In this article, we will explain why we need to take a closer look and be more careful with the shampoos we buy. We have also selected for you our TOP 8 eco-friendly shampoo brands.
Is shampoo bad for the environment?
The packaging
Most shampoo and conditioner bottles on the market are made of plastic. In average, one bottle lasts for 25 to 35 washes, which means we throw away around one plastic bottle per month. Most of them are never recycled.
The transportation footprint
Liquid shampoo is made of up to 80% water and liquid conditioner is made of up to 95% water. This means that you are essentially paying for a lot of diluted product in a plastic bottle.
This amount of water makes the bottles very heavy, which also adds to the transportation footprint.
The ingredients
Many shampoos contain harsh chemicals that can pollute waterways and harm wildlife.
One of the biggest environmental concerns about shampoo is the use of sulfates. Sulfates are detergents that give shampoo its lathering ability, but they can also be harmful to the environment. Sulfates can strip away natural oils from hair and skin, and they can also pollute waterways and harm aquatic life.
Another concern is the use of parabens in shampoo. Parabens are preservatives that help to extend the shelf life of products, but they have been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer and reproductive disorders. Parabens can also pollute waterways and harm aquatic life.
When you wash your hair with shampoo, the chemicals in the shampoo end up going down the drain and into the water supply. These chemicals can pollute rivers, lakes, and oceans, and they can harm aquatic life.
What can we do?
If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of shampoo, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your impact:
- Choose shampoos that are free of sulfates, parabens, and other harsh chemicals.
- Buy shampoos in concentrated form, so you can use less product and reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce.
- Look for shampoos that come in recyclable or compostable packaging.
- Consider using a shampoo bar instead of liquid shampoo. Shampoo bars are typically made with fewer harsh chemicals, and they come in packaging that is less wasteful.
- Wash your hair less often. This will help to reduce the amount of shampoo you use and the amount of wastewater that goes down the drain.
If you want to read our comparison between liquid shampoo and shampoo bards, read our article here.
Where can I find eco-friendly shampoo brands?
If you are looking for a large choice of sustainable beauty and self-care brands, including shampoos, conditioners, face & body, solid beauty bars, visit The Ethical Choice, our eco-brand directory where we have compiled all the sustainable brands we trust, and that you can filter by keywords, price, rating, location, etc.
In the meantime, find our selection of the TOP 8 eco-friendly shampoo brands:
Ethique is a sustainable shampoo brand that is committed to reducing plastic waste. They offer solid shampoo bars, which are packaged in compostable cardboard boxes. Ethique also uses natural and organic ingredients in their products.
Their solid shampoo bars eliminate the need for plastic bottles, and their packaging is compostable. Ethique also uses natural and organic ingredients, which are better for the environment and for your hair.
They are a certified B Corporation, which means that they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Ethique is based in Auckland, New Zealand. They sell a variety of solid shampoo bars for different hair types, as well as solid conditioner bars, body wash bars, and face wash bars. They also sell accessories, such as soap dishes and travel cases.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Home compostable packaging
🟢 Plastic-free solid shampoo bars
🔴 Nothing
The Zero Waste Store (ZWS) is an online and brick-and-mortar store that sells a variety of sustainable products, including shampoo bars. ZWS is committed to reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable living.
ZWS offers a variety of zero-waste shampoos, including bars, powders, and liquids. Their shampoos are made with natural and organic ingredients, and they are packaged in recyclable or compostable materials.
ZWS’s shampoo bars are made with a variety of natural and organic ingredients, such as coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. They are also free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones.
ZWS shampoo bars come in a variety of scents and formulas to suit different hair types. For example, they offer a shampoo bar for dry hair, a shampoo bar for oily hair, and a shampoo bar for color-treated hair.
ZWS shampoo bars are packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes.
ZWS is based in Port St. Lucie, Florida. They ship their products all over the world. In addition to self-care products, they also sell reusable and eco-friendly products, such as water bottles, coffee mugs, and shopping bags.
ZWS is a member of the 1% for the Planet movement, which donates 1% of sales to environmental causes.
What we liked / disliked
🟢 Solid shampoo bars
🟢 Natural ingredients, free of sulfates, parabens, and silicones.
🟢 Large choice of shampoo bars for all types of hair, colours and treatments
🔴 Nothing
Eco Roots also uses natural and organic ingredients, which are better for the environment and for your hair.
Their shampoo bars plastic-free shampoo bar will last around 50+ washes. They are silicone free, phthalate-free & paraben free, for all hair types & color-safe and vegan & cruelty-free.
Eco Roots is based in Colorado, USA. They sell a variety of zero-waste shampoo bars and conditioner bars for different hair types, as well as other personal care products, such as body wash bars, face wash bars, and toothpastes. They also sell accessories, such as soap dishes and travel cases.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Solid shampoo bars
🟢 Silicone free, phthalate-free & paraben free, for all hair types & color-safe and vegan & cruelty-free.
🔴 Nothing
Native is a sustainable personal care brand. Their shampoos are made with plant-based ingredients and are packaged in recyclable bottles.
Native also offers a variety of other personal care products, such as deodorants, body washes, and toothpastes.
They use plant-based ingredients in their products. They are a certified B Corporation, which means that they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Native is based in San Francisco, California. They sell a variety of personal care products for men and women, including shampoos, deodorants, body washes, and toothpastes. They also sell accessories, such as shower caddies and travel cases.
What we liked / disliked
🟢 Transparent about ingredients
🟢 Vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, free of sulfated surfactants
🔴 Most of their shampoos come in a plastic bottle
Everist is a hair and body care brand.
From their ingredients (plant-based) to their packaging (recycled and recyclable) to their supply chain (local and certified Climate Neutral) Everist sets out to build a business that would have minimal negative impact to our planet.
At 1/3 the size of a traditional bottle of shampoo, Everist products require less packaging and less carbon to ship.
Their tubes are made from 100% recycled aluminum (95% post-consumer recycled aluminum, 5% post-industrial recycled aluminum). These tubes require 70% less carbon to produce than virgin aluminum tubes.
They have a capback program where they cover postage returns of the small plastic caps to reuse them.
Everist is based in Toronto, canada. Everist is a member of the 1% for the Planet movement, which donates 1% of sales to environmental causes.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Natural ingredients
🟢 They are very transparent about their sustainability efforts and commitments.
🟢 Their shampoos are concentrated, and come in a small containers which reduces water and transportation footprint.
🔴 Although they do make an effort on packaging with their recycled and recyclable solution, we still prefer zero-waste options like sold bars.
ByHumankind is a sustainable personal care brand that sells a variety of products, including shampoo bars, conditioner bars, body wash bars, and hand soap bars. The brand is committed to reducing plastic waste and using natural ingredients.
ByHumankind shampoo bars are made with a variety of natural and organic ingredients. They are all vegan, sulfate-free, and always ethically-made.
Their shampoo bars are cold-processed. This soap making process helps retain more glycerin, which helps moderates pH (good for sensitive skin).
Each bar is shipped in a recycled paper box with soy-based ink. This can be recycled with your other paper materials.
ByHumankind is based in New York. In addition to shampoos, ByHumankind also sells a variety of other sustainable personal care products, as well as reusable products such as aluminum bottles and soap dishes.
ByHumankind has a very transparent information section in the FAQ page on their website, where they detail their ingredients, their commitment to sustainability, and much more.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Their FAQ section is very transparent about the brand, sustainability, ingredients, sustainability efforts, etc.
🟢 Their ingredient glossary
🔴 They sell shampoo bars, but also shampoo in aluminum bottles. Although these are recyclable, we still prefer the solid bar option!
Plaine is a personal care brand that sells a variety of products, including shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and lotions. The brand is committed to using natural ingredients and refillable packaging.
Plaine shampoos are made with a variety of natural and organic ingredients, free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicone, and palm oil.
Plaine shampoos are packaged in refillabl aluminum bottles. Customers can return their empty bottles to Plaine for a discount on their next purchase.
Plaine is based in Vermont, USA. In addition to shampoos, Plaine also sells a variety of other sustainable personal care products, as well as reusable products such as aluminum bottles and soap dishes.
- Plaine is a certified B Corporation, which means that they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
- Plaine is a member of the 1% for the Planet movement, which donates 1% of sales to environmental causes.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Refillable and reusable packaging
🟢 Transparent about ingredients
🔴 Nothing
Meow Meow Tweet is a shampoo brand that uses natural, organic ingredients in their formulations, ensuring a gentle yet effective solution for hair care
What sets them apart is their emphasis on low-waste packaging, utilizing biodegradable materials for a reduced environmental footprint as well as refillable containers.
They sell zero-waste shampoo bars as well as shampoo powder (concentrate).
Meow Meow Tweet is certified B Corporation, certified Climate neutral and Leap Bunny.
Meow Meow Tweet is based in California, and they make their products in small batches, by hand, in their California microfactory.
What we liked / disliked
🟢Solid shampoo bars and shampoo powder concentrate.
🟢 Transparent about ingredients
🟢 Made in small batches in California
🔴 Nothing
