Zero-waste shampoo and conditioner bars are taking over, and we’re loving it! Because the Zero-waste shampoo is not like the traditional liquid shampoo.
If you’re just starting your zero-waste journey and are looking for the right zero-waste products, it can be a little daunting to navigate the hundreds of products out there.
Don’t let this stop you.
We’re going to help you discover a whole new world of zero-waste shampoo bars from the brands you know and love, to the hidden gems and emerging brands.
Whether you need a soothing shampoo to tame those curls, suffer from dry and damaged hair, or you’re just looking for a light everyday shampoo, our list has something to suit your needs.
PLUS: We’re going show you how to create your very own eco-friendly shampoo – so stick around and keep reading.
How to Find Zero-waste Hair Care Brands
Okay, so this is our advice on finding and choosing the right zero-waste hair care brands.
With so many products entering the market on a daily basis, it’s important to be able to distinguish the real deal from mass-market ‘greenwashing’ or fake products.
Firstly, establish your own personal criteria. This is really a very personal decision so don’t be pressured to tick as many boxes as possible. Rather focus on small steps and choices that suit your needs. This can make a difference when you decide upon vegetarian instead of vegan products and so on.
Secondly, when it comes to zero-waste shampoo and conditioners, look for products that not only contain plastic-free packaging, but those that use locally-sourced, natural and eco-friendly packaging, as this also reduces waste in the manufacturing process.
Lastly, read the ingredients and reviews. Google ingredients you don’t know and make the decision based on your personal choices, this is especially important if you’re looking for eco-friendly, non-toxic products for babies and children. Reviews are equally important because this is where consumers will tell you if a product really works or not.
Too much info? Skip straight ahead and search directly on EcoSwap or Amazon by entering “zero waste shampoo” in the search bar or try our favorite (tried, tested and effective) zero waste shampoo bars:
The Best Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner Bars and Liquids:
- Butter Me Up Organics – Peppermint Organic Shampoo Bar
- Amor Luminis – Océane Solid Shampoo & Talia Solid Conditioner Bar
- Plaine Products – Vegan & Cruelty-Free, Sulfate-Free, Zero-Waste Shampoo
- Bronner’s – All-One Hemp Citrus Castile Bar Soap
- Friendly Soap – Lavender & Geranium Shampoo Bar
- Crystal Cole – Luxury Lime, Basil & Mandarin Shampoo Bar
- BamboEarth – 100% Organic Rose Shampoo Bar
- Whiff Botanicals – Evergreen Shampoo Bar
- Aspen Kay Naturals – Rosemary & Peppermint Shampoo Bar
- Eco Roots – Unscented Shampoo Bar
- Everist- Waterless Shampoo Concentrate
- By Humankind – Shampoo Bar
- Suds & Co. – Shampoo Bar
Let’s get to the fun part before we explore those amazing brands and learn how to make our own shampoo:
How to Make Your Own Eco-friendly Shampoo
You can make eco-friendly shampoo in a number of ways. Some recipes call for a soap base that you can purchase online, or soap flakes, but we really like this simple and natural recipe using soap nuts which you can decant into a recycled shampoo bottle.
Soap NUTS?
Yes, you read that correctly. These little gems are not really nuts, in fact, they are the husks of dried soap berries. These husks contain Saponin which gives natural soaps the ability to lather and clean.
Soap nuts are simply used by adding a bit of hot water and shaking them up in a container to get some soapy water to use for laundry or hair and body washes.
Here’s a great beginner’s kit if you’d like to order some soap nuts to try this recipe.
This is an adaptation of a recipe on Cosmopolitan.
Ingredients:
- 2 soap nuts
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 glass jar
- Essential oils (optional)
Instructions:
Place 2 two dried soap nuts into a jar with 1 cup of warm water. Shake it and let it stand for about 30 minutes. Once the soap nuts are soft, crush or blend them. This will become the base of your shampoo.
To make your shampoo: dilute a tablespoon of your soap nut liquid in 1 cup of water. Add a little of your favourite essential oils or a little coconut oil if you have very dry hair. Keep it in a recycled shampoo bottle in the fridge and use it within a month.
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Look, not all of us are in a place where we can be making our own soaps and shampoos, so if you’re ready to discover our favourite zero-waste shampoo brands, let’s get to the list!
14 Best Zero-Waste Shampoo and Conditioner Brands
1. Butter Me Up Organics
Butter Me Up Organics is a small zero-waste and cruelty-free brand from Livermore, California. They make home, bath, body, baby, and face care products, using all-natural ingredients, most of which are organic and fair trade.
They make all their products in-house, and they carefully source ingredients from responsible suppliers, many of which are local to their facility.
Butter Me Up Organics’s zero-waste organic Shampoo bars are deeply nourishing and made with organic, plant-based ingredients. They’re scented with essential oils and contain no synthetic fragrances, sulfates, phthalates, or parabens.
Must Try: Butter Me Up Organics Peppermint Organic Shampoo Bar
All their products are cruelty-free and zero-waste. They only use sustainable packaging, like kraft paper bags, glass jars, and tins.
Butter Me Up Organics is committed to zero-waste practices, and they reduce waste in all aspects of their business. Their products are packaged in eco-friendly packaging, which is completely plastic-free, such as kraft paper, glass, and tin.
All their shipping materials are 100% recycled, recyclable, and completely plastic-free.
Price: $14.95
Etsy Customer Ratings: 5/5 from 126 ratings
Where to Buy: Butter Me Up Organics
2. Amor Luminis
Amor Luminis is an eco-conscious Australian brand of luxury plastic-free hair care bars, made with all-natural ingredients that are ethically and sustainably sourced.
Amor Luminis take pride in creating honest products that really work. They use only clean, toxin-free formulas for their products, which are lovingly made and packaged in compostable paper packaging, printed with vegetable inks.
Ethics and sustainability are central to their philosophy. In addition to their own practices, they donate 1% of every purchase to regreening the planet.
Must Try: Océane Solid Shampoo & Talia Solid Conditioner
The Amor Luminis Océane Solid Shampoo is made with babies and sensitive skin in mind, using only the gentlest naturally derived ingredients. It is fortified with Oat Protein & Panthenol to improve structure, moisturize and detangle hair. It is a non-drying formula that leaves no residue (suitable for dreadlocks) and contains no silicone.
The Talia Solid Conditioner is a deeply nourishing formula, made with meadowfoam seed oil for hydration, Murumuru Butter to nourish and seal, and Calendula Extract to soothe and calm your scalp. It is suitable for all hair types, including damaged hair and dry scalp/dandruff-prone hair.
Both the shampoo and the conditioner contain no SLS, SLES, parabens, or phthalates. They come in fully compostable cardboard packaging, printed with vegetable inks.
Price: $20.00 (60g bar) for the shampoo and $24.00 (60g bar) for the conditioner
Amor Luminis Customer Ratings: 5/5 out of 1 rating
Where to Buy: Amor Luminis: Océane Solid Shampoo & Talia Solid Conditioner Bar (delivery: international)
3. Plaine Products
Plaine Products make a lovely range of vegan and cruelty-free, zero-waste hair care products, body washes and natural hand sanitizers.
They do not use any ingredients that are deemed unsafe by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and use only safe, biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients.
Their liquid shampoo is color-safe and sulfate-free, silicone-free, and palm oil-free. They have three different options to choose from: Unscented, Rosemary, Vanilla and Mint, or Lavender Citrus.
Must Try: Rosemary, Mint and Vanilla Zero Waste Shampoo
Plaine Products are completely zero-waste. They offer a refill service and all their products are packaged in reusable aluminum bottles, with a reusable plastic pump.
When your shampoo bottles are empty, you keep the pump to use in your refill and send the empty container back to them in the box it came in!
Plaine Products is certified B Corp, vegan, cruelty-free, carbon-neutral, and members of 1 for the Planet.
Price: $30 for 16oz ($27 on subscription)
Plaine Products Customer Ratings: 5/5 from 110 ratings
Where to Buy: Amazon
4. Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s is one of the best-selling natural brands in the U.S. and their range of gentle castile soap bars are a hit, because you can use it for both face and body!
Using a multi-use soap like this also reduces your amount of personal care products so instead of separate body washes and shampoos, you get it all in one bar. Their packaging is made from 100% biodegradable and recycled material. Their products are also fair-trade, certified vegan and made with organic oils.
Must Try: Dr. Bronner’s All-One Hemp Citrus Castile Bar Soap (6-pack)
This delightful citrus-y scented soap bar will leave your hair smelling fresh and feeling as light as a feather while turning your shower into an invigorating aromatherapy session. Although it contains palm oil, it is certified organic and fair trade so you can use it guilt-free.
Price: $7.66 / 5 oz each, $28.74 pack of 6
Amazon Customer Rating: 4.7/5 out of 264 ratings
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5. Friendly Soap
Friendly Soap products are packaged in really simple recycled packaging, and are made with natural ingredients such as plant-based natural oils, nut butters, essential oils and herbs. Their shampoo bars are free of parabens and foaming agents like Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), so you can rest assured that they will be gentle on your hair and skin.
We also love how affordable their shampoo and conditioner bars are, making it a really accessible product for anyone who wants to reduce their waste.
Must Try: Friendly Shampoo Bar – Lavender & Geranium
You wont even need a conditioner to soften your hair after a wash with this shampoo bar. The castor oil acts as a natural hair conditioner while geranium oil acts as a relaxing aromatherapy treatment to help sooth your scalp and bring a sense of calm to your day.
Price: $4 / 3.35 oz
Amazon Customer Rating: 3.7/5 out of 261 ratings
6. Crystal Cole
Crystal Cole is based in England and originally started off making her own scented candles and as news travelled about her amazing candles and thoughtful scent choices, her brand soon began to develop.
Now offering personal care items such as bath bombs, shampoo bars, eco-friendly toothbrushes and much more, Crystal Cole is an emerging natural living brand.
Crystal Cole’s zero-waste shampoo bars are hand crafted, vegan, cruelty-free and paraben and SLS free.
Must Try: Luxury Lime Basil & Mandarin Solid Shampoo Bar
You can smell the influence of Crystal’s travels to Asia in these wonderfully scented bars. It’s suitable for all hair types and lasts ages (up to 80 washes). It’s currently selling like hotcakes so they’re available on pre-order from her site, or via Amazon.
Price: $15,00 / 3.52 oz
Amazon Customer Rating: 5/5 out of 3 ratings (this product listing is new)
Shopping around for other zero-waste products? Try our guide to the best zero-waste products on the market right now.
7. BamboEarth
BamboEarth has a range of eco-friendly and natural personal care products including dental products and body wash bars. They believe in keeping things eco-friendly all the way from product to packaging.
Their zero-waste shampoo and conditioner bars are cold-pressed and 100% organic, while the packaging is biodegradable, plastic and metal-free.
Must Try: BamboEarth 100% Organic Rose Shampoo Bar
This shampoo bar also has a gently conditioning effect to leave your hair feeling extra soft and smooth so you don’t need an extra product. The mild ingredients, such as rose essence and ginseng, make it easy to use on any hair type.
Price: $9.87 / 2.11 oz
Amazon Customer Rating: 4.3/5 out of 98 ratings
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8. Whiff Botanicals
Whiff Botanicals is a new, up-and-coming, company based in the US. We love what they stand for when it comes to the three Rs: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle! Their products are made locally in the US, and their shampoo and conditioner bars are free from fragrances and colorants, making them perfect for those with sensitive skin.
Their packaging is plastic-free and made from recyclable material, and they make use of biodegradable material as much as possible.
Must Try: Whiff Botanicals Evergreen Shampoo Bar
This is a great zero-waste shampoo bar for guys on the go because it acts as both a shampoo and shave bar. It contains moisturizing coconut oil and cocoa butter and has a fresh earthy pine scent to make you feel like you’re showing in a forest!
Price: $10.99 / 1 oz
Amazon Customer Rating: 4.5/5 out of 250 ratings
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share” ~ Lady Bird Johnson
9. Aspen Kay Naturals
Aspen Kay Naturals was founded in 2012 in a small kitchen in US and has since expanded to become a highly sought-after brand in the natural and eco-friendly world.
It’s important to note that their products do contain palm oil (we like that they are upfront about this), but it is certified sustainable. They use natural coloring from the herbs and flowers in their ingredients, and their shampoos are free from SLS, Parabens, synthetic dyes and other harmful chemicals.
Must Try: Aspen Kay Naturals Rosemary & Peppermint Shampoo Bar
This zero-waste shampoo bar contains only organic ingredients and herbs and is designed to help rejuvenate dry and damaged hair and stimulate healthy hair growth. Rosemary and peppermint essential oils give it a beautifully calming scent.
Price: $13.99 / 3.2 oz
Amazon Customer Rating: 4.5/5 out of 387 ratings
10. Ethique
Ethique was started by a mother and daughter team from New Zealand, who decided they wanted to do something about the vast amounts of waste they saw being created by bathroom essentials created by the cosmetic industry.
Starting with a shampoo created in their kitchen, they expanded the size of their batches and their product range to include conditioners and other cosmetic products.
Ethique insists that its ingredients meet strict criteria. They must:
- Have no health risks associated with their use
- Be sustainably produced and biodegradable
- Be cruelty-free and plant-based
- Be free from palm oil and palm oil derivatives
Sustainable production and biodegradable ingredients are the core of everything they do, and all bars are certified vegan, cruelty-free, and palm oil free, and because the ingredients used are renewable and non-petroleum based, these bars are grey-water and environmentally safe.
Must Try: Heali Kiwi™ Calming Solid Shampoo Bar & Curliosity™ Co-Wash And Conditioner Bar
The Heali Kiwi™ Calming Solid Shampoo Bar is made for sensitive scalps. It contains a powerful blend of neem and Karanja oils, renowned in Ayurvedic medicine for their healing properties.
Combined with soothing oatmeal to calm touchy scalps, Heali Kiwi gently and effectively helps to wash your scalp woes away as fairly traded cocoa butter and coconut oil nourish hair for softness and shine.
The Curliosity™ Co-Wash And Conditioner Bar is a solid conditioner formulated in line with curl care principles. It is created with ingredients like shea butter, jojoba, and cocoa butter to nourish soft hair and defined curls.
Castor oil helps dissolve oil to cleanse and remove dirt without bubbles for co-washing.
Free from silicones, waxes, and drying alcohols, this plastic-free conditioner revives curls and restores shine without weighing hair down. It can also be a leave-in conditioner for extra post-wash nourishment and curl definition.
Price: $15.00 (3.88oz bar) for the shampoo and $17.00 (3.88oz bar) for the conditioner
Ethique Customer Ratings: 4.7/5 from 1,958 ratings
Where to Buy: Ethique: Heali Kiwi™ Calming Solid Shampoo Bar & Curliosity™ Co-Wash And Conditioner Bar (delivery: North America)
11. Eco Roots
Eco Roots is a female-owned company that is all about community. Their business development strategy is based on getting feedback from customers and challenging themselves to do better to meet the needs of both their customers and the earth.
Their values center around high-quality, sustainable vegan products made in small batches.
Their products are plastic and paraben-free, just like their packaging materials, which are 100% recyclable. Going a step further, all their products are fully recyclable or compostable.
Must Try: Unscented Shampoo Bar & Zero Waste Dry Shampoo
The Unscented Shampoo Bar is for those with sensitive scalps, sensitive skin, or allergies. Handmade from coconut oil with a cocoa butter base, it’s great for all hair types and is silicone, phthalate, and paraben-free.
With no fragrance, this bar will leave your hair clean and nourished without stripping away natural oils or hair color.
The Zero Waste Dry Shampoo is formed with high-performing plant-based ingredients, which absorb residue and odor while supporting healthy hair. There are no added fragrances, allowing the natural aloe scent to shine.
The product is vegan, aluminum-free, and suitable for all hair types/colors.
Both the shampoo and the conditioner contain no parabens, sulfates, or phthalates, and shipping is entirely plastic-free.
Price: $12.95 (2.25oz. bar) for the shampoo bar and $21.00 (4oz. glass jar) for the dry shampoo
Eco Roots Customer Ratings: 4.9/5 out of 2,448 ratings
Where to Buy: Eco Roots: Unscented Shampoo Bar & Zero Waste Dry Shampoo
12. Everist
Everist aims for perfect ‘zero waste,’ or as close as it’s possible to get. Their ethos is to hold themselves accountable for every business decision, with one goal: carbon neutrality.
By choosing biodegradable ingredients, recycled and recyclable packaging, and a local, certified climate-neutral supply chain, the two founders want a minimal negative impact on the planet and a maximum positive impact on their customers.
Their products are concentrates, needing less packaging, and their choice of 99% aluminum tubing means their packaging can be infinitely recycled.
Must Try: Waterless Shampoo Concentrate & Waterless Conditioner Concentrate
The Waterless Shampoo Concentrate is the first 100% plant-based concentrate with a paste texture activated by the water in your shower. It’s made with a unique blend of five essential oils, all with hair and scalp benefits, including bergamot, rosemary, orange peel, clary sage, and peppermint, and because each tube is only 100ml, it’s perfect for traveling.
The Waterless Conditioner Concentrate is 3X concentrated formula that is lightweight and silicone-free for gentle conditioning, doesn’t weigh hair down, and includes hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and hyaluronic acid, along with essential oils for a delicious scent.
Both the shampoo and the conditioner are free from parabens, sulfates, silicones, dyes, synthetic fragrances, and added preservatives. All their products are color-safe and proudly vegan, and cruelty-free.
Price: $22.40 (100ml tube) for the shampoo and the conditioner.
Everist Customer Ratings: 4.5/5 from 77 reviews
Where to Buy: Everist: Waterless Shampoo Concentrate & Waterless Conditioner Concentrate
13. By Humankind
By Humankind is a carbon-neutral company that offsets what it can’t neutralize through business practices by supporting reforestation projects in Brazil and New Jersey.
By Humankind ships reusable containers made from recyclable materials, and their shampoo and conditioner bars come in a recycled paper box with soy-based ink.
Ingredients are sourced from ethical producers, with sustainable harvesting processes and certifications wherever possible. Their ethics extend to their partner factories, where they ensure that factories pay a living wage to their employees and do not use harmful production practices.
Must Try: Shampoo Bar & Conditioner Bar
The By Humankind Shampoo Bar is made with babies and sensitive skin in mind, using only the gentlest naturally derived ingredients. It is fortified with Oat Protein & Panthenol to improve the structure and moisturize and detangle hair. It is a non-drying formula that leaves no residue (suitable for dreadlocks) and contains no silicone.
The by Humankind Conditioner Bar is an all-natural formula that is cold-processed to moderate the pH of the bar, which is excellent for sensitive skin. Only essential oil combinations are used to scent their bars, which come in Citrus-Lavender, Lemongrass, and Peppermint, and they’re suitable for all hair types.
Price: $15.00 (4oz. bar) for the shampoo bar and $15.00 (1.8oz. bar) for the conditioner bar
By Humankind Customer Ratings: 3.7/5 from 16 ratings
Where to Buy: By Humankind: By Humankind Shampoo Bar & by Humankind Conditioner Bar (free delivery to the US)
14. Suds & Co
Suds & Co. is all about handmade products with sustainability at their core. Their water-free bars are made with natural ingredients that have been reduced to handheld concentrates in plastic-free, compostable/biodegradable/recyclable paper with water-based ink.
Their bars are salon approved because they’re created with high-quality, non-toxic, and naturally derived ingredients, free from parabens, dyes, synthetic fragrances, SLS & GMOs. Pure is the name of the game here.
Suds & Co. makes bars for all hair types, including curly, dull, colored, and greasy, and they make them ethically. Every product is vegan, cruelty-free, and palm oil free.
Must Try: Suds & Co. Shampoo Bar & Suds & Co. Conditioner Bar
The Suds & Co. Shampoo Bar is made with nourishing, natural oils and comes in 12 different kinds catering for every hair type. All coloring in the bars is natural, and fragrances are purely from essential oils. Its nutrient-rich botanicals like Argan, Jojoba, Kukui Nut, and Hemp cleanse, balance, and moisturize.
The Suds & Co. Conditioner Bar is ultra-hydrating and nourishing to protect hair while keeping it soft, shiny, and smooth. Its deeply nourishing formula includes wheat germ oil, clay powder, and vitamin E, which all serve to nourish your hair and scalp naturally. Moreover, there are bars for all hair types, including damaged hair and dry scalp/dandruff-prone hair.
Each natural shampoo bar is equivalent to 2-3 bottles of conventional shampoo or conditioner, reportedly lasting for 75 or more uses.
Price: $14.99 (3oz. bar) for the shampoo or conditioner bar
Suds & Co. Customer Ratings: 5/5 from 8656 reviews
Where to Buy: Suds & Co: Suds & Co. Shampoo Bar & Suds & Co. Conditioner Bar (delivery: Free to US for orders over $50)
Conclusion
What’s not to love about a compact, long-lasting and heavenly-smelling bar of shampoo? They are perfect for travelling, they’re plastic-free shampoos and many can be used for both hair and body so that you can also reduce your product consumption.
When it comes to purchasing zero-waste and plastic free shampoo and conditioners, it really all boils down to personal preference and what your hair needs to stay healthy.
We are all as different as our hair, so like we mentioned in the beginning of this article, don’t be pressured into finding a product that ticks all the boxes, although it’s great if you find one that does! A zero-waste lifestyle is a journey and luckily, we have a great community on Amazon where consumers take the time to leave detailed reviews for next person so we can make better choices.
“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for” ~ Ernest Hemingway
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best zero waste shampoo?
Finding the best zero waste shampoo and conditioner for you can be time consuming and expensive. There are so many options that it can be overwhelming so simplify the process and check out this guide to the 7 best zero waste shampoo brands for a review of each one, the price and user reviews.
What is the best zero waste shampoo for dry and damaged hair?
We love the Ethique Frizz Wrangler for dry and damaged hair. It contains coconut oil and cocoa butter, which replenish and smooth damaged hair. For more information on Ethique and other best zero waste shampoo brands, check out this list of the 7 best zero waste shampoo bars.
What is the best multiuse zero waste soap bar?
We love Dr. Bronner's range of gentle castile soap bars. You can use them on your face, body and hair - reducing the number of products you need to buy and the amount of waste you produce! For more info check out this list of the 7 best zero waste shampoo brands.
Resources
Learn How to Make Homemade Natural Shampoo: https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-shampoo/
Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner For Waste-Free, Sustainable Locks: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/best-of-sustainable-beauty/zero-waste-shampoo-conditioner/
10 Best Shampoo Bars 2019: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-shampoo-bars/#gref
Cruelty-free shampoo bars: https://www.peta2.com/vegan-life/cruelty-free-shampoo-bars/
9 Best Zero Waste Shampoo and Condition Options: https://www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/zerowasteshampoo/
