It’s no secret that the beauty industry generates a ton of waste. According to Euromonitor International, in 2018, the U.S. created almost 7.9 billion units of rigid waste just for beauty and personal care products alone. As if that’s not bad enough, most of this plastic waste from our favorite products is not recyclable and can take hundreds of years to decompose at landfill sites.
To help cut down on plastic usage in the hair industry, many brands are choosing to offer shampoo bars as an eco-friendly alternative. Shampoo bars are not only planet-friendly with their “naked” packaging but they’re also really great for your hair thanks to their natural ingredients.
To make your switch to a greener hair routine a little bit easier, we’ve rounded up the best shampoo bars to meet all your hair concerns and needs.
Blonde Hair
Try: Basin Hey Blondie Shampoo Bar
Breathe new life into blonde locks with Basin’s Hey Blondie Shampoo Bar. Made with ingredients like lemon, coconut, and marigold, this bar is specifically formulated to keep blonde hues looking bright and beautiful. Priced at $8.99, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Catherine says, “Love these bars. So easy to use and great shampoo. Rinses clean and leaves bouncy, shiny hair. Clean citrus scent. My blond hair loves this and the matching conditioning bar.”
Damaged Hair
Try: Ethique Mintasy Solid Shampoo Bar
For hair in need of some much-needed TLC, Ethique’s Mintasy (previously known as Damage Control) Solid Shampoo Bar will be your saving grace. This fan-favorite bar contains coconut oil and cocoa butter to nourish damaged strands, as well as peppermint oil to cleanse and smooth locks. As if that’s not enticing enough, one bar of this shampoo is equivalent to three bottles of liquid shampoo! Priced at $15, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Lucy says, “My favorite shampoo — only have to wash every four days and hair stays soft and healthy. Smells great and lasts!”
Dry Hair
Try: Bar None Hydrating Shampoo Bar
Pack moisture into parched hair with Bar None’s Hydrating Shampoo Bar. This creamy bar is made with three types of butter — coconut, shea, and cocoa butter — to clean and nourish hair. Priced at $12, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Sarah says, “This shampoo is incredible. I’ve always had really unruly hair and this shampoo makes my hair so soft and silky. I’ll never go back to another brand.”
Color-Treated Hair
Try: Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter and Rose Shampoo Bar
Your hair will smell like a garden full of fresh roses thanks to this adorable shampoo bar from Love Beauty and Planet. Designed to give color-treated strands a boost of moisture and shine, this shampoo bar is made with Amazonian murumuru butter, coconut oil, mimosa, and ethically sourced Bulgarian rose petal. Priced at $4.99, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Michelle says, “Love this product! It smells great and lathers great. I like how it’s good for color-treated hair. So easy to use and very affordable.”
Curly Hair
Try: SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Rhassoul Clay Shampoo Bar
Those with thick, curly hair will be big fans of this mineral-rich bar from SheaMoisture. This shampoo bar is made with a super nourishing coconut and hibiscus blend to hydrate your strands as well as rhassoul clay absorb excess oils and remove any impurities. Priced at $9.99, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Alex says, “I have used many, many shampoo bars and this is one that is amazing and instantly one of my favorites!! It is moisturizing and feels luxurious without weighing down and smells just as good as the liquid shampoo.”
Fine Hair
Try: Lush Seanik Shampoo Bar
Tired of hair looking flat and lifeless? Lift roots and thicken strands with Lush’s Seanik Shampoo Bar. Infused with seaweed for softness, sea-salt for body, and lemon oil for shine, this volumizing bar will not only refresh locks but have them smelling like they’re just back from a tropical beach vacay. Priced $11.95, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Kristy says, “I’ve used several shampoo bars before, but this is the best so far. I have fine, limp hair and this bar cleans beautifully and has just enough conditioning to make my hair soft, but not weight it down.”
Frizzy Hair
Try: Unwrapped Life Balancer Shampoo Bar
Say bye-bye to frizz for good with Unwrapped Life’s Balancer Shampoo Bar. Made with turmeric, calendula, calming neroli, and a hint of sweet orange essential oil, this bar will also help tame and balance out fly-aways and breakage. Priced at $14, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Jamie says, “I love everything about this shampoo. The scent is light, but so soothing. It lathers beautifully and leaves my hair feeling clean, but not stripped. I’ll never go back to the bottle again!”
Natural Hair
Try: OBIA Naturals Coconut Shea Shampoo Bar
Coconut oil and shea butter are the hero ingredients in this shampoo bar from OBIA Naturals that’s designed to leave hair feeling soft, conditioned, and hydrated. Not to mention, this shampoo bar is sulfate-free and perfect for cleansing your hair without stripping it of its natural oils. Priced at $9.99, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Evelyn says, “I love the whole line of products. They do an awesome job on my thick coarse, curly hair. It gives my curls definition and lots of shine.”
Oily Hair
Try: Beeckman 1802 Activated Charcoal Shampoo Bar
For those who don’t know, activated charcoal is not just great for purifying our skin but it can also be used as a clarifying treatment for our greasy strands. This hand-cut shampoo bar from Beeckman 1802 used charcoal to not only absorb oil but strengthen your hair follicles. Priced at $12, you can shop it here.
Promising review: Dorothy says, “I have been using the Activated Charcoal Shampoo Bar since it came out. It leaves my hair super clean and healthy.”
Are you a fan of shampoo bars? Let us know in the comments below!
