Are you curious about plastic free hair care products? Or are you looking to add new products into your routine? If so, I’ve got some great recommendations for you. I have long thick hair that’s quite dry and it’s been a challenge finding the right products that provide the right amount of hydration. I’ve tried countless shampoo and conditioning bars over the last 3 years, and I’m happy to announce that I’ve found a combination that works best for my hair.
The idea of plastic free hair care products have been around for years, but it’s still a work in progress for many companies. This means that there isn’t a wide enough range of shampoo and conditioning bars that cater to all hair types. In fact, there are some companies that offer only 2 options for zero-waste hair products.
Lush Cosmetics has been my best find in Canada to offer more than 5 different kinds of shampoo bars for scalp health, oily hair, curly and textured hair, and more. Although certain ingredients aren’t perfect, such as SLS, it is my best alternative for zero-waste hair care at the moment.
What is plastic free/zero waste hair care?
Zero waste hair care consists of solid products that don’t come in plastic packaging. There is no plastic bottle, plastic wrap, plastic stickers, or plastic pumps. Many zero waste products come wrapped in paper or biodegradable plastics. If you’re buying these products in stores, you can often opt out of additional wrapping and buy the product as is.
How do you use them?
Plastic free hair care products are simple to use. For shampoo bars, simply wet the bar, lather in between your hands, and then work the product into your hair. I recommend this technique vs. using the bar directly on your scalp, as too much lather can often leave your hair feeling dry and weighed down. This method also prevents the bar from snapping and breaking into pieces.
For conditioning bars, I recommend running them under warm water for a few seconds to soften. Once it becomes slippery, start working the bar on the ends of your hair. Depending on the ingredients used, it may melt quickly into your hair or it could take a while to soften. I find that conditioning bars take a bit more time in the shower, but I’m excited to share one that’s been a breeze to use. (Stay tuned for that below!)
How do you store shampoo and conditioning bars?
Most shampoo and conditioning bars are self-preserving. However, it’s important to store them properly so they last longer. Once you’re done using your shampoo and conditioning bar, place them on a paper towel or soap dish to air dry. Afterwards store them in a cool and dry place. This guarantees longevity of your bars as you don’t want them to melt in the shower or in humid areas.
My 4 Plastic Free Hair Care Finds
1) Coconut Rice Cake Shampoo Bar
The Coconut Rice Cake shampoo bar is packed with hydrating ingredients for dry, colored, and heat treated hair. It contains bits of white rice which helps to gently exfoliate the scalp. It’ll leave your hair smelling great. However, it’s important to note that this bar does not lather as easily as the other bars from Lush.
2) The Golden Cap Conditioning Bar
The Golden Cap conditioning bar is made with real beer which enhances volume and shine. The malt and yeast helps to strengthen each strand. This conditioning bar is so easy to use. It softens quickly under warm water and effortlessly it melts into your hair. However, because of this the product doesn’t last as long as the other conditioning bars.
3) Honey I Washed My Hair Shampoo Bar
Honey I Washed My Hair is Lush’s best selling shampoo bar. It produces a very generous lather and has a comforting scent of honey and toffee. Try not to over lather with this shampoo bar, as too much product can leave your hair feeling dry and weighed down.
4) American Cream Conditioning Bar
American Cream has a delicious scent of vanilla, lavender, and myrrh. The smell reminds me of a milkshake! Each bar can last anywhere from 3-4 months. This particular bar is wonderful, however it requires more effort to get the product off the bar. The American Cream doesn’t soften as easily as The Golden Cap, which means you’ll have to spend a bit more time running it under warm water and working the product in between your hands.
I hope this post inspires you to give plastic free/zero-waste hair care products a try! If you’re interested in Lush, I recommend visiting their stores for samples. That way you can give these products a try before committing to the full product. Are you using zero-waste hair care products or are familiar with them? If so, which ones do you love and recommend? I’m always looking for suggestions! For more inspiration on zero-waste products to switch to, visit my post here.
I loveee LUSH – it is a bit expensive, but so worth the money. The coconut bar sounds awesome.
Thanks for sharing:)
Their products can get quite pricey, but I believe their shampoo and conditioning bar prices are similar to those elsewhere. I hope you get a chance to try the coconut bar! Thanks for reading Stefanie!
This is such an informative post. I’ve seen these shampoo bars in Lush but have never tried them. Thanks for sharing your experience with them.
Thank you so much for reading Jodie!
My youngest sister swears by the LUSH haircare bars! She has tried a few different ones, but always goes back to them! I will pass this to her so she might find her next try!
That’s great! I’ve gone through several and these have been wonderful. I hope she loves them! Thanks for reading Simona!
I really appreciated your tips for helping shampoo and conditioning bars last longer. A little effort makes such a big difference!
Absolutely! Zero waste products, especially hair care, can be prone to melting. In order to keep them in the best shape possible, storing them in a cool and dry place is key! Thank you for reading Heidi!
I love Lush and I especially love the “Honey I Washed” products. I’ll have to check out the shampoo bars, although I do prefer 2-in-1s.
2 in 1s would be amazing! Hopefully they’ll create these bars in the future. Thanks for reading Nikki.
these lush products sound amazing! i would love to give it a try
That’s wonderful! I hope you have a great experience with them. Thank you for reading!
i’ve been a bit questionable on whether i would like hair care product bars and this post helped me see i should totally give it a try! i also feel like for travel, these would come in handy!
They’re so convenient for travelling. If you’re bringing a carry on, it saves a ton of room in your liquids baggie! Thank you for reading!
I never knew about these kinds of products, but they sure make sense. I”m careful about the shampoo I use, but, before today, I was never concerned about the packaging. Great post!
Thank you for reading Wendy!
The Honey I Washed My Hair has good reason to be so popular! The smell is simply lovely, and it lathers enough to make it into everything I want out of a shampoo bar. 🙂
It’s a great one for sure! I hope you get a chance to try it. Thank you for reading Jaya!
Fab suggestions! I’ve been looking to be more sustainable this year and I think transitioning to shampoo and conditioner bars is a really great idea! I love the sound of the American Dream one, it sounds like it smells like a dream! Thank you so much for sharing x
It smells so good! I think that’s one of the reasons I keep buying it haha. Thank you for reading Ceri!
I have been wanting to find alternatives to bottled shampoo- as I’m trying to reduce my environmental waste. Thank you so much for sharing xx Penny | http://www.whatdidshetype.com
Thank you for reading Penny!
Great post! I really love my Lush shampoo bar. It’s been great for my hair and is better for the environment, too. Win win.
I agree! I’m so happy to hear you have one that you love. Thank you for reading Amanda!
Cool recommendations. I’ll check out these products if I cost the drug story. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading Fadima!
I love Lush, but the shampoo bar I used left my hair very oily! It smelt so nice, and I love the idea of them, but they don’t seem to work with my sensitive scalp x
I’ve had the same experience with several of their other bars as well. It can take a while to find the right one, but I hope you come across it soon! Thank you for reading Caroline!
I will admit, I’ve never used plastic-free hair care products but I’m really interested to try shampoo and conditioner bars, so I might have to invest in some after reading this post!
That’s great Jenny! I hope you love these products. Thank you for reading!
I think my friend would be interested in this post because she was talking to me about it the other day. Thank you for sharing!
That’s wonderful! I hope she finds some goodies here. Thank you for reading Fransic!
I’ve recently started swimming, so I really need to invest in better hair care 🙂 thank you for sharing these sustainable solutions x
That’s so exciting that you’ve started swimming! The coconut bar and golden cap conditioner would be great for dry hair. Thank you for reading Eleanor!
Love these tips, using less plastic is so important!
100%! Thank you for reading Josiah!
Love plastic-free tips, it is such a great post, will check lots of these out, just what I have been looking for.
Thank you Louise! I hope you find some products here that work for you.
I’ve tried a couple of shampoo / conditioner bars, as I’d love to cut down on waste but unfortunately haven’t found something I’ve quite gotten along with yet. My hair’s really fussy. I love the sound of the coconut shampoo bar though! I really like the addition of rice to exfoliate the scalp!
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
I feel you! It took me years to find the combination that I’m using now. I hope you get a chance to try the coconut shampoo bar, it’s been wonderful. Thank you for reading Claire!