10 Best American Shampoo Bars That Actually Work
Looking to cut down on your plastic waste? Here are 10 bars in the USA and Canada that are formulated to work in hard or soft water.
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Are you fed up with shampoo bars leaving your hair greasy?
Or nervous about trying a new zero-waste hair product?
Reducing your plastic bottles shouldn’t be hard, but transitioning to solid shampoo is a massive struggle for many.
It’s been a few years since I first attempted zero waste hair care
(which was a disaster by the way).
I don’t want your hair to have to suffer like mine so today I’m sharing the 10 best shampoo bars from the USA (I have a separate list for the UK).
Why are they the best? Well to start with they actually clean your hair, even in hard water.
If you’re still having trouble with waxy hair then read why isn’t my shampoo bar working?
Coming up
How I’ve defined ‘best’
Avoiding waxy hair when using shampoo bars
- The problem with soapAre sulfates safe?
sodium coco sulfate
Best shampoo bars in the USA/CA
1. How I’ve defined ‘best’
I didn’t just choose these products randomly; I found the best solid shampoo bars based on the following criteria:
Manufactured in the USA/Canada to reduce carbon emissions
Plastic-free packaging
No microplastics in the ingredients
No silicones or synthetic fragrances
All bars contain surfactants (the shampoo part!) so they will clean your hair in hard water
No SLS or SLES
No hormone disruptors, like phthalates
No ethoxylated ingredients or dioxins
Sold by small sustainable businesses
2. Avoiding waxy hair when using shampoo bars
If you’ve been having problems with greasy hair after washing your hair with a shampoo bar, you’re probably using a bar of soap to wash it.
…Seriously.
It’s not your fault, in fact, this has happened to most of us.
Annoyingly, lots of sellers label their bars of soap as “natural shampoo” even though there is no shampoo in them (by shampoo I mean surfactants - the ingredients that remove dirt and grease from your hair).
You’ll know what I mean if you’ve used one - you leave the shower feeling more unclean than when you went in. It’s not pretty.
The problem with soap
If you wash your hair with natural soap, the particles combine with the minerals in hard water and leave a waxy residue in your hair.
Shampoo bars that contain surfactants can be pH balanced to match the acidity of your scalp and cleanse your hair of grease and dirt.
Not all solid shampoo is made the same though. Some sellers formulate their own bars using plant-based ingredients that nourish hair while others just buy wholesale bars and slap their name on the box.
You can find more information on soap vs shampoo bars in my beginner’s guide to transitioning to shampoo bars in hard water.
All the bars on this list contain shampoo and are not bars of soap.
3. Are Sulfates safe?
Sulfates have a bad reputation in the clean beauty world but they are not all the same.
Many people, myself included, avoid SLS because it irritates their skin.
Then there are the less irritating versions, SLES and ALES, which risk being contaminated with 1,4 dioxin, a byproduct during manufacturing and a “probable carcinogen.” Dioxins are problematic because they aren’t biodegradable and have been found in water supplies.
I’ve read online that sodium coco sulfate is made of 50% SLS but if you look at the science that simply isn’t true.
Sodium coco sulfate (SCS) is different. It isn’t irritating like SLS and it isn’t contaminated by 1,4 dioxin.
For some people, particularly those with very greasy hair, it is the solution, however, some people prefer to avoid it (I’ll explain why in a moment). It’s a personal choice.
If you already have a bar in mind and want to understand the ingredients, have a read of which type of shampoo bar is best for your hair.
On my list of shampoo bars, I have clearly labelled whether bars are sulfate-free and which surfactants they use so you can make an informed choice
Sodium coco sulfate is an ideal ingredient if:
You need a shampoo bar with a more powerful cleanser.
Prefer a foamier lather.
Need to wash out silicones or product buildup.
Are struggling to get on with low poo (sulfate-free) shampoos.
Are on a budget (they tend to be cheaper)
You’re using a synthetic conditioner or hair styling product.
You may want to avoid sodium coco sulfate if:
You dye your hair (it can fade the colour quicker)
You are following the curly girl method
You want a mild cleanse rather than a deep cleanse
You have dry or damaged hair (this depends on the bar, if it has been formulated for this hair type it may be fine, but if it hasn’t, it may dry your hair out).
The best shampoo bars contain more than one surfactant but using multiple surfactants adds to the cost. Using ingredients that are natural and free from palm oil is also a lot more expensive.
As a result, sustainable and effective shampoo bars are often twice the price. This is problematic for people on a low income.
Bars using sodium coco sulfate often sit in the middle somewhere. They are cheaper, derived from coconuts and clean well but it really depends on the individual’s hair.
4. Ten best American shampoo bars that actually work
All the shampoo bars on this list are free from soap, petroleum and synthetic fragrances. Some are sulfate-free and some contain sodium coco sulfate so make sure you read what is listed next to the word ‘surfactant’ if you know which type you want.
If a bar has multiple surfactants in it, this means it will have smaller amounts of each and has been carefully formulated rather than mass-produced.
Cost and size
All the bars are different sizes, so don’t forget to pay attention to the weight when deciding on the cost.
All prices were accurate at the time of writing but sometimes manufacturers change their prices so I apologise in advance if this happens and I don’t notice.
UPDATE I recently emailed each company about their palm oil sourcing and have included their answers in the listing.
1. Good Juju
Manufacture: Canada
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Palm oil free: Yes
Sulphate free: No
Surfactant: Sodium Coco Sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Decyl Glucoside
Preservative: None
Weight: 1.9oz
2. Ecoroots
Manufacture: USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Palm oil free - Yes
Sulphate free: No
Surfactant: Sodium coco sulfate
Preservative: Lemon juice
Weight: 2.25oz
3. Zero Waste MVMT
Manufacture: Handmade in Canada
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Palm oil free - Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Sulphate free: No
Surfactant: Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Weight: 2oz
4. Kit.sch
Manufacture: USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes (certified leaping bunny)
Palm oil free - TBC
Sulphate free: Yes
Surfactant: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate
Preservative: None
Weight: 3.2oz (91g)
5. Zero Waste Outlet
Manufacture: USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Palm oil free - Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Sulphate free: Yes
Surfactant: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (coconut derived)
Preservative: Phenoxyethanol
Weight: 2.2oz / 65g
6. HiBar
Manufacture: USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Leaping bunny certified, all bars are vegan except “Maintain” which contains honey.
Palm oil free - Yes
Sulphate free: Yes
Surfactant: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (derived from coconut oil)
Weight: 3.2oz
Discount: 10% off at EarthHero with code SUSTAINABLYLAZY
7. Fat and the Moon
Manufacture: Handmade in the USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free: Yes
Palm oil free - No (RSPO-certified derivatives)
Sulphate free: Yes
Surfactant: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Decyl Glucoside
Preservative: Elderberry Extract
Weight: 2oz
Discount code: 10% off with code SUSTAINABLYLAZY
8. Suds & Co
Manufacture: USA
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Palm oil free: Yes
Sulphate free: No
Surfactant: Sodium Coco Sulfate
Preservative: Lemon juice
Weight: 3oz
9. Ethique
Manufacture: New Zealand (carbon neutral)
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes (certified)
Palm oil free - Yes (certified)
Sulphate-free: Some (Sorbet, Bare Minimum, Professor Curl are sulfate free)
Surfactant: Sodium coco sulfate, decyl glucoside, sodium cocoyl isethionate. The sulfate-free bars only have sodium cocoyl isethionate.
Preservative: Some Ethique bars need no preservatives. Others need them. Ethique uses Dehydroacetic acid (derived from vinegar) and benzyl alcohol (safe if you don’t ingest it, but is occasionally an allergen) maximum used in bar is 0.4%
Weight: 3.8oz (110g)
My recommendations - Frizz Wrangler (dry hair), St Clements (oily hair) Sweet + Spicy (fine hair), Pinkalicious (normal hair)
Note - Ethique’s conditioner bars also work really well.
10. Viori
Manufacture: USA (Utah)
Free from synthetic fragrances: Yes, unscented option available
Vegan + cruelty-free company: Yes
Palm oil free - No, but Viori are RSPO members
Sulphate free: Yes
Preservative: No preservatives, but sodium lactate acts as a natural preserver
Weight: 3.5oz (99g)
What factors are important to you when buying hair products? If you want to ask me something below, please include details about your hair type (e.g. straight, curly, fine) and what products you currently use.
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Sophie <3