There is no real surprise why many sailors sport a short haircut – the wind is not a gentle hair stylist and can leave your locks in knots with a salty-spray finish thanks to the sea. Although I admire those who rock short hair styles, I am rather fond of my long auburn hair and have taken great steps to find the best products for me and the sea, since I quite literally live right on top of it – no really, check it out!
View this post on Instagram
All things considered, my partner Chris and I try to find products that are eco-friendly (packaging and product) and work well for our skin and hair, but with so many incredible shampoo and conditioner bars on the market, it can be overwhelming to find the best fit for you. But don’t worry! We tested the top hair bars so you don’t have to. If you are looking to make the swap to plastic-free, look no further – these shampoo and conditioner hair bar reviews will inspire you.
HiBar
The first hair bar review I wanted to write about was HiBAR, because we featured co-founder Nora Schaper!
First impressions are everything, which is why great packaging means a lot to me. HiBar’s eco-conscious packaging makes me feel good from the start about my purchase – and their sample packs go a long way, giving you 3 shampoo bars and 3 conditioner bars to mix and match.
Their products are inclusive with formulas that work on hair types from pin-straight thin to thick and textured! I purchased their samples to try all 3 products and mixed and matched to find the right fit for me.
View this post on Instagram
The shampoo worked wonderfully, but unfortunately, the conditioner just didn’t really work for my hair. However, it did work well after my normal hair-wash routine as a leave-in conditioner that I brushed into my damp locks. I wash my hair about every 3 days and these samples last for months – I can only imagine that the full sized bars last longer, which means less plastic!
The Earthling Co.
View this post on Instagram
The second review I must write is for The Earthling Co.’s hair bars, which come with a wide range of scents and in plastic-free packaging — heck yah!
I fell in love with The Earthling Co.’s conditioner bar. It was the perfect formula for my hair type, leaving my strands soft and tangle-free. Their shampoo bar is also great; maybe a little too great, considering Chris “accidentally” broke the bar in half and claimed one of the pieces as his own.
Although their website states that this shampoo is curly-hair-friendly and can be used on color-treated/bleached hair, I feel like they could be more inclusive and create a bar for different hair types, similar to what HiBar has done. If you are looking to swap out more of your plastic products for items that are earth-friendly, The Earthling Co. is a fantastic place to start.
Super Zero Bars
View this post on Instagram
I had set my hopes high for this brand, but ultimately, my heart was crushed when I just couldn’t get their formula to perform with my hair type. This could just be an application error, because when I did more research, I saw that Super Zero’s website has a test to match you with the perfect bars… which I did not do beforehand.
Their packaging was definitely more plastic-y in comparison to the other brands which just seemed like greenwashing to me, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that their recycling practices are top-notch!
Ethique
View this post on Instagram
If you give me a product that is “cute” at first glance, you have already won over my marketing centric heart *heart emoji here* Ethique has a number of plastic-free products, from cosmetics to hair care, which is why having a sample pack is super helpful when trying to figure out what works best for you! The sample pack gives you four little heart-shaped bars of shampoo and conditioner that look like milk chocolates at first glance. (As delicious as they look, I promise they are for external use only.)
The two sample combos worked pretty well on my hair, and I would say that the smell was fresh and clean while there was no buildup left over. The conditioner was a bit hard to work into my strands, but I took the same approach as with HiBar’s and made use of it as a leave-in conditioner, which seemed to help soften my strands. I would say this brand is definitely worth trying, especially if you get the sample pack which (if you wash your hair twice a week like me) should last you a few months.
Love Planet & Beauty 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner Bar
View this post on Instagram
This product is great if you are on the go with limited space or just don’t really bother with deep conditioning. As you can probably tell from my other reviews, conditioning is a big must for me, or else my hair will end up as a rat’s nest, giving me fits of rage. Even though this product didn’t suit my needs, my darling husband Chris loved the simplicity of the bar, and since it did have some conditioning elements, it made his hair soft and buildup-free. Wife’s review of this hair bar? It’s a pass. Husband’s review of this hair bar? It’s a yes, please.
TIP: The conditioners that didn’t work for me didn’t go to waste… I use them as leave-in conditioners as well as shaving cream that leaves my skin soft and protected from my safety razor.
Here’s the thing: no matter which brand you choose, you are taking a step in the right direction by saying NO to plastics and YES to healthy, happy hair – without adding to your carbon footprint. Switching to a hair bar is only one step you can take in your plastic-free journey, though, so be sure to check out our other articles for more inspiration and reviews! One small change can bring a world of difference.
I hope my hair bar reviews helped convince you to try switching to plastic-free! Have you tried shampoo and conditioner bars? Any brands we should try next? Comment below!
Read More Haircare Articles:
Nora Schaper Won’t Stop Working Until The World Is Plastic-Free
5 Eco-Friendly Haircare Brands That Will Save The World
About the author
