I’ve tested dozens of the best plastic-free shampoo bar brands made with the safest ingredients over the last few years. So if you’re looking for the best non-toxic bar shampoo (or conditioner bar), I’ve got you covered with my in-depth comparison guide! I’m here to settle the score between Kitsch, Ethique, HiBar, Earthling Co and many more top brands – with pros and cons of each. Plus, I’ll share what I’ve learned along my solid bar journey and tips on how to use them, so you can get the most out of yours!

How to find the best bar shampoo

Solid shampoo bars are inherently eco-friendly, cost-effective and extremely travel-friendly! But if solid shampoo isn’t your thing, I’ve got a normal natural shampoo guide on the blog too.

Here’s how to find the best bar! First it isn’t enough to be plastic-free and zero waste. Be sure to avoid greenwashing shampoo bars that use sustainability as marketing tactic and look deeper into the ingredients.  Look for solid bars free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, soap, artificial fragrances & dyes.

Ingredients to avoid:

• Artificial fragrance
• Artificial colorants
• Unsustainable palm oil
• Preservatives

The best clean shampoo bars will contain organic ingredients, be 100% biodegradable, eco-friendly inside and out, plant-based, cruelty-free, palm oil free (or sustainable palm oil only) and vegan friendly. They should also be concentrated enough to last as long as two bottles of liquid shampoo.

There are plastic-free bars for every hair type and concern: curly hair, color treated hair, fine hair, oily hair, dry hair, and even brassy blonde air that needs toning.

I tried Viori Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar

Viori has been my go-to natural bar shampoo for years and I’ve tried quite a few of the many varietals they offer. I love how raw these bars look and feel and that they’re rice powered! They source organically grown Longsheng Rice from the Red Yao Tribe, let me tell you, RICE is the GOAT of beauty secrets. It’s amazing for hair growth, scalp health, dandruff, irritated scalp and shine.

Viori offers the most variety out of all bar shampoo brands, and I’ve tried five of the whopping 13 they offer: Sweet Musk, Citrus Yao, Terrace Garden, Native Essence and, most recently, Tea Tree Mint. I find that they give an excellent lather and all the scents are heavenly and noticeable but not overpowering. Each one is tailored to a specific hair type, but I find that all of them work for normal hair types. There’s absolutely no residue left over for me! I can confirm that these bars hold up well and do not break apart too easily (as long as you store them properly). Their solid conditioners are so easy to use compared to others and feel super moisturizing! I do not recommend their Bamboo Holder. It starts to grow moldy from moisture in the bathroom and I had to throw mine out.

Price: $9.90 for 3.5 oz (shampoo) / $9.90 for 2.55 oz (conditioner)
How the shampoo bar feels: decent lather
How the conditioner bar feels: creamy and transfers easily to my hair
Key ingredients: Longsheng rice Water, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Bamboo Extract, Broccoli Seed Oil, Rice Bran Oil
Varietals available (13): Detox & Clarifying Shampoo Bar, Citrus Yao for normal to oily hair types, Advanced Repair Moisturizing Bar, Tea Tree Mint, Chamomile Rose, Citrus Zest, Hidden Waterfall for all hair types, Terrace Garden for normal to dry hair types, Native Essence Unscented for normal to dry hair types, Shampoo Bar for Men, Purple Toning Bar, Pet Shampoo Bar

✔ Ethically sourced ✔ Made in USA (Utah) ✔ Vegan Certified ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Sulfate-free ✔ pH balanced ✔ Fair Trade Certified ✔ B-CORP Certified ✔ Carbon Neutral Certified

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I tried HiBar Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar (great for fine hair!)

HiBar definitely is the most interestingly shaped bar shampoo out there. I was skeptical at first, but I get why they’re shaped like oblong cylinders. They can sit upright and I can keep a good grip on these bars. Plus, the diagonal surface lets me get into all the nooks and crannies. The downside I found to this is that I can’t cover as much surface area as the other bars I tested. This proved most annoying with the conditioner bar because I have veeery long hair. So probably not the best option for long hair or speedy shower folks. I get a good soapy lather from the shampoo bar and the conditioner bar isn’t the creamiest of them all, but still easy to get onto my hair. I love that it has hair nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, rice protein and fermented date fruit extract and there’s a bar for every hair type. Overall, it does an excellent job at cleansing my hair and leaving it bouncy and healthier looking. I can hardly detect any scent while using these bars.

Price: $11.74 for 3.2 oz (shampoo) / $13.48 for 2.7 oz (conditioner)
How the shampoo bar feels: decent soapy lather
How the conditioner bar feels: a bit dense and crumbly but still transfers to my hair decently
Key ingredients: coconut oil, fermented date fruit extract, rice protein and vitamin B5
Varietals available (7): Fragrance Free, Curl Shampoo Bar, Maintain Shampoo Bar for Well-Balanced Hair, Moisturize Shampoo Bar for Dry Hair, Repair Shampoo Bar for Damaged Hair, Soothe Shampoo Bar for Itchy Scalp, Volumize Shampoo Bar for Fine & Flat Hair

✔ Vegan (certain bars) ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ pH balanced ✔ Made in USA (Minnesota)

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I tried Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar

Soo, Kitsch’s bars are let’s say…interesting. The “S” shape of their bar shampoo is fun but not sure how practical it is as it didn’t do anything for me. I find that it’s on the drier side and takes a bit longer than other bars to lather up fully. It gives a decent cleanse but doesn’t feel as nourishing as other rice shampoo bars like Viori’s. The scent is suuuper subtle.

Their bar conditioner is the complete opposite though! This is by far the creamiest, softest bar I’ve tried. That can be both good and bad, because it’s sooo easy to get onto my hair, but it also runs out quicker. I also noticed Kitsch has the simplest ingredients list compared to other natural shampoo bars. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there’s just a few actives in this product.

Price: $14 for 3.2 oz (shampoo) / $14 for 2.7 oz (conditioner)
How the shampoo bar feels: decent soapy lather
How the conditioner bar feels: extreeeemely creamy and way softer than most bars
Key ingredients: Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Castor Oil, Glycerin
Varietals available: Rice Water Protein Solid Shampoo, Rosemary & Biotin Volumizing Shampoo Bar, Castor Oil Nourishing Shampoo Bar, Purple Toning Solid Shampoo, Clarifying Tea Tree & Mint Shampoo Bar, Deep Moisturizing Shampoo Bar, Ultra Sensitive Solid Shampoo & Body Wash

✔ Vegan ✔ Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ pH balanced ✔ Made in USA

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I tried The Earthling Co Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar

I love that The Earthling Co’s bars are pH balanced, all natural, and free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, phthalates, soap, artificial fragrances & dyes. They have seven varietals that differ only by scent – so basically one bar that works for all types including curly and color-treated. Every Earthling bar works to increase volume, reduce breakage, and promote stronger healthier hair without the use of sulfates, drying alcohols, and silicones. I love that it has a good number of certified organic ingredients, which is a sign of high quality, and there are interesting actives high in antioxidants and nutrients like elderberry and marshmallow root. This does a great job at cleansing my scalp and removing oil and buildup.

Vanilla lovers can rejoice too, because this is the only shampoo bar brand that has a vanilla scented bar that actually smells good! It’s not super strong, but I can notice it and I find it enjoyable. I top it off with my vanilla hair mist and I’m basically an irresistable vanilla wafer cookie.

Price: $18.99 for 3 oz (shampoo) / $18.99 for 1.8 oz (conditioner)
How the shampoo bar feels: decent lather
Key ingredients: Marshmallow Root Extract, Elderberry, Guar bean derived conditioning agent, Certified Organic Jojoba Oil, Certified Organic Glycerin, Vitamin B5, Certified Organic Coconut Oil
Varietals available (7): Citrus Sun, Simple Fresh, Cool Breeze, Sweet Sandalwood, Unscented, Vanilla Coconut, Wild Lavender

✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ pH balanced ✔ Made in USA ✔ Climate Neutral Certified

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I tried Rowe Casa Shampoo Bar

Rowe Casa Organics’ bar shampoo is the only one made almost entirely of organic ingredients. Plus, if you’re concerned about residue, I found Rowe Casa’s shampoo bar never leaves me with any residue. The complex blend of essential oils may not be great for people who are sensitive to EO’s, but I love the therapeutic scent from yang yang, cedarwood, rosemary and lavender. It gives a great, rich lather and leaves my hair squeaky clean for days and my scalp feeling super duper refreshed. The only downside is that it’s on the pricier end (even though it is larger than most at 4 oz) and they only have one type of bar. I also love that they come in their own aluminium case to protect them from moisture and water.

Price: $23 for 4 oz
How the shampoo bar feels: rich lather
Key ingredients: Organic Argan oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Passion Fruit Flakes, pure essential oils
Varietals available: One
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ pH balanced ✔ Made in USA

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I tried Odacite Shampoo Bar (luxe!)

I find Odacite’s 552M Shampoo Bar to be great for oily scalps! This leaves my scalp squeaky clean without any residue or buildup and lasts a little longer than the other bars I’ve tried. They’re made in California with natural and organic ingredients just like their skincare line. I find that it lathers super quickly into a creamy, rich luxurious lather. The one thing I didn’t like is that it comes wrapped in plastic, which defeats the purpose of making a truly sustainable “plastic-free” product. The other brands I tested wrap their bars in paper, so that was definitely a letdown.

Price: $29 for 3.7 oz
How the shampoo bar feels: soft creamy lather with no residue
Key ingredients: Coconut oil, Cupuaçu Butter, Castor oil, Argan oil
Varietals available: One
✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ pH balanced ✔ Made in USA (California)

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I tried Ethique Tone Purple Shampoo Bar for my highlights

I’ve tried a handful of clean color toning shampoos and Ethique’s is the first solid purple shampoo bar I tested. I find that it’s suuuper concentrated in pigment, which makes it more effective at toning than other bars that are less pigmented. It gives a creamy, soapy lather like all Ethique bars do, and after letting it sit in my hair for 5-10 minutes my brassiness has noticeably faded. Highly highly recommend as an eco-friendly purple shampoo alternative. (If liquid non-toxic purple shampoo is your thing, my top recommendations are Innersense Organic Beauty and Flourish Beauty Lab).

I tried Ethique Clarifying Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar (great for oily hair!)

I was surprised by how huge Ethique’s clarifying shampoo bar is compared to the conditioner bar. (I found it a bit weird that their solid conditioner is so much smaller!) The shampoo provides the best value compared to other bars and can replace three plastic bottles. Ethique is one of the best sustainable brands out there in my opinion. They’re not just jumping on the solid bar bandwagon because plastic-free bathroom products are trending. They’re completely rooted in sustainability!

Their bar shampoo lathers up very fast and provides my hair with a really good cleanse. Not sure I can detect any scent at all from it though. I was less impressed by their conditioner bar. It feels very similar to HiBar’s conditioner – sorta waxy and crumbly as it transfers. I can still get it onto my hair alright, which is already a plus, but it just doesn’t feel as creamy as some others. Definitely not my first pick.

Price: $13.72 for 3.88 oz (shampoo) / $17 for 2.12 oz
How the shampoo bar feels: decent soapy lather
How the conditioner bar feels: a bit dense and waxy
Key ingredients: organic, fairly traded Ghanaian cocoa butter, and creamed coconut butter from Samoa
Varietals available (11): Refreshing Shampoo Bar for dry hair, Calming Shampoo Bar for dry, itchy scalp, Clarifying Shampoo Bar for oily hair, Volumizing Shampoo Bar for flat hair, Uplifting Shampoo Bar for dull hair, Restoring Shampoo Bar for damaged hair, Curl-Defining Shampoo Bar for curly hair, Brightening Shampoo Bar for blonde and grey hair, 2-in-1 for hair and skin, Unscented, Smoothing Shampoo Bar for frizzy hair

✔ Vegan ✔ Cruelty-free ✔ Color safe ✔ B Corp Certified ✔ Palm Oil-free Certified ✔ 2% of all sales donated

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I tried Brixy Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar

Brixy makes one of the largest vegan and plastic-free bar shampoos on the market and for an affordable price! They have the typical shape of a soap bar while the conditioner bar is a smaller square. I find the shampoo bar cleans my hair super well and lathers very quickly. But Brixy’s conditioner bar pales in comparison to other natural conditioner bars I tested. It has a sorta waxy texture to it and I find it that it doesn’t transfer onto my hair well. This is a bar that would need to put in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to soften up. I tested the Coconut Vanilla bar and could hardly detect any scent.

My main gripe with these bars is that they contain phenoxyethanol. So, they’re not the cleanest bars on the market, but they are free of sulfates, silicones, PEGs, phthalates, parabens, and synthetic scents and colorants.

Price: $13.99 for 4 oz
How the shampoo bar feels: decent soapy lather
How the conditioner bar feels: waxy and dense
Key ingredients: coconut oil, cacao seed butter, glycerin, and provitamin B
Varietals available: Vanilla Coconut, Citrus, Mint Eucalyptus, Strengthen Shampoo Bar, Hydrating Shampoo Bar
✔ Vegan ✔ Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-free ✔ pH balanced ✔ Color safe

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My Tips on Using Solid Bar Shampoo & Conditioner

Learn from my mistakes and get the most out of your solid bar with my tips!

• Always store the bar AWAY from direct water in a DRY place
• Apply the shampoo bar directly on your scalp and hair (instead of lathering it onto your hands) to get the best cleanse
• Don’t OVER-shampoo your hair. Waterless bars are suuuper concentrated and you only need to rub it around your head a few times to get a ton of lather.
• Solid conditioner bars need more effort than liquid conditioner, so be sure to take a few extra minutes to massage it into the hair using your hands. You can also use a wooden comb if you have long hair to help evenly distribute product.
• A little trick I learned is to melt the conditioner bar in a pot of boiling water for a bit to soften it up and make it easier to use. Some bars are softer than others so check my guide to find out which.