Our hair is an essential part of our self-care routine. We invest in it, we give it the TLC it needs, and some of us take the time to tame and style it every day.
The question is, is your shampoo and conditioner taking care of you too?
Many commercial shampoo and conditioner brands contain ingredients that are not only harmful to you, they’re harmful to the environment as well. Some of these include:
- Sulphates: A common surfactant found in body soap, washing powder, and shampoo. While claims that sulfates are potential carcinogens are still largely debated, it’s still best to steer clear of hair products that contain them because they strip hair of its oils over time, which leads to dry, itchy scalp, not to mention it also pollutes waterways.
- Parabens: Some shampoo brands contain propylparabens or methylparabens to inhibit bacteria growth. However, parabens are known xenoestrogens and may copy estrogen activity in the body. Breast tumours have been found to contain parabens, which suggest that they may have a potential link to breast cancer.
- Formaldehyde: A known respiratory irritant. Of course, shampoo brands will not list formaldehyde among their ingredients, but look out for preservatives such as bronopol, quaternium-15, and DMDM hydantoin, as these are chemically classified as formaldehyde releasers.
- Synthetic fragrances: Simply labeled fragrance or parfum, these are often made up of phthalates, which according to studies, pose a potential health risk. Many chemicals in synthetic fragrances are also known allergens.
It’s time for a hair revolution! Here are our top picks for all-natural, non-toxic, and organic shampoos and conditioners that will make you say bye-bye to bad hair days forever. As an added bonus, some of these are environment-friendly too.
Contents
1. 100% Pure Glossy Locks Glossing Shampoo
Best for: Dull hair
A perennial favourite in our “best of” lists, 100% Pure is our go-to brand when it comes to all things natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.
The seaweed collagen in Glossy Locks Glossing Shampoo works wonders on dull hair by giving it shine and lustre. For best results, pair it with the Glossing Conditioner.
2. The Big Green 23 Natural Daily Scalp Shampoo
Best for: Dry, irritated scalp
Designed for people with oily, sensitive, and itchy scalp, this plant-based, sulfate- and silicone-free cleanser is designed to provide gentle cleansing and scalp protection. Its list of wholesome plant-based ingredients includes mango, papaya, and kiwi fruit extracts, coconut, lavender, basil, and rosemary oil.
3. Green People Intensive Repair Shampoo
Best for: Dry or colour-treated hair
This award-winning shampoo from Green People contains nutrients and proteins designed to strengthen and repair chemically treated hair. Made up of 82% organic ingredients, it’s got quinoa that helps lock in colour and antioxidant-rich green tea extract and orange peel to protect and promote healthy scalp.
4. Attitude Super Leaves Volume & Shine Shampoo
Best for: Thin, brittle hair
A favourite of stars like Michelle Pfeiffer and featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Attitude’s Volume & Shine Shampoo keeps your hair healthy from root to tip.
Soy proteins help thicken hair structure, cranberry extracts help add volume, and moringa seed extracts protect hair from environmental stress and pollution. It’s also hypoallergenic and EWG certified.
5. Real Purity Nourishing Hair Repair Shampoo
Best for: Sensitive scalp
If you suffer from itchy, easily irritated scalp, this gently formulated, paraben- and alcohol-free shampoo from cruelty-free hair and skincare brand Real Purity should give you some relief.
Soothing aloe vera gel and quinoa protein helps moisturize hair and condition scalp, while ginseng and sage essential oils promote healthier hair growth.
6. Rahua Amazon Beauty Classic Shampoo
Best for: Daily use
The Internet is filled with glowing online reviews about this organic, 100% natural shampoo brand, and even celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian swear by it. Beauty Inc.’s Rahua line of hair care products is sourced sustainably from the Amazon Rainforest.
The Classic Shampoo has a woodsy scent and lifts dirt and oil from your scalp without irritating it. You get soft, silky, and luminous locks without the need for any additional heat and styling.
7. True Botanicals Nourishing Hydrating Shampoo
Best for: Dry, damaged hair
Constant styling and blow-drying can take its toll on your hair over time. Restore your hair’s moisture and shine with this antioxidant-rich, sulfate-free shampoo from True Botanicals.
Coconut oil and aloe leaf juice provide superior moisturization with every later, while green tea and meadowfoam seed oil keep your scalp in tip-top shape.
Also Read:
Eco-friendly Makeup Brands That Are Great for Your Skin (and the Planet!)
17 of the Best Organic Lipsticks You Need
8. Ursa Major Go Easy Shampoo
Best for: Fine hair
If you want an effective clean without the harsh chemicals, this sulfate-free, gentle-formula shampoo from natural, vegan, and cruelty-free hair and skin care brand Ursa Major does the job well.
Go Easy Shampoo is sulfate-free but lathers to a creamy foam, thanks to coconut-derived surfactants. The fatty acids and antioxidants in macadamia and bergamot protect and nourish hair, while licorice extracts promote a healthy scalp.
For more moisturized, tangle-free hair, use it together with the Go Easy Conditioner. (Tip: You can use it as a leave-in conditioner.)
9. Lush Honey I Washed My Hair Shampoo Bar
Best for: All hair types
This naked shampoo smells so good (like warm toffee caramel), you’ll have to resist the temptation to taste it. It’s made with real fair-trade honey and gives your hair amazing bounce and shine.
Each bar will last you 80 washes (or about three bottles of liquid shampoo).
10. Seed Phytonutrients Daily Hair Cleanser Shampoo
Best for: Fine, oily hair
It’s Seed Phytonutrients’ bestseller for good reason. The Daily Hair Cleanser Shampoo offers gentle yet effective cleansing with its sulfate-free formulation and vitamin- and mineral-rich ingredients like sunflower seed oil, camelina seed oil, coconut, and turmeric. Oh, and did we mention its natural sea salt and bergamot fragrance smells divine?
11. SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
Best for: Damaged or treated hair
Let the restorative properties of shea butter bring your frazzled hair back to life. Enriched with organic shea butter, kelp, and argan oil, the Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo is great for transitioning chemically treated–hair to normal. For optimum results, use together with the Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner.
12. Josh Rosebrook Balance Shampoo
Best for: Oily hair and sensitive skin
This potent concoction made with aloe vera leaf juice, camellia oil, and black soap helps to calm and restore balance to oily scalp. With this formula, you can go two or three days without washing your hair and it will still not get greasy.
13. Christina Moss Organic Shampoo
Best for: Sensitive skin
If your scalp gets easily irritated, give Christina Moss’s Organic Shampoo a try. It’s packed with the finest organic plant-based ingredients, including coconut, olive, and sunflower oil. This tube is concentrated so it will last you two bottles’ worth of liquid shampoo. Best paired with Christina Moss Organic Peppermint Shampoo.
14. ArtNaturals Organic Moroccan Argan Oil & Aloe Shampoo
Best for: Treated and damaged hair
This might be the closest thing to a spa treatment for your hair. The combination of Moroccan argan oil and aloe revives fried, damaged, and chemically treated hair with their excellent moisturizing properties minus the grease. Pair it with ArtNaturals’ Organic Moroccan Argan Oil & Shea Butter Conditioner for double the moisture boost.
15. Earth’s Nectar Mint Leaves & Tea Tree Shampoo
Best for: All hair types
If the refreshing mint and tea tree aroma doesn’t make a convert out of you, the refreshing cooling sensation when you lather this on your hair will make you an instant fan. This cruelty-free shampoo from Earth’s Nectar leaves hair feeling moisturized, clean, and fresh.
16. Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo
Best for: Oily hair
If you regularly use styling products on your hair, it’s going to get weighed down overtime from oil and product build-up. A clarifying shampoo, like this one from Avalon Organics, helps to restore your hair’s shine and body.
17. Ethique Eco-Friendly Frizz Wrangler Shampoo Bar
Best for: Curly or dry, frizzy hair
Tame those wayward locks with this cruelty-free naked shampoo bar. Coconut oil and cocoa butter moisturize and smoothen your hair without the greasy, weighed-down feel. The best part? This concentrated shampoo bar is equal to three bottles of shampoo. Not only do you save money, you save the environment with every bar too.
18. Nine Naturals Citrus+Mint Nourishing Shampoo
Best for: Pregnant women
This certified-organic shampoo, infused with lemon and peppermint oil, is formulated for pregnant women who are prone to nausea. Its gentle, plant-based formula (free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens or DEA) is safe enough for babies.
For a moisture boost, use it along with the Citrus+Mint Nourishing Conditioner
19. Reverie Nude Shampoo
Best for: Sensitive scalp, treated hair
This organic shampoo, which comes in a stark, black-and-white bottle, offers a gentle rinse that’s perfect for bleached or treated hair. Reverie Nude Shampoo’s blend of vitamins, panthenol, amino acids, and sweet almond oil make for a potent mix that restores chemically treated hair. Best used with Reverie’s Nude Conditioner.
20. Living Libations True Blue Spirulina Conditioner
Best for: limp, thinning hair
Hair experts will tell you to skip conditioner if you have limp, lifeless hair, but not if you use Living Libations’ True Blue Spirulina Conditioner. This organic and wildcrafted conditioner will give your hair moisture, bounce, and shine without weighing it down. The spirulina is also great for repopulating sparse hair.
Go natural and get great hair without having to worry about getting nasty and toxic chemical ingredients on your mane. Give any of these brands a try and let us know what you think!
Other Articles That May Interest You:
10 Eco-Friendly Ideas for a Waste-Free Wedding
To Sustainability and Beyond: 9 Earth-Friendly Podcasts Worth Listening To
Leave a Reply