Bathing Culture
brand rating & evaluation
overall rating:
Top Choice
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (Avoid) to 5 (Top Choice). See How We Rate
The Shifting Gaia rating evaluates brands based on sustainable practices, ingredients and materials, and social responsibility, among others. Below are a few factors influencing this brand's score:
certifications:
learn more about these certifications*
overview
sustainability
non-toxic
social responsibility
7.8 out of 10
10 out of 10
8 out of 10
about
Bathing Culture is a sustainable and clean personal care brand that makes high-quality, non-toxic formulations with a heavy emphasis on reduced environmental impact.
highlights
Sustainable ingredient sourcing
Strong sustainable packaging initiatives
Exceedingly non-toxic formulas
Climate neutral pledge and offsetting efforts
sustainability
score:
7.8 out of 10
details:
Packaging
Bathing Culture’s packaging strategy is centered on reuse, recycled inputs, and thoughtful end-of-life planning. The cornerstone is their refillable packaging system for liquid products. Customers can purchase refills by the gallon (packaged in bulk 100% recycled plastic jugs) or visit one of 200+ refill stations nationwide to top up their bottles. Glass is used wherever feasible due to its recyclability and longevity. For products where glass is less practical (e.g. in the shower or for large bulk sizes), Bathing Culture uses 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic.
Product boxes and labels are made with recycled or renewable fibers – 30% of each box is made from reclaimed agricultural waste (wheat straw), combined with recycled paper and a bit of FSC-certified virgin fiber for strength. For the few package components that are harder to recycle (such as the pump dispensers, which contain mixed materials and are mostly virgin plastic. Bathing Culture has a take-back solution. The company partners with Pact Collective to collect these pumps and caps so they can be processed properly instead of landfilled.
Ingredient Sustainability
The brand has a strict “no petrochemicals, no synthetics” policy in its core products. Instead of petroleum-derived surfactants or polymers, Bathing Culture formulates with saponified organic oils, botanical extracts, and minerals. Crucially, no palm oil is used – Bathing Culture deliberately avoids palm-derived ingredients to prevent supporting deforestation in tropical regions.
Across the product range, the emphasis is on low-impact, sustainably harvested botanicals. Many ingredients are certified organic. When more technical ingredients are needed for function (especially in their haircare products), Bathing Culture opts for “cutting-edge green chemistry” that starts with plant feedstocks and remains environmentally benign. For example, the shampoo uses “gentle coconut-based cleansers” to remove dirt without stripping hair. This likely refers to surfactants like coco-glucoside or other coconut-derived compounds which are readily biodegradable and non-toxic to aquatic life. Every ingredient the brand uses is screened to be non-bioaccumulative in waterways
In terms of sourcing transparency, Bathing Culture is clear about what they don’t use (palm, synthetic fragrance, petro-chemicals, etc.) and they highlight important positives (organics, vegan, cruelty-free). However, specific sourcing details (e.g. the regions or co-ops from which their coconut oil or shea butter come) are not exhaustively detailed.
In summary, Bathing Culture’s ingredients are overwhelmingly plant-based, organic, and sustainably sourced, with a clear avoidance of any known problematic materials.
Energy Use and Footprint
Bathing Culture addresses energy and carbon footprint in several ways, focusing on local production, carbon offsets, and mindful shipping. Being a small company (a team of five) based on the U.S. West Coast, they have chosen to manufacture locally in San Francisco and Portland. Local sourcing cuts down on the carbon emissions from shipping raw materials around the world. For example, if their sunflower oil or glycerin comes from North American farms (they note their plant glycerin is from North American soybeans), that entails a smaller transportation footprint than importing similar ingredients from overseas.
Their Climate Neutral status (as referenced by external sources, no official certification was found in assessment) suggests they have measured and offset their entire carbon footprint, which would include manufacturing energy. Bathing Culture explicitly states that “All production and shipping emissions are offset.”
Waste Management
In terms of actual waste generation from the company’s manufacturing, we don’t have data. Still, their zero-waste philosophy is evidenced by product design. The Mind and Body Bar soap is a solid soap with minimal packaging (just a paper wrapper or box) – an inherently low-waste product compared to liquid soap in plastic. The Central Coast Luffa and Sea Sponge they sell as tools are natural and compostable alternatives to plastic sponges or synthetic loofahs, meaning at end-of-life they biodegrade instead of lingering as trash. Even the Cosmic Rainbow towels originally were made from deadstock cotton threads (leftover yarn that would otherwise be textile waste).
Business Model
Bathing Culture’s business model is built around sustainability and conscious consumption, in contrast to the typical high-volume, disposable product model of mainstream personal care.
non-toxic
score:
10 out of 10
details:
All of their products comply with the Credo Clean Standard, meaning they have eliminated over 2,700 ingredients that are banned or restricted by Credo due to safety or sustainability concerns. This includes all the usual suspects like parabens (linked to hormone disruption), phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, formaldehyde donors, synthetic dyes, and many others.
Instead, the brand uses naturally derived ingredients that have long histories of safe use. For example, saponified coconut and olive oils (the base of their soap) are well-tolerated by most skin types and have none of the skin-stripping harshness of synthetic detergents like SLS. The absence of SLS/SLES and other sulfate cleansers means Bathing Culture’s cleansers are gentle and non-drying, reducing the risk of skin irritation or barrier damage.
Even their preservative strategy (using natural antimicrobials like rosemary extract) avoids synthetic preservatives that, while effective, have controversy around them (like parabens or formaldehyde-releasing agents).
social responsibility
score:
8 out of 10
details:
They explicitly state a deep commitment to workers’ rights and ethical sourcing. While not every supply chain detail is public, indications of fair trade practices are present. By simplifying their ingredient list to mainly plant oils and herbs (often regionally sourced), Bathing Culture reduces the risk of contributing to exploitative labor practices that sometimes plague more complex supply chains (like mica mining or palm plantations). Additionally, their towels (Bathhouse Check Robes and Towels) are made in Portugal by an ethical mill and some older towel stock was hand-loomed in Turkey – both scenarios suggest artisan or regulated production rather than cheap factory labor. The use of GOTS certified organic cotton in their textiles also implies social criteria, since GOTS covers labor standards as well.
Bathing Culture is staunchly cruelty-free – they do not test on animals, nor do they use any animal-derived ingredients. The Leaping Bunny certification confirms that no animal testing occurs at any stage of product development.
The brand has a policy of donating 1% of its sales to environmental and social justice programs (as mentioned on their packaging), which mirrors the concept of 1% for the Planet but expands it to social justice causes as well. Internally, Bathing Culture appears to foster inclusivity – they explicitly support LGBTQIA+ rights, racial justice, and women’s rights.
