When I started down the path of achieving a zero waste home in February of 2017, I avoided going zero waste in my bathroom for as long as possible. The bathroom space was very intimidating for me, partly because I loved the products I was using and didn’t want to switch, and partly because I had so many products, that I knew I would have to make a lot of changes.
One thing that was pleasantly surprising was the ease in which I could find zero waste swaps for shampoos and conditioners. Below I give you a few different brands and ideas of how to have zero waste hair products, along with my thoughts on each. I hope this helps you in this journey!
Plaine Products
I love the brand Plaine Products. Plaine Products is a women-owned sister duo who wanted to reduce the amount of plastic in the world. Plaine Products has a unique subscription refill system where they mail you refills of your products in returnable containers. I love their mission, and I really like their shampoo. I find their conditioner to be a little dry. I know shipping has a large economic and environmental cost, so while I don’t love the fact that bottles are being shipped all over the USA, I think the avoidance of creating any waste and using all natural and organic ingredients is worth it.
Lush
Lush is an amazing cruelty-free beauty company with stores all over the USA. Lush offers shampoo and conditioner bars, which come totally unpackaged. I can literally put the bars in my own cloth bag or jar and leave their store. The shampoo is great, the conditioner is a little dry for me (I guess this is a theme, maybe it’s me?!). What I don’t like is that Lush uses Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in their shampoo, a detergent that is possibly carcinogenic (International Agency for Research on Cancer).
Fill Your Own
If you have a Co-Op near you, it might have some bulk options available. My local Co-Op, Lakewinds Food Co-Op, sells bulk shampoo and conditioner. This is by far my favorite way to purchase shampoo and conditioner as I can pick up these essential items when I do my regular grocery shopping. The only think I don’t like is that Lakewinds has only one choice for a shampoo and conditioner.
Seed Phytonutrients
Seed Phytonutrients makes natural-origin hair, face, and body care products in the first ever shower-friendly post-consumer recycled paper bottle. Their bottles include a packet of seeds (how cool!) and include a wide range of products, including a shampoo and conditioner in their signature paper and plastic bottle. I haven’t had a chance to test out these products, but I am very much looking forward to trying them. I think they will be a good option for those people looking to purchase products online.