Is Solid Shampoo and Conditioner Sustainable or is it Greenwashing?
This article was last updated May 2024.
Welcome to the series where I see if brands and products are actually what they say they are.
Are shampoo & conditioner bars sustainable or is it greenwashing? 👀
Welcome to “sustainable or greenwashing month” where everyday leading up to Earth Month I’m sharing if brands and products are actually what they say they are.
Shampoo and conditioner bars are essentially just that - shampoo and/or conditioner in bar form.
The argument in favor of bars is essentially that liquid shampoo and conditioner is 80% water, so by removing the water you have a product that’s undiluted, lasts longer, and can be completely plastic free. Plus the smaller packaging means it costs less to ship which means less carbon emissions.
Other positives are that bars are travel friendly since they are TSA friendly & often use cleaner ingredients. With this information, shampoo and conditioner bars are definitely sustainable. 🌱
Now we get into the nuance of shampoo and conditioner bars once we start to look into certain brands. For example you’ll want to look for a brand with third party certifications & ingredients that can biodegrade.
Personally, I’ve used a lot of different shampoo bars in the past, but my favorites have been:
🧼 Dip (which I have a code for KRYS15), but just know this is NOT sponsored I just genuinely love these and they will always be my number 1 recommendation!
🧼 Earthling Co - I used the wild vanilla bars, they had a great lather, made in the USA & they’re climate neutral
🧼 Super Zero - you can find these in Sephora, they’re vegan & plastic free
🧼Ethique - can be hit or miss depending on your hair type, but I love how they offer sample sizes for you to try, they’re affordable, vegan, leaping bunny cruelty free, & the brand values are truly amazing
So is solid shampoo and conditioner sustainable or is it greenwashing?
So generally speaking, shampoo and conditioner bars are definitely sustainable & I totally recommend trying them out next time you’re shopping for haircare - but what do you think?
XOXO,
Krys Gier
Sources:
https://superzero.com/pages/mission
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/shampoo-bar-sustainable-toiletries-plastic-free
https://ethique.com/collections/shampoo
