Since 1960, liquid shampoo and soap have been packaged in plastic bottles; plastic that oftentimes isn’t recycled or properly treated at all. In fact, one stat says we could be tossing 80 billion bottles of shampoo and soap into our landfills and oceans, every year!
One New Zealand company is taking matters into their own hands. Started by former scientist and hustler extraordinaire Brianne West, Ethique (which means ethical in French) is raising the bar for skincare companies in terms of quality and environmental activism.
Their solid beauty bars eliminate the need for plastic products in your bathroom. So far, they’ve saved over 10 million plastic bottles from landfills, entered 2500 retailers in sixteen countries across the world, and planted 8,759 trees to offset carbon emissions (more on this below).
With Ethique, there’s a bar for your whole self-care routine that won’t harm the earth, from shampoo and conditioner to face wash, deodorant, and even dry lotion! Wonder how they size up to your Garnier or Dove bottle?
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ethique bars are healthy for your body
All vegan ingredients are sustainably produced and biodegradable. That means no chemicals, parabens, palm oil, petrochemicals, or ammonium chemicals entering your system. Just natural ingredients like coconut oil and cacao butter or olive oil and sweet orange oil. You can actually go to their website and check the ingredients under each product and they’ll give you the deets on where that ingredient came from!
- Ethique leaves no trace on the environment (aside from luscious hair, in their words)
No plastic, not tested on animals, carbon neutral, and certified palm oil free. Their packaging through Amazon is plastic-free and even their office is 100% powered by renewable energy! Even if I waste 75 gallons of water to shower with an Ethique bar for half an hour I’d probably still be netting 0 just by buying from them! (Just kidding, don’t take long showers, that’s a whole lot of water waste)
- Bars are affordable and long-lasting
Ethique bars are all made super-concentrated for a reason. Most liquid shampoo consists of 70% water, which means you end up using more products faster. In fact, one Ethique bar = three 350 ml shampoo bottles. I don’t know about you but I usually buy a bottle every 4-5 months so one bar could potentially last a year or longer than your regular shampoo bottle.
- Ethique is all about leaving the Earth better than they found it
The company plants a tree for every online order and provides plastic-free shipping for all orders. I can vouch for the latter, my package came in a small cardboard box with recyclable brown paper tape! Ethique also donates 20% of its profits to animal welfare and environmental groups.
So I tried Ethique shampoo and soap bars:
St. Clements Shampoo Bar
This one’s for the oily hair types. While that’s not me on a typical day, I can say that is what I become after two days of not washing my hair (hey! We’re still in a pandemic, who’s going to see this mess besides myself?)
St. Clements shampoo bar is a sweet mix of lime and orange oil that balances oil production in your hair and leaves it feeling fresh and clean. This one won’t produce crazy suds like liquid shampoo but after a few swipes down my hair, it does lather well. After drying, hair feels naturally soft and smooth!
Tone It Down Shampoo Bar
I have mixed feelings about this tone it down shampoo bar. Should have read the description because they did say it was great for blondes and silver foxes (my hair is as black as the world’s blackest black). Regardless, I did use it and I have to say, it doesn’t beat my Head & Shoulders (ouch!).
Because it’s sulfate-free, the shampoo doesn’t lather much, if at all, and while they say to use it twice, even after two scrubs, it doesn’t have that squeaky-clean feeling.
In fact, after I washed my hair and blow-dried, it felt way too oily for my naturally dry hair. Only pro: it smelled nice. This might work better if you have lighter hair tones. As for me, I’ll take the St. Clements.
Charcoal, Kaolin & Oatmeal Bar
This Ethique charcoal, kaolin & oatmeal bar is fast becoming my favorite. If you like a little more scrub action in your soap, This bar will do the trick. It’s a smooth lather but the oatmeal bits have just enough coarseness to feel like a gentle cleanse. I also like how it leaves no scent. I just want to be clean, not smell like a laundry commercial.
Matcha, Lime & Lemongrass Bar
I should have bought ten more of these! The matcha, lime & lemongrass bar is perfect if you just want a smooth wash with a refreshing citrusy scent. I like to use this bar after a workout session or before I start my day because it just energizes me from the scent alone! It also lathers up pretty nicely and keeps your skin clean and healthy thanks to the natural antioxidants in the matcha powder.
Which bars are the best?
For Wavy Warriors: Try the Frizz Wrangler
This is hands down the fan favorite of Ethique shampoo bars for curly-haired folks. It leaves unruly wavy locks less frizzy and more manageable. Even reviews from straight-haired folks were positive.
For the Skincare Saavy: Try the Deep Green
The deep cleansing buddy for oily to normal skin types. With ingredients like French Green Clay, sea salt, and castor oil, this solid face cleanser kicks dirt, breakouts AND makeup to the curb.
Which Ethique bars to try?
When in doubt, try it out! Ethique knows that it’s tough to switch products, especially if your skin and hair might be used to a certain brand already. It’s as if they’re actual people who’ve experienced this problem before…
So why not try a whole collection to see which one fits you the best? Here are some of the top recommended:
In Conclusion, TLDR
Each Ethique bar is made with your unique skin and hair type considered, so if you’re on the dry side, go for: Frizz Wrangler, The Guardian, Charcoal, Kaolin, and Oatmeal. If you have more oily hair, St. Clements, Deep Green, and Wombar are three “solid” choices. Save the Earth, save your wallet, and save your skin!
