Eco Friendly Shampoo & Conditioners: 11 Ethical Brands For Glossy Locks
On the hunt for the best eco friendly shampoos and conditioners?
Luckily, ethical consumption is now easier than ever. It’s not just about what you put in your body but what you put on it, right?!
So, whether you have dry or oily hair (or anything in between) there are environmentally friendly shampoo and conditioner brands on this list that will do the trick, without leaving a stain on your conscience.
For those about to hop in the shower this minute, here’s a quick rinse of our favorite brands:
Ethique and etee are not only cruelty-free and vegan, but also 100% plastic free with their shampoo bars.
If liquid is your lather of choice, make yours water and waste-free with Plaine Products’ refillable bottles.
If you’re not familiar with how we compile these guides, have a read at the bottom of the article.
*This post contains affiliate links
.QUICKLINKS FOR ETHICAL & ECO FRIENDLY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BRANDS
1. ETHIQUE
About Ethique’s Eco Friendly Conditioner and Shampoo Bars
Ethique is another one of those companies specializing in cruelty free, vegan shampoo and conditioner bars.
We love bars because they’re totally waste-free! Just throw the wrapper in your indoor compost bin or outdoor pile.
There are a number of options to choose from so these shampoo bars have pretty much become our staple.
Whether you have dry hair, oily hair to flakey hair they have a very personalized and impressive range!
Their palm oil free bars are also way more concentrated than regular products so they last up to six times longer!
Huge bang for your buck and it seems they’re very very popular across the board with high ratings on all the major online retailers.
In our opinion, Ethique is one of the best cruelty free vegan shampoo and conditioner bars around.
About Ethique
Ethique is a 2015-founded brand originating from New Zealand, Christchurch. Thankfully their products are now available around the world.
Their range of eco friendly products all come in bar form (including natural face wash, cruelty free moisturizer, zero waste deodorant, baby shampoo, makeup remover, cleaning products and skincare)!
Their latest innovations are sold in concentrated bar form and are turned to liquid at home by adding water. We love this range which includes eco friendly liquid shampoo and conditioner!
Ethique are also super sustainable and tick each and every one of our boxes!
As mentioned above, they’re not only certified cruelty free and vegan, but also palm oil free with minimal and compostable packaging.
Ethique is certified climate neutral and donate 2% of revenue or 20% of profit (whichever is higher) to charity.
Available: Ethique | Amazon | Holland & Barrett (UK) | Nourished Life (AU)
2. PLAINE PRODUCTS
Plaine Products’ Refillable Shampoo & Conditioner
Will Plaine Products’ earth-friendly shampoo and conditioner work for you?
You bet your bun they will!
The shampoo and conditioner are even color safe and come in your choice of unscented, citrus lavender, or rosemary mint vanilla.
Not only does Plaine Products work for any hair type, but they also work wonders for our planet.
Each aluminum bottle is recyclable or refillable (by Plaine themselves!) and filled with a product that’s non-GMO, sulfate-free, silicone-free, and biodegradable.
With vegan, plant-based ingredients (like aloe instead of water as the main ingredient), you’ll get a safe, gentle cleanse and lush healthy locks.
No wonder their eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner have received so many 5-star reviews!
About Plaine Products
Lindsey and Alison Delaplaine are the brilliant women behind sister-owned Plaine Products.
Not only does “Plaine” connect with their last name, but it also aligns with the brand’s mission to provide plain and simple hair and body products that are free from cruelty, animal products, chemicals, and palm oil.
Did we mention that everything’s plastic-free and refillable?
For each reorder, keep the same pump, then send back the empties with the included return label to be cleaned and refilled.
For these reasons and more, Plaine Products is a Certified B Corp and recipient of Real Leaders Impact Awards.
They’re a member of 1% for the Planet, too.
Available: EarthHero
Plain Products have featured in an article on palm oil free shampoo.
3. ETEE
*Note: Not all etee products are vegan, but their shampoo and conditioner bars are. They do not use palm oil directly, but some ingredients may be palm derived.
etee’s Plastic Free Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Lather up like our planet depends on it.
With etee’s cruelty-free shampoo and conditioner bars, you’re getting effective ingredients and no plastic. Zero, nada, zilch!
They took a top-performing liquid shampoo, modified it, made sure it still cleaned and nourished hair, and left the addition of water up to you.
Adding water in the shower prevents the shipping of water from A to B and the need for a plastic bottle.
Your lush locks will: feel beautiful thanks to 100% plant-based ingredients, smell beautiful thanks to essential oils, and keep our planet beautiful since there’s no plastic, SLS, or animal testing.
Each long-lasting bar is equivalent to roughly three to four bottles.
About etee
We love etee because they set the bar high—literally, as most of their products come in a plastic-free bar.
etee may have got their start with only reusable beeswax wraps, but their offerings are now comprehensive.
Between zero waste dish soap, zero waste laundry detergent, and other home and personal care products, they tackle many of our daily needs
In doing so, they have prevented more than 100 million single-use plastic products from being manufactured!
While not all their products are vegan, they offer plenty of vegan options. While they don’t use palm oil directly, their Coco-glucoside and hydrogenated vegetable oil may be derived from palm oil depending on sourcing.
etee personally make everything they sell in Toronto, Canada in a factory powered by renewable energy.
They also regularly support a range of charities, like The Mississauga Food Bank, Mask Match, and Hue Man Race.
Available: etee
4. CONSCIOUS SKINCARE
*Note: Conscious Skincare’s range is almost entirely vegan. Their “Natural” Shampoo and Conditioner is suitable for vegans however their “Grapefruit and Lemon” line contains honey.
About Conscious Skincare Eco Friendly Shampoo
Conscious Skincare has a range of skin and hair products to choose from.
In their shampoo and conditioner lineup, they offer the Natural Organic Shampoo, the Natural Organic Conditioner, Organic Certified Argan Oil, and a gift pack containing all three.
These ethical hair care products (which all have rave reviews) are organic, palm oil free, cruelty free and (mostly) vegan.
Only one of their shampoos contains honey and is not vegan friendly.
About Conscious Skincare
Founded by Rebecca who so kindly took the time to write us a detailed breakdown of the brand’s ethos, Conscious Skincare is a very impressive brand from an ethical standpoint.
Whilst their packaging is not zero waste, they have put a lot of thought and care into it:
“Our packaging from start to finish is recyclable or made of recycled materials as much as possible; including; Jars, Bottles, Lids, Dispensers, Paper (packaging and letters) and Outer protective packaging”
Their award winning product range is worth checking out and sharing with your friends and family (eco-warriors or not)!
Available: Etsy
Conscious Skincare has featured in an article on eco friendly toiletries.
5. DR BRONNER’S
*Note: Dr Bronner’s have gone the extra mile to ensure their palm oil is truly ethically and sustainably harvested. Read more about this here
About Dr Bronner’s All-in-One Environmentally Friendly Shampoo
Dr Bronner’s is one of our favorite brands.
Their 18-In-1 organic sustainable shampoo (which doubles as a liquid soap) is made of organic ingredients.
It’s got to be one of the most versatile products around. From face wash to washing clothes and hair, it’s a fantastic option for a minimalist beauty regime.
In fact, we used this while traveling on our honeymoon as a soap, shampoo and laundry detergent and it worked really well. Dr Bronner’s also has a leave in conditioner if you need a little more moisturizing.
About Dr Bronner’s
Certified B-corp Dr Bronner’s is one of the most sustainable brands around. Their large range of skin and hair care products are organic, cruelty free, vegan, and ethically sourced via Fair Trade channels.
Even the palm oil, while not RSPO sourced or certified, is sustainably harvested from small farmlands in Ghana via organic processing. The plants are based on a traditional system commonly used by women entrepreneurs.
You can read more about their approach to palm oil here. This animation explains their Fair-Trade palm oil well.
Dr Bronner’s packaging is not zero waste but is made of post consumer recycled materials and you can often find it available in bulk stores.
They also support a range of charities.
Available: Amazon | Nourished Life (AU)
6. ECOSTORE
*Note: ecostore have gone the extra mile to ensure their palm oil is ethically and sustainably harvested. Their shampoo and conditioner is vegan, but they do have some non-vegan products.
About ecostore Eco Friendly Liquid Shampoo and Conditioner
ecostore’s entire range of products are vegan and cruelty free. There are a number of options to choose from based on your hair needs.
Before moving onto bars, we used their ethical shampoos and conditioners for years and found them to be very effective.
They are cruelty-free and vegan, and contain genuinely sustainable palm oil.
To fully manage the palm oil supply chain, they work directly with suppliers who are required to meet RSPO and GreenPalm requirements. They are contractually required to not harvest from high, medium, or low carbon stock forests. Read more here.
About ecostore
Based in New Zealand, ecostore is a multi-award winning brand that was launched in 1993 in an eco-village.
They have a huge range of home and body products including haircare, skincare, and even kosher-certified dish soap options.
Most products are vegan and all are cruelty-free.
Their New Zealand-based factory is actually the only manufacturer in Australasia with ISO9001, ISO14001, Toitu Enviromark Diamond and Toitu CarboNZero ethical and sustainability certifications.
This organization is constantly looking to innovate, as seen in their sugarcane plastic bottles (petroleum free), renewable energy powered factory, ethical ingredient sourcing, and FSC-certified packaging.
Available: Amazon | Flora & Fauna (AU)
7. ODYLIQUE
*Note: This brand is 100% vegetarian and most of their products are vegan. Hair care products listed below are all 100% vegan.
About Odylique Vegan Cruelty Free Shampoos
Odylique offers the Gentle Herb Shampoo and the Tea Tree Herb Shampoo.
Both are made from 70% organic ingredients and can be used without conditioner, thanks to their conditioning herbs.
These vegan cruelty free shampoos are also palm oil free and come in recycled bottles.
About Odylique
Odylique by Essential Care is a UK based brand has a comprehensive range of products including makeup, skincare and haircare available.
Odylique is certified by PETA, Naturewatch Foundation, Soil Association, and Fairtrade, they tick each of our sustainability criteria being cruelty free, organic, palm oil-free, and sourcing ethically.
They also support charities like the Pink Ribbon Foundation, the Woodland Trust, East Anglian Air Ambulance and St Nicholas’ Hospice.
Available: Amazon
8. YAROK
About Yarok Natural Vegan Shampoo and Conditioner
Yarok has a small but good looking range of all natural vegan shampoos and conditioners.
Each product caters to a different need from volumizing to moisturizing.
The entire range is made of largely organic and all natural ingredients and is free of alcohol, parabens, sulfates, chemicals and gluten.
It also goes without saying that all products are vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, SLS-free, and palm oil-free.
About Yarok
Founded by Mordechai Alvow who is many things including a Certified Aromatherapist and Celebrity Hairstylist, Yarok specializes in natural, cruelty free and vegan haircare.
These vegan haircare products are “formulated exclusively from organic, wild crafted and otherwise responsibly harvested plant ingredients that are handpicked for their medicinal and sensory benefits, and are sourced from pristine locales around the world”.
A full 3% of all Yarok’s profits go directly to benefiting Pachamama Alliance and protecting the Amazon Rainforest.
Available: Amazon | Nourished Life (AU)
9. ACURE
About Acure Ethical Shampoo and Conditioner
Acure Organics make cruelty free, palm oil free and organic vegan shampoo and conditioners.
They’re available in a wide range of specific options to suit different hair types and styling needs, such as full body, clarifying, ultra hydrating, smoothing, volume, natural dry shampoo, and brunettes-specific options.
We’ve tried the Ultra Hydrating range and it’s as good as the name suggests.
All Acure Organics palm oil free shampoos and conditioners are also sulfate and paraben free.
Their packaging is recyclable but not zero waste.
About Acure
Based in the USA, Acure Organics is a family owned business specializing in skincare (think organic face moisturizers and cruelty free deodorant), hair care, and organic body wash products.
Their products are cruelty free, vegan and palm oil free. Many of the ingredients they use are USDA certified organic.
They also source ingredients from fair trade suppliers where possible and support charities.
Available: iHerb | Amazon | Nourished Life (AU)
10. GREEN PEOPLE
*Note: We have attempted to confirm these policies with the brand with no response to date.
About Green People Organic Vegan Shampoo and Conditioner
Green People have a huge range of vegan organic shampoo and conditioners. The entire range is SLS free and mostly organic.
We tried the 81.3% Organic Quinoa and Artichoke Shampoo and Conditioner, infused with ingredients like Yucca and Marshmallow and… we loved it!
The conditioner in particular was so moisturizing and helped a lot with knotty locks.
About Green People
Green People specialize in organic, chemical-free beauty products that includes haircare, skincare, and makeup.
All their products are cruelty free and natural. Many of them are also vegan friendly.
They are PETA and Soil Association certified. They source fairtrade ingredients wherever possible.
Their products do contain palm oil. However, they state their palm oil is sourced from countries where there are no native orangutans.
Since this ingredient is certified organic, it is required to be grown and harvested sustainably. We reached out to them but have been unsuccessful in getting more info on this.
They support a variety of charities from children’s hospice to marine conservation.
Available: Green People
11. FRIENDLY SOAP
About Friendly Soap Vegan Shampoo Bars
Less is more with Friendly Soap.
They have two vegan shampoo bars: The Lavender & Geranium and the Lavender & Tea Tree.
We’ve used both and can confirm they’re foamy and effective.
Both products are cruelty free, palm oil free, vegan and 100% natural (free of parabens, sulphates, triclosan and phthalates).
In the same spirit of less, they only use a handful of ingredients: Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils, water.
If you have thin or brittle hair, not to worry this product won’t dry your precious locks out.
About Friendly Soap
Based in the UK, Friendly Soap is an award winning vegan and cruelty free soap bar maker.
All of their products are 100% natural and palm oil free.
Their packaging is made of recycled materials and is also recyclable.
Their products are made using the old school cold press method which ensures there are zero by-products!
Available: Amazon | Ethical Superstore (EU)
DO CRUELTY FREE VEGAN SHAMPOOS WORK FOR OILY OR DRY SCALPS?
Depending on the weather, we get both. In winter, our hair is dry and in summer, it’s oily (especially when exercising regularly).
The great thing is that we don’t need to rely on hair products that are manufactured by brands or companies that don’t align with our values (or use ingredients that are not vegan friendly).
The best vegan shampoos and conditioners for oily or dry hair are made using safe and non-toxic ingredients.
HAVE AN OILY SCALP – CRUELTY FREE VEGAN SHAMPOO IDEAS
For oily hair, it’s about using products with ingredients that don’t strip your locks completely of its oils.
Remember, you need a certain amount to protect your hair from the elements. It’s a balancing act that can swing with the seasons!
Our top recommendation would be Ethique for a restorative and balanced treatment.
Generally, cononut oil is effective in reducing the volume of oil. Friendly Soap contains this ingredient.
Another brand to try is Dr Bronner’s. The citric acid in their vegan shampoo does a great job of reducing oily byproducts on your scalp. But at the same time, conditions your hair with their organic jojoba oil and organic coconut oil.
Just remember that it’s not only about finding the right shampoo it’s also about frequency.
If you wash your hair too often, despite using a nourishing or volumizing product, it will eventually have a negative impact and may make your hair more oily.
For some people, it’s once a day, while for others, once a week.
It’s a bit of trial and error but finding the right sustainable vegan shampoo brand will go a long way to helping you manage a healthy head of hair.
We find it easier to manage dry hair (which is, as we said, weather dependent for us) so long as we’re regularly using a natural product that has the right ingredients.
There are a bunch of tried and tested natural ingredients that effectively repair split ends, brittle or frizzy hair that’s had the life sucked out of it:
- olive oil
- argon oil
- coconut oil
- aloe vera
- jojoba oil
- macadamia oil
Again, Ethique is our go to for a nourishing, moisturizing vegan shampoo and conditioner.
FINDING SUSTAINABLE AND ECO FRIENDLY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BRANDS
If this is your first time visiting, our approach to sustainable beauty is to look for brands and products that are:
- vegan
- cruelty free
- non-toxic
- palm oil free
- have ethical ingredient sourcing policies
- use thoughtful packaging: generally these days we look for zero waste packaging – we give brands with packaging that is not zero waste an “orange” rating, reserving “green” for only the most sustainable packaging alternatives
We know that’s a tall order and believe us it takes a fair bit of time to find these brands!
While we can’t always get every box ticked for every product, this list prioritizes shampoos and conditioners that are vegan and cruelty free.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS
With so many options on the market, its never been easier to be an ethical consumer.
Though it does take us a while to find products that tick all our ethical & sustainable boxes, but we do enjoy a good hunt for our hair (including eco-friendly hair brushes)!
We hope this resource gives you some new ideas when deciding which eco friendly and vegan shampoo or conditioner is right for you. If it did, we ask you to share with your loved ones so everyone can have an earth-happy hairdo.
If you want to be super sustainable and reduce packaging to… well, zero, check out our article on zero waste shampoos and conditioners.
But this is just the hair washing bit. Be sure to complete your ‘do with these other eco-friendly hair products.
Dr. Bronner’s is not eco friendly. It has palm oil in at least some of its soaps and it is all packaged in plastic. I bet these are all packaged in plastic and they are therefore not ecofriendly. Why can’t they use containers like milk cartons or produce concentrates that people can add water to at home? The earth is in big trouble and I don’t see much help from companies like these!
Hiya – Rebecca here, I’m the female CEO/Founder of The Solid Bar Company – we have created and hand make a range of luxury personal care items here in the UK including Shampoos and Conditioners – and they are all palm oil free, sustainable, plastic free, biodegradable, zero-waste, cruelty-free 100% vegan and much more – so why not get planet-friendly with us here: https://thesolidbarcompany.com/ and get 10% off your first order with code THANK YOU at checkout best wishes!
Thank you Rebecca, we’ll take a look when we next update this article and will be in touch!
All of Maple Holistics shampoos are cruelty free.
Good to know, thanks Tara!!
Not a bad list for starters …. but why are they all packaged up in so much plastic? Not on your list but they should be as one of the best 100% vegan, sulphate, SLS and paraben free, cruelty free, silicon free shampoos and conditioners out there and made by an ethical female led UK small business and it works great on my tangled frizzy hair – I actually know what that word silky means after all these years of seeing it in other ads as it keeps my previously wild hair under control now at last! And forgot to mention that they are also non-plastic and no water!! so a double thumbs up from me. Check them out at The Solid Bar Company, Recommended!
Hi Cat, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Sorry about the delay in replying. Totally agree with you on the plastic! This article was written before we moved to zero waste shampoo bars ourselves! We have just published our zero waste shampoo and conditioner list which you might find more suitable. Thank so much for The Solid Bar Company recommendation. They do indeed look awesome. We’ve just moved to Australia so to avoid shipping, I won’t try them but will take your word for it and add them to the list for addition to the next iteration of the zero waste shampoos article. Thanks so much again, really appreciate it!
Thanks for noticing; you’re welcome – they serve me well, so should be good for your readers, and I know for a fact they ship to Oz as I sent some to my cousin up in Palmerston City a few months ago! ???
Good to know thanks Cat!
Are you sure that Acure are palm-oil free? From a post back in 2013 you can find this information.
Acure Organics:
Hi Faith!
Thank you for your interest in ACURE! The only palm oil we use in our formulas comes from the fruit of the Babassu palm (Sustainable) trees in South America. The products in our line that contain babassu oil include:
Sensitive Skin Moisturize
Pure Mint + Echinacea Intense Volume Shampoo & Conditione
Exfoliating Body Wash
Thank you for contacting us! Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Unless things have changed since then, it seems that they do use palm oil in their products.
Hi Dvir,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and fact check! I’ve copied in the email below that I received from Acure in September 2017 from Kristen at Acure. It took a couple of emails to get the answer as they didn’t answer the palm oil question on the first go. Perhaps it’s a definition thing – It seems the Babassu palm is native to South America (see here and here). A quick google search suggests that Babassu oil has been harvested very sustainably from these natural growing palms for a long time, creating livelihoods for local people and other types of monocultures are threatening these native palms. Here is another article of interest and here. What do you think? When you checked this out with Acure, did you get any more intel on the sustainability of the Babassu Palm?
Hi Joy!
Apologies for the delay in response as we were impacted by hurricane Irma and were out of commission for quite a few days.
In regards to palm oil- that is correct. We do not currently use palm oil in any of our products nor do we utilize any ingredients derived from palm oil.
In regards to fair trade, while we are not currently fair-trade certified, we always take great care to ensure that all of our ingredients are ethically sourced and provide fair, living wages to all parties involved. We do our best to source ingredients domestically, however, some ingredients are not available within the U.S., such as our Argan Oil, which is sourced from a womens coop in Morocco.
Hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions and certainly update us on the post so that we can share it as well!
Kristen
These products may not have “palm oil” on their ingredient list, but they do contain palm oil derivatives such as glycerin.
Hey Bean, thanks for commenting, delighted that you have made this super important point! Where a brand has claimed to be palm oil free, we have emailed them directly to ask them about their palm oil AND palm oil derivative policy and asked them to confirm that palm oil free also means palm oil derivative free – have a read of each respective brand guide and check out our articles on palm oil here and here.