Eco-Friendly Shampoo & Conditioner: 21 Plastic-Free Options

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Looking to make your hair routine more sustainable?

Ditching plastic bottles for shampoo and conditioner bars is a great place to start. But the best eco-friendly option depends on a few things — like your hair type, budget, and where you live.

Below is a curated list of some of the best plastic-free, vegan, and palm-oil-free shampoo and conditioner options. We’ve grouped them by region (US, Canada, UK, Europe), but many ship internationally.

✨ Curly hair? Check out my dedicated guide to the best shampoo & conditioner bars for curly hair & all plastic-free!

🔍 Struggling with hard water? Check out my article that covers 7 natural ways to remove hard water from your hair & avoid damage.

21 Best Eco-Friendly Shampoo Bars:

The US & Canada:

Eco Roots makes handmade, zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars that are free from palm oil, silicone, phthalates, and parabens. Each bar lasts around 50+ washes and has a strong fanbase for its rich lather and fresh scents.

I haven’t tried their bars, but from reading the reviews, I can see that people love that they lather very well, and the smell is fantastic. Eco Roots is 1% For The Planet Member, donating 1% of their sales to sustainable initiatives and organizations like Ocean Conservancy. So far, they’ve donated $10,776.

Ethique is a climate-positive, B Corp brand with a wide range of shampoo and conditioner bars (plus sample sizes). The bars are soap-free, making them great for hard water.

They have sampler packs and provide all their products in sample sizes, so you don’t have to commit to a full bar immediately and find the perfect one for you. Unfortunately, when I wanted to buy it, they didn’t deliver it to Europe (yet). However, I would love to try their products in the future.

Prefer liquid shampoo but want to reduce plastic? Plaine offers refillable aluminum bottles, glass jars, and pumps — all vegan and formulated for hydration, balance, or sensitive skin. They offer a smaller travel-sized bottle (2.5 oz), which is ideal if you want to try a sample first and see if it works for you. As a 1% For the Planet member, we donated over $25,000 in 2020 to Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Lonely Whale.

Lush’s shampoo bars lather and cleans well; there is no residue, and each bar lasts long. They’ve donated millions to grassroots charities and pack online orders with compostable materials. Since 2013, Lush has donated £65 Million to various organizations and charities. They have five main Charity streams, which you can see here.

🧼 Tested & loved: Their bars like “Soak and Float” or “Montalbano” outperform many cheaper options, especially in hard water.

Humankind shampoo bars are suitable for all hair types and are cold-processed. This soap-making process helps retain more glycerin, which helps moderate pH, making the bars ideal for sensitive skin. It is 100% safe for colored or treated hair. They’re long-lasting and come in both solid and liquid form. Additionally, Humankind offset 100% of its carbon footprint (including your order) by investing in forest preservation projects. 

HiBAR offers sets, samples, and various shampoo bars, for all types of hair. They are 100% safe for colored or treated hair, and one single bar can last for over six months & 80 washes! Maintain Bars and Soothe Bars contain a trace amount of honey; the rest are 100% vegan. The shampoo bars are really foamy and don’t leave weird residue behind. 

Viori’s bars are handcrafted with the same Longsheng Rice, natural ingredients, and beauty rituals used by the Red Yao for centuries. The shampoo and conditioner bars are made with ethically sourced vegan ingredients that are natural and completely free of substances or chemicals harmful to you or the planet. One bar will last between 30-60 washes, replacing up to 2 bottles of liquid shampoo.

Super Zero’s shampoo bars are made with plant-based, safe ingredients. One of the Super Zero bars equals two or three 8.4 oz (248 ml) bottled shampoos. Their bars are suitable for color-treated hair, too. They also offer mini versions for testing before you commit. Super Zero is a member of 1% For The Planet. Their shampoo bars are palm oil-free, but they use palm-based ingredients in some of their other products.

The Earthling Co’s shampoo bars are suitable for all hair types. The bars lather very well and gently remove any buildup, leaving your hair nice and smooth. Their shampoo bars come income in multiple scents (plus unscented). Each bar lasts 2–6 months and works well with their conditioner bars for extra softness.The Earthling Co is also a member of 1% For The Planet, and they ship carbon neutral.

My Kitsch has a few shampoo bars and conditioner bars with natural fragrances derived from plants. One of their shampoo bars contains rice water protein which repairs damaged follicles and ends, making hair smooth & soft while preventing split ends and encouraging hair growth. Their bars remove buildup, and excess oil and provide a deep clean without stripping or drying hair. One bar is estimated to last 100 washes. To get 15% OFF your purchase, you can use the code MERILIN15.

The Good Fill has both liquid and solid shampoo bars. You can receive various toiletries for refills, including shampoo and conditioner. The liquid shampoo and conditioner have various options – you can either get a glass bottle, aluminum bottle, or refill (plastic) pouch.

The great thing about The Good Fill is that while they (sometimes) send toiletries in plastic pouches, once you are done with the product, you can return the pouch so that The Good Fill can sanitize and reuse them. The refill pouches are BPA-free and made with 93% less plastic than a plastic bottle.

Jack 59 has 11 unique shampoo bars; each bar provides 80+ washes if appropriately stored, and their conditioner bars – +100 washes. They also offer a Trial Pack; each sample will do 15 to 20 washes. Jack59 sulfate-free shampoo bars are pH balanced between 4.5-5.5, and all of their bars are safe for color-treated hair.

Longwknd shampoo bars are made from clean, vegan ingredients and specially formulated to match various hair types. One bar replaces up to 3 plastic shampoo bottles. If you are unsure which one is the best for you, you can take their free hair quiz to get a personalized recommendation. Longwknd is trying to positively impact the planet by being a member of various environmental organizations such as 1% For The Planet, Save The Waves, Surfrider Foundation, Me To We, etc.

Unwrapped Life has 12 shampoo bars for different types of hair. From frizzy, weak, and oily to normal, curly, and balancing. Their unique blends can help you with almost anything and improve your hair’s overall health. A single bar offers 50 – 75 washes, and all of them are color-safe. Unwrapped Life’s current goal is to prevent over 20 million plastic bottles from ending up in our oceans and waterways by 2025. To date, they’ve prevented over 1.5 million plastic bottles from having ever been manufactured.

The UK & Europe:

Beauty Kubes are plastic-free, vegan-friendly, palm oil-free, sulfate-free, and silicone-free small shampoo cubes. A box contains 27 cubes, and one box equals 27 washes. So if you wash your hair twice a week, a box will last 3 months. Each Kube creates enough lather for mid to long-length hair. Their small cube sizes are perfect for trying if they will work well for your hair and traveling. Beauty Kubes is a member of One Tribe Global, and so far, they’ve protected 26,750 trees. 

Friendly Soap offers shampoo bars and two conditioner bars. Their products are super affordable and work well. The shampoo creates a lot of lather and the pH is 8-9, so a bit higher than most of the other options on the list. Additionally, the bars are not formulated for colored hair. These are also NOT suitable if the water is hard where you live (with a high mineral content, usually calcium and magnesium).

Gruum has a range of shampoo bars suitable for almost any hair type. Their bars are affordable, and one 50g bar will last up to 50 washes. Their products are dermatologically tested and suitable for sensitive, dry, or oily skin. Some of the products they use for their bars may contain palm oil ingredients. Furthermore, their Revitalising (Cocoa) shampoo bars are NOT vegan-friendly.

Funky Soap shampoos are all 100% natural and handmade in small batches. They have many different shampoo bars for different needs and types of hair and plenty of vegan options. In some of their bars, they use Certified Sustainable palm oil. The topic of palm oil is very controversial, so currently, it is best to avoid all palm oil.

Faith In Nature has four shampoo bars and four conditioner bars, affordable, natural, and cruelty-free. They are ideal for most types of hair, especially if you have very dry hair. Faith In Nature partners with Treesisters, so they plant a tree for every order. While they are vegan and cruelty-free, they also mention a trace amount of palm in some of their products.

Zero Waste Path offers a couple of natural shampoo bars, which clean the hair without stripping the natural oils. The bars work well due to the simple, pure ingredients and will make your hair softer and healthier. They offer a 2in1 combination, which works as shampoo and conditioner. Additionally, the pH is ~5.5, so they work well in areas with hard water, too. All their bars are 100% vegan-friendly, natural, handmade, zero waste, and palm-oil-free.

The shells of the soap nut contain Saponin, which is a natural cleaning agent. When the nutshells absorb water, the Saponin is released, creating a soaping effect and ideal for washing hair. Soap nuts add shine to your hair and make it smooth. They are also good for scalp infections since the soapnuts are antimicrobial.

The easiest way to use soap nuts to wash your hair is – to blend 10-15 soap nuts with a bit of vinegar and water. Then, strain and use instead of shampoo. Know that it will not lather, but it will clean the hair. You can get soap nuts here:

• Soap nuts from Earth Hero (the US)
• Plastic-free soap nuts from Greenwill Organic (Amazon, the US)
• Soap nuts from Wearth London (the UK)

Best eco-friendly conditioners (quick list):

1. Eco Roots – For various types of hair. The US & International shipping. 
2. Ethique – For various types of hair. Ships in the US, New Zealand, and Australia.
3. Plaine Products – Aluminum bottle. Ships in the US & Canada.
4. Lush – All hair types. Worldwide.
5. Human Kind – All hair types. A bar or in an aluminum bottle. Ships in the US.
6. HiBAR – For moisturizing, volumizing, maintaining, or soothing your hair. Ships in the US.
7. Viori – Four options with different scents. Ships in the US, Canada & Internationally.
8. Super Zero – Great options for dry, damaged, curly, normal, oily, fine, thin, oily, blonde, white, or highlighted hair. Ships in the US & Canada.
9. The Earthling Co – Seven options for all hair types. Ships in the US & Worldwide.
10. My Kitsch – For weak & brittle hair, for nourishing, and for hydrating. Ships in the US & Internationally. Use MERILIN15 for 15% OFF.
11. The Good Fill – Bars or liquid conditioner in glass, aluminum, or plastic pouches for all hair types. Ships in the US.
12. Jack59 – For normal, processed/treated, thick, curly, dry, weak, sensitive, or for reducing breakage and hair fall. Ships in Canada, the US & Internationally.
13. Longwknd – Balance – normal & dry, Soothe – fine & oily, Restore – dry, thick & curly, Unscented – for normal. Ships in Canada, the US & Internationally. 
14. Unwrapped Life – For frizzy, blonde, damaged/weak, dry, curly, oily, fine hair. Ships worldwide. 
15. Beauty Kubes – Great for sensitive scalp. Ships in the UK & Internationally. 
16. Friendly Soap – Two options, natural frizz control. Ships in the UK & Internationally. 
17. Funky Soap Shop – Options for treated/damaged, dry, normal, oily, or sensitive hair. They also have a shampoo & conditioner duo. Ships in the UK & Worldwide.
18. Faith In Nature – For (very) dry, all hair types, or normal hair. Ships in the UK and Europe.
19. Zero Waste Path – 2in1 solid shampoo and conditioner for dry/curly, oily/fine, itchy, or ALL hair types. Ships in the UK & Europe.

Tips on picking the right shampoo & conditioner bar:

Hair type, water quality, and even climate can affect how a bar works for you. For example, some Lush bars that have mixed reviews online actually worked great for me. What works for one person might not work for another, so don’t get discouraged if your first pick isn’t perfect. Here are some practical tips to help you get started:

• Hard water? Choose pH-balanced or soap-free bars, which rinse cleaner and reduce residue buildup.
• Curly or textured hair? Go for moisturizing, sulfate-free formulas that nourish without drying.
• Just starting out? Try sampler sets or mini bars before committing to a full-size version.
• Travel often? Solid bars are compact, TSA-approved, and won’t leak in your bag.
• Trying a new bar that didn’t work? Use it as a body soap, hand wash, or shaving bar — or gift it to a friend.
• Don’t assume higher price = better results. Some affordable bars perform well, but in my experience, pricier brands often gave me better, longer-lasting results — especially with difficult hair or water conditions.

🔍 Many brands offer haircare quizzes on their websites to help match you with the best bar based on your specific needs. It’s worth checking those out if you’re unsure where to start.

FAQ:

How do I store shampoo bars properly?
Keep bars dry between uses. Use a well-draining soap dish or a storage rack to allow airflow and prevent mushiness. Avoid leaving them in standing water or under the shower stream.

Do shampoo bars expire?
Yes. Use them within 6–12 months — especially if they’re all-natural. If the scent, color, or texture changes, it’s likely time to toss them.

Will shampoo bars leave residue in my hair?
Some bars (especially soap-based ones) can leave a waxy or coated feeling — often due to hard water or certain oils. To fix this, try an apple cider vinegar rinse: Mix 3–4 tbsp of ACV with 1 cup of water and pour it over your hair after washing. Rinse thoroughly.

Can I use shampoo bars on color-treated or chemically processed hair?
Yes — but look for pH-balanced, sulfate-free bars that are labeled as safe for color-treated hair. Avoid harsh cleansers or clarifying bars unless they specifically say they’re safe for dyed hair.

Final words

Finding the right eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner may take some experimenting, but it’s worth it. Look for formulas that suit your hair type, consider your water quality, and don’t be discouraged if the first bar isn’t perfect.

With so many solid options available today, sustainable hair care is more accessible than ever. Small switches add up — start where you can. 🙂