Swapping bottles for bars is one of the simplest changes that can significantly cut the amount of single-use plastic in your household. If you’re just getting started with reducing plastic, this simple swap is an excellent place to start. Read on for 5 great reasons to swap plastic bottles for bars, and for reviews of some of my favourite bar products.

This post was originally published in August 2020 as “5 reasons to swap your bottles for bars” and updated in June 2023.

Some of my favourite bars

Note: This is not a paid endorsement of any of these products.

As I embraced the idea of bar toiletries, I have enjoyed trying out different ones. Three of my favourites come from Lush, and the other two are from Pure Soap Works.

Lush

Let’s look at the products from Lush first. If you’re not familiar with Lush, it’s an awesome store that sells hand-made products. It started in England and later expanded to North America.

If you don’t have a Lush store in your area, you can also order their products online. They ship their online orders in eco-friendly packaging which is always a bonus. I should warn you that, if you are sensitive to scents, the only downside of visiting a Lush store is many of their products contain a lot of heavenly scents. I usually end up sneezing when I go there.

The first product from Lush that I tried was their unwrapped Aromaco deodorant. In my quest for an aluminum-free deodorant, I tried several brands. Aromaco was the first one that actually worked, didn’t make a mess on my clothes, and didn’t come in plastic packaging. I’ve been using it for years.

I was so impressed with the deodorant that, when I used up my shampoo bar, I decided to give the Honey I Washed My Hair bar a try. It is fantastic. It has a light honey scent, and it lathers really well. I have tried other shampoo bars but keep going back to this one. My daughter uses their Jumping Juniper shampoo bar and finds it works well even for her extremely long hair.

My naturally curly hair can be a blessing and a curse. I was so excited when Lush introduced the Jungle conditioner bar. Sadly, they discontinued it so now I’m back to their American Cream conditioner bar which is lightly scented and does the job for me.

If you have a Lush store in your area, check them out. I hope you like their products as much as I do.

Pure Soap Works

This Canadian company makes a variety of quality, affordable soap products. All of their bars are biodegradable, cruelty-free, and are sold unwrapped. One of the stories I enjoyed reading on the FAQ page on their website was how adding a sticker with a bar code to their products was such a hard decision for them. This is a company that cares about sustainability.

In addition to their stain remover bar that I swear is the best $2 I’ve ever spent, I use a couple of their products regularly.

The Aloe Vera and Vitamin E soap bar is a nice, lightly scented bar that I use in the shower every day. It’s great for dry skin and has definitely reduced the itchy, flaky skin I usually experience during our cold, Canadian winters.

When travelling, I always pack one of their Shampoo and Conditioner bars. It’s a great multi-purpose bar that I use for hand and body soap, in addition to washing my hair.

Here in Canada, Bulk Barn and Goodness Me carry a good selection of their products. You can also order them online at well.ca.

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5 reasons to swap plastic bottles for bars

Since deciding to swap plastic bottles for bars, I have often wondered why I didn’t do this years ago. Here are five reasons to should consider making this switch.

Less waste and no plastic

This is the reason I made the change in the first place. Many bar products contain no plastic packaging. Beyond that, many of them are sold “naked” with no packaging at all. A true win for the environment!

Bars are more economical

Although not the driving force behind my decision to make the swap, I’m sticking with bar products because they save me money. I estimate the switch to bars saves me over $200 a year. Here’s a rough estimate of how the savings break down over the course of a year.

Product	Cost per unit	Annual cost	Alternative product	Annual savings
Deodorant bar	$12	$24	6 x $7 = $42	$18
Stain remover bar	$2	$1	3 x $7 = $21	$20
Shampoo bar	$12	$24	6 x $7 = $42	$18
Conditioner bar	$13	$26	8 x $7= $56	$30
Soap bar	$2	$52	36 x $5 = $180	$128
Total:		$127	$341	$214

Keep in mind this is an estimate for my personal use. If you multiply that for each member of your family, it’s a change that will add up.

More convenient for travel

If you’ve ever had a bottle of shampoo or conditioner leak inside your luggage when travelling, you’ll forever appreciate the value of bar products. Bars are also easier to get through security in your carry-on. They don’t need to go in a plastic baggie with your liquids and gels.

Save the planet from all those miniature hotel toiletries and pack a couple of bars for your next trip.

Bar soap takes up less space

Fans of decluttering—you’ll love that bars take up less space in the bathroom. Plus, they make the bathroom look a lot less cluttered than bottles.

The manufacturers also point out that bars have lower shipping costs. You can fit a lot more square bars in a container than oddly-shaped bottles.

Long-lasting

Finally, bar products last longer than others. My shampoo and conditioner bars last at least a couple of months, and my deodorant bar lasts three or four months.

Longer-lasting products means less time and gas spent driving to the store. Another win for the environment!

Make this simple change today

For more bar products to try, check out Bars! The simplest plastic-free swap you can make!

Have you swapped any of your toiletries for bars? Tell me your experience below.