Why you shouldn’t use soap or shampoo in lakes

t’s summertime. For many of us, it could mean spending weekends at the cottage, going camping, enjoying nature, going hiking, and swimming in lakes.

When comes the time to take a “shower”, you may think that bringing your soap and shampoo in the lake is a good idea. Indeed, avoiding wasting water sounds great, but did you know that ingredients found in shampoos and soaps are damaging for nature?

Lake chemistry is affected by detergents and phosphates

Soaps and shampoos contain detergents, which helps to remove the dirt faster than just with water. Detergents break the surface tension of the water, which reduces the oxygen level in the water, causing harm to fish and other forms of aquatic life. Not to mention all the toxic ingredients, such as perfumes or dyes, found in popular body/hair care products that are damaging for our lakes.

Also, soaps may contain phosphorus, and this ingredient creates algae blooms. It clouds the water’s clarity, turning it in icky water.