Zero Waste Curly Hair Guide

If you follow the curly girl routine like I do or just have curly hair and are searching for suitable zero waste products I’ve made this guide for you! When I first started my zero waste journey I honestly didn’t think it would be possible to make my hair routine zero waste too. While there are companies that make refillable and unpackaged products for people with non-textured hair there’s a huge gap in the market for those of us with kinky, curly and wavy locks who want to wear our hair natural. So for the past 3 months, I’ve been testing and researching eco-friendly curly girl approved hair products that are easy on the earth and ethical. I’ve tried to make this guide as comprehensive as I can and will continue to update and add to it as new products come to market.

SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

When it comes to zero-waste curl friendly shampoo and conditioner there are three choices, you can DIY, buy from a company that offers refills or use a package free shampoo or conditioner bar. I personally choose to do the second option most of the time because I’m a creature of convenience and I love the feeling of using liquid shampoo and conditioner on my hair but I’m laying out both liquid and solid options for you here so you can make your own decision!

LIQUID SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER REFILLS

When it comes to curl-friendly refills the best company out there hands down is A Simple Planet. They offer curl-friendly products in stainless steel containers and offer a refill option where you simply send back your empty refill pouches to be reused for free. They also provide the refill pouches on their own at a discounted cost if you want to use your own container. They just released a shampoo and conditioner for curly hair, and I am absolutely OBSESSED with the sulfate-free shampoo made from wild crafted ingredients I will definitely be refilling my bottles over and over again!

Other refillable shampoo and conditioner options are Plaine Products or The Good Fill. These companies don’t specialize in curly hair but the ingredients are curly girl method approved. Plaine Products shampoo is great for fine hair or clarifying by CG standards, while the conditioner can be used regularly. All of The Good Fill liquid conditioners have CG compliant ingredients and are gentle on hair and are also very budget friendly. I recently started using the good fill sweet pea conditioner on my hair and I love it!

SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER BARS

Another option for those that want to save some money and go completely package-free are shampoo and conditioner bars. These have been all the rage in the zero-waste community for a while now but very few bars focus on the needs of curly hair. Luckily I found some great options to choose from!

Etsy seems to be the prime place to shop if you are looking for a curly friendly shampoo or conditioner bar. Everything from scalp soothing fenugreek and shikakai shampoo bars, which are known in the ayurvedic world to help with hair growth and shine to henna and aloe vera based shampoo bars, which help with curl definition.

Here’s a list of some of my other favorite shampoo and conditioner bars that you can find online:

BARS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGED OPTIONS

I was super excited when Boucleme announced that they would be switching most their packaging from plastic to a biodegradable sugar cane “plastic”, their curl-focused products are popular with a lot of curly haired people and offer shampoos and conditioners for a range of different curl types.

NOTE: Not all Boucleme products are packaged in biodegradable sugar cane. Please check the product description before purchasing.

STYLING PRODUCTS

One of my favorite things to DIY for my hair is flaxseed gel but I often look for convenience and shelf life when it comes to my styling routine and I know you might too so here are my favorite pre-made zero waste friendly options that work wonders for my curls.

As I mentioned before Boucleme switched their bottles from plastic to a biodegradable sugar cane “plastic”, and offers plant-based styling products for curly hair with everything from curl creams to hair oils and curl defining gels available.

If you are wanting to go the refill route I LOVE the curl styling products from A Simple Planet and they offer everything from several gel options, frizz sprays and even refresh sprays. I’ve gotta say my hair looks amazing when I use their flax gel, it gives a light hold that looks natural once I scrunch it out. My husband also uses the A Simple Planet flax gel for his hair so it’s a multipurpose item in this household and the bonus is it doesn’t irritate his scalp like the other store brand gels he was using did.

Deep Conditioner and Hair Treatments

A Simple Planet is the only company I know of that currently offers a protein treatment in zero waste packaging. I frequently use their plant-based protein treatment since my hair is bleached and color treated, I find it helps restore some of my hair strength that’s often lost right after being bleached. One things to remember is that treatments that are plant protein based are not only earth and animal friendly but they’re also less likely to cause your hair to go into protein overload if you overuse them. Deep conditioners are fairly easy to make yourself with ingredients like aloe, jojoba oil, coconut oil and other oils that you can find packaged in glass at your local store. You can also leave your conditioner on for up to 20 minutes wrapped in a warm towel for a deep treatment when needed.

For DIY hair treatments, I like to do a fermented rice water treatment (not technically a protein treatment but builds bonds in your hair) or add Braggs liquid aminos or coconut aminos to my conditioner and leave it on for 5 minutes. This concoction will revive curls and add extra bounce to damaged hair and is something that you might already have hanging around your kitchen! Apple cider vinegar is a popular hair treatment that can help with dandruff, buildup and scalp Ph. Just mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 5 tablespoons of water and massage the liquid into your scalp. Let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse out, applying your conditioner afterwards.

Do you have any zero waste curly products that you love? Share them in the comments below and I might add them to this article!

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