Treat your tresses to some pro-planet pampering with our favorite sustainable shampoo and conditioners.
Thinking about switching to a zero waste shampoo bar?
The bathroom is a great place to start when taking steps towards a low waste lifestyle. Along with zero waste skincare products, it’s time to give plastic shampoo bottles the boot and switch to something more sustainable.
So, where can you find the best plastic-free shampoo?
The Best Sustainable Shampoo & Conditioners For Healthy Hair And A Healthy Planet
Naturistic Bath has some of the best-smelling shampoo bars, handmade using plant-based ingredients and no chemical nasties.
Raising the (shampoo) bar for sustainable shampoo and conditioner, Ethique’s products are vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, and plastic-free.
Natural Wisdom Spa adds some luxury and herbal wisdom to your zero waste hair care routine with 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash bars packed with nourishing natural ingredients.
Fortunately (for your hair and the planet), it’s now much easier to achieve a plastic-free hair-do thanks to brands committed to making shampoo sustainable.
So, what shampoo bars are environmentally friendly?
We have more lined up for you but you can also choose your own using our clean beauty criteria at the end of the list.
Our Curated List Of Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner Brands
1. Naturistic Bath
Price Range | $13–$14 | Shop Naturstic Bath
Values | Vegan and cruelty-free
Ingredients | Everything is made without parabens, phthalates, silicones, or sulfates. Scents are courtesy of essential oils and naturally-derived fragrance oils.
What We Love | Georgia-based Naturistic Bath uses nourishing natural oils and herbal extracts to create its range of plastic-free shampoo and conditioner bars in over twenty delicious scents.
Naturistic Bath’s Zero Waste Shampoo & Conditioner
With names like Mermaid Bliss and Winter’s Kiss, who isn’t tempted to try one of these zero waste shampoo bars?
For something fruity, try the Twisted Mango, a tropical blend of mango, pineapple, mandarin, and coconut. With nourishing cocoa butter and coconut oil, vitamin B5, and quinoa protein, it’s a treat for your hair as well as your senses.
They also offer a shampoo and conditioner sample set, so you can try them out first.
Naturistic Bath’s Sustainability
Certifications | Some of the ingredients are organic. We need to check on the awarding body.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | Naturistic Bath is a one-woman enterprise run by self-taught soap maker Sandra.
Thoughtful Packaging | Each of the shampoo bars comes with the option to add an aluminum travel tin. You can also choose whether to receive a free organza bag, but note these are made from synthetic material.
2. Ethique
Price Range | $4–$47 | Shop Ethique
Values | Vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil free
Ingredients | Ethique’s ingredients are cruelty-free, palm oil free, vegan, ethically sourced, natural, non-toxic, plant-based, and biodegradable. Many are also Fairtrade certified.
What We Love | Ethique has been making solid shampoo bars for over a decade. So far, they’ve saved a whopping 30 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill.
Ethique’s Plastic-Free Shampoo & Conditioner
Ethique has all your hair care needs covered with its sustainable shampoo bars.
You can shop by “concern”, e.g., damaged, dry, frizzy, and oily, or take their Hair quiz to receive product recommendations.
Looking for a zero waste shampoo for curly hair?
Professor Curl™ is their pH-balanced, moisture-rich shampoo bar with cocoa butter and shea butter to soften and define your curls.
If you need a zero waste dandruff shampoo, the Heali Kiwi™ Calming Solid Shampoo Bar is one of Ethique’s best-selling shampoo bars. With soothing ingredients like oatmeal and neem, it’s specially formulated for dry, flakey scalps.
Ethique’s minis are a great way to find which waste free shampoo is best for you.
Ethique’s Sustainability
Certifications | Leaping Bunny cruelty-free, Not Tested On Animals by Choose Cruelty Free, PETA cruelty-free and vegan, Certified Palm Oil Free, Certified B Corp
Carbon | This climate positive company measures its carbon annually via EKOS. They’re working hard to reduce emissions and offset 120% of them.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | Ethique prioritizes direct trade partnerships when sourcing ingredients to ensure good working conditions, fair prices, and environmental sustainability.
Thoughtful Packaging | No plastic to see here. The PEFC-certified boxes for Ethique’s bars are home compostable and recyclable.
Pay It Forward | 2% of sales is donated to charity, and a tree is planted for every order via Ethique’s partnership with Ecologie.
3. ZeroWasteStore.com
Price Range | $16–$32 | Shop ZeroWasteStore.com
Values | Vegan and cruelty-free
Ingredients | Made with salon-grade ingredients, ZWS’s shampoo bars are vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil free, ethically sourced, and non-toxic. They’re also free from artificial colors, fragrances, parabens, silicones, and SLS.
What We Love | Each ZWS 3oz plastic-free shampoo pod will save you three plastic bottles of shampoo. Handmade in the USA, they’re an essential item for any zero waste bathroom.
ZeroWasteStore.com’s Sustainable Shampoo & Conditioner
ZWS’s shampoo bars—which fall under one of their in-house brands, Suds & Co—come in a variety of colors and scents.
Add some happy vibes to your hair care routine with The Sunshine Shampoo Bar. With a refreshing scent of mango, pineapple, and orange, it’s packed with natural ingredients to nourish all hair types.
You can also grab an “UGLY” Shampoo or Conditioner Bar, one of their seconds sold at half price.
ZeroWasteStore.com’s Sustainability
Certifications | People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Carbon | ZWS partners with Cloverly to offset its shipping emissions.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | For its online store, ZWS partners with several brands, carefully chosen for their ethics and sustainability.
Thoughtful Packaging | 10/10 for their sustainable shampoo packaging: a compostable and recyclable cardboard box printed with water-based inks. Shipping is 100% plastic-free and biodegradable, too.
Pay It Forward | ZWS gives back via 1% for the Planet.
4. Natural Wisdom Spa
Price Range | £9.50 | Shop Natural Wisdom Spa
Values | Organic, vegan, cruelty-free
Ingredients | Natural Wisdom Spa uses high-quality, all-natural, biodegradable ingredients like cold-pressed oils and CO2 extracted herbs.
What We Love | Bringing spa luxury into home bathrooms, this UK brand’s small-batch products are formulated using founder Maeve’s herbal wisdom.
Natural Wisdom Spa’s Plastic-Free Shampoo & Conditioner UK
Forget your morning cup of joe, Natural Wisdom Spa offers an even better “pick me up” for curly and fine hair with its Bounce Caffeine Shampoo and Body Wash bar.
Packed with nourishing natural ingredients, it’s formulated to promote healthy hair and add volume. The bespoke essential oil blend includes jasmine, cedar wood, frankincense, lavender, and ylang ylang.
They also offer a selection of 2-in-1 body wash and shampoo bars.
Choose your favorite aromatherapy scent or opt for their Unscented Shampoo and Body Wash Bar, a gentle cleansing formula for sensitive skin.
Natural Wisdom Spa’s Sustainability
Certifications | Ecocert COSMOS Approved
Carbon | Small-batch, made-to-order production helps to keep GHG emissions low. All orders from Etsy are carbon offset.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | All products are freshly handmade by business owner Maeve using carefully selected natural ingredients.
Thoughtful Packaging | Each bar is beautifully wrapped in biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable packaging.
5. EcoRoots
Price Range | $13–$21 | Shop EcoRoots
Values | Vegan and cruelty-free
Ingredients | EcoRoots uses natural, vegan ingredients. Products are free from parabens, silicones, sulfates, SLS, and most are palm oil free.
What We Love | EcoRoots is one of our favorite zero waste online stores offering everything you could need for a low waste lifestyle, shampoo and conditioner bars included.
EcoRoots’ Zero Waste Shampoo Tablets
From Citrus Fresh to Summer Breeze, EcoRoots has several tempting scents and an Unscented bar for those who like (or need) to keep things simple.
All are formulated with cocoa butter, coconut oil, and other nourishing plant-based ingredients and are suitable for all hair types. Don’t forget to add a zero waste conditioner bar to complete your sustainable hair care routine.
Looking for a sustainable dry shampoo?
The EcoRoots Dry Shampoo is made from natural ingredients, including organic aloe powder and green clay. It comes packaged in a reusable glass jar.
EcoRoots’ Sustainability
Certifications | Organic (we’ll be reaching out to check on the awarding body).
Sourcing & Supply Chain | EcoRoots chooses its ingredients and suppliers carefully to ensure they have as low an impact as possible.
Thoughtful Packaging | The best sustainable packaging for shampoo is no packaging! EcoRoots ships its shampoo and conditioner bars packaging-free.
Pay It Forward | EcoRoots gives back to Ocean Conservancy and other environmental non-profits via its 1% for the Planet membership.
6. Gruum
Price Range | £9–£13 | Shop Gruum
Values | Cruelty-free
Ingredients | Ethically sourced and non-toxic. Some ingredients contain sustainably sourced palm oil. All but one of their plastic-free shampoo bars are vegan-friendly.
What We Love | Gruum believes that “your mane deserves to be majestic”, and we heartily agree. We also think it deserves to be plastic-free, and thankfully, Gruum is Plastic Neutral Certified via a partnership with rePurpose Global.
Gruums’ Package-Free Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
Gruum’s shampoo bars cater to every hair care need. You can shop by product or hair type, and each bar is available on a subscription basis as well as a one-time purchase.
With just five ingredients and coconut oil as the main player, their best-selling Nourishing shampoo bar is suitable for all hair types, sensitive scalps included.
For oily and fine hair, their Volumising bar contains sea salt that “plumps and expands hair strands”, giving it that extra boost.
They also have a professional range, Pro Hair Care, that addresses various hair and scalp concerns.
Gruums’ Sustainability
Certifications | Plastic Neutral
Carbon | Gruum works with Ecologi to offset its emissions by helping to fund tree planting, reforestation, and renewable energy projects. They’ve designed the shape of their plastic bottles to take up less space when shipping, reducing CO2 emissions.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | Many of Gruum’s products are handmade in the UK.
Thoughtful Packaging | The shampoo bars are in their zero plastic range and come in recyclable cardboard boxes.
7. Bee You Organics
Price Range | $12–$49 | Shop Bee You Organics
Values | Cruelty-free and palm oil free
Ingredients | Bee You Organics uses natural, non-GMO, ethically sourced, and mostly organic ingredients that are free from palm-oil, alcohol, and gluten. The shampoo bars are vegan but some of their products contain ethical beeswax.
What We Love | Bee You Organics’ founder, Larissa is passionate about creating healing products that are gentle for your skin and the planet.
Bee You Organics’ Plastic-Free Shampoo & Conditioner
BYO’s Organic Coconut Shampoo Bar contains just six simple, natural ingredients: coconut oil, coconut milk, olive oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, and jojoba oil, all certified organic.
The creamy bar is one of the best zero waste shampoo bars on our list for dry hair, but it will help make any hair soft with its nourishing ingredients.
They also offer an Organic Hair Oil that functions as a zero waste leave-in conditioner. Like the shampoo bar, it’s 100% organic and comes housed in an amber bottle (with a plastic spray or dropper, depending on the size ordered).
Bee You Organics’ Sustainability
Certifications | USDA Organic
Sourcing & Supply Chain | All products are handmade and Bee You is committed to ethical ingredient sourcing.
Thoughtful Packaging | You’ll find reusable and recyclable plastic-free packaging across the Bee You Range and shipping is 100% plastic-free.
Pay It Forward | Bee You Organics gives back to local and global charities.
8. Friendly Soap
Price Range | £3–£27 | Shop Friendly Soap
Values | Vegan and cruelty-free
Ingredients | Friendly Soap uses natural ingredients that are palm oil free, cruelty-free, and vegan. You won’t find any parabens, phthalates, sulfates, or synthetic fragrances.
What We Love | We’ve made friends with Friendly Soap. Their handmade non-plastic shampoo and conditioner bars tick all of our sustainability boxes.
Friendly Soap’s Zero Waste Shampoo UK
Made with nourishing coconut, olive, castor, and argan oils and scented using essential oils, Friendly Soap’s shampoo bars make the transition to zero waste hair care an easy one.
With gorgeous scents like Lavender & Geranium and Peppermint & Eucalyptus there’s a bar for everyone.
Add a matching sustainable conditioner bar and you’re ready to hit the shower zero waste style.
Friendly Soap’s Sustainability
Certifications | Leaping Bunny (Cruelty Free International), Vegan Society, Fair Tax, and Living Wage Foundation. Friendly Soap has applied for B Corp certification.
Carbon | Handmade, cold-processed soap is less energy-intensive than mass-produced bars and creates no by-products. In partnership with Good Shipping, they’re helping decarbonize shipping.
Thoughtful Packaging | Each sustainable shampoo bar comes packaged in a recycled and recyclable cardboard box.
Pay It Forward | Friendly Soap supports the international charity Just A Drop and employees take part in occasional paid volunteer days with a local tree-planting project.
9. Little Red River Soap Company
Price Range | $2–$12 | Shop Little Red River Soap
Values | Cruelty-free
Ingredients | You’ll find all kinds of high-quality plant-based ingredients, including Camu Camu fruit, Kokum butter, nettle, and rhassoul clay (to name just a few). They use cream and yogurt in some products, and they also use Tussah Silk, a type of wild silk that doesn’t involve killing the silkworms.
What We Love | This plastic-free shampoo company’s number one goal is “to help people get healthy”. They fill their shampoo bars with carefully chosen ingredients and you can read about the unique benefits of each one in the product descriptions.
Little Red River Soap Company’s Zero Waste Shampoo Bars
Fans of botanical beauty will love Little Red River’s range of no-waste shampoo and conditioner. They have over 30 bars to choose from.
A customer favorite, the Cleanse & Grow shampoo bars are packed with power-house ingredients, including bhringraj oil, amla oi, nettle, and matcha.
Note that this is a soap-based shampoo (made with sodium hydroxide). For a syndet (soap-free) bar, they offer Grow It!, packed with equally nourishing ingredients.
Both are also available as a conditioner bar.
Little Red River Soap Company’s Sustainability
Certifications | Organic and Fair Trade. (We’ll be checking on the awarding bodies).
Carbon | Small-batch production helps to keep carbon footprints low.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | Products are handmade with love in Arkansas.
Thoughtful Packaging | Each shampoo and conditioner bar comes wrapped in compostable, recyclable glassine paper, and biodegradable labels.
10. Battle Green Box
Price Range | £6–£9 | Shop Battle Green Box
Values | Organic, cruelty-free, and vegan
Ingredients | Battle Green Box uses natural, organic ingredients for its plastic-free shampoo. You won’t find any SLS or palm oil.
What We Love | For sustainable shampoo UK customers will love, Battle Green has the goods. With plastic-free packaging, carbon offsetting, and giving back, they’re one of the best zero waste shampoo brands for the environment, too.
Battle Green Box’s Sustainable Dry Shampoo & Bars
Battle Green offers two types of zero waste shampoo: dry shampoo and zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars.
The dry shampoo is made from natural, mostly organic certified ingredients and scented with essential oils. Available in three gorgeous scents: Orange & Neroli, Mint & Tea Tree, and Cocoa & Vanilla, it comes packaged in a refillable cardboard shaker. Refill pouches (we need to check what these are made from) are also available.
They come with a reusable travel tin and a choice of Citrus, Lavender, or Tea Tree. Made with coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and olive oil, these moisture-rich bars will help make your hair silky, the sustainable way.
Battle Green Box’s Sustainability
Certifications | Organic (we need to check on the awarding body), Cruelty-Free and Vegan (PETA).
Carbon | Battle Green plants a tree for each Zero Waste starter kit they sell. Shipping emissions are offset via a partnership with Ecologi.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | All beauty products are handmade in Snowdonia, North Wales.
Thoughtful Packaging | Shampoo bars are wrapped in a compostable wrapper and come with a reusable tin. The dry shampoo is packaged in cardboard shakers. Shipping is 100% plastic-free.
Pay It Forward | They’re members of the Surfers Against Sewage 250 Club and support the non-profit with regular donations.
11. Meow Meow Tweet
Price Range | $12–$24 | Shop Meow Meow Tweet
Values | Organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and palm oil free
Ingredients | You’ll find organic, non-GMO, palm oil free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan ingredients across the Meow Meow Tweet range. They source Fair Trade-certified ingredients when possible.
What We Love | MMT ticks all our sustainable shampoo boxes with its vegan, non-toxic, plastic-free products and responsible ingredient sourcing. Their quirky plastic-free packaging is the icing on the cake.
Meow Meow Tweet’s Sustainable Dry Shampoo & Bars
This vegan brand offers shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and dry shampoo.
For shampoo bars, choose between Lavender Coconut Milk and Rosemary Avocado. Both contain mostly organic ingredients and the coconut oil is Fair Trade certified.
Tried shampoo bars and not a fan?
Meow Meow Tweet’s Shampoo Powder and Conditioner Powder might be for you. Simply add water to a small amount of the powdered concentrate and you’re ready to lather up.
The concentrated shampoo powder also functions as a zero waste clarifying shampoo, particularly useful in hard water areas. Both the shampoo and conditioner come in a Rose Geranium scent.
Meow Meow Tweet’s Sustainability
Certifications | USDA Organic, Climate Neutral Certified, Plastic Negative Certified, Certified B Corp, Leaping Bunny cruelty-free.
Carbon | Meow Meow Tweet joins the list of Climate Neutral certified brands.
Sourcing & Supply Chain | They are committed to responsible ingredient sourcing and support Fair Trade, women-owned suppliers, and regenerative farming.
Thoughtful Packaging | Each shampoo and conditioner bar comes in a recyclable and compostable cardboard box. The water-activated powers come in a metal bottle with a metal cap.
Pay It Forward | This big-hearted brand gives back to several different charities.
Our Considerations For Choosing These Zero Waste Shampoo And Conditioner Brands
So, how did we choose these sustainable shampoo brands?
Here are the criteria we used.
Certifications:
B Corporation (B Corp), Carbon Neutral, Ecocert COSMOS Approved, Fair Trade Certified, Orangutan Alliance, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Cruelty Free International (Leaping Bunny or Choose Cruelty Free), USDA Organic, Vegan Society, rePurpose Global, Fair Tax, Living Wage Foundation.
Ingredients:
What’s inside the plastic-free packaging is just as important as the packaging itself. We looked for natural, non-toxic, plant-based ingredients that have been responsibly sourced.
Values:
We looked for purpose-driven brands that put people and the environment first. Cruelty-free is non-negotiable and many of the brands, while not always fully vegan, offer vegan-friendly options.
Packaging:
How can we reduce plastic waste in shampoo?
Bar none (pun intended), the best sustainable packaging for shampoo is none at all! Naked bars are the perfect zero-waste packaging solution. If they come in boxes, these should be recycled and recyclable and printed with sustainable ink.
For dry shampoo or powdered concentrates, recycled cardboard or recyclable metal containers fit the zero waste bill.
Ethical Sourcing:
Being able to fully trace ingredients is crucial. Fair Trade certification, where possible, is ideal, especially for ingredients like cocoa butter and coconut oil.
Carbon:
Many brands on this list hand-make their products in small batches, minimizing waste and carbon footprints.
Other ways to reduce carbon include using renewable energy and practicing carbon offsetting.
Paying It Forward:
Healthy hair feels great, and so does knowing that a brand gives back to worthy causes.
Closing Thoughts On Zero Waste Shampoo
What’s the best plastic-free shampoo?
Hands-down (or rather hair down), shampoo bars are the best alternative to plastic shampoo bottles.
And with an increasing number of brands embracing the sustainable trend, there’s a bar out there for everyone.
Unless you’re going “no poo”, supporting one of the brands on this list is a great way to care for your hair and the planet.
Help spread the word about sustainably shiny hair and share this list of plastic-free shampoo brands with friends and family.
