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Rinse, repeat, and lather? Why not lather, rinse, cut down on waste, and repeat?
Zero waste shampoo and conditioners allow you to say good-bye to throwaway bottles and hello to sustainable self-care. You might be asking, “But what about the luscious locks?” and we understand.
Not to worry. You can have both healthy hair and a healthy world with zero waste alternatives. In order to give Mother Nature a much-needed vacation, let’s convert from single-use bottles to refillable ones. This article provides 8 zero waste shampoos.
8 zero waste shampoo
1. Ethique
Without a doubt, Ethique produces some of the best waste-free shampoo and conditioner bars available. We adore bars because they may be wrapped completely or tightly in recycled paper. If you travel frequently, you may say goodbye to the TSA’s beverage limitations because airport bars are easy to find.
The ecological shampoo bars from Ethique are vegan, natural, and free of palm oil and animal products. You may also get specific shampoos for dandruff, curly hair, greasy hair, dry hair, and frizzy hair—like the deliciously coconut-scented Frizz WranglerTM.
Additionally, they are more concentrated than typical products. For instance, their conditioner, Wonderbar, is comparable to five conditioner bottles.
2. Etee
With etee’s plant-based and color-safe zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars, you can keep things simple. These long-lasting bars offer a clean, moisturized scalp without using any animal products or byproducts and are scented with a selection of essential oils.
While all products are devoid of SLS, all but one of the zero waste conditioner bars—the Nudiepants Bar—contain additional sulfates in addition to scent and parabens. They all contain various substances obtained from palms, depending on the suppliers, therefore none are free of palm oil.
They contain mica, iron oxide, and titanium dioxide; therefore, they are also not mineral-free. They sell their shampoo and conditioner in duo packs the majority of the time, while single bottles are also offered, as they “go together like peanut butter and jelly.”
3. EcoRoots
The zero waste shampoo tablets from EcoRoots are small and promise to clean and soften your hair without removing its natural oils.
These bars, which are produced by hand from primarily cocoa butter and coconut oil, also include Pro-Vitamin Complex for shine and strength, along with a range of other healthy plant oils (but no palm oil). They don’t include silicone, sulfates, or parabens, and they’re vegan.
They last for about 50 washes in addition to being some of the best shampoos without plastic. Two bars will last you almost a year if you wash your hair as often as is advised, which is every few days.
4. ZeroWasteStore.Com
The best zero waste shampoo bars and conditioner bars are now available thanks to a partnership between ZeroWasteStore.com and Suds & Co., in scents that will make your relaxing shower even more enjoyable. While Maui Melon adds some energizing, tropical aromatherapy to shower time, we enjoy the Driftwood perfume for something gentle and earthy.
If you’re sensitive to smells, their Simply Unscented choice is perfect for you. You will receive a vegan and cruelty-free bar, free of silicone, parabens, fillers, preservatives, and palm oil, regardless of the option you select.
Each waste-free shampoo bar is created in the USA and can replace two to three bottles of liquid shampoo. Despite the fact that the bars themselves are not a creation of ZWS Essentials, you can combine them with other ZWS-produced goods to create a Zero Waste Hair Care Mini Kit.
To keep your conditioner in top shape, it comes with a soap saver lather bag and soap dish with bamboo drainage slats.
5. Butter Me Up Organics
If taking care of your hair involves a trip, Butter Me Up Organics can assist you in getting there. Their Apple Cider Vinegar Conditioning Rinse is a minimum, low waste deep conditioner that can help remove mineral buildup on hair (ideal for people with hard water) if you choose to go the no-poo path.
They provide a vegan shampoo bar, plastic-free dry shampoo, and organic daily shampoo for the mainstream. One of their greatest plastic-free shampoo substitutes is the bar.
You could actually eat it like a chocolate bar because it is produced with food-grade components, though we don’t advise it. It looks like a chocolate bar, smells like a chocolate bar, and tastes like a chocolate bar.
They provide a conditioning rinse, an organic scalp oil, a hair and nail mask, and a healing hair oil. All liquid items are available in either glass bottles or plastic bottles with plastic caps.
6. Battle Green
Battle Green’s zero waste shampoo from the UK combines travel with zero waste. This article is for all readers who have a desire to travel.
These diminutive but powerful biodegradable shampoo bars can replace two to three shampoo bottles and are intended to endure for roughly 80 washes. They are offered in three different scents: citrus, mint, and lavender tea tree.
These shampoos, which each have coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and olive oil as their key ingredients, use oil-based cleansing qualities to make sure that your scalp retains its own natural oils. Each is vegan, cruelty-free, SLS/SLES, palm oil, and paraben-free, according to PETA certification.
Additionally, they identify each essential oil’s components as well as its “sub-ingredients” on the product page. gives “clarifying shampoo” a new twist.
7. Katie Mae Naturals
Try Katie Mae Naturals’ zero waste dry shampoo if you prefer to wash your hair less frequently (to retain natural oils, save water, or generally live more sustainably). It is created from arrowroot powder, kaolin clay, organic cocoa powder, non-GMO maize starch, and essential oils and comes packaged in a recyclable and reusable glass bottle.
There are two distinct zero waste shampoo bars in either citrus sage or rosemary mint for when you do need a thorough scalp cleanse. To increase the lifespan of your shampoo bar, make sure to let it completely dry after use. It should work with a soap dish with sufficient drainage.
There are no animal byproducts, parabens, phthalates, chemical preservatives, synthetic colors or scents in the zero waste dry shampoo or bars.
8. Apple Cider Vinegar As Zero Waste Hair Conditioner
One of the greatest zero waste conditioners is apple cider vinegar (ACV), which cleans your hair while retaining some of its natural oils and removing any buildup or oily residue left behind by your shampoo. Your hair is left silky, smooth, and tangle-free as a result.
ACV balances the pH of the hair and scalp, functions as an antibiotic, and regulates scalp moisture, all of which contribute to better follicle health overall. Dandruff and oily-looking roots are no more!
ACV does not deplete natural oils, so your scalp won’t have to create more oil to make up for it like it generally does with commercial shampoos and conditioners. As a result, you can start extending the time between washes, using less water, making less waste, and saving money on shampoo.
Nothing makes us happier than eco-friendly thriftiness! The best part is how simple it is to make and apply. Simply mix one cup of water with one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar, pour it over your hair, or spray it from a recycled spray container, then rinse it out.
You are free to add whatever else you like to your recipe for waste-free conditioner. Depending on your hair type, you might like to mix it with a few drops of tea tree oil or other herbs. Try adding sage, for instance, if your hair is naturally oily.
To infuse dried herbs in AVC for two weeks, combine two tablespoons of the herbs with one quart of vinegar in a closed jar. Simply filter out the herbs at the conclusion of the steeping time and dilute with the same amount of ACV and water as before.
Although the fragrance of apple cider vinegar doesn’t always resemble that of a freshly showered person, once your hair has dried, you won’t be able to detect it at all.
By filling your containers, you might be able to find it without plastic if you’re fortunate enough to have a bulk store nearby. If not, check for one of the many bulks’ online retailers or a general ethical online store. Make it yourself instead by fermenting apple cores and scraps.
How do we choose the best zero waste hair care products?
The best natural components are devoid of dangerous chemicals and pesticides and don’t include any of the unpleasant compounds we advise you to stay away from.
- Certified Organic: Whenever feasible, we choose ingredients and products that are certified organic. This makes them safer for you and the environment by ensuring that dangerous chemicals and pesticides are not used throughout the production process. To find organic products, look for certificates like EcoCert COSMOS Organic, USDA Organic, MADE SAFE, and EWG VERIFIED.
- Vegan: Produced without the use of any animal products or by-products, as recognized by organizations like PETA and Vegan.org.
- Cruelty-Free: Never tested on animals and approved by groups like Leaping Bunny, Cruelty-Free Kitty, PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies, and Cruelty-Free International.
- Palm Oil-Free: In order to safeguard the local populations that produce palm oil, we search for substitutes and keep track of companies that support the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Look for RSPO and Orangutan Alliance Certified Palm Oil Free.
- Sustainable sourcing: is safe for the environment and the supply chain’s workers. Search for accreditations from organizations like Fairtrade.org or Fair Trade Certified.
- Better Packaging: We prefer goods that are packaged in recyclable, compostable, zero-waste, or reusable containers.
Conclusion
We are led to believe that we must do all of this in order to keep beautiful, healthy hair according to commercial beauty standards. The truth is that it’s simply untrue.
Even worse, there is an unconscious mental barrier to accepting waste-free shampoo alternatives because these options are so common and have long been the norm. despite the fact that they are better for you and the environment. But they do exist.
You will be doing yourself and the environment a tremendous favor by switching to the best plastic-free shampoo, conditioner, and eco-friendly hairbrush (when your old one is no longer functional). Keep in mind that maintaining personal beauty doesn’t entail forsaking natural beauty.
Share this list of plastic-free conditioner and shampoo products with your friends to encourage them to keep their hair clean and healthy while preserving the environment.