Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Zefiro #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Zefiro
Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Brush With Bamboo #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Brush With Bamboo
Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Saya Designs #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Saya Designs

7 Eco Friendly Hair Brushes: Good Hairdos Without Environmental Frizz


Things with our planet are getting a little hairy. 

If you think the wads of hair you clean out of your hairbrush every week is gag-worthy, just imagine all the plastics and microplastics filling landfills, oceans, and even our own stomachs. 

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. 

Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! 

Providing good hair days just got a lot more mindful. Hair’s how:

Not only do they make some of the best zero waste hair brushes, but Saya Designs also gives back as a tree-planting company and member of 1% for the Planet. 

Redecker has sustainable boar bristle hair brushes, combining plastic-free materials with durability—meaning detangling power for years to come. 

Brush with Bamboo has (you guessed it) some of the best bamboo hair brushes, including mini bamboo hair brushes.

Check out the end of the article to see how we hair-nessed together this list of sustainable hair brush brands.

*This post contains affiliate links

1. BASS BRUSHES

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Bass Brushes #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Bass Brushes
About Bass Brushes’ Eco Friendly Hair Brushes

Bass Brushes has several different styles of eco friendly hair brushes to choose from—travel brushes, wood brushes, and shower brushes, to name a few. 

Many of their handles are made with eco-friendly materials, like genuine ashwood. Some collections use 100% premium natural bristles.

We’re most excited about their Green Brush, which is made with vegan, bamboo pins and handles.

Another good choice, the Bio-Flex Detangler has a handle made from 100% plant starch.

Bass Brushes’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Since 1979, Bass Brushes has been using natural, genuine, and durable materials to support long-lasting hair brushes.

Available: iHerb | Biome Stores (AU)

2. SAYA DESIGNS

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Saya Designs #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Saya Designs
About Saya Designs’ Eco Friendly Wooden Hair Brushes

Saya Designs makes zero waste wooden hair brushes using FSC-certified wood from Germany. 

All materials—including the bristles, made with natural wild boar bristles or vegan plant-based tampico fibers—are biodegradable. 

They’re finished with natural wax and oils. 

They also offer hair combs, hair forks, and hair oils. 

Saya Designs’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Saya Designs is committed to connecting customers with nature, which is why all of their products are based on the natural shapes found in Indonesia. 

They source some materials from waste, like wooden roots left over when the rest of the tree is used commercially.

The brushes are fully biodegradable and their packaging is made locally and recyclable. 

Their small team of artisans in Germany are paid living wages and receive days off for religious holidays and cultural ceremonies.

They’re also a climate-positive company, member of 1% for the Planet, and partner with The Eden Reforestation Project to plant trees in countries like Madagascar, Nepal, Kenya, Haiti, and Indonesia.

Available: Etsy

3. BRUSH WITH BAMBOO

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Brush With Bamboo #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Brush With Bamboo
About Brush With Bamboo’s Eco Friendly Bamboo Hair Brushes

No surprise here, Brush With Bamboo makes eco friendly bamboo hair brushes. 

Both the comfortable pins and the handle are made with bamboo coated in a Carnauba wax finish. The cushion base is made from natural rubber, making the hair brush fully vegan and compostable

They also have a smaller zero waste bamboo hair brush and a mini version of the same brush. 

Brush With Bamboo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Brush with Bamboo is probably most well-known for zero waste toothbrushes. For several years, they were the only ones with a totally plant-based toothbrush on the market. 

This Green America Certified Business sends their products in environmentally friendly packaging.

Available: ZeroWasteStore.com

4. BRISTLE BRUSH CO. LONDON

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Bristle Brush Co. #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Bristle Brush Co.
About Bristle Brush Co. London’s Eco Friendly Hair Styling Brushes

Bristle Brush Co. London uses sustainable materials for their take on the best eco friendly hair brushes: eco-friendly wood, cork, and ethically sourced boar bristle (so note these aren’t vegan). 

Some of the brushes have nylon bristles – a vegan alternative but nylon is of course plastic. 

They have several different styles available including styling brushes. 

Bristle Brush Co. London’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

The brand was founded by professional hairstylist Sophie Wiltshire—so you can experience spa-level haircare from the comfort of your home. 

The brushes are lovingly handmade in a small coastal village in Spain. 

By the way, these brushes have been chosen by the likes of Kate Middleton and actresses Ruth Langsford and Abbey Clancey!

Available: Etsy

5. REDECKER

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Redecker #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Redecker
About Redecker’s Eco Friendly Wooden Hair Brushes

If you’re looking for a sustainable hair brush—or any type of brush for that matter—Redecker can help. 

Both their round and vegan brushes are plastic-free and made with all-natural materials like sustainably harvested beechwood or thermowood (wood treated with heat and steam to be resistant to decay). 

For bristles, choose between one with Tampico plant fiber bristles or boar bristles (a byproduct from the meat industry). 

To kill two birds with one brush and snag some eco-friendly pet products at the same time, they also have eco friendly cat and dog brushes.

We also love to see a diverse range of eco-friendly hair products breaching the sustainability space, so we’re thrilled to see they offer a wooden afro comb, too.

Redecker’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Friedel Redecker made his first handcrafted brush in 1935 and the company’s commitment to quality, durable brushes hasn’t wavered. 

The Redecker family wants to curb our throwaway tendencies, which is why their brushes are designed to last, but can still be composted at the end of their lives.

Available: EarthHero

6. ZEFIRO

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Zefiro #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Zefiro
About Zefiro’s Eco Friendly Hair Brushes

Zefiro is another brand with brushes aplenty. 

Between bottles, beards, and bodies, they’ve got a brush for almost every need. 

In particular, they can help with little ones. After washing with organic baby shampoo, you can brush that barely-there hair with their soft eco friendly baby hair brush. 

It’s made from FSC-certified beechwood and super-soft goat hair bristles. 

Zefiro’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Zefiro uses all-natural materials across its entire line, meaning everything is compostable at the end of its life.

Their packaging is recycled and recyclable, too.

Available: EarthHero

7. PACKAGE FREE SHOP

Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Package Free Shop #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle
Image by Package Free Shop
About Package Free Shop’s Eco Friendly Bamboo Hair Brushes

If you’re one of many looking for bamboo brushes for hair, you likely already realize that plastic brushes increase your hair’s static. 

No one wants that!

With Package Free Shop’s eco friendly bamboo hair brush you can brush sustainably frizz-free. 

With a rubber base, you get another benefit: it’s compostable at the end of its life.

Package Free Shop’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Their name’s a giveaway: Package Free Shop is the place to go for plastic-free alternatives to many of our favorite zero waste products

Founded by Lauren Signer (of the iconic zero waste blog Trash is for Tossers), this shop believes “that access to sustainable products and resources that positively benefit people and the planet is a basic human right”.

This zero waste online store offers products sourced from some of the most diverse, sustainable, and ethical vendors and manufacturers from around the world. 

Everything is shipped 100% plastic-free and they offset their emissions through the carbon offset program Pachama.

They also give to an extensive range of organizations and are committed to making sustainability more inclusive (as per their 15% Pledge, at least 15% of their wares are created by Black-owned businesses).

Finally, they’re in the process of gaining Certified B-Corp status.

Available: Package Free Shop

WHY LOOK FOR ECO FRIENDLY BRUSHES?

Why is it important to look for a zero waste hair brush for thick hair, thin hair, or anything in between?

Aside from the fact that plastic is having some hair-raising consequences for our planet, it can be considered hair’s worst enemy, too. 

Plastic hair brushes are known to damage hair cuticles, irritate the scalp, and harshly impact thin hair. 

Not only that, but they do a terrible job at distributing your scalp’s natural oils, making hair look greasier. 

Wooden and bamboo brushes discourage frizz and static, and are far more gentle on thin, dry, or damaged hair. They also do much better at distributing natural oils, detangling and gently massaging the scalp. 

Plus, in most cases, wooden or ethical bamboo hair brushes are made with 100% natural materials, meaning they can be composted at the end of their life—not take thousands of years to release dangerous microplastic or chemicals in landfills.


HOW WE FOUND THE MOST ECO FRIENDLY HAIR BRUSHES

Here is the criteria we used to come up with this list:

Materials: 

Much like our criteria for zero waste shampoo and conditioner, materials (or ingredients) matter! 

Wood, bamboo, and cork handles are great, even better when they’re sustainably sourced or FSC-certified and finished with natural waxes and oils.

Bristles are a little tricker. On one hand, boar hair (or softer goat hair for a hair brush for a zero waste baby) is very eco friendly because it’s totally natural. On the other, it does conflict with veganism, so we leave that one up to you.

If brushing with part of a boar turns you off, we tried to include vegan options such as plant-based cellulose bristles and bamboo bristles.

To attach the two together, a natural rubber cushion base is best.

Supply chain and green business practices: 

Good hairdos should come with artisans earning living wages, planted trees, inclusivity-minded business practices, or donated profits through organizations like 1% for the Planet

Carbon offsets and eco friendly shipping materials make for extra good hair days.


FINAL THOUGHTS ON ECO FRIENDLY HAIR BRUSHES

We’ve evolved from the idea that we need to “treat” our hair to 100 brush strokes a day (this is nothing more than a myth according to the American Academy of Dermatology).

But once your hair brush can brush no more, or when you’re fed up with the breakage and damage caused by a plastic hair brush, you’re now equipped with the knowledge of what makes for the most eco friendly hair brushes.

Don’t forget: If you prefer wearing your hair up, make sure you’re styling it with something equally gentle. Check out our list of sustainable accessories for some eco friendly hair ties that won’t break the planet with our plait.

As much as we love a good sustainable hat, we hope this list inspired you to show off those luscious locks.

Spread the good word and inspire others to do the same! 

Tell your friends that less is more when it comes to hair brushing and that there are far better alternatives than running petroleum-based materials through your mane.


Planet aside, our hair deserves better than plastic hair brushes that damage hair follicles and do a poor job of spreading natural oils. Eco friendly hair brushes to the rescue! Image by Brush With Bamboo #ecofriendlyhairbrushes #sustainablehairbrushes #sustainablejungle

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