove
Neutrogena (except Neutrogena Naturals)
Purpose
Cetaphil
Dial
Lever
Tone
Jergens
Zest
Camay
Irish Spring
basis
pHisoderm.

Commercial bar soaps that do NOT contain animal tallowate:

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day
Kirk’s Castile
Dr. Bronner’s
Kiss My Face
Tom’s of Maine
Burt’s Bees
Zum Bar
Tea Tree Therapy
Desert Essence
Pangea

[swjohnsey]

Wash dishes with just water and a piece of scrubby. Wait 'til town to wash hair.

[Snowleopard]

Fog Horn, the safest thing to do is for him to use what he uses at home. Be sure to use it a couple hundred feet from any water source, pond or stream and use the minimum amount of soap. Your second choice is to find a small organic soap company that lists all ingredients.

From sad experience, it can be extremely difficult to find the ingredients of most consumer cleaning products. If the product is used commercially, you may be able to find an MSDS for it. From my experience, many consumer dish soaps are rather nasty, with ingredients that are known to cause or trigger asthma. To get the info for Palmolive dish soap, I had to threaten legal action.

Real Castile soap is supposed to be just olive oil, but the ones I can find online have coconut oil. You could try making it yourself and leave coconut oil out of the recipe.

[Fog Horn]

You might want to check out this website: http://www.campsuds.com/

I've been using it for years.



No dice on this one. They use coconut derivatives as well :(

Looks like we will have to try out the dawn, and I'll just bring an extra vial of conditioner for my hair.

[Fog Horn]

Wash dishes with just water and a piece of scrubby. Wait 'til town to wash hair.

I'm definitely contemplating this more than any other option. The companies all suggested just taking a bottle of what he uses at home, but those products aren't environmentally safe at all.

[Fog Horn]

Fog Horn, the safest thing to do is for him to use what he uses at home. Be sure to use it a couple hundred feet from any water source, pond or stream and use the minimum amount of soap. Your second choice is to find a small organic soap company that lists all ingredients.

From sad experience, it can be extremely difficult to find the ingredients of most consumer cleaning products. If the product is used commercially, you may be able to find an MSDS for it. From my experience, many consumer dish soaps are rather nasty, with ingredients that are known to cause or trigger asthma. To get the info for Palmolive dish soap, I had to threaten legal action.

Real Castile soap is supposed to be just olive oil, but the ones I can find online have coconut oil. You could try making it yourself and leave coconut oil out of the recipe.

Coconut oil works as a hardener after you melt the products, which is why you find it in a lot of bar soaps and ice creams.

I can try experimenting with camping soap mixtures from recipes myself, but that would have to wait until after the trip. With work and study and planning a wedding, I have just about enough time to watch Dance Moms and then pass out. Maybe if we use nothing, or use dawn on this seasons trips, and on our honeymoon, then next year we can start mixing our own.

[Feral Bill]

Wash dishes with just water and a piece of scrubby. Wait 'til town to wash hair. I've done this for decades. Works fine, especially with hot water. Consider the results of any
soap contaminating your cookware.

[cave man]

I agree with bringing what you use at home and only use it in towns. Unless you plan on spending over 1 week within the woods showering every couple of days becomes natural, at least it did for me haha. IMO just jumping in a clean stream or pond works fine while in the woods. Soap would be nice but I like to save that luxury for a real shower in town.

[TheYoungOne]

Just get a small bar of plain ol' ivory soap or cut a large bar down. Its safe enough for the enviroment and its what everyone used for soap in the outdoors back in the day. It will dry out your skin and hair if used regularly, but if you skip every other day its not that bad.

[zukiguy]

Here's the liquid soap I use instead of camp suds:
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/dish-liquid?vx24scG34=1390641&variation=free-clear

It doesn't list any palm items in the ingredient list. I just like the no-phospate aspect so I don't worry so much about using it in the woods. A scouter friend told me the phospates are also what upsets your stomach if you don't get them washed away (don't know if this is true). So, you can skip one of the rinse cycles when camping with the scouts without too much problems (soapy water straight to bleach solution for sanitizer).....

[Wise Old Owl]

We are as a group rush to call things green - get the facts, folks.. do you MSDS and LABLE and WIKI ... Gatorade was more dangerous up to last year,,,

[Fog Horn]

We are as a group rush to call things green - get the facts, folks.. do you MSDS and LABLE and WIKI ... Gatorade was more dangerous up to last year,,,

WOO- most Gatorade has coconut in it. He could drink it up to a few years ago and just get a mild reaction, but now quite a few of their flavors are not allowed in our house.