The Best Shampoo Bars For More Eco-Friendly Showering

Calling all daily hair washers, this shampoo bar is gentle enough for the job and left our panel with a ‘less itchy than usual’ scalp after use. Testers loved that it ‘wasn’t drying’ and instead left their hair ‘shiny, soft and silky’.

They also noted that their hair was ‘noticeably fuller in volume’, while the larger size ensures it will last the duration of a two-week summer holiday – and then some. Overall, it’s a high performing product that looks the part, too.

Quench thirsty and dry locks with this hydrating shampoo bar, which our panel said worked well on curly hair, leaving locks ‘not only feeling clean, but moisturised too’. Our testers also said the large bar was ‘the perfect size’ to massage into hair. Overall, it’s a reliable and well-priced buy for dry, damaged hair.

If your coloured hair needs a little more TLC, look to Foamie’s sweetly scented bar. It provides hair with all it needs from a shampoo: strength, elasticity, nourishment and help repairing damaged bleached or coloured tresses. Testers also said their hair felt ‘soft’ after use and it was ‘easy to brush’. It lathers well, keeps it shape and is easy to hold in shower too.

We came for the punny names but stayed for the incredible formulas. This naked offering from Lush eliminates wastage, while still leaving locks cleaner, softer and more nourished for almost everyone. The honey scent was a hit too, with one tester describing it as 'divine'. We're sold.

This bar ticks so many boxes – it’s vegan, cruelty free, palm oil free and plastic free, while claiming to be the equivalent of three 350ml liquid shampoo bottles, too. Add in the fruity pomegranate scent and it’s a sure winner.

As well as its eco credentials, it did the job, with testers saying it ‘gave body and a healthier shine’ to their hair, as well as leaving it feeling ‘moisturised, silky and refreshed’. What’s not to love?

It may be diddy in size, but this diminutive bar can last up to 50 washes, while also helping to declutter your shower shelves.

It stayed in tip-top shape throughout our trial and successfully smoothed frayed strands in our lab test. Testers were left with minty-fresh scalps, and they loved how their hair felt.

You may think you need a fancy liquid shampoo to keep your colour looking fresh, but it's simply not so.

Proving a bar can do the same job for a fraction of the cost and waste, this boosted colour vibrancy for testers, who said it lasted longer than their go-to bottle. They were also happy with how clean their hair felt and loved the added softness and hydration it gave.

Ticking all our eco boxes, this zero-waste bar is 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and recyclable, as well as only containing more sustainable palm oil.

The vegan, cruelty-free formula left ends looking softer and more nourished for our testers, who raved about the 'swishy' results.

The majority of shampoo bars are completely sulphate free, so they’re a natural fit for curls. Using natural oils, emollients and a gentle sulphate-free foaming agent, this bar in particular was a top pick for our testers who struggle with frizz, and claims to work for all curls and waves.

The result? Our testers were happy with the look of hair after wash day, noticing tresses were more manageable to style.

Acing our lab test for smoothing, this mango-rich bar didn’t spark any irritation for the majority of our testers, but still managed to create a fluffy lather.

In fact, our testers were so impressed they said they’d ditch their current bottle for this one, with one claiming their hair 'had never looked better.'

Brimming with organic coconut oil and ethically traded shea butter to nourish strands, testers said they had fewer tangled knots than usual after use.

It excelled at leaving lengths silky-smooth in our lab too, and left testers with squeaky-clean scalps. It wouldn’t be our top pick for boosting shine, but it didn’t crack under pressure (literally) for the entire four weeks.

This bar is jam-packed with sustainably sourced honey, while the formula itself is 97% biodegradable.

It lasted until the end of the trial, leaving most with cleaner-feeling hair. It refreshed colour vibrancy for many too, but our panel would have loved it more if it had come with a string or tin to help with storage.