Last Updated on October 10, 2024

Shower essentials like eco friendly shampoo, conditioner, a scrub brush, safety razors, and more will help you create a zero waste bathroom — and are proof you don’t have to give up your favorite products to live a more sustainable life.

Going zero waste may seem challenging at first, but it doesn’t have to be. One place you can start making small changes is to design an eco friendly shower. Stock up on essentials like eco friendly shampoo, a bamboo scrub brush, a safety razor, and a bucket to save water, and you’ll be on your way to a sustainable, plastic-free shower routine in no time.

This post was sponsored. I received some of these items to try for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may also contain affiliate linking. Please see my full disclosure for more information.

eco friendly shampoo and conditioner

Going zero waste has definitely changed my shower routine — from the products I use to how I clean my tub, and even how frequently I shower. Americans shower WAY too much in my opinion.

Most will take one shower a day, but I know people who shower up to three times in one day! It’s all just a little excessive. Not only does it waste water, but it’s flat-out bad for your skin and hair.

With all of this in mind, I went on a mission to find the best zero-waste shower essentials. The first products I wanted to cover were definitely a good eco friendly shampoo and conditioner option.

While I don’t wash my hair every day, they’re products I use at least a few times a week which is why I wanted to start there. What’s more, most shampoos and conditioners come in plastic packaging. I wanted to avoid all of that too.

why choose sustainable shampoo & body wash

Quick science lesson: the body keeps itself moisturized with a layer of dead skin held together by fatty compounds called lipids. This top layer protects the healthy layers underneath. Meaning, the more you shower, the more you scrub that layer away.

Your body simply can’t keep up, especially if you shower often. In fact, showering too much can actually lead to an overproduction of oil! It makes sense… the more you strip your body of its natural oils, the more it will overproduce to compensate.

Most commercial shampoos, soaps, and shower products work the same way. This ultimately makes you dependent on their products. The more you use them, the more your body overproduces oil, the more you’ll need to buy, and the cycle goes on and on and on. When you choose sustainable shampoo and body wash, you can stop the vicious cycle.

I stopped using conventional shampoos when I started using eco friendly shampoo and conditioner two years ago. Since then, I’ve tried many different hair care methods, ranging from shampoo bars to products in aluminum packaging and beyond. And I’m pleased to announce that I think I found the best option.

finding sustainable shower products that work

Hair care is one of the biggest laments I hear from readers — another reason to find the best zero waste hair solutions that really work! I think hair is one of the more challenging aspects of living sustainably as all body chemistries are so different. It can be hard to find products that are a good fit for everyone.

Plaine Products was kind enough to send me their eco friendly shampoo and conditioner to review, as well as their body wash. If you’re someone who doesn’t like shampoo bars, these are the products for you.

The actual shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are made with great ingredients, and they also really shine with their packaging. Everything comes in a 100% aluminum bottle — no plastic to be found.

In addition to what you use to wash your hair and body, other items like scrub brushes, safety razors, oral care, and a bucket are key to creating a zero waste shower you enjoy using. Below you’ll find my top picks for all of the above.

my top 5 zero waste shower essentials

1. plaine products & shower items:

This is one of the most well-thought-out product designs I’ve ever seen. I don’t know about you, but I’m nervous about keeping glass in my shower. Luckily, their eco friendly shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are all packaged in aluminum.

Aluminum is a self-sustaining metal that is 100% recyclable, just like glass, but has a better carbon footprint for shipping because it’s lighter. Plus, it won’t shatter if it’s dropped — when it gets shipped or in your shower at home.

Plaine also offers a refill service. When you run out of your products, you can simply switch the pump over to the new bottle and send the old ones back. They then sanitize the bottles, refill them, and send them to their new home.

If you’ve lamented over the shampoo bar — listen, I get it, it’s not for everyone — you need to check out their liquid shampoo and conditioner. Plaine products have the same ease as commercial ones without the guilt or yucky additives.

Their eco friendly shampoo and other hair products are made with zero sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and are vegan and biodegradable. I used to use Aussie and can say that this competes. My hair is light, healthy, and has lots of volume. You can check out their list of ingredients here. 

These products are a great first step to a zero waste bathroom.

I honestly cannot rave about Plaine enough. I trusted them 100% with my hair for the wedding, which was probably the most photographed day I will ever have. Most all-natural soaps are a little bit thinner, so I often have to use a little more product than I normally would.

But, I am washing my hair way less these days (on average every 3-4 days), so I’m still saving SO much product in the long run. Score.

2. ShowerNow:

Did you know the estimated water use for showering is 400 gallons per month per person?! If you are a family of 4 that is over 1600 gallons of water a month. Let’s not forget the significant energy it takes to warm that water, leading to increased CO2 emissions! 

Enter, ShowerNow, a first-of-its-kind device designed to attach to any shower head and help you conserve water and energy. You just set it and forget it – there’s no on/off switch, and it will automatically operate during every shower.

Here’s how it works:

• It attaches to your shower head pipe.
• It alerts you at two key moments: First, when warm water reaches the shower head, and second, when the time you have pre-set for your shower duration is complete.

If you use ShowerNow and reduce your shower by 2 minutes, you will save over 1000 gallons of water a year. A family of 4 would save over 5000 gallons per year! 

I recently played Brooke Taylor-Windham from Legally Blonde at my local theatre and I was doing two workouts per day to get ready for the role. That meant more laundry, and more showers! So having this device in place really helped me keep my showers short and efficient thanks to the built-in notification system.

Use the promo code ZEROWASTE for $5 off your ShowerNow purchase!

3. scrub brush

I used to have one of those plastic netted loofahs — I always thought they worked well, but they have a pretty fast expiration date.

Loofahs of any sort can trap dead skin cells, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s typically recommended to throw out your loofah every 2-3 months. I can honestly say, I never did that. I’m actually a little shocked that they recommend you replace them that often.

Once my loofah came to the end of its life, I didn’t replace it. I read somewhere that between the hot water, the soap, and an agitator, like a loofah, you can over-exfoliate. And then we’re back to breaking down that layer of dead skin cells too much.

I tried going without and using just my hands to lather, but it wasn’t working out very well for me. The water here is hard and it messed with my skin texture. I even started breaking out on my back, which has never happened before. 

I decided to get a scrub brush made from bamboo to see if the extra exfoliation would do the trick and it has. It’s seriously the best loofah alternative and I am in love with it.

Now, I honestly cannot imagine my shower without a good scrub brush. 

RELATED: Benefits of Aromatic Showers with Eucalyptus

4. safety razor

Safety razors might seem like one of the scariest zero waste swaps. I know holding something that can so easily slice your skin can be intimidating. But, have no fear! Full disclosure, I have dropped the razor before and taken some skin off. But, I have never cut myself shaving! It really is almost the exact same as using a disposable razor.

I wrote a whole post on how to use a safety razor, but what that post doesn’t cover is how to properly recycle the blades, which I want to quickly mention here.

You cannot put razor blades in the regular recycling bin. You have to take them to a special recycling facility so a machine can do it. This way, no hands are harmed.

I keep my used blades in a soup can that I have drained, rinsed, and added a small slot to. Once it’s full I put a piece of tape over the slot and take it to the closest metal recycling facility near me. If you’re in Northern California, I go to the Concord Recycling Center.

This is another one of the best eco friendly bathroom product swaps to make, especially if you shave often. All of those disposable razors will add up over time. You’ll make much less of a negative impact on the planet when you use a safety razor instead.

5. water flosser

I just wrote a whole post about my oral hygiene routine here. In case you’ve never heard of a water flosser before, it’s the best zero waste alternative to flossing. You can use it to clean in between your teeth with water instead of those little plastic strings. And while these plastic pieces may be tiny, they eventually turn into microplastics that end up in our water. Which is of course not good for the environment… at all.

I love this water flosser in particular because I can use it in the shower. It’s so convenient, and I don’t have to worry about getting water everywhere. Which I most definitely do when I use it near the sink.

I am lazy — a lazy, lazy woman, but one who cares deeply for the planet. Water flossing in the shower is probably the only way I would do it. 

I truly couldn’t imagine a shower without these five items. Everything is streamlined, simple, and effective. 

And if baths are more your thing, make sure to check out my recipe for bath salts.

eco friendly shower faqs

what are the environmental impacts of shampoo?

When you rinse shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products out in the shower, they go down the drain and eventually contaminate our water supply. These chemicals show up in wastewater, groundwater, surface water, and (perhaps the scariest place), drinking water. This is why it’s crucial to use nontoxic, eco friendly products in the shower.

what makes a shampoo eco friendly?

An eco friendly shampoo is made with all-natural ingredients that are not harmful to the environment. The best options are also packaged sustainably in materials like aluminum or glass. Sustainable shampoo is free from toxins, chemicals, and other additives as well.

why are eco friendly bathroom products higher priced?

In most cases, they aren’t really higher priced. For example, having to replace a plastic loofah every few months will get expensive over time. If you use a scrub brush made from materials like bamboo from the get-go, it will last a very long time. So, while it may seem higher priced, it isn’t in the long run.

Going zero waste can have some higher upfront costs, but because you buy the items once or rarely they are actually less expensive.

what are some shower items I can make myself?

It’s possible to make all sorts of zero waste shower items yourself. Here are a few of my favorites.

• DIY lip scrub
• 5 easy zero wast beauty DIYs
• Dry shampoo
• DIY zero waste extra strength deodorant