Switch from plastic bottled liquid shampoo to shampoo bars for a sustainable and eco-friendly way to help the earth.

We can all appreciate a good hair wash with quality shampoo and conditioner. You can see rows of products in the market, just waiting to be brought home. However, the push for a more sustainable and eco-friendly movement has been rising these past few years. 

Are you aware that only 50% of your bathroom waste is being recycled? We are so used to envisioning our haircare products in plastic bottles. All the shampoo and conditioner bottles disposed of in a year could fill about a thousand football fields. 

Truly, it is difficult to dedicate to a plastic-free lifestyle. But this does not mean it’s impossible, now that shampoo bars are available in the market! Not only are they best suited for travel for the person on the go, but also those with a minimalist lifestyle.

There is not much of a difference between your bottled liquid shampoo to a solid shampoo bar. Take a look at these amazing plastic-free shampoo bars and start your journey to a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle today.

Contents

Are Shampoo Bars Good for your Hair?

woman running her hands through her hair

Shampoo bars are the same thing as liquid shampoo but without excessive water. They work in the same way as your bar of body soap and water. They still also do the things your liquid shampoo does. You still get the use and goodness of shampoo without all the extra plastic and waste.

With the sustainable eco-friendly movement inspiring so many brands, it is almost impossible to not find the bar for you. There are so many kinds and types to choose from. These brands make it a priority to cater to all hair types and all your hair needs. Some of these bars could even be used on your body as well.

These bars are the solid equivalent of liquid shampoo. They have ingredients good for your hair, like oils, and plant ingredients like avocado. They’re also safer for your hair as they’re made without sulfates and other harsh chemicals. Shampoo bars are gentler in this sense and are hydrating as well.

Are Lush Shampoo Bars Biodegradable?

Most of Lush’s liquid shampoos are free from SLS and use the safer and gentler versions of sulfate. However, the few products that do contain sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) are derived from natural sources like coconut and palm kernel oil. These ingredients are sources of lauric acid, which is turned to SLS by adding sulphuric acid from petroleum.

Lush is working towards creating its palm-free surfactant. They strive for this formula to be fully biodegradable and safe for marine life. They want to incorporate this formula into their solid shampoo bars.

What is the Best Zero Waste Shampoo?

handmade organic soap

Shampoo bars with compostable packaging are the shampoos considered zero waste. No plastics are used, therefore they don’t go straight to landfills. Compostable and sustainable packaging degrade and break down when done right, and does not harm the environment in the long run.

In the list below are only some of the zero waste shampoos that do the job. These shampoo bars from brands Package Free Shop, byHumankind, Meow Meow Tweet, Bask & Bloom, and Chagrin Valley wash your hair and address problems from dry scalps to a waxy residue. They’re also best for travel for their size and eco-friendly waste. 

Package Free Shop

This vegan and cruelty-free brand use natural and organic ingredients for their products. They also collaborate and work with other brands that follow low-waste practices and ethics. These ethically made shampoo bars are round and have different options available: for itchy scalps, thinning hair, color-treated hair, and so much more.

These round bars have 5 variations that cater to your specific needs: a balancer, a detoxifier, a stimulator, a fixer, and a hydrator. They all come in different colors for easy identification. Each bar weighs about 2.2 oz and can last for 50-75 washes. They replace approximately 2-3 bottles of liquid shampoo in plastic bottles.

Each type of bar has indications: the hydrator round bar is best for a flaky and itchy scalp and dry and damaged hair. The fixer round bar is for chemically-treated hair for repair and strengthening, The detoxifier bar is for toning and clarifying blonde hair. The stimulator bar is for thinning hair and an oily scalp. The balancer bar is for normal hair.

These shampoo bars are 100% package-free and are backyard compostable. They also have round conditioner bars and body soap bars for all your beauty routine needs.

byHumankind

This personal care brand advocates for refillable and waste-free packaging from their deodorants to their shampoo bars. Their latter product is an all-natural bar suitable for all hair types and comes in different scents.

These bars are available in different scents: citrus-lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, and unscented. You can also avail of their variety pack promo. The shampoo bars are cold-processed, meaning they help moderate pH by retaining more glycerin. 

When done processing, each bar is left to cure for 5 weeks to evaporate any excess water. This creates a more concentrated bar that will keep its shape longer. 

 The bars are also gluten-free except for the peppermint scent. One byHumankind shampoo bar weighs 4oz. Some of the ingredients they use are saponified oils from sunflower seeds, sustainable palm, and various essential oils for specific scents.

They state to apply the wet shampoo bar to wet hair and massage it through to the scalp, and when satisfied, rinse. The all-natural formula will act to keep the natural oils of your hair intact. With just a few showers, your hair will start to regulate the oils and feel extra nourished.

Meow Meow Tweet

Meow Meow Tweet’s Rosemary Avocado shampoo bar can also be used as a body bar. Its multipurpose function does not only stop there but can also be used on your dog and your beard. It’s also color-safe.

This brand uses certified organic and natural ingredients. It’s a shampoo bar that cleanses and softens. Its aloe vera and avocado oil components condition and soften the hair, while the hops flowers and rosemary give you shiny hair. The bar soap may need hard water as it is low lather. Keep your bar out of a water stream or puddle so it can last longer.

This brand also is Leaping Bunny certified and keeps its shampoo bars in a plastic-free eco-friendly box. It can be repurposed, recycled, or turned into compost. They also have conditioner bars to pair with your shampoo bar.

This shampoo bar is available on their website. It only comes in one size of 4.5 oz. You can order up to five bars and even sign up for a subscription.

Buy the Meow Meow Tweet Coconut Cacao Body Soap (4.5 oz)

Bask & Bloom

Bask & Bloom’s shampoo bar is awarded for its clarifying action and promoted use for natural hair for good reason.

This vegan, cruelty-free brand formulated this shampoo bar to clarify and cleanse without drying your hair out of its natural moisture. They’re advertised to be used by all hair types, even locs. It’s multipurpose as well as it can be used on the face.

This brand does not use any parabens, sulfates, or any other harsh chemicals. Its ingredients allow for a deep clean: it uses rhassoul and bentonite clay, oils like coconut oil, olive oil, castor and avocado oil, and honey, and essential oil for fragrance. 

The clay components rhassoul clay and bentonite clay clarify and cleanse the hair and skin. Honey adds a conditioning benefit to your hair. Its amla powder ingredient is best for hair growth and is a natural astringent. Its honey ingredient is a natural cleanser for the skin and moisturizes and conditions the hair.

One shampoo bar is 4 oz. You can avail of this product through purchase or a subscription.

Chagrin Valley

Who knew coconut can not only be good food but good for your hair as well?

Coconut milk in the hair was a long practice already done by Indian women. Chagrin Valley’s Coconut Milk shampoo bar will stimulate hair growth. Its key ingredients coconut milk and coconut oil nourish and deep condition your hair. It promotes longer and thicker hair. 

This paraben-free, sulfate-free, and silicone-free shampoo bar has key ingredients featuring organic coconut oil, organic coconut milk, and organic sweet almond oil. They also give you techniques on how to best utilize the shampoo bar on your head.

This certified vegan and cruelty-free brand are also non-GMO. You can avail of the full-size bar of 5.6 oz or just a sample size of 1.7 oz at their website. It’s one of their best sellers for a reason.

The Verdict

After seeing so many options, it’s not difficult to make the switch from plastic bottled liquid shampoos to eco-friendly solid shampoo bars. You get a more concentrated formula to wash your head with, and they are perfect for travel for their portability. Choose your shampoo bar and make it lather and sud!

About The Author

May can usually be found reading an eco magazine absorbed in the latest gripping articles on all things eco! May is passionate about the environment. May believes in looking and feeling good whilst living an eco friendly lifestyle. In her spare time she loves cooking, playing her guitar and going for country walks. May lives in the UK and enjoys spending time with friends, family and her two adorable cats.

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