Over the last month, I started my journey out to the stores near me and online. I decided that given my race and heritage, I identify my hair as my crown, and as such I want my first post to be about my hair. To give you a clearer picture, I have 3c/4a hair. However, my curls are soft and prefer a lot of water. Now I just want to give a disclaimer: I am not an expert at zero waste. I am just your average black woman trying to do my best for the environment in the ways I can. Let’s continue!

My search began with shampoos and conditioners. I looked for bulk products and products with sustainable packaging.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods carried a number of products in sustainable and semi-sustainable containers. They carried the J.R. Liggett’s brand, Seed Phytonutrients, and Giovanni Shampoo 50:50 Balanced (in bulk). I was excited for my wife, whose hair type is 2a, that these products were available and close to home. However, as a woman with 3c/4a hair, none of these products were targeted to my hair needs (moisture!). I have used Giovanni Shampoo 50:50 Balanced and found that these products can be drying to my hair. The J.R. Liggett’s did not come with conditioner, and when I asked the beauty counter attendant she noted it could be drying. One product looked by Seed Phytonutrients looked interesting, however, it was for frizzy hair and the size for the price was something I wasn’t expecting (8.5 oz for $25).

Lush

Lush is loved by so many zero wasters so I decided to give them a try. Within one skim of the webpage, I was disappointed! There was one bar that was available for curly girls like me. The Avocado co-wash is the only conditioner listed and it was also listed as a shampoo. This may work for some individuals with hair types similar to mine, but I really like to have a separate shampoo and conditioner. Additionally, I have been focused on having products that are low in toxicity, specifically absent of sulfates, parabens, and fragrance due to my allergies and values. Given this, most of the shampoo bars and conditioner bars rated a 4 on the EWG rating scale and contain sulfates and fragrance. However, the company does say you can get 80 washes from the 3.5 oz bar for $15.95. So shop based on your needs and requirements.

Amazon

Amazon has a wide variety of options for shampoo bars. I tried the Ethique Eco- Friendly Hair Sampler. I found that none of these shampoos or conditioners worked for my hair. My hair felt lifeless and dry. I am a wash-and-go queen, so one clear way I can tell whether a product is worth my money is whether my hair looks great three days after a wash. Let’s just say I washed my hair the next day. Now, I know there are other brands on Amazon and the internet that you can try. However, after this experience, I just wasn’t interested in spending money on Amazon anymore.

Fillgood.co

Fillgood.co is a company near me that sells local house and bathroom necessities in bulk or without packaging. Here is where I was able to find my alternative shampoo and conditioner. Fillgood.co carries a somewhat decent alternative, Wildcrafted Shampoo and Conditioner bars called Hydrators, which seemed to work like magic on my curls. Each bar costs $16.90. Now I know that may seem expensive for a small bar, but I use them every three days and I haven’t dented the shampoo bar. The conditioner is only halfway gone and I have had it for a month. To make my wash-and-go last and keep my hair hydrated I created my own flaxseed gel that works magic on my curls and includes: castor oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and vitamin E oil. In addition, I adjusted the recipe and made the perfect natural hair gel for my wife!

As always, I hope what I wrote was helpful and encouraging. Today I am having a simple cup of tea. Just reducing little by little helps the planet a lot.

With Love,

YaniTee