9 Eco-Friendly Shampoo Bars That Leave Hair Soft and Clean

Care for your hair and the Earth simultaneously.

By Brittany Burhop Fallon, Beauty Director · May 19, 2021

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As more beauty brands look for environmentally conscious ways to manufacture products, shampoo bars are one category at the forefront of the shift. Designed to care for both your hair and the Earth, shampoo bars offer the same benefits as their liquid counterparts, but in solid form with much less waste and zero plastic. Though some brands are focused entirely on the bar method, others are taking their existing fan-favorite liquid formulas and adapting them to solid form, making it easier for consumers to transition.

So how do you use a shampoo bar? Some come with specific directions, but the general consensus is to wet the bar with water, rub it between your hands to create a lather (some lather more than others), and then apply to wet hair. These nine do more than just cleanse, making the switch to solids a no-brainer.

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If you have dry or damaged hair, try…

Klorane Shampoo Bar with Mango ($14)

Klorane’s cult-classic (and best-smelling) nourishing Mango Shampoo now comes in solid form, as the brand expands on its mission to conserve water and support eco-friendly beauty. Equivalent to a 13.5-ounce bottle of liquid shampoo, this biodegradable bar is 100-percent vegan, lasts up to 80 washes and uses 34 to 80 percent less water during manufacturing.

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If you have blonde or white hair, try…

SUPERZERO Blondest Blonde Purple Shampoo Bar ($18)

The world’s first purple shampoo bar, this solid formula works to tone brassiness and yellowing of natural blonde, dyed blonde, highlights, and white or light gray hair. And according to the brand, it also provides the lowest environmental footprint ever recorded for a salon-quality toning shampoo.

3 / 9

If you have dry, dull or brittle hair, try…

Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Luscious Moisture Shampoo Bar ($11)

From Carol’s Daughter’s most popular product range—Black Vanilla for moisture and shine—comes the brand’s first-ever sulfate-free shampoo bar, which is limited-edition, so snag it while you can! Not only is it vegan and super gentle, but it’s also super concentrated with moisturizers like shea butter and jojoba oil that noticeably nourish dry hair.

“In the past, shampoo bars have gotten a bad rep as messy, drying and not good enough for our hair, but I promise you, this bar is EVERYTHING,” says Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price. “Though using a bar may take a little getting used to, it’s a really small change in your routine that supports the environment, while still giving your hair all the things it loves and needs to be healthy and strong.”

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If you have oily or damaged hair, try...

Foamie Hibiskiss Shampoo Bar ($10)

Natural and 100-percent plastic-free, this nettle- and hibiscus-infused bar helps sop up excess oil while repairing brittle hair in need of strengthening. With every bar, you are saving two plastic bottles, and we love the attached string, which makes it easy to store and dry after each use (I hang mine on my hanging shower rack). The curved shape hugs the scalp for a nice massage, too!

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If you have dry hair, try…

BAR NONE Hydrating Shampoo Bar ($12)

One of the most hydrating formulas we’ve tried, this bar packs an all-star lineup of deeply nourishing ingredients, including castor seed oil, glycerin derived from coconut oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil and olive oil—dry hair is thoroughly quenched, no question. Plus, the brand’s “Zero Waste” policy means the packaging is 100-percent compostable or recyclable, both the cardboard and the vegan, plant-based wax lining.

6 / 9

If you want a scalp detox too, try…

LATHER Avocado Mint Shampoo Bar ($16 for two)

Not only does this vegan, sulfate-free formula get major points for its invigorating scent (no synthetic fragrance here), but we’re also fans of the lush, creamy lather it creates using a coconut oil–based cleansing agent rather than harsh soap. Avocado and argan oils deliver moisture to the hair while a mix of peppermint oil, tea tree oil and aloe vera go to work on the scalp, leaving it feeling refreshed and purified.

7 / 9

If you have oily, fine or thin hair, try…

LUSH Flyway Shampoo Bar ($14)

The four key ingredients in this efficacious bar make for some serious cleansing action: Lemon oil helps cut dreaded greasiness, Roman chamomile oil soothes the scalp and hand-harvested coarse sea salt adds volume, and fair-trade organic cocoa butter helps keep flyaways tamed. One bar replaces up to three 8.4-ounce bottles of liquid shampoo!

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If you have fine hair, try…

davines VOLU Shampoo Bar ($25)

If you’re a fan of the brand’s VOLU Shampoo for adding a boost of fullness to fine or limp, do-nothing hair, this eco-friendly version will not disappoint. It’s packed in a 100-percent FSC, recyclable paper wrapper and made with 97.1-percent biodegradable ingredients. The brand also offers the bar in a kit with an aluminum storage case that makes shower storage easy and mess-free, while preserving the bar for more washes ($35).

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If you have any hair type, try….

Odacite 552M Argan + Coconut Soap Free Shampoo Bar ($29)

What does 552M mean? It represents the 552 million plastic shampoo bottles that end up in landfills every year. Crazy, right? This rich bar employs coconut oil, cupuaçu butter, argan oil and castor oil to offer big-time moisturizing and smoothing benefits for every hair texture, whether you’re curly, frizzy, thick, thin or anywhere in between. One bar lasts 60 to 80 washes, which is the equivalent of three plastic bottles.