Help me reduce my plastic. Shampoo and conditioner bars help

[PlasticFreeIn2022]

So I'm committing myself to massively reduce my 1 time use plastics.

I've brought some cloth nappies.

I've got a local shop that sell pasta, spices etc that you take your own container for.

I currently use Aussie shampoos and conditioners. This is a swap that I'm nervous about. Any help on lovely bars would be great.
Also anti dandruff for men?
We use dove soap. But my other half has requested something stronger before he'll commit to giving up his linx.

Also plastic free toothpaste? And washing machine tablets.

(Before tolls come along. Yes I should've done this sooner).

I've used the Lush shampoo bars in the past and don't know if they have changed recently but they used to strip hair colouring out of my hair with remarkable speed.

I like the convenience of a shampoo bar but have yet to find one that doesn't mean I'm buying twice as much hair dye.

I use shampoo and body wash bars. Also toothpaste tablets. All completely plastic-free and palm oil-free.

I don’t use Lush products because of their politics and also because their products are full of palm oil.

Soho Soap do shampoo, conditioner and soap bars. They were good on their chat at answering questions.

I use Alter/Native Coconut and Argan oil shampoo bar, I have very curly hair and haven’t managed to find a bar of conditioner that works well enough for my hair but this shampoo bar is very good.

For washing machine tablets just switch to a powder? They come in cardboard boxes, no plastic.

I use the earth conscious deodorant which is completely plastic free.

You can get toothpaste tablets, though if you still want one with fluoride they can be quite hard to find.

I would recommend cheeky wipes to go with the cloth nappies, they work so well!

ive been using gruum shampoo bars for quite a while now and they are very good, i use olive oil soap its hard milled and lasts for ages but ido usually stock up when we go to greece or turkey , pears soap has always been fairly neutral ingredients, havent found a conditioner i like so i now buy food quality coconut oil in a glass jar from aldis and put that on my hair before i wash it for an hour as a mask toothpaste havent solved that yet,

Lush bars aren’t good for me- there are lots of different good ones. I use one local to here so can’t recommend unfortunately

For your DH you need proper soap not dove. And you can get paste deodorant

Find a local zero waste / health food shop and refill your bottles of washing up liquid / laundry fluid ( I use ecover, other brands are available) also refills of shampoo. Stay away from the yoghurt raisins though!

I have never seen someone with curly hair like mine have a good time with a conditioner bar so I'll keep my plastic bottle of conditioner and hope that they start doing refills or the refill companies come out with a better conditioner for hair like mine (I tired a couple, not slippery enough).

Washing powder in a recyclable box is good enough for me, a lot of detergents don't wash cloth nappies that well and you get stinks and stains eventually. Cloth cloth nappies has some great recommendations, I've used Ariel and bold well for ages. Fill make a stain remover that is supposed to do well on nappies so I'm trying that to cut out the endless plastic tubs.

Aussie are doing metal bottles and refills now!

On cloth nappies, nothing works as well on stains as drying in the light (full sun obviously better but even just next to a bright window will work). We just used Persil bio with a cold pre-wash (I did 2 kids birth to potty in cloth so ask me anything!!)

Definitely use cloth wipes as well. I just used to keep next to the changing table a box of dry wipes and a sports bottle full of water with a bit of chamomile tea if I was feeling fancy. Squeeze water on dry wipe, wipe bum, drop into nappy bucket. You can buy cheeky wipes or bamboo wipes, or cut up old muslins or flannels.

I use Wild deodorant, also their soaps are excellent: www.wearewild.com/collections/wild-soap-collection

Colgate has a new range called "smile for good" where the tube is recyclable but that's not plastic free - however on Boots.com there are 5 or 6 different kinds of toothpaste tablets which all look like they're worth a try.

I can't help on the shampoo bars as I haven't found one yet that doesn't turn my hair to straw - watching with interest.

Our local refill shop does refills of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Might be worth asking around to see if you have one locally? The pasta etc shop might either know or be willing to start.

I tried the Lush shampoo and conditioner bars and they're vile. Completely stripped my hair of all condition - in fact the shampoo made it feel like matted straw.

It's pricey - and the re-fillable bottle is plastic as are the plastic pouches the re-fills come in but I like l'Occataine for S&C. I e had the bottles for 5 years now and the pouches tend to last 3 months.

I use Pears soap bars for normal washing.
Laundry powder in cardboard boxes

If you're in a Milkandmore delivery area they now do a range of liquid shampoo and conditioner and similar in glass bottles that they take away and refill. The conditioner is nice, can't comment on the shampoo as I haven't tried that.

If buying tooth tablets check whether they contain fluoride as lots seem not to. I like truthtabs.

I get washing powder and dishwasher powder in cardboard (I use waitrose essential) - I do decant into reusable plastic tubs at home so they don't start to get damp and clump in the cupboard. I get 5l containers of vinegar and washing up liquid from a wholesaler and mix my own cleaning sprays in old spray bottles (using sweet orange essential oil to cover the vinegary smell).

Oh, and I make my own soap , which is strangely addictive!

I think with shampoo it's a case of trying a few to see what you like, and what agrees with your hair.

I am a big fan of the Gruum shampoo bars which are about £5 each. Also picked up two Garnier shampoo bars in Asda this week in their reduced section for £2 each. Faith in Nature bars are competitively priced, but I didn't get on with them. I'm yet to find a conditioner bar which i'm happy with so am sticking with bottles - not ideal, but have drastically cut down consumption of plastic bottles elsewhere.

The other option is to look for refill places, or zero waste stores, where you can refill your existing plastic bottle. Splosh are very good for this.

I like Garnier or Friendly shampoo bars. For conditioner I go to a refill shop and umm…refill , I found all the conditioner bars too heavy for my hair, which is very fine.

The bars don't work for my hair.

I did buy 1 litre pump bottles, and now get 5ltr jugs of shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash and also washing up liquid.

I have cut my use in half by using the pump instead of splashing it about everywhere and am using a lot less plastic.

I use the 5 litre jars to buy certain things from my local package free/zero waste shop, which surprisingly works out a lot cheaper for some items. Unfortunately it's about of my price range for others so I'm not perfect at all yet. The 5ltr bottles can also be recycled but I haven't needed to do that yet as I have repurposed them for different things.

For cleaning products I have tried our local refill shop (great but need to be organised) and also Ocean Saver drops where you just drop a tablet or sachet into an old spray bottle and top up with water, and it dissolves. Both worked well.

Only issue is making sure you have refillable bottles. I was extremely cross to find out that Astonish brand bottles are not refillable (unless someone can tell me a way to open and reclose the spray head top, it's not a screw-off). Method bottles are endlessly refillable and work well with the Ocean Saver drops.

I use Dove bars myself, but agree that men probably need a proper soap bar (Dove not actually soap) to combat their smelly pits!

Re. shampoo and conditioner bars, I've personally given up on them as I didn't find ones I really got on with - especially for conditioner. I did like Wriggly Tin shampoo bars, and my DH uses this one, which is anti-dandruff.

I do refills of liquid shampoo and conditioner now - does your zero waste shop do them? If not, look at Splosh, which does refill pouches of concentrated shampoo and conditioner. You then send the pouches back to be recycled.

Splosh also do loads of cleaning products, dishwasher tablets etc - I use them for nearly all my household cleaning products. They are very effective (unlike some other eco brands - I find e.g. Ecover doesn't actually clean) as well as being eco.

I use "foamie" products shampoo and cleansing bars. Absolutely love them. My youngest DD who spends a fortune and only likes particular shampoo etc is also using bars not sure which ones.

Avoid VO5 shampoo bar in apple scent.
My normally ok but coarse hair is like a yard broom after 3 uses

Thanks @UnaOfStormhold! We use milk and more (for milk) I hadn’t realised they did conditioner

You can get toothpaste tablets, though if you still want one with fluoride they can be quite hard to find.

@PinkPlantCase I use Gab Tabs toothpaste tablets and they contain fluoride. They also offer a berry flavour for people who don’t like mint (my DC use these). They’re an Australian brand though. Not sure if you can get them in the U.K.

Boots are selling the Aussie reusables: www.boots.com/aussie-miracle-moist-shampoo-good-refill-moisturising-shampoo-480ml-10291849

Another vote for the Alter/Native shampoo bars.
We use Simple soap instead of shower gel - feels more "squeaky clean" than after using Dove, which might get your husband's buy-in!

I haven't found a conditioner that I would recommend but I have been using Garnier Ultimate Blends hair food 3 in 1 hair mask as conditioner, and you need to use so little that the package lasts about a year.. so that reduces plastic somewhat.
On the other hand, the Garnier Ultimate Blends shampoo bars are far too squidgy and I don't recommend them.

*far too squidgy for my liking