10 Best Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner For Healthy Hair
My choice of switching to zero-waste shampoos and conditioners was basically what transitioned futile hair improvement efforts into a success story.
It gave me zero waste hair care such that I no longer needed to bother about the unnecessary waste of drops of shampoos and conditioners, as was the case with traditional shampoos and plastic hair conditioners.
Considering this as a general problem we face, I will take us through an exposition of how I discovered the best no-waste shampoo & conditioner.
We will also look at how to make a zero-waste sustainable shampoo & conditioner that is eco-friendly as well as plastic free.
To some of us new to this journey, let’s look at the literal meaning of Zero waste shampoo: these are shampoos, which are typically available as bars
The good news is that most shampoo bars are made of natural ingredients like coconut, cocoa, chamomile, charcoal, and natural oils.
They are primarily free of fragrances and other harmful chemicals. They are environmentally friendly and provide nourishment to the scalp.
HOW TRADITIONAL SHAMPOO AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT
Often as users, we pay less attention to the effect of this traditional shampoo on our environment. We are mainly obsessed with how clean and improved the shampoo & conditioner will help our hair become.
This is the norm, and I, of course, understand that it’s no one’s fault because nobody is expected to take precautions without the knowledge of the risk. Therefore, we will first delve into how traditional shampoos affect our environment.
While washing our hair, due to the drive to wash away oil and wax, we tend to use a lot of shampoo and water.
Eventually, those chemicals and water are soaked and mostly end up in a nearby river or ocean, which in return affects wild aquatic lives living within the water bodies.
Furthermore, humans are also affected when we take in these harmful chemicals indirectly, probably through the use or consumption of those impure water which contains detrimental kinds of stuff like sulfates, which are well recognized for being added to cleaning supplies like shampoo.
Additionally, it is known to cause cancer, skin rashes, diarrhea, and eye damage(if it comes into contact with the eyes), among others. The ammonium component of these sulfates is also known to cause some health problems.
Shampoo preservatives are also not as harmless as they may appear to be. Potassium Sorbate and phenoxyethanol both irritate the skin, and phenoxyethanol, if consumed(most likely accidentally), can even cause significant organ damage
Regarding recycling shampoo bottles, we make the mistake of always leaving out shampoo bottles when talking about how consumer products affect the environment.
The notion that all plastic that can be recycled is recycled is untrue, as is the case with all plastic items.
As a matter not fact, only 50% of plastic bottles are collected for recycling, and only 7% of those bottles are ultimately recycled into new bottles, according to data from a 2016 Euromonitor census.
USING ZERO WASTE SHAMPOO FOR MY HAIR CARE
Let me admit that I’m one of those numerous ladies out there that value and treasure their hair a lot. I feel that it adds more confidence and builds a sensation of beauty inside me before an admirer would even comment on it(so comments don’t matter).
I tried many products day in and day out, all in the quest to get my perfect hair match; at the end of all these experiments, all I would end up getting was streaked blonde hair with highlights, not minding the expenses incurred in the whole process.
All these insecurities became a story behind success when I discovered zero waste shampoo and conditioner 3years ago.
Since then, my hair has transformed from a sponge, blonde hair to my dream dark long hair, which is my perfect match.
The more exciting part of my journey is that my newly discovered zero-waste hair care shampoo and conditioner is a simple and less stressful beauty routine
These shampoos and conditioners are not far-fetched; let’s delve into knowing them.
BEST ZERO WASTE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER
Mintasy-Ethique(Most pH balanced)
Having smooth normal dry hair has been the utmost satisfaction we seek.
That’s why the Mintasy Shampoo bar was made with cocoa butter, peppermint oil, and hair-loving fair trade coconut oil, which will nourish and improve your hair type.
This shampoo also contains natural, sustainable ingredients which are plastic free, it covers up many expenses of buying multiple bottles of shampoo.
With just 1 ethique shampoo bar, you can cover three plastic bottles; I know that this low budget statement gave you relief.
PROS
- 100% soap-free
- Most pH-balanced
- Safe for color-treated hair
- 100% Plastic-free
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Available in 7 scents
CONS:
- For extremely oily hair, this shampoo bar might not be the ideal option.
About Ethique solid brand:
Ethique solid is a plastic-free, zero-waste shampoo company founded in 2012 by Brianne and located in New Zealand.
In 2016, Ethique started making a great move as it moved from Brianne’s kitchen to a small warehouse as its Lab; they went from the USA to the highest ranked on Amazon and worldwide.
One of their first best ethique would be shampoo Mintasy, which minimized the use of plastic bottles globally.
Available at: Ethique
Maintain-HiBar(Most Curly Hair)
For most of us that complain of high oily hair, this Maintain Hibar will normalize your hair to an adequate oily state—produced with honeyquat and shea butter, making the formulas void of those harmful chemicals that are not eco-friendly.
By default manufacture, this zero waste shampoo and conditioner has the uniform measurable ingredients to make our hair curl; the low budget advantage is that it can last up to 6 months.
PROS
- 100% soap-free formulation
- appropriate for curly hair
- Adaptive design
- Free of artificial additives
- both vegan and cruelty-free
- accessible in 4 varieties
CONS
- It has a bit of an uncomfortable scent which most might not like.
About Hilary Sold Brand:
Hilary came to be by four mind friends who had a common problem with plastic packaging, and their hair care was also giving them a hard time.
Within the space of 3 years, they were able to launch HiBar, which is known for its quality natural ingredients and beautiful plastic-free packaging.
Available at: Hellohibar
Peppermint- Whiff Botanicals(Most Long Lasting)
This revitalizing and calming zero-waste shampoo bar pushes environmental responsibility to new heights with recyclable packaging and biodegradable chemicals.
Cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and d-panthenol are a few nutritional elements in the concentrated solution that help smooth and moisturize hair.
This shampoo bar is long-lasting, simple to use, has a great aroma, and is perfect for bringing in your carry-on luggage so you can maintain attractive locks while traveling sustainably.
PROS:
- It contains only a few natural elements
- Produced with essential oils
- suitable for all types of hair
- Free of palm oil, perfumes, and parabens
- Cruelty-free
CONS
- This bar of shampoo might have sulfates in it.
About Whiff Botanicals shampoo:
In 2017, the Whiff Botanical brand came into existence as its primary purpose was to produce plant-based products which would be Eco-friendly. They work with the rule of R’s, which are recyclable, reusable, renewable resources, and reduced waste; these were their brand’s core goals and foundation.
Available at: Whiff Botanicals
Neem-Auromere Shampoo Bar
This mild and efficient mixture incorporates natural neem and aloe vera making our hair silky and beautiful.
I also experienced the magic of Ayurveda when I washed my hair; it hydrated and renewed my hair and scalp.
This eco-friendly shampoo also contains essential oils and ingredients harvested from plant-based natural sources.
This multi-purpose bar makes a thick lather and can be used as soap or a complete body wash, making it useful for serving multiple purposes
PROS
- Plant-based friendly
- GMO-free and gluten-free
- artificial substances absent
- It’s vegan and Cruelty-free
CONS
- Strong scent aroma
About Auromere Brand :
This brand is owned by a Non-profit company that is operated by a non-profit integral yoga ashram in Northern California; For over 40 years has been a leading importer of ayurvedic body care products, which started as a small operation to help find a residential spiritual community and from there it grew to one us companies that introduced Ayurveda.
Available at: Auromere
Sun-kissed Sweet & Sassy Shampoo Bar
This eco-friendly shampoo which consists of all-natural ingredients gently nurtures the hair.
These fragrance-free shampoo bars leave the hair appearing incredibly silky and healthy recommend it for most of us who have thin, coarse, damaged, or colored hair.
Not only that, but these eco-friendly shampoo bars also leave the hair feeling and smelling divinely sun-kissed thanks to their seductive citrus scent made up of tangerine, vanilla, and orange essential oils.
PROS
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate( SLS) free
- paraben-free
- natural and eco friendly
- Travel-friendly
- vegan and cruelty-free
- gluten-free
- 5 variations are available
CONS:
- Hard to form lather
About Sweet and sassy brand:
The sweet and sassy brand founded in 2004 is located in Texas and started as a single children’s store in Southlake. Its primary customers are women and children, and its focus is on being a blessing to its internal team, customers, and the community at large. They have grown to own over 18 franchise locations with two divisions; the naked bomb and sweet and sassy packaging.
Available at: Sweetandsassyshop
Kitsch Nourishing(Most Color-Treated Hair)
With this distinctive combination of bio-based chemicals and pure essential oils.
We can be assured of getting a salon-like experience from root to tip just by using this nourishing shampoo bar.
This bottleless shampoo balances the pH level in our hair and scalp to keep our hair locks strong, shiny, and soft.
These shampoo bars are more benefitting to most of us with dry and color-treated hair; being combined with castor oil and other moisturizing ingredients, it produces a rich, foaming lather that thoroughly cleans the hair and scalp.
PROS
- contains only pure essential oils
- Perfect for dry and colored hair
- free of parabens
- Free of phthalates and sulfates
- It’s vegan and Cruelty-free
CONS
- Not suitable for people with sensitive scalp
About Kitsch Nourishing Brand:
Kitsch was founded by Cassandra Thurswell, who hails from Wisconsin; she started to scale up her business by constantly staying in touch with her community and their desires. In 2010, kitsch went from not having a business plan longer than a paragraph to selling a full range of beauty favorites in over 20,000 retail locations in 27 countries worldwide.
Available at: Mykitsch
Green Tea-Natural (Most Paraben Free)
To give your hair a lovely, shining glow, here is a zero-waste-free shampoo bar that is exclusively handmade with natural ingredients.
This natural shampoo bar gently cleanses hair; it’s made of green tea and cacao seed butter which makes our hair lush.
It works to replenish moisture-depleted and damaged locks with much-needed hydration, making it perfect for color-treated hair.
This way, we can go out with confidence and flaunt our mane without having to slather it in damaging hair products.
PROS
- They are made with organic and natural components.
- Eco-Friendly packaging
- Paraben free
- silicone-free
- It has a valuable travel tin
- Cruelty-free and vegan
CONS:
- Has other perfumes which may not favor those sensitive to scent.
About Natural Essence Brand:
This family-owned business is run collectively, with Dr. Gertrude mkparu being the head. The three pillars of natural Essence are Healthy skin, Healthy life, and Radiant; the company has been operating on these virtues to nurture the inner and outer health of their customers.
Available at: Naturalessenceskincare
Pacific Spirit (Best scent)
The nutrients from the apricot extract and argan oil, which help hydrate and nourish dry hair, are abundant in this soap-free shampoo bar, prepared with a blend of oils that love hair.
Sunflower oil and chicory root extract offer anti-inflammatory effects that relieve irritated scalps and prevent damage.
PROS
- made with organic materials
- has no harmful substances
- free of sulfates
- Vegan and cruelty-free
CONS
- Strong scent aroma
About Pacific spirit brand :
This zero-waste shampoo bar company was founded by Gabrielle gavazzl; their mission is to create a world that is plastic free and Eco-friendly; they have spent years formulating shampoo bars with natural ingredients to satisfy their customer.
Available at: Pacificspirit
BeNat All-Natural(Best For Damaged Hair):
This Shampoo is a natural shampoo bar crafted from stunning natural components.
These shampoo bars, which were created especially for hair that is dry and damaged, contain rosemary extract, which aids in the retention of the scalp’s natural oils, and shea butter, which offers additional hydration.
PROS
- 100% natural and handmade
- Paraben free
- sulfate and phthalate-free
- No synthetic scents
- Suitable for dry hair
- free of GMOs
- available in a variety of scents.
CONS:
- It has a soft texture
About Benat All Natural Shampoo:
This American-based company was founded by a mother of 3 concerned about the chemicals used in her daily hygiene and cosmetic products. In her zeal to promote clean, safe, and effective all-natural products which are Ecological friendly, she started BeNat, whose mission is to raise awareness about these chemicals and fashion it in a way it will be sustainable, reusable, recyclable, and zero-waste.
Available at: Benatnow
Jojoba and Almond-Yuve(Most Handmade)
Using this vegan shampoo bar will give us thicker, healthier, and stronger hair that will smell like sundew roses.
This shampoo bar revitalizes the scalp, heals split ends, and enables us to flaunt our hair color for a more extended period because it contains coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil from sustainably harvested sources.
With this zero-waste shampoo bar, we can help the environment and make our world, in general, a safe place to live.
PROS:
- made with organic materials
- handmade in limited quantities
- Eco-friendly and free of plastic
- Free of silicone, sulfates, and parabens
- vegan and cruelty-free
CONS:
- Not suitable for oily hair
About Yuve Organibar Brand :
Yuve was birthed out of one woman’s desire to be healthy. They spent months researching and selecting pure, wholesome ingredients for their products. Your primary customers are women who, amid their busy activities, can use natural and plant-based herbal blends to create synergy between their body, mind, and spirit.
Available at: Getyuve
HOW YOU CAN MAKE ZERO WASTE SHAMPOO AT HOME
Where is the list of ingredients I used:
- 12 lb. of melt-and-pour base soap
- one tablespoon of Shea butter
- 12 teaspoons of coconut or olive oil
- 20 drops of my preferred essential oils
A double boiler, a large mixing spoon, and silicone molds are also required. An ice cube or dessert molds work well here, though there are also many soap bar molds available.
Stage 1
The double boiler should have a burner set to medium heat, break the melt-and-pour soap base, and add the pieces to the double boiler.
Stage 2
Use a wooden spoon to mix the soap base while it melts. Once it has melted completely, add the remaining ingredients, excluding the essential oils, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Stage 3
Once thoroughly combined, Allow the ingredients in the shampoo bar to cool off slightly but not harden. This shouldn’t take a long time. Stir well after adding your essential oils.
Stage 4
Finally, fill the molds with the shampoo bar mixture and let them sit for 24 hours.
That’s just it; my zero waste shampoo is ready; feel free to try this recipe; try other essential oils or butter. Just play another with it and get your perfect match.
TOP ECO-FRIENDLY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BRANDS
I don’t use to get confused with the difference in the list of zero waste shampoos and eco-friendly shampoo brands.
Note that some zero waste are not top eco-friendly; where is the list of 5 top eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner brands in the market:
FRIENDLY SOAP BRAND:
As their watchword is “PLASTIC FREE ZONE,” that’s to show how much they are conscious of the effect of their production on the planet. Due to their love for making the earth healthy, they are one of the biggest fans of “Plastic Free July,” a charity forum that works to raise awareness of the damage done by plastic.
The charity has motivated over 300 million people in 177 countries to change their everyday behaviors toward their environment.
None of their end’s products are packaged with plastics. Instead, they use recyclable cards in line with vegan credentials, which are human and animal beneficial.
LUSH BRAND:
This brand is one of those shampoo and conditioner companies that have a set aside environmental policy which they follow in every bit of their production and marketing process.
They understood the interaction of their product with the environment and its impact on lives.; for instance, they use almond and olive oil instead of mineral oil, which is more nourishing and environmentally friendly.
Lush, as a body comprising their staff and customers, push to display the motion that the environment is everyone’s responsibility to make our planet healthy.
Evidence of how Eco-Friendly Lush brand is, s displayed in their:
Packaging:
They avoid too much packaging, where by-products like shampoo bars can be sold with little packaging. In contrast, some products whose packaging is unavoidable use 90% recyclable materials to produce the packaging bottles.
Raw materials:
they use natural ingredients produced sustainably and place palm oil with a more earth-friendly oil as their soap bar.
Waste & Recycling:
According to the information from the Lush brand website, the total recyclable material in English packaging is about 89% ( including aluminum tins, paper bags, ribbons, etc.) which makes them one of the Top Eco-Friendly brands.
ACURE BRAND
Acure brand is known for its highest quality natural ingredients that uplift the way you feel. Beyond its excellent quality, it ranks among the too eco-friendly brand in the market.
In their pursuit of environmental sustainability, they partnered with an eco-friendly movement called “Turning green,” which is aimed at educating people on the need to be environmentally conscious and socially responsible for their part in enhancing the earth.
Acura brand also emphasizes the need for youths to engage in this movement so that our next generation can be saved from this harmful predicament of earth decay.
ETHIQUE BRAND:
Ethique brand does not just qualify as one of the top zero waste shampoo or conditioner brands but also as a leading eco-friendly company that stands with “No plastic,” “No laminate,” and “No chlorines” as it benefits humans and animals in general.
Having the knowledge that plastic bottles take over 400 years to decay and considering the tonnes of the bottle produced every year, ethique makes use of cardboard boxes with bubble wrap sealed as paper type to package their products.
Even though the packing tape is biodegradable and decays just in a matter of months, they also carry up a campaign “#giveupthebottle” as a system of stopping plastic from clogging the ocean and avoiding those harsh chemicals.
Dr. BRONNER BRAND:
Dr. Bronner, founded by Emmanuel Bronner, who is a nature activist, transferred this fighting spirit to Dr. Bronner’s mission statement, and their beliefs are based on regenerative agriculture, animal advocacy, and fair trade.
Due to their activist spirit, they proudly call themselves a “fighting soap company,” To date, they portray this “Treat the earth like home” strategy in all their productions.
They are 100% free of plastic packaging as it indirectly lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
As an eco-friendly brand, they uphold 100% post-consumer recycled corrugated, water/material recycling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What does zero waste shampoo mean?
These are compressed and concentrated kinds of shampoo bottles that are made with the use of plastic packaging.
They do not contain palm oil, sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), and their chemicals, which are harmful and anti-Eco-friendly.
How do I make a zero water shampoo bar :
A Simple DIY recipe
Add your broken melt and soup base into a double boiler, stir until it’s thoroughly mixed, Add other ingredients, and allow it to cool before adding the essential oils. Fill the mold with the shampoo bar and allow it to set before using.
How can you make shampoo more sustainable?
Your shampoo can be made sustainable by producing it with natural ingredients like vegan and cruelty-free products. Also, this vegan packaging is Eco-friendly because it can be recycled and reused.
What oil are suitable for shampoo bars
Environmentally friendly shampoo bars are produced with natural oil. Some of these natural oils are good for shampoo bars, including canola, rice bran, soybean or olive oil, and a more significant percentage of coconut and castor oil.
Conclusion
We have done justice to these best zero-waste shampoos that they’re our problem, and also, our eyes have been opened to how we can make these shampoo bars ourselves.
Some of my best zero-waste shampoo and conditioner brands are Ethique, HiBar, Whiff, and pacific.
Can you comment on your favorite shampoo bars below?
More Zero Waste Skin Related Guide You will Surely Love:
Zero Waste Skincare To Reduce your Environmental Impact With Cosmetics Products
Cruelty-Free Body Wash You’ll Love to Use
Zero Waste Body Lotion For All Kinds Of Skin
