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Zero-waste hair care

I have long curly hair and that is why a good, natural haircare routine has always been very important to me. In 2016, I decided that I no longer want to use so many plastic products and came to the decision that I want to reduce the amount of plastic shampoo bottles I use by implementing a zero-waste haircare routine. This blog posts is based on when I first tested shampoo and conditioning bars from Lush. Since then there has been an explosion of plastic-free hair-care products so find out which products exist in your area and what works for your hair. This is not meant to be an endorsement for Lush but I here I simply share my first experiences with plastic-free hair care which happened to be with Lush when I was living in Cape Town, South Africa.

I purchased three Lush hair products to test if they would work for me and if they are a viable option. I purchased a shampoo bar, conditioning bar and an avocado co-wash.

The shampoo bar:

  • Rub the bar between your wet hands
  • Use the foam that is produced by the rubbing motion and massage it into your hair roots
  • If you want, you can let is soak into your hair for a while and then wash it out

Right from the first time I used the shampoo bar I absolutely loved it. It works well and smells really good! If you do not have a shampoo bar yet I would definitely recommend trying one out!

The conditioning bar:

  • Let the bar slip side-ways from your one hand into the other
  • Complete this motion until you have enough conditioning liquid in your hands to satisfy your needs.
  • Massage the liquid into your hair tips
  • Let it soak into your hair for a minute and then wash out.

The avocado co-wash:

I originally bought this one as a present for my mom, but she allowed me to lend it to try it out. I would suggest cutting the slab into several small manageable pieces and then rubbing it between your hands in the shower and applying the liquid to your hair. It smells very nice, but I would not say it’s a necessity. I applied it before shampooing and conditioning and it helped add extra smoothness to my hair.

My haircare routine:
I only wash my hair every 3-4 days to ensure that my scalp does not become too dry and to support natural hair growth. Not only does this save water and time but it also really helped my hair grow faster and regulate natural hair oil production.

Every day billions of plastic bottles pollute our landscape, oceans and grounds. Our home is choking on plastic. It lies in the hands of each and every one of us to change this. Consider investing in and trying out shampoo and conditioning bars that work for you. Lush also encourages their consumers to return any empty plastic containers for their other products to be re-used. The containers for the shampoo and conditioner are made from recycled aluminium.

Together we can encourage more companies to do the same and search for innovate zero-waste hygiene solutions. Honestly, it is really worth it – be the change and switch to shampoo & conditioning bars.

SOS: Save Our Surroundings
P.S. Check out my YouTube video reviewing the Lush zero-waste haircare products and Farmer’s market food shopping to reduce your personal carbon footprint, support the local industry and avoid plastic!