15 Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Hair Care Products for All Your Hair Care Needs

The way we style our hair reflects our individual tastes while encompassing the influences of our cultural, familial, and personal identities. When our hair isn’t cooperating with us, it can throw off not only an entire look, but, quite literally, an entire day. We know that finding the perfect hair products to suit your specific hair profile and personal style can feel like a game of chance. When you throw sustainability in the mix, it gets even more complicated. To help ease some of your hair care stress, we created a guide to some susty products we recommend for each hair type. Don’t know your hair type? Check out this graphic from Healthline:

All Hair Types

1. Earthling Co. Shampoo & Conditioner Set - Earthling Co.’s shampoo and conditioner bar bundle works wonderfully for all hair types. Their products are 2-3oz and come in completely compostable packaging for anyone looking to step into their low-waste era (or if you’re a lucky girl with a compost pile AND a garden). 

2. Clean Beauty Lab Cleanse and Nourish Bundle - Clean Beauty Lab is a vegan and cruelty-free hair studio based in NoMad, New York. Their product line is simple and adaptable for all hair types. We love their shampoo, conditioner, and mask set for a routine that will freshen, cleanse, and hydrate your hair. Their products are free of synthetic fragrances and still smell incredible! You can read more about the brand and the Clean Beauty Lab’s journey and history in our recent feature. 

3. Ethique Bar Minimum™ - If you are looking for a product that works for every hair type but you are sensitive to strong scents, Bar Minimum is made for you. Of course, everyone wants to smell good, but if you are more invested in cleansing your hair and less invested in the smell and packaging of it all, this Ethique bar is a great zero-waste, frill-free option. 

4. Captain Blankenship Shampoo - The Captain Blankenship shampoo is simple and easy to use. This product comes in a metal bottle for easy recycling and is made for all hair types. The Aloe and Seaweed scent gives your hair a clean and fresh-smelling finish. 

Oily Hair 

5. Meow Meow Tweet Shampoo and Conditioner Powder - For our friends with oily hair, the shampoo powder from Meow Meow Tweet is a great versatile option. The shampoo and conditioner come in powder form in metal bottles, and when mixed with water, turn into a latherable, lotion-like texture. For anyone living in a region with hard water, both the shampoo and conditioner can be used as a hair mask in tandem with other products. The powder is estimated to last 4x longer than traditional shampoo  and the metal material can be re-used and more easily recycled than plastic bottles! 

Dry Hair 

6. Innersense Nourish Hair Ceremony - If you struggle with dry hair that begs for hydration and nourishment all year long, then this Innersense Hair Ceremony is the one for you. This line of products can be used individually or in combination with each other for a full-on hydration experience. The products are made specifically for all hair types (straight to coily) and are meant to add additional hydration to the most brittle of ends. Innersense takes sustainability very seriously in all their products by prioritizing sustainable packaging and working towards carbon neutrality in all areas of the production process. 

Scalp Treatments 

7. Ceremonia Scalp Power Duo - It is true what they say: hot girls have dandruff. Whether you’re flaky with your plans or flaky with your scalp, this scalp power duo from Ceremonia is an ideal combo for hydrating the skin on your scalp and leaving your hair with a healthy and shiny finish. The Scalp Masajeador exfoliates while the oil leaves hair hydrated. If you want to add another layer to your scalp health routine, throw in the Papaya Scalp Scrub to get rid of nasty product buildup. Use discount code “SUSTAINABLEBADDIE_” for 10% off your order.

Damaged Hair

8. Rhyme and Reason Repair & Restore Line - This vegan and cruelty-free product is meant to help restore your damaged hair. Whether you’re recovering from a funky dye attempt or just facing some splitting ends, this product line helps to detangle and soften hair to add volume and body. Rhyme and Reason products are packaged in 100% recycled plastic bottles and made using 90% natural products. 

Products by Hair Texture

Type 1: Straight

9. Ethique: Sweet and Spicy Voluminizing Shampoo Bar - This bar is excellent for folks with fine, straight hair. It helps add lift so that your hair doesn’t fall flat and stays voluminous all day. The Ethique products are packaged in compostable packaging and are intentionally zero-waste so your hair care routine can feel as guilt-free as possible. You can also purchase these products in mini or tester sizes to try them out before diving headfirst into something new. 

Type 2: Wavy

10. Deep Moisture Wash Day – Ceremonia - Ceremonia is one of our favorites for all things haircare. You can hop onto their website, take their hair-care quiz, and get personalized recs. Personally, we believe that Ceremonia’s Deep Moisture Wash Day set is the perfect combination for many hair types, but especially for those wavy folks with hair types 2A-2C, you cannot go wrong! Use discount code “SUSTAINABLEBADDIE_” for 10% off your order.

Type 3: Curly

11. Crown Affair The Renewal Mask - Made intentionally for all hair types, this renewal mask from Crown Affair is well-reviewed as a great addition to any curly hair routine. The hydrating mask helps repair hair that has been product or heat-treated and eases natural frizz and flyaways. This product is lightweight, so it will leave your curls fresh and not at all weighed down. You can also combine this product with their towel, silk scrunchies, and other products to help with your curls’ longevity. Crown Affair’s products are totally vegan, ethically-sourced, and free of heavy chemicals. 

Type 4: Coily

12. The Body Shop Jamaican Black Castor Oil Range - This range from The Body Shop comes with conditioners, a hair mask, and a curl activator to keep your curls and coils happy. All the products in the range are meant for detangling, strengthening, and hydrating. The Body Shop recommends these products for those in the hair range 3A-4C. Although these products are currently not zero-waste, they come in 100% recycled packaging and are made with ethically-sourced ingredients. 

Hair Accessories 

Of course, no haircare routine is complete without some fun hair accessories to spice up your look. Here are some of our favorite brands for colorful additions to finish off the ’fit. 

1. Chunks: These colorful and quirky clips are perfect additions for any type of hair. Chunks is an AAPI woman-owned brand and they are prioritizing ethical sourcing and sustainable production with all their products. You can find a range of colors, styles, and sizes of hair clips for every hair personality in your life.

2. Oîma Silk Scarves: These hand-dyed silk scarves made with natural dyes by Marilyn Sanchez in New Jersey will keep your hair in place on good or bad hair days. These scarves can be used in a myriad of ways, but tying them up in your hair like a scrunchie will finish off any outfit, and the silk material will keep your hair frizz-free. 

3. Pansy Organic Cotton Scrunchies: Pansy, an organic cotton intimates and loungewear brand is using fabric scraps to make adorable and versatile scrunchies. In a range of colors, these scrunchies will keep anyone’s hair out of their face and styled to perfection. And the upcylced nature of it all is intentionally sustainable too!