The April goal in our Year of monthly waste reduction goals is to eliminate plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles. Not only is this simple change good for the environment, but will save you a lot of money.

This post was originally published in April 2020 and updated in December 2022.

Embracing shampoo bars

It has been almost three years since I made the switch to shampoo bars. I was a bit skeptical at first, but now I wouldn’t go back to liquid shampoo. In addition to reducing waste, this swap has saved money, and bars are so much more convenient for travel than bottles. The blue shampoo bar in the photo above is from Molloy’s. It was still going strong after seven months!

The challenge of conditioner

Finding a plastic-free option for conditioner was more of a challenge. When I started to research alternatives, I looked for bulk conditioner in refillable containers. There really wasn’t much choice at that time.

Then, I discovered the American Cream conditioner bar from Lush. I find it works for my short, curly hair. Lush later introduced a new Jungle conditioner bar formulated for curly hair which I really liked. Sadly, they have since discontinued it.

My daughters both have long hair. The switch to shampoo bars worked well for them, too. My daughter Colleen tried the American Cream conditioner bar and wasn’t a big fan so she went back to using regular conditioner. Luckily, there are more bulk refill options for conditioner now, including The Body Shop.

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How have you eliminated plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles? If you have had success with other shampoo and conditioner bars, or have found a bulk conditioner that works, tell us below.