7 Tips on Eco-Friendly Haircare for Beginners

7 Tips on Eco-Friendly Haircare for Beginners | Simple Good

Each year in the USA we produce 267.8 million tons of waste and a lot of this ends up in landfill sites around the world. Thankfully, a lot more people are now making a serious effort to minimize how much waste they produce on a regular basis.

There are loads of different ways that you can change your daily routine to create less waste. Following an eco-friendly haircare routine is one of them!

Want some great ideas on how to make your hair care routine as eco-friendly as possible? Then you're in the right place. Read on to find out our top seven tips on how to save the environment while keeping hair healthy.

1. Reuse and Upcycle Your Empty Bottles

Over 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year and shampoo bottles make up a large part of this. Because of this, a lot of people are aware that recycling your empty shampoo and conditioner bottles is important.

But did you know that you can produce even less waste by reusing them yourself? 

A lot of eco-friendly and zero-waste stores now welcome people to buy directly from soap and shampoo dispensers. This means that you can take your empty bottles to the store with you and fill them up there without buying any more plastic in the process. 

Or you could turn your old bottles into handy pots for makeup brushes, hair accessories, and jewelry. The possibilities are endless!

shampoo bars

2. Buy Zero-Waste Shampoo and Conditioner

Once you've run out of bottled shampoo or conditioner, why not look into replacing them with shampoo or conditioner bars. These different hair products are some of the most popular zero-waste beauty products around. 

These bars work in a similar way to bars of soap. All you need to do is wet them and rub them into your hair to create a lather.

They're also much easier to use when they're running out. So you can say goodbye to bashing the bottom of the shampoo bottle to get the dregs out! 

These bars come with zero packaging or minimal paper packaging that you can compost. This means that they create little to no waste from start to finish.

save water in the shower

3. Monitor How Much Water You Use

The amount of water your use matters if you want to save energy. We all like a long, hot shower or bath from time to time. But having these too often wastes a lot of water and energy. 

Think about when and how you're using water by saving your luxurious shower or bath for once or twice a week. The rest of the time, consider having a shower and hair wash as a "practical activity" that will help you to save time and energy.

4. Cut Out the Heat

No, we're not suggesting you go extreme and get into cold showers (although this would save energy). Cutting out heat from the rest of your hair care routine can also save a lot of energy.

So think twice about how to dry, curl, or straighten your hair after washing it. This is a great opportunity to experiment with eco-friendly ways of styling your hair, such as using reusable rags to make curls.

This will also give your hair a welcome break from too much heat exposure, which can cause damage over time.

5. Look for Organic Towels

Choosing organic products that are made in an environmentally friendly way is also important. These products use less energy in the manufacturing process and your eco-friendly materials.

For example, organic cotton towels don't just feel lovely. They also avoid pollutant dyes and use a lot less energy to make. When you're shopping for your next set of towels, make sure you go organic!

read label vegan organic zero waste

6. Check Your Product Labels

Our haircare routines often involve a lot of different products. As well as shampoos and conditioners, you might use: 

  • Hair dyes
  • Hair oils
  • Protective masks for styling 
  • Waxes or gels
  • Hairsprays

Unfortunately, a lot of these contain chemicals that don't do our planet any good. This is why it's a good idea to read the label before you buy any new products. Where possible, try switching harmful products for more eco-friendly ones.

For example, aerosols like hairspray are very bad for the environment. If you want your hair to keep shape and volume, why not try switching to a light, eco-friendly wax? This will give your hair texture and volume without releasing pollutant gases into the air.

Checking the labels of any products that you use will help you to reduce your carbon footprint when caring for your hair. Ideally, look for organic ingredients that use little energy to make and aren't harmful to the environment.

plastic free comb brushes zero waste

7. Think About the Brushes You Use

Most of us use brushes or combs to keep our hair looking great and stop it from getting tangled. Often these last us a while.

That said, most hairbrushes are not all made of one material and usually contain plastic. This means that they're often not recyclable. So when buying a new brush, why not take a look at eco-friendly brushes? 

These brushes use eco-friendly materials so that, once they are worn out, you can compost them or recycle them. This makes them a much more eco-friendly option than traditional plastic hairbrushes.

Make the Most of an Eco-Friendly Haircare Routine

As you can see, there are loads of ways to produce less waste and save energy with an eco-friendly hair care routine! Keep these seven tips in mind and you'll be doing your part to care for the environment. 

If you're ready to get started with eco-friendly haircare, then check out these great waste-free shampoo and conditioner bars.