The best shampoo bars to buy in 2023 tried and tested
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YOU may not have heard of them until recently, but shampoo bars are becoming increasingly popular.
And eco-warriors can rest assured that the best shampoo bars offer all the benefits of their traditional counterparts.
Whether your hair is thick, fine, straight, curly, dark, blonde or grey there’s a shampoo bar to suit you. What’s more, they’re also formulated for different scalp types and conditions, whether that’s oily, dry, flaky, normal or sensitive.
As opposed to the shampoo we’ve been using all our lives, shampoo bars are solid and don’t contain water (you add that in the shower while you’re washing your hair). This means they don’t come in plastic bottles, so they’re better for the environment.
Most contain natural ingredients, often fair trade or organic, and they often don’t contain chemicals such as parabens or sulphates. Fragrances are generally natural too, from plants, flowers or fruits, and hydration comes from moisturisers such as cocoa and shea butters, and seed oils.
Shampoo bars are also compact so are ideal for travelling as they take up less space in your luggage. A 50g bar will also last for around 50 uses so though it’s small, it’s pretty mighty.
Whether you prefer simply shampoo, a shampoo conditioner blend or a separate conditioner you’ll find something suitable in solid form.
Best shampoo bars at a glance:
- Best value shampoo bar: Eco Warrior Dry Hair Shampoo Bar
- Best smoothing shampoo bar: WeDo Professional No Plastic Shampoo Moisture & Shine
- Best conditioning shampoo bar: Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo Bar With Aloe Vera
- Best shampoo bar for blonde hair: Ethique Tone It Down Brightening Purple Shampoo Bar
- Best shampoo bar for an irritated scalp: Green People Eucalyptus & Mint Shampoo Bar
Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo Bar
- Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo Bar With Aloe Vera, £17 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Pros: Rich lather, conditioning, detangling effect, left my hair non-frizzy
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4.5/5
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This shampoo bar is one of my favourites as it left my hair soft, shiny and non-frizzy. Even though it doesn’t contain conditioner, it left my hair feeling like I’d applied conditioner to it.
The dry bar has a slightly oily feel and you can feel the product start to melt in the warmth of your hands; I’m guessing this is due to the coconut and olive oil it contains. It also contains aloe vera, which is known for its hydrating and strengthening properties.
I found the fragrance subtle, but appealing and the bar lathered up quickly, producing a rich, creamy foam.
After rinsing and towel drying, my hair was easy to comb through; it was less frizzy than usual after rough drying. As an added perk, straightening it took less time than usual.
This bar is formulated for dehydrated and dull hair – basically my hair most of the time – and even after the first use I found my hair looked softer and sleeker.
Weight: 100g; number of washes: unknown; shelf life: lasts 6 months once opened additional info: vegan
Eco Warrior Dry Hair Shampoo Bar
- Eco Warrior Dry Hair Shampoo Bar, £4.50 from Amazon – buy here
Pros: Rich lather, affordable, large size
Cons: Very light fragrance
Rating: 4/5
This is one of the larger shampoo bars available at 100g, so it’s excellent value. The dry shampoo bar contains coconut and argan oils to nourish your hair, as well as marshmallow extract for its softening effects. The fragrance is subtle and it produces a rich, creamy lather.
I found the bar lathered up quickly in my hands and on my hair, producing a soft foam and I felt it reached my scalp with little effort. I didn’t have to use much of the product to feel as if it was really working. However, when I dried my hair, it dried frizzy, which was disappointing.
I think the fragrance could be stronger.
Also available in Deeply Nourishing, Sensitive Scalp and Men’s Edit varieties.
Weight: 100g shelf life: lasts 24 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Green People Eucalyptus & Mint Shampoo Bar
- Green People Eucalyptus & Mint Shampoo Bar, £16 from Green People – buy here
Pros: Fragrance, rich lather
Cons: Expensive, small bar
Rating: 4/5
I love the minty fragrance of this shampoo bar; it smells good enough to eat. It’s formulated for an itchy, flaky scalp and mine can be itchy these days (thanks menopause!) so I was keen to try it.
I found it lathered up quickly with a rich foam, which didn’t disintegrate to nothing when I rubbed it into my head. I also applied the bar directly through my hair and I felt it really reached my scalp.
It made my scalp tingle but it wasn’t too strong, unlike some minty products I’ve used in the past. Whether it reduces the itching, time will tell, but I’ll definitely be using this again.
As well as mint and eucalyptus, this shampoo bar also contains macadamia and avocado seed oils to help strengthen hair and celery seed extract, for its soothing anti-itch and anti-flake properties.
Also available in Citrus & Ginger and Scent-Free versions.
Weight: 50g; number of washes: 60 washes average shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
WeDo Professional No Plastic Shampoo Moisture & Shine
- WeDo Professional No Plastic Shampoo Moisture & Shine, £15.75 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Pros: Smoothing, easy to comb out tangles, quicker to style
Cons: Expensive, takes a while to get a good lather
Rating: 4.5/5
This shampoo bar is for hair and body, though I only used it on my hair.
WeDo Professional No Plastic Shampoo Moisture & Shine is formulated for normal and damaged hair and mine is definitely damaged after years of colour and heat treatment. It contains red clay and organic argan oil, and contains 99.8% biodegradable ingredients.
It took more effort than with the other bars to obtain a good lather and simply stroking it straight on to my hair didn’t really give much of a lather either. However when it did get going the foam was creamy and thick, but I didn’t feel the lather was reaching my scalp.
The fragrance isn’t strong but it’s inoffensive and reminded me a little of baby powder.
When I combed my hair wet it was quite easy to detangle considering I hadn’t used a conditioner (some of them have been a lot more difficult).
I rough-dried my hair and it was much less frizzy than usual when I’d finished. It was also quicker to straighten and the effect was impressively smooth.
So despite a lacklustre start, this has definitely become one of my favourites.
You can also buy a container to store your shampoo bar for £9.90.
Weight: 80g; number of washes: up to 80 washes shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Dr Organic Coconut & Orange Shampoo and Conditioner Bar
- Coconut & Orange Shampoo and Conditioner Bar, £9.99 from Dr Organic – buy here
Pros: Rich lather, gentle fragrance, built-in conditioner
Cons: Conditioning properties not apparent
Rating: 3.5/5
This is designed for curly and thick hair so I had high hopes as my hair is thick and wavy in a frizzy kind of way.
The main ingredients in this shampoo and conditioner bar are coconut oil, jojoba and mango seed oils, and orange peel oil. The fragrance is pleasant but not overly powerful.
Once wet, the bar lathered up nicely and went on to my hair well, but it took a few seconds of rubbing to feel like it was getting to my scalp.
Despite this being a combined shampoo and conditioner bar, I didn’t notice any real conditioning effects, which was disappointing. My hair was just as difficult to comb through wet as many of the other shampoo bars that don’t contain conditioner.
When I rough-dried my hair it dried frizzy and not as smooth as I was expecting, which again was a bit of a let-down.
All in all a nice enough bar but the conditioner part could be stronger.
Also available in an Aloe Vera & Shea Shampoo & Conditioner Bar for all hair types, and a Tea Tree & Lemon Shampoo Bar for oily roots and scalp.
Weight: 80g; number of washes: unknown shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Garnier Ultimate Blends Delicate Oat Softening Shampoo Bar
- Garnier Ultimate Blends Delicate Oat Softening Shampoo Bar, £3.20 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Pros: Affordable, teardrop shape is easy to hold, rich lather, really got to my hair and scalp
Cons: difficult to comb out tangles
Rating: 4/5
This shampoo bar contains oat milk to soften and moisturise your hair. My scalp can be sensitive and I seem to go through periods where my hair snaps easily, so I was keen to see what it could do.
The fragrance is gentle and inoffensive and the bar is tear-shaped rather than round, which I quickly discovered makes it easier to hold when wet in the shower.
It lathered up quickly in my hands and the foam was thick and rich. When I applied the bar directly to my hair there was a bit of drag – a good thing as it implied the product was clinging to my hair rather than simply slipping over it. The lather also felt like it was reaching my scalp, not just sitting on my hair.
I found it more difficult to comb out tangles afterwards than with some of the other bars I tested, but all in all, this is a pretty impressive shampoo bar for an excellent price.
Contains 97% biodegradable and 94% plant-origin ingredients.
Weight: 60g; number of washes: 'lasts up to two months' shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Ethique Tone It Down Brightening Purple Shampoo Bar
- Tone It Down Brightening Purple Shampoo Bar, £12.99 from Amazon – buy here
Pros: Sulphate-free, large bar, less mess than bottled purple shampoo, lifts your hair colour, conditioning
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4.5/5
The purple in this shampoo bar reduces yellow tones in blonde or grey hair, helping your natural (or unnatural) hair shade shine through.
Though it may look scary and it is a little messy, it is far less messy than purple shampoo in a bottle I can tell you – I didn’t decorate the walls and floor with this as it remained in my hands then on my head.
Ethique recommends you apply the product directly to your hair, stroking it down the lengths, then massaging it into your scalp and hair. I did this, but it took a little work to create a lather and I thought it was a little thin; perseverance however paid off and I ended up with a rich foam.
I also rolled the bar in my hands but they became startlingly purple so I decided that wasn’t a good idea.
Ingredients include fair trade babassu seed oil and cocoa seed butter for moisture and softness, as well as jasmine and vanilla. The purple bit comes from mica, which has been ethically sourced, and from beetroot powder.
The shampoo rinsed away easily and after towel drying, tangles were smoothed pretty quickly. The fragrance was pleasant and a lot nicer than that of purple shampoos I’ve used in the past.
My hair straightened well, it didn’t look frizzy, but at the same time, it didn’t look particularly sleek either.
Where this shampoo bar really scores is with the colour. My hair almost looked like I’d just had it done, I kid you not. I am so pleased as I’m overdue a visit to my hairdresser and my do was looking tired and faded. This bar has given it a new lease of life and the colour is so much fresher.
I’m definitely keeping this and will probably use it once a week going forward.
There’s also a matching Tone It Down Conditioner Bar and a mini size if you’re not sure whether it’s for you.
Weight: 110g; number of washes: at least 80 washes; shelf life: unknown; additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
KinKind Make Me Shine Shampoo Bar
- Make Me Shine Shampoo Bar, £7.95 from Kin Kind – buy here
Pros: Affordable, rich foam, left my hair soft and shiny, easy to comb out tangles
Cons: Fragrance, small bar
Rating: 4/5
This shampoo bar contains juniper and henna extracts to add shine and it’s formulated for highlighted and coloured hair (so basically it was made for me!).
At first, the lather was thin, but it did thicken up and became satisfyingly rich. I felt it reached my scalp as well as cleansing my hair.
After rinsing, my hair felt soft and tangles came out quickly when I combed it wet.
Once dry my hair was less frizzy than usual and straightening it took less time than usual. It felt smooth and definitely looked shiny. My only gripe is the fragrance; I’m just not a fan.
If you’re new to shampoo bars KinKind offers a 60-day refund or exchange on its products in case you find they don’t suit you, which is an excellent idea.
They offer a wide range of shampoo bars including Clear My Head for flaky scalps and Give Me Strength (love the name) for all hair types.
Weight: 50g; number of washes: up to 50 washes shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Foamie Shampoo Bar
- Foamie Shampoo Bar, £6.99 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Pros: Affordable, has a handy hanging loop
Cons: Fragrance
Rating: 3.5/5
This is the only bar I tested that incorporated a fabric ribbon so you can hang it up to dry after you’ve used it, which is a really useful addition as it means you don’t waste any product when it’s sitting wet after use.
The bar contains coconut oil and wheat protein and is suitable for normal hair. I should have loved it as I love the smell of coconut, but I’m afraid I just wasn’t a fan of the fragrance.
However, it foamed up quickly and it performed well. When I dried my hair it was really soft and not frizzy, but I can’t get past the fragrance. Not one of my favourites.
Weight: 80g; number of washes: 30 washes shelf life: lasts 3 months once opened additional info: vegan
Percy & Reed All Lathered Up Cleansing Shampoo Bar
- All Lathered Up Cleansing Shampoo Bar, £12 from Percy & Reed – buy here
Pros: Smoothing effect, gentle fragrance
Cons: Expensive, small bar
Rating: 3.5/5
The fragrance of this shampoo bar is one of Percy & Reed’s signature scents – A Walk With Nature – and includes citrus and floral notes, which make for a light perfume.
It contains avocado oil and vitamin E to nourish and is suitable for all hair types. The bar lathered up quickly in my hands and the rich foam transferred easily to my hair. My hair felt softer even as I was washing it so I had high hopes for the detangling stage after rinsing.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way and after towel drying the tangles were difficult to comb through.
After rough drying, my tresses looked just as frizzy as they always do at this stage. It was when I came to use my straighteners that I really noticed a difference – they seemed to go through my hair easier than usual and the look when I’d finished was smoother and flatter in less time than usual.
Weight: 50g; number of washes: up to 50 washes shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: vegan
Grüum Hår Zero Plastic Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Bar
- Grüum Hår Zero Plastic Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Bar, £8 from Look Fantastic – buy here
Pros: Rich lather, paraben and SLS-free, relieves itchy scalp
Cons: Fragrance
Rating: 3.5/5
I have a bit of a sensitive scalp, perhaps due to years of colouring my hair. At times it can be itchy and scratching it only results in making it flaky too, so the anti-dandruff shampoo bar from Grüum seemed ideal.
It contains plant-based ingredients that help reduce redness, itching and dandruff, as well as coconut extract which also reduces irritation.
The bar lathers up quickly, creating a lovely rich foam that works easily through the hair and to the scalp. I’m not sure about the fragrance though, it’s a little too subtle for me and I’m not sure what the scent was.
After rinsing and towel drying, my hair felt clean but not particularly soft and it was difficult to comb through wet.
My scalp felt less itchy after using this shampoo bar, though I would have to use it for longer to see if that continues.
Weight: 50g; number of washes: up to 60 washes shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Fruu Tangerine Blossom Everyday Shampoo Bar
- Tangerine Blossom Everyday Shampoo Bar, £8.99 from Fruu – buy here
Pros: Shape good to grip when wet, softening effects, easy to comb through hair after washing
Cons: Lather not as rich as some bars tested
Rating: 3.5/5
This shampoo bar is designed for everyday use and contains argan oil, so it’s gentle and nourishing on your hair.
I found it lathered quickly, but the foam wasn’t as rich as some of the other bars and the fragrance was barely there, I didn’t get tangerine at all.
Practically speaking, its hexagonal shape means it’s easier to hold in the shower than the round bars, it doesn’t slip out of your hands.
After washing, my hair was easy to comb through wet, the tangles came out quickly and it felt soft. Once rough dried my hair was less frizzy than usual and it straightened nicely, though it was a little flyaway.
Fruu also offers a charcoal and lime bar for itchy scalps, a lemon and lavender bar for added volume and a separate conditioner bar.
Weight: 55g; number of washes: around 45 shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Naturtint 2 in 1 Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner Bar
- Naturtint 2 in 1 Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner Bar, £11.69 from Amazon – buy here
Pros: Paraben and SLS-free, no silicone, large bar so lasts longer
Cons: Price, thin lather at first, conditioning properties not apparent
Rating: 3.5/5
This shampoo and conditioner bar is formulated for weak and thinning hair so after years of colouring and heat styling, it sounded perfect to me.
Ingredients include cocoa butter, meadowfoam seed oil and rice bran oil for moisturisation and strength, and 99% of them are of natural origin.
I was a little disappointed in the lather with this bar. It was quite thin to start with, though it did eventually foam up nicely. Applying it to my hair again took a bit of work before a rich mousse was achieved.
After rinsing, my hair felt soft, but after towel drying it was difficult to comb through the tangles. This was a little surprising as this is a conditioner as well as a shampoo bar. Rough drying my hair left it soft, but looking frizzy and it wasn’t particularly sleek after straightening it.
Weight: 75g; number of washes: 75 - 90 washes shelf life: lasts 6 months once opened additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Lush Godiva Shampoo Bar
- Godiva Shampoo Bar, £9 from Lush – buy here
Pros: Smells lovely, rich lather, detangling
Cons: None
Rating: 4/5
The combination of organic cocoa butter, macadamia nut oil and jojoba oil, fair trade shea butter and camellia oil all work together to produce a lovely soft foam in this shampoo conditioner bar from Lush.
It took no time at all to create a thick lather and I felt it really reached my scalp as well as my hair. The fragrance is jasmine, but it’s not cloyingly floral, rather it’s light and lovely, not at all overpowering (as some Lush fragrances can be).
After rinsing, my hair felt soft and tangles were easily combed through after towel drying. Rough drying my hair ended up with it looking quite frizzy but straightening it didn’t seem to take as long as usual.
The bar has a slightly oily feel so you can feel the product on your fingers, which is not a bad thing as you know the product is soft enough to cling to your hair.
That said, softer bars don’t last as long if left out wet, so definitely don’t leave this to sit wet after use. Lush sells a cork pot to store your shampoo bar for £10.
Weight: 55g; number of washes: up to 80 washes; shelf life: 14 months; additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
Kind2 The Rebalancing One
- The Rebalancing One, £12.50 from Kind2 – buy here
Pros: large bar, lovely fragrance, lathers well, conditioning
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4/5
This shampoo bar is formulated for thick, oily and normal hair. It smells wonderful; the rosemary and mint really come through. It also contains cocoa butter, coconut and macadamia oils, which you can feel melting slightly with the warmth of your hands as you hold the bar.
It lathers quickly when wet and creates a rich mousse. Kind2 recommends you apply the bar to your hair, massaging into your scalp until you have a lather then working the foam through your hair and into the roots.
However, I find a mixture of lathering it in your hands as well as applying directly to your head, works best.
The shampoo rinsed away well and after towel drying my hair was easy to comb through. It looked smoother than it usually does after rough drying and straightening it took less time. When I’d finished, my hair looked sleek and felt soft. This is definitely a shampoo bar I’ll be using again.
It’s easy to see why this is one of the company’s bestselling bars. Kind2 also offers discovery sizes in each formulation if you’re not sure which is best for you.
Weight: 85g; number of washes: around 60 washes; shelf life: lasts 12 months once opened; additional info: cruelty-free and vegan
How to use a shampoo bar
There are a couple of ways to use your shampoo bar: either roll it in wet hands to create a lather then apply this to your hair, or apply the product directly to your head. I found that a mixture of both worked best with the bars I reviewed.
Some brands however advise you not to rub the bar in your hands first, but to apply it directly to wet hair, drawing the bar through your tresses to coat the strands before massaging it through and into the roots and scalp.
Are shampoo bars good for hair?
As with anything, there are people who love shampoo bars and others who aren’t fussed or who prefer traditional bottled shampoo.
If you choose a bar formulated for your hair type then chances are you will like it and it will be good for your hair. It may take a bit of getting used to, though. Some of them don’t foam as much as regular shampoo, though that may just be because you tend to use less of the solid form.
All of the bars reviewed here are vegan and most are cruelty-free. Many contain organic or fair trade ingredients and all of them are packaged in cardboard, (with the exception of Lush which doesn’t package its products), which means there’s less plastic waste. All in all, shampoo bars have sustainability built in, which is good for the planet as well as your hair.
How to store shampoo bars
Now, this is one to get right, otherwise your lovely shampoo bar will end up mushy and won’t last as long as it should.
Do not leave the bar in the shower; you need it to dry between uses to minimise product wastage. Store it in a container that allows the air to get to it, perhaps on the side of the bath or on a shelf.
Some brands also sell containers designed to maximise the life of your bar, but a wooden soap rack or a soap dish where the bar doesn’t sit in its own moisture will be just as effective.
How long do shampoo bars last?
That depends on how big the bar is and how often you wash your hair.
From the brands reviewed, it seems a 50g bar lasts for 50 – 60 washes while the bigger bars can do 85 washes and more.
How long in time they last will vary depending on whether you wash your hair every day, or a few times a week.
Most of them seem to last for 12 months after opening.
How much do shampoo bars cost?
Price varies greatly between brands, but the shampoo bars in our review cost from just over £3 to £17.
There are lots of brands under £10 and of course, the size of the bar also has a bearing on cost; a more expensive, large product may work out cheaper per use than a small bar.
Where to buy shampoo bars
You can buy shampoo bars on the high street in health food stores and pharmacies, such as Boots and Superdrug. Now they’re increasing in popularity they’re also available in some supermarkets.
However, an online search will reveal the best choice, with many beauty websites selling shampoo bars, or small makers selling from their own websites.
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