When starting your Zero Waste Journey, it is inevitable to wonder if you will have to decrease the quality of your beauty products.
Not at all! Hence below, we would like to guide you through the most sustainable Zero Waste hair care products. At Puratium, this means four things you will want to switch out (or make yourself):
- Zero Waste Shampoo (and conditioner, if need be)
- Serum
- Wooden brush
- Hair ties
How Can I Buy Shampoo Without Plastic?
Soap and shampoo bars are the perfect Zero Waste Swap (to avoid plastic packaging and chemicals traditionally found within liquid soaps.
Contrary to what you may have heard, it has become easy to search and find high-quality no plastic shampoo products for your hair. An easy search, whether online or in your local organic shop.
And, they come with more sustainable packaging than plastic. Namely, you can find them in bulk and ask for a specific dosage (do not forget to bring your bag or container).
Or, wrapped in cardboard, ideally from recycled material.
Lastly, you can go the extra mile by ensuring that you buy earth-friendly vegan hair care.
Why Are Soap & Shampoo Bars Greener Than Conventional Liquid Soap Bottles?
1. They last longer and are therefore cost-effective for your entire family.
We did the test ourselves! For the same price, i.e., 10 USD, one regular size shampoo bar lasted twice as long as the standard liquid version we used to buy (12 oz.).
2. Bars come in an eco-friendlier packaging.
Of course, we also encourage you to find and add refillable options to use. However, when it comes to shampoo and conditioner, it is not easy to find brands that provide refillable options (although for hand wash, it is more common).
If you choose the right brand (see our below recommendations), most soap and shampoo bars are delivered with recyclable packaging, or packaging that can more easily be reused, such as cartons.
3. They are more gentle for the environment
Most organic, high-quality ingredients of soap bars contain minimal harmful substances for the environment.
The absences of toxic chemicals mean that these soaps, once used, will not contribute to water pollution, unlike other products.
Would you like to know more about preserving water at home, and what you can do to help? Have a look at our articles on zero waste cleaning and wardrobe.
Bar soaps last longer, often come with more sustainable packaging, and are more gentle for our planet.
What Are Our Favorite Shampoo Bars & Conditioners?
ECOROOTS – if you live in the US
We love to use this brand in general. Their passion for Earth and Nature became their mission to offer sustainable and plastic-free alternatives to everyday products.
They offer a variety of personal care products such as soaps, or deodorants, and exceptional items for your kitchen.
These include reusable bags or sustainable cleaning brushes that you may also want to take a look at.
For less than 11 USD, you can order the 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner Bar (5.85 oz.) for your hair:
- Vegan and cruelty-free guaranteed.
- A true Zero Waste hair care product; they only use recyclable or up-cyclable materials for packaging and shipping.
- Enriched with organic cocoa, shea, and mango butter that nourishes your hair.
- We love the natural scent of cocoa butter.
- It is Sulfate-free, Silicone-free, Paraben-free.
In a nutshell, a great eco-friendly alternative to shampoo in plastic bottles with high-quality ingredients. We particularly like this plastic-free shampoo as it is excellent for very dry, over-processed, damaged, and heat-treated hair.
ECO WARRIOR SOAP – if you live in the UK / Europe
Indeed a real revolution in your bathroom! Eco Warrior has developed a collection of six deep, high impact, job-specific bar soaps.
Each of them has its distinct use and custom-made essential oil blend, with no synthetic fragrance. What we like about this Unisex, Zero Waste Shampoo is the following:
- Vegan and cruelty-free guaranteed.
- Plastic-free packaging.
- Bio-degradable, Recyclable and entirely made in the UK.
- Innovative and efficient: the lather is rich and creamy.
Shampoo bars from Eco Roots and Eco Warriors are a vegan, plastic-free alternative to conventional liquid soaps.
How Should You Be Using Them In The Shower?
In a nutshell, place your bar soap away from the shower sprays thanks to a saver bag. It is versatile, easy to use, and is a more affordable choice than the usual liquid soaps.
Would you like to hear the whole story? Have a look at our article on Soap Saver Bags here.
How Can I Make Shampoo More Sustainable?
Why not make your shampoo bar? Doing so, you will have the assurance of its origins and exact list of ingredients. Moreover, you will decrease even more your carbon footprint by avoiding long-distance shipping. Indeed, most of the elements can be found in bulk in many local organic shops.
Thus, you add another sustainable cosmetic product in your Zero Waste Journey!
We have recently tried this homemade shampoo bar recipe from DIY Natural. We like it as the process is relatively simple, and made of only five ingredients.
How Do You Take Care Of Your Hair After Washing It?
Serum
- In case your hair needs extra care, we recommend using a simple homemade serum once in a while: pure almond oil. For long hair, apply a tablespoon on wet hair (spread it equally) and let it dry while blowing it out.
- In case you would like to make your smoothing hair mask: just mix avocado with 2 or 3 tablespoons of almond oil and leave on for about 20 to 25 minutes. Almond oil is not only good for your skin, but it will also nourish your hair.
Wooden Brush
We are big fans of the wooden hairbrush from the package free shop. No packaging needed and, therefore, a better alternative to plastic brushes you may need for your hair. It is made out of beechwood and hornbeam, with a natural rubber base. It is a 100% Zero Waste as you can compost it at the end of life. The other reasons why we prefer wood over plastic is that:
- It does not produce any static.
- When combing, the little bristles will be more gentle to your hair (less likely to break it).
Hair Ties
We recommend Well Earth Goods’ organic hair ties. For 15 USD, you will get five ethically made ties for your hair, using premium organic cotton and natural tree rubber.
Moreover, they are biodegradable and guarantee a robust all-day hold while remaining gentle on your hair.
Remember that choosing Zero Waste does not mean less qualitative or more expensive solutions.
This is again the case here: these sustainably-made ties will look like super cute bracelets when not used in your hair.
Nowadays, it is straightforward to find great aftercare hair products that are sustainable and affordable.
Final Thoughts
Reducing waste in your kitchen or bathroom is always a learning journey. It takes a bit of time and reflection at first, but it can quickly become part of your family’s regular choices once you have found your perfect match for each product(particularly for your hair).
When it comes to beauty and personal care, a Zero Waste attitude will guide you towards what you need, and love.
That is why at Puratium we sincerely hope that this article convinced you that having Zero Waste Hair will not take too much effort.
Namely, we wanted you to see how accessible, affordable, and mostly, better for the environment taking care of your hair can be.
Lastly, just as it is the case for the low waste makeup brands, eco-friendly hair products are just as efficient and nifty (if not more!) as conventional ones.
If you have any questions about your hair, please let us know.
