Upgrade your shower routine with these eco-friendly shampoos and conditioners
- Cami Mandell Gorden, MPH, RD
- Nov 23, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 31, 2024
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. All products have been tested by my family.
The Waste Problem with Those Bulky Shampoo and Conditioner Bottles
Shampoos and conditioners...things that tend to come in plastic bottles. Plastic bottles that, despite our best efforts and intentions, end up in landfills, or the ocean, or both. I had grown up using liquid haircare products. I did my best to recycle the bottles and hoped it was enough. I knew soap bars existed but they weren't something I had good experiences with. Anytime I went somewhere that had one, they inevitably fell out of my hands, got soap everywhere, and plastered the sink with soap residue. So I stuck with what I knew...plastic bottles. And was unintentionally contributing to the estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic that enters the ocean every year.
That number was both shocking and expected. After all, plastic products have infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives. And while that 11 million metric tons includes all kinds of plastic, single-use plastics like the ones haircare products come in are a huge waste challenge. When shampoo and conditioner bottles find their way to the ocean (and other marine ecosystems) they injure and kill fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. One study found that 98% of the seabird chicks that were tested had ingested plastic. And the amount of plastic going into the ocean has been increasing for decades.
There's no better time than now to make a change. Each one of us has the power to make a difference. The more we choose plastic free products, and encourage our friends and family and random stranger to make the switch to eco-friendly bars of shampoo and conditioner, the more companies will be pushed to sell eco-friendly alternatives. Every plastic bottle that never gets made, shipped and thrown away is a win for humans and the environment.
The Other Bottled Haircare Products Problem
The production and shipping waste problem
Have you ever noticed how heavy those bottles of shampoo and conditioner are? Imagine shipping thousands of those. Since those bottles are HEAVY, and big, they take up a lot of space on transport vehicles. That means the shipping of the plastic bottles produces a lot more carbon emissions than does shipping bars of soap that come in recyclable cardboard packaging. You can fit a lot more bars of soap for the same amount of space and weight as liquid hair care products. The good news? Making the switch to bar soap doesn't just cut down on plastic waste, it also lowers your carbon footprint!
You might be wondering how long a shampoo and conditioner bar will last given how much smaller it is than those bottles. The answer: about the same amount of time. The amazing thing about bars is that the soap is highly concentrated. You just have to get your hair wet, rub a little bit of soap on your head and hair, and you're done! It's also easier to use just the right amount. I was always putting a ton of shampoo and conditioner in my hair because I never knew how much I should be using. I was skeptical when I saw how small the bars of soap are compared to the big bottles I was using. I was worried I'd end up spending a lot more money. But the bars really have lasted about the same amount of time as what I was using before. And I've been pleasantly surprised to learn that I wasn't just saving the planet, I was saving money in another area of my bodycare routine. Keep reading to find out how!
The ingredients problem:
And finally comes what is actually in the products themselves. Some ingredients in shampoos can actually make your hair more dry. This leads to needing to use more conditioner, buying more expensive specialty shampoos and conditioners, and ultimately spending more time and money on leave-in haircare products. Not only is this unfriendly on your budget, it's also bad for your health and the enviornment. A study from Purdue University found that leave-in hair care products release harmful chemicals that are inhaled by you, anyone who lives in your house, and the enviornment at large.
The Mission: Find an Eco-Friendly Shampoo and Conditioner
My daughter, husband and I are all sensitive to smells. Which can make it difficult to find shampoos and conditioners that aren't off-putting. To make matters more complicated, I have a 3 year old who had become very averse to getting her hair washed. She was never the biggest fan of getting her hair washed, and after a few failed attempts at using a scented conditioner, she was reluctant to let me around her hair. So I needed to find a 3-year old approved product. One that she would let me use and one that actually worked. For a 3-year old she has INCREDIBLY long hair. It was getting so tangled we could barely brush it. Not to mention it hurt trying to get all those tangles out. She started running away every time we pulled out the hairbrush. The mission to find an eco-friendly conditioner that would keep those tangles away was imperative.
Like most things, it can be challenging to change up your haircare products. After all, it means spending money on something you don't know will actually work. Shampoo and conditioner commercials bombard us - all promising thicker, richer, shinnier, healthier hair. But none of them I've seen advertise being plastic-free. They all come in plastic bottles, with ingredients that might help your hair, but eventually end up back in nature. And none of them talked about how their ingredients impacted the planet. When I started looking for a more eco-conscious way to clean my daughter's hair, and ultimately my hair, I was skeptical. I had been using the same products for YEARS. Being on a tight budget I was anxious about spending money on something that might not work
Knowing that I needed to find not just a plastic-free product, but one whose company took the entire life-cylce of the product into account, I did what most of us do...I googled it. My search led me to The Earthling Co. I was skeptical given that the soaps came in the form of bars. But the company focused on making products with natural ingredients, and came in a scent free version. My daughter's hair had become a tangled mess, so I pushed the order submit button and waited to see just how messy this soap bar would be. I did decide to purchase the soap bar holder, which has been a huge help in keeping any soap residue off my shower tile. In fact, I have yet to drop the bar and my tile as remaied soap residue free. Keep on reading to see why we chose this company, and if we'll be sticking with them.
The Company Promising Healthy Hair and a Healthy Planet
We liked that this company focused on the entire life-cycle of their products; they consider how a product is sourced, produced, shipped and disposed of. Why does this focus on a products entire life-cycle matter? Buying products that are sustainable is important, but if they're created in a way that uses lots of resources like water and electricity, and can't be disposed of in a sustainable way, using the product doesn't actually reduce our carbon footprint.
It can be challenging to know what to look for in a sustainable company. One way is to check that the company is a Climate Neutral Certified business. This certification means that a third party ensures that The Earthling Co's greenhouse gas emissions created through all aspects of their product development are offset. The Earthling Co are also transparent about where their carbon emissions are coming from and what they are. Why is buying from transparent companies important? The more we, as consumers, buy from companies that are transparent, the more companies will be forced to be transparent. This transparency forces companies to make more sustainble products in more sustainable ways, since we, as consumers, now know exactly what they're up to. As consumers we have the power to change how businesses do business.
However, we recognize that no company is perfect, and no certification ensures a perfect company. That's why our motto here at Bob's World Matters is progress not perfection. We recognize that we can't do everything all at once; but that doesn't stop us from doing what we can. Small changes really do add up.
And Finally - Do These Shampoos and Conditioners Actually Work?
YES! It was love at first use. And while the upfront cost was a little higher than I might have otherwise chosen, the results that I got and the cost savings long-term are worth it. I felt a difference the first time I used it on both my hair and skin. My hair felt smoothier, looked shinnier, and I didn't have dry skin after my shower. I stopped needing to use face and body lotion (even in the winter!), which has been a huge win for my wallet as well as my skin and the planet. The longer I've used it the healthier and shinnier by hair has become. I honsetly didn't know my hair could look and feel this good without spending money on expensive products.
How did my daughter like it? There are no more fights over washing her hair, the only tangles she gets is when she smears food in her hair. But thanks to a smell-free, easy to use shampoo the food comes right out. The conditioner leaves her hair smooth, shiny and tangle free. Her hair looks straight out of a magazine. The best thing about the change? My daughter willingly gets her hair washed and brushed. With these results for both our hair and the planet, we will definitely be sticking with these products!
Disclaimer on scents: The products come in a variety of scents, but we've stuck with the unscented. I love that my hair smells like...nothing! If you're a scent person, they have a variety of different scents, and the company has overall great reviews for all their products. If you find a favorite sent let us know! We always love hearing how products work for you.
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