Zero Waste Shampoo For Good Hair Care

Most people use shampoo without thinking about where it came from. We don’t think much about the ingredients or the packaging that’s harming our planet.

Getting a shampoo that’s zero waste is a more sustainable and eco-friendly way to wash our hair. Here are some things to know about traditional shampoo.

How traditional shampoo harms the environment

Shampoos impact the environment because of the harmful chemicals that go down the drain and in our water supply. They get into places such as our drinking water and waste water.

The good news is the drinking water gets treated. The bad news is our oceans, lakes, and rivers don’t get treated, and the contaminants from the personal care product harms our aquatic life.

There’s also the issue of plastic shampoo bottles getting into the ocean. Marine species may ingest plastics or get entangled in them. The sea creatures being filled with plastic debris cause them to die of starvation.

Then of course in the US alone, around 552 million shampoo bottles end up in our landfill. Needless to say, traditional shampoo is a huge problem for our environment.

What are good shampoo alternatives for zero waste?

There are a variety of shampoo alternatives you can use to be zero waste. Here are five common ones you can consider.

Bar shampoo
Rye Flour
Kaffir Lime Puree
Baking soda
Apple Cider Vinegar

Some of these you may be familiar with. But in case you’re not familiar with one or two of them, let’s break each of them down.

Bar shampoo

Shampoo bars can be bought at a store, or you can even make them. A shampoo bar is essentially a concentrated amount of shampoo put together into a bar. Some can last longer than two or three bottles.

Rye flour

Rye flour is an ingredient you can use to make your own shampoo. You add a couple tablespoons of fine grounded light rye flour into water and mix it until it becomes a paste. Once it’s a paste, you’re ready to use it.

It’s a simple shampoo recipe. This type of shampoo is considered a no poo method of washing your hair. It’s a theory that argues washing your hair with shampoo alternatives will cause less hair damage.

Kaffir Lime Puree

Kaffir Lime Puree is another ingredient that can be mixed into water and used to wash your hair. If you’re not interested in making the shampoo, there are stores that sell it too. Check out this organic kaffir lime shampoo.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar based shampoo is believed to be good for healing damaged hair. You can make your apple cider vinegar treatment by mixing it with water.

You might also like trying an apple cider vinegar shampoo bar. Of course be sure to keep anything with apple cider vinegar out of your eyes.

Baking soda

It has been suggested that mixing baking soda with water to create shampoo is one of many zero-waste ways to use baking soda. But be aware that baking soda can potentially harm hair.

In fact, Healthline goes so far as to state that there’s no evidence baking soda can soften hair or restore shine. It’s important to research before you decide to use any specific ingredient in your hair.

If you have really dry hair, it’s best to avoid using baking soda on your hair. Researchers also say it should be avoided if you chemically treat your hair, heat to style your hair, or have sensitive skin. Medical News Today suggests other natural shampoos for treating dry hair such as:

coconut oil
aloe vera
jojoba oil

Plastic free Shampoo bars

Ecoroots Shampoo Bars

Ecoroots offers shampoo bars in a variety of unique ingredients. Among the different scents they offer include:

Citrus Fresh
Cocolime Colada
Forest Mist
Honeydew
Moroccan Oil

These bars are handmade in the U.S. and are palm-oil free. Ecoroots shampoo bars are also vegan and package free.

The company says the bars can last at least 50 washes. Most reviewers were very satisifed with the smell of the products.

Unwrapped Life Detoxifer Shampoo Bar

Zero waste shampoo bar detoxifier unwrappedlife — unwrappedlife.com

The Unwrapped Life detoxifer shampoo bar is good for removing build-up in your hair. It’s made with activated charcoal and aloe vera. The aloe vera is said to help improve the elasticity of your hair.

The product is vegan and cruelty-free, and also extension and color-safe. The company says you can get around 50 to 75 washes out of it.

byHumankind gender neutral shampoo bar

Byhumankind zero waste shampoo — byhumankind.com

The company, byHumankind, makes shampoo bars that are gender-neutral. These use scents such as lemongrass and peppermint.

The product is recommended for all different hair types. It’s even safe for color-treated hair. The shampoo bar is sulfate-free, gluten-free, silicone-free, and vegan.

Meow Meow Tweet Rosemary Avocado Shampoo Bar

One reviewer praised the Meow Meow Tweet Shampoo Bar for giving their oily scalp a light and dry feel. The company’s bar is certified organic and fair trade. You can even use the bar on your body if you desire, but be sure to avoid it in your eyes.

The rosemary avocado shampoo bar features avocado oil and aloe vera which softens the hair. Rosemary helps to make your hair shiny.

Bask & Bloom shampoo bar

Bask and bloom zero waste curly hair shampoo — baskandbloomessentials.com

If you’re looking for shampoo that’s zero waste and good for curly hair, Bask & Bloom shampoo bar is for you. It’s also good for locs as well.

The Rhassoul and Bentonite Clay bar features organic ingreidents made cruelty free. It also has no harsh ingredients, synthetic colors, or drying alcohols.

Shampoo for oily hair that’s zero waste

Beauty Kubes

Beauty Kubes is so confident of their product being shampoo for oily hair, they put it on the box under the company name. It’s a vegan friendly shampoo and free palm oil.

The process of using the product is pretty interesting. Here’s a video below that shows you how to use it.