On the hunt for eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner? These days, there are an abundance of highly rated brands with better sustainability credentials who offer more conscious hair care options.
Whether you have dry or oily hair (or anything in between) there are environmental friendly shampoo and conditioner brands on this list that will do the trick, without leaving a stain on your conscience.
You know—shampoo bars and bottles that don’t pollute the Earth or your body.
What do we look for exactly? We look for brands who offer non-toxic and vegan (or cruelty-free as a minimum) shampoo and conditioner with ethically sourced ingredients and thoughtful, low-impact product packaging.
And we hear you, that’s not enough to be considered truly sustainable. We’re extending this consideration set to include 22 criteria covering everything from water use to climate action to product performance. We’ll be doing this through our Brand Rating System which you can learn more about here.
Now, the only thing we like teasing is our hair, so let’s flow to it.
We independently research all featured brands, and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. We explain this further in our Terms of Use.
Our Top Picks: Eco-friendly Shampoo
Award-winning brand Plaine Products takes sustainable packaging a step forward with both plastic-free and refillable packaging. After testing, we can confirm that it’s super effective with excellent lathering abilities. Plaine Products has been comprehensively rated by us on their sustainability credentials – find the full rating here.
Everist makes the (hair)cut thanks to their waterless concentrates made from aloe vera and glycerin that take the plastic out of your ‘do’s ‘poo.
Rather than sulfates and parabens, Ethique’s eco-friendly shampoo bars ingredients include natural butters and oils, wrapped with thoughtful, plastic-free packaging.
Looking for liquid eco-friendly conditioner and shampoo?
Index: Environmentally Friendly Shampoo & Conditioner Brands
- Plaine Products Jump to brand
- Ethique Jump to brand
- Everist Jump to brand
- HiBAR Jump to brand
- etee Jump to brand
- Conscious Skincare Jump to brand
- Yarok Jump to brand
- Acure Jump to brand
- Green People Jump to brand
Plaine Products
Circular
All or some products are circular in nature - such that no part of the product needs to end up in landfill at the end of its life
Cruelty-free
Products are not test on animals at any stage in their production.
Locally Made
Products are made local to the brand's headquarters.
Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxic
Palm Oil Free
Products contain no palm oil or palm oil derivatives.
Plastic-free
All products are entirely plastic-free
Refillable
Product packaging can be refilled with more product, either at a physical store or via a return program.
Small business
This brand is a small business run by less than 15 people
Take Back Program
Brand offers a take back program for their products and responsibly manages returned items.
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
Vegan
This brand does not use any animal products or by-products in their products
Woman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.
Zero Waste
Products are made with a low or zero waste approach where ideally no or limited waste is created throughout the production process or at the end of life.
1% for the planet
B Corp
Leaping Bunny
PETA
1% for the planet
Certified Environmental Giving — Businesses give 1% of their annual sales directly to vetted environmental partners.B Corp
The B Corp Certification, administered by the nonprofit B Lab, recognizes companies that meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Certified B Corps balance profit with purpose, committing to responsible practices that benefit workers, communities, customers, and the planet while embedding sustainability into their business model.Leaping Bunny
The Leaping Bunny certification, managed by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), is the globally recognized gold standard for cruelty-free products. It ensures that neither a company’s finished products nor their ingredients are tested on animals at any stage of development. Brands must also agree to independent audits and supplier monitoring, guaranteeing genuine cruelty-free commitment across their entire supply chain.PETA
The PETA-Approved Vegan certification verifies that a brand’s certified products are completely free from animal-derived materials and that no animal testing is conducted at any stage of production. Managed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the label helps consumers easily identify fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products that align with a fully vegan and cruelty-free standard.Plaine Products’ Eco-Friendly Shampoo Bottles
Plaine Products’ shampoo and conditioner are color safe and come in your choice of unscented, citrus lavender, or rosemary mint vanilla.
Every plastic-free order comes housed in refillable bottles. Simply ship your empty shampoo and conditioner bottles back to Plaine Products, and they will refill them with more of their non-GMO, sulfate-free, silicone-free, and biodegradable shampoo and conditioner.
With vegan, plant-based, and natural ingredients (like aloe instead of water as the main ingredient), you’ll get a safe, gentle cleanse and lush healthy locks.
Their eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner have also 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.
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.
Plaine Products has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
My Personal Review of Plaine Products’ Shampoo & Conditioner:
“Plaine’s shampoo cleans my hair really well, and I especially like how quickly it foams. In fact, I need only a small dollop of it to completely foam my entire scalp. The conditioner — which is so effective I don’t really feel the need to use it every time I shower — leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft and smooth without weighing it down.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Ethique
Ethique has not been rated.
Ethique’s Ethical Shampoo Bars
Ethique is another one of those companies specializing in eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner bars.
There are a number of options to choose from, meaning these shampoo bars have pretty much become our staple for just about everything—from those with oily hail to “touchy” sensitive scalps.
For example, if you need an eco-friendly dandruff shampoo, the Heali Kiwi shampoo bar calms the scalp with ground oatmeal and repairs dry, flaky skin with Karanja and Neem oils.
Each one is way more concentrated than regular liquid products, so they last up to six times longer—and we can confirm this is true from our own use.
You can also shop any of their “Concentrate” products, which are bars designed to be turned into eco-friendly liquid shampoo and conditioner by adding water at home.
About Ethique
Originating from New Zealand, Christchurch, Ethique’s wildly popular personal care and cleaning products (like zero waste dish soap) are now available around the world.
Everything comes as either a bar, a solid stick packaged in a compostable cardboard tube, or both.
Ethique products are super sustainable and tick each one of our boxes, being certified cruelty-free, vegan, and palm oil free.
Not only are their shampoo and conditioner bars eco-friendly in packaging and ingredients, but they’re crafted through climate-neutral operations.
Ethique also donates 2% of revenue or 20% of profit (whichever is higher) to charity.
Ethique is also available on Holland & Barrett (UK), and Nourished Life (AU)
Everist
Everist has not been rated.
Everist’s Eco-Friendly Shampoo
According to Everist, aloe vera leaf juice, natural essential oils, and vegetable glycerin are all you need to make the best environmentally friendly shampoo.
Everist’s waterless hair concentrates are the perfect solution for people who feel stuck behind bars.
Housed in aluminum tubes or aluminum tins, these shampoo pastes can be used for 50+ washes.
According to Bluebird Climate, their shampoo has a 77% smaller carbon impact and 62% smaller waste impact than traditional, water-based solutions.
Everist’s patented, bond-repair technology and award-winning formula is not only eco-friendly, but also color-safe and suitable for all hair types. Yes, even those of you with unmanageably frizzy hair.
No surprise here, all formulas are free from havoc wreaking sulfates, parabens, dyes, and synthetic fragrances.
About Everist
Everist products are proudly vegan, cruelty-free, and mostly plastic-free.
The only plastic component you’ll find is the cap, which is needed to prevent leaks. They have experimented with several alternatives without success, but their CapBack program ensures those pesky plastic caps get a second life.
The carbon-neutral corporation is an active member of 1% For The Planet.
HiBAR
HiBAR has not been rated.
HiBAR’s Biodegradable Shampoo Bars
Wrapped in recyclable cardboard packaging and sustainable travel ready, HiBAR sets the bar high for what environmentally safe shampoo bars should look like.
Their concentrated, waterless formulas are free from parabens, keratin sulfates, silicones, soaps, and artificial dyes. Cue in color-safe and pH balanced natural ingredients like nutrient-dense coconut oil, moisturizing shea butter, and fragrant floral oils instead.
A literally outside the box invention, each teardrop shaped bar is designed to fit comfortably in your hand for easy use.
Looking for eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner for curly hair?
Try their Curl product. Babussa and pracaxi butters add definition and seal in moisture.
How about a solution for thin, fine hair? Their Volumize shampoo made with African dates and B5 takes lifeless hair out of the grave.
They also offer some of the best biodegradable conditioner for thicker, dryer hair in the form of the Moisturize sustainable conditioner bar, which locks in moisture using coconut oil and rice protein.
Each one is lightly scented using only natural fragrances derived from essential oils and plant extracts.
About HiBAR
This clean beauty brand makes all sorts of bars for your face, body, and hair. Zero waste face wash, deodorant, and more.
All which are free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and artificial fragrances.
Their products are all cruelty-free and leaping bunny certified and come housed in plastic-free packaging, including a fully recyclable box and compostable inner wrapping.
Since opening, they have eliminated almost five million plastic bottles.
etee
etee has not been rated.
etee’s Environment Friendly Shampoo Bars
With etee’s ethical shampoo and conditioner bars, you’re getting all natural ingredients and no plastic.
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, courtesy of your shower.
Adding water in the shower prevents the shipping of water from A to B and the need for a plastic bottle.
These bars come in compostable boxes, but they do offer one Deep Conditioner cream that comes in a reusable glass jar. Use this after your shower and/or blow-dry in for some long-lasting, hydrating hair-apy.
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 plastic bottles.
About etee
etee may have got their start with reusable beeswax wraps, but their offerings are now comprehensive.
With items like laundry detergent and hand soap, 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 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.
My Personal Review of etee’s Lavender Chamomile Shampoo Bar & Deep Conditioner:
“I’ve tested a lot of shampoo bars, but etee’s is definitely my top pick. I like to wash my hair minimally, and too often, the high concentration of butters and oils in other shampoo bars leaves my hair looking greasy after a couple of days. Not so with etee’s, which keeps my hair looking fresh until at least day three.
I rarely use conditioner because I usually find natural shampoo bars alone rich enough for my short hair when combined with a weekly ACV rinse. But sometimes, my hair needs a little more love, and for that, etee’s Deep Conditioner, which I’ve been using as a pre-shower hair mask once every couple of weeks, is perfect. After just one use, my hair felt noticeably softer, smoother, and much easier to manage, and I’ve found my ends haven’t started splitting as soon as they usually do after a haircut.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Conscious Skincare
Conscious Skincare has not been rated.
Conscious Skincare’s Eco Shampoo
Don’t like the slippery, sliding shower performance of plastic-free bars?
Conscious Skincare has killer plastic free liquid shampoo and conditioners
In their hair care lineup, they offer eco-friendly conditioner, shampoo, an argan oil hair treatment, and a gift pack containing all three.
These hair care products (which all have rave reviews) are organic, palm oil free, cruelty-free, and (mostly) vegan.
The eco shampoo and conditioner is made from a special formulation that contains a number of hair-loving essential oils, including Cypress, Sage, and Lavender. Not only can you help Mother Nature, but now you can smell like her too (mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery.)
While the key active ingredients in the conditioner are moisturizing coconut oil and shea butter, the shampoo is made with a base of volumizing vitamin b5, inulin, and jojoba oil.
Both formulas are suitable for all hair types and come housed in a fully recyclable glass bottle with an optional plastic dispenser.
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 organic shampoo and skincare 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.”
Refills are available for some products for UK residents and others, like their face serums, come in reusable glass dropper bottles.
Their award-winning product range is worth checking out and sharing with your friends and family (eco-warriors or not)!
Yarok
Yarok has not been rated.
Yarok’s Eco Conditioners & Shampoos
Each Yarok product caters to a different appetite with their Feed Your Moisture and Feed Your Volume sustainable shampoo and conditioner.
The former is especially recommended for hair that is thick and curly or dry and damaged.
The entire range is made of all natural and mostly organic ingredients and is free of alcohol, parabens, sulfates, chemicals and gluten.
Instead, natural oils and herbal infusions take their place in finished products that are vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate-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 haircare.
These eco-friendly hair 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”.
Their packaging is not plastic-free, but is reusable and recyclable.
A full 3% of all Yarok’s profits go directly to benefiting Pachamama Alliance and protecting the Amazon Rainforest.
Acure
Acure has not been rated.
Acure’s Eco-Friendly Shampoo & Conditioner Liquids
Acure Organics makes environmentally safe shampoo from (you guessed it) organic ingredients.
Their shampoos are 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 brunette-specific options.
We’ve tried the Ultra Hydrating body wash and shampoo combo range, and it’s as good as the name suggests. After all, no one can really go wrong with hydrating argan oil and pumpkin seed.
Except maybe those of you with already oily hair to begin. You should probably try their oily hair shampoo made with watermelon fruit extract and blood orange instead.
Since their liquid shampoo tubes are recyclable but not zero waste, the Coconut & Argan shampoo bar is a better head-to-toe solution for our zero waste warriors out there.
It also works as body and hand soap—because don’t you know we love a good 3-in-1 action!
About Acure
Based in the USA, Acure Organics is a family owned business specializing in skincare (think organic face moisturizers, deodorant, and more).
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.
Some of their charitable partners include Unite For Her, a breast cancer non-profit, and Turning Green, a student-led environmental advocacy movement.
Acure is also available on Amazon | Nourished Life (AU)
Green People
Green People has not been rated.
Green People’s Eco-Friendly Shampoo And Conditioner
Green People has a huge range of hair care, the entirety of which are SLS free and mostly organic.
When we say huge, we mean like REALLY huge. The likes of not only generic liquid shampoo, but also men’s shampoo, baby shampoo, and eco-friendly shampoo bars.
We can’t speak for all of their paraben free shampoos, but we’ve personally tried (and loved) the Organic Quinoa and Artichoke Shampoo and Conditioner. The strengthening quinoa protein boosts shine while smoothing artichoke shields against UV damage.
A wombo combo for healthy hair growth!
All of their products are certified organic, cruelty-free, and vegan.
The sugar cane PE packaging and PP plastic cap can be recycled curbside.
About Green People
Green People specialize in organic, chemical-free beauty products that include haircare, skincare, and makeup.
They have created over 400 organic formulas that have received over 44,000 5-star reviews and over 270 awards.
No surprise considering they are PETA and Soil Association certified, and source Fairtrade ingredients wherever possible.
While some of their products contain palm oil, they state their palm oil is sustainably sourced from countries where there are no native orangutans.
They support a variety of charities from children’s hospice to marine conservation.
Why Choose Eco-Friendly Shampoo & Conditioner?
Did you know that in the United States alone, 550 million empty shampoo bottles are thrown away every year?
It’s safe to assume that globally, that number reaches billions.
Recent studies show that 50% of all plastic bottles are collected for recycling, and only 7% of those bottles are actually recycled. Since all the different components and materials are tedious to disassemble, many recycling facilities just don’t find it worth it.
While you may think you’re making waves by chucking that shampoo bottle in the recycling bin, chances are it still ends up in a landfill or the ocean.
When it comes to pollution and hair care products, plastic isn’t even the biggest issue.
Ingredients matter too. Traditional shampoos contain no shortage of sulfates, parabens, TCS (which turns into the carcinogen chloroform), and formaldehyde. All which are used to prolong shelf life at the sake of our health.
The problem with these toxic chemicals is that: 1) They suck for our bodies; and 2) they suck for our planet.
Sulfates and TCS can form carcinogens linked to kidney disruption and hormone damage, parabens have been linked to breast cancer, and formaldehyde has been shown to cause or worsen asthma.
All while also killing corals, acidifying surface water and soil, and polluting the air (supposedly as much as cars!).
By switching to environmentally-friendly shampoo and conditioner, you can eliminate these daily toxins and save the health of your body and the planet from a world of troubles.
We hope this resource gives you some new ideas when deciding which eco-friendly 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.
Hailey is a full-time world traveler and a part-time content writer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. She loves exploring the world by participating in local sustainability projects. Her project highlights include volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary in Hawaii, a butterfly biodiversity garden in Laos, and an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand. All experiences which have further developed her passion for universal animal welfare and advocacy. In her free time you might find her cuddling stray animals, hand crafting, café hopping, and literally hugging trees.
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.