Did you know that in the US alone, 550 million empty shampoo bottles are thrown away every year? That crazy amount could fill 1164 football fields! But here’s the good news: With all the options presented to us today, nobody has to rely on liquids in plastic bottles anymore. And it gets better – we have found what we think is the best eco-friendly shampoo on the market. It is not only 100% free from plastic but also ticks a lot of other important boxes. Say hello to Ethique‘s natural, plant-based, palm oil free and biodegradable shampoo bar!
Ingredients
Ethique’s products are 100% palm oil free (certified by the Orangutan Alliance). They also don’t contain any animal products, which is confirmed by CCF AU and PETA (Cruelty-free & Vegan).
According to Ethique, all of their ingredients are renewable, non-petroleum based and naturally derived with minimal chemical processing. Here’s an overview of ingredients their products do NOT contain:
- Petrochemicals
- Palm oil and derivatives
- FD&C dyes
- Synthetic fragrance
- Parabens
- Animal derivatives
- Ammonia
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Dimethicone
- Cyclomethicone
- Isothiazolinones
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Mineral oil
- Polyethylene glycols (PEGs)
Read also: Why you should use natural cosmetics
Production
Ethique is Carbon Neutral. They claim that it is their goal to offset 120% of net carbon emissions by the end of 2021. In order to get there, they work with organizations, such as Ecologi, which plants trees to help absorb CO2 emissions.
Read also: How to save trees
Give Back Programs
Ethique claims to donate 20% of their annual profit to conservation, animal welfare and environmental groups. They have ongoing partnerships with the following:
- Wildlife warriors
- HUHA
- Rainforest Trust
- Project Blue
- Virunga National Park
- Offset Earth
- Oxfam
- City Mission – New Zealand
Furthermore, the company advocates for honest, fair trade. Their Direct Trade Partnerships include:
- Women in Business Development in Samoa
- Asili Oils to source fair trade moringa oil from Rwanda
- Plantus for fair trade babassu and cupuacu oils from South America
Review
And now to the best part: It actually works! The shampoo makes your hair feel soft and clean, while being gentle on the scalp. Unlike other shampoo bars we have tried, this one does not leave any waxy/oily residue.
One thing we really like about it is its size – the bar is super concentrated and thus takes up much less space than a shampoo bottle (it’s equivalent to 3 bottles of liquid shampoo!).
Tip: Have a little container to keep your bar dry when you don’t use it. Otherwise it will dissolve quickly.
Conclusion: Definitely the best eco-friendly shampoo we know of and ideal for travel or the zero waste household.