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I have tried a few solid shampoos over the years, I really want to ditch the plastic bottles from my bathroom.
I was excited to be able to try the Ethique range of solid shampoo bars. I started off with one of the Ethique hair samplers, which gives you 3 shampoo bars, and two conditioners to try.
I love the idea of samplers like this as you don’t have to commit to paying full price for something with no idea of whether it will suit your hair, or if your skin might react to it.
This review is mainly about the Ethique solid shampoos, so I will leave talking about the conditioner and their other beauty bars to another time.
Ethique is a relatively new company, they have been around since 2018, and recently have been making waves with their strong ethical and environmental stance.
Before I get into the review, lets look at their credentials.
What Makes Ethique Eco-Friendly?
Plastic free shampoo
Not only is the shampoo plastic-free, but Ethique is also shipped plastic free.
The packaging that Ethique uses is cardboard, so you can recycle it, or compost it, just keep it out of the landfill! It is refreshing to be able to order something online and know that it will arrive without a huge pile of plastic packaging.
Vegan and Cruelty Free
No animal testing, and no animal derived products. They also do not use ingredients that have been tested on animals. And just to make sure, they are certified cruelty-free & Vegan by CCF AU and PETA.
Free From Palm Oil
Palm oil in an estimated 95% of bathroom products, so it is refreshing to find a brand that states it’s product and supply chain are 100% free from palm oil and its derivatives.
They are also certified by the Orangutan Alliance.
Carbon Neutral
Ethique are currently carbon neutral (measured by an external organization), and also working on becoming carbon positive.
Also, if you order online, for an extra $5 they will even plant a tree for you to off set the carbon of the delivery.
Fair Trading
Ethique are fair trade, and use direct trading with producers wherever possible to ensure a fair price is given back to communities.
Ethique Shampoo Bar Review
The solid bar sampler that I bought contained three shampoos to try: Frizz Wrangler, Heali Kiwi, and Saint Clements. It also had two conditioners: The Guardian and Wonderbar. I tried all the shampoos and both the conditions er over a couple of weeks.
If you haven’t used shampoo as solid bars before, they are pretty easy to use, and the Ethique ones are no different:
- You wet your hair and the bar.
- Slide the bar from root to tip 3-4 times.
- Put the bar down and lather shampoo into your hair.
Does it lather up easily?
The shampoo bars were easy to lather up in my hair. Actually the first time I used one (Frizz Wrangler) it lathered up too much (waay too much), but now that I am used to how much I need to use I have the lather under control.
How do Ethique shampoo bars smell?
The Ethique shampoo bars that I tried all smelled great. They all had a very mild and fresh scent. The Frizz Wrangler had a lovely coconut scent, St Celements and Heali Kiwi both had a mild fruity scent.
One of the things I dislike about the Lush shampoo bars is that the scent is so strong (I could almost taste it, yuk), so I was pleased that these ones are much lighter and more pleasant.
Do you need to use a conditioner with Ethique shampoo bars?
After using the shampoo my hair felt quite smooth, much nicer than it does if I have used a regular shampoo, so you might be able to get away without conditioner. I always use conditioner as I have dry hair, and I had two Ethique conditioner bars to try out!
The conditioners both worked as expected. My hair felt like they had rinsed out completed, but still smooth and soft.
Do Ethique shampoo bars work?
My experience using Ethique shampoo bars was very positive. I definitely preferred them over the other solid shampoos I have tried. I even went on to buy a full-sized bar of the Frizz Wrangler and The Guardian which I am very happy with so far.
I will update this review once I have tried them out for a longer period of time, as you never can tell after just 1 or 2 washes.
FAQ & Tips
Can you use Ethique with hard water?
Yes you can. You will probably find that it doesn’t lather up as well as with soft water, or compared to liquid shampoo, but it wont leave a greasy residue like some other brands of solid shampoo.
How long does a Ethique shampoo bar last?
The Ethique website claims that some customers can make their bars last for as long as 12 months! Now that I have been using a full sized bar for a while I would say that with the right care (e.g. letting it dry out properly between uses), and being careful not to use too much, a bar should last for 2 or more months (depending on how long your hair is and how often you wash).
Are Ethique shampoo bars sulfate free?
They are free from sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and) sodium laureth sulfate (SLeS), but do contain sodium coco sulphate (SCS). SCS is a much gentler surfactant than SLS or SLeS, and these guys make theirs from coconut oil (not palm oil).
Do I need conditioner with a shampoo bar?
My hair felt quite smooth after using the solid shampoo, but I definitely still felt like it needed conditioner (I have quite dry hair).
How do you store Ethique shampoo bars?
I have a block of Frizz Wrangler shampoo and a block of The Guardian conditioner. They fit in a little container which sits next to my shower so that they can dry out in between uses.
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