Five Ethique Shampoo & Conditioner Bar Reviews
Looking for a shampoo bar but unsure which to try? This is a review of three Ethique shampoo bars and two conditioner bars.
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Having trouble trusting shampoo bars after the last one (or two, or three) you tried made you look like you'd got stuck behind a greasy oven for three days?
Yeah... I know that feeling well.
The waxy hair.
The wearing of hats in inappropriate weather.
Your colleagues assuming you don’t wash.
Oh, the shame.
Even though I’ve never used a bar that actually cleans my hair, I’m going to take one for the zero-waste team by testing and reviewing Ethique’s shampoo and conditioner bars!
I’ve got this sample pack to try (not given to me by Ethique) and I’m going to keep it simple by reviewing two of them today. If you’d like me to share my thoughts on the others then please let me know in the comments.
COMING UP
Which Ethique shampoo bar is best for your hair?
The state of my hair
Ethique Shampoo Bar Reviews
- Frizz Wrangler review
- Heali Kiwi review
- St Clements reviewConditioner bars review
- The Guardian review
- The Wonderbar reviewWhat I like about Ethique
What I don’t like about Ethique
Frequently asked questions about shampoo bars
Which Ethique shampoo bar Is best for your hair?
Deciding what Ethique shampoo bar is best for you will depend on what type of hair you have. Dry? Oily? Curly?
Ethique have recognised that different hair needs different ingredients so they’ve formulated different bars for different hair.
All bars are free from silicones, SLS, and SLES but some contain some SCS (which isn’t an irritant like SLS, but should be avoided for the curly girl method etc).
Here is a list of Ethique shampoo bars and what sort of hair they work best with:
(Note - balanced is a nicer way of saying normal hair type, so not oily or dry, as all hair is normal!)
Frizz Wrangler - for dry hair that needs TLC
Heali Kiwi - for soothing irritated scalps
St Clements - clarifying shampoo for oily hair
Pinkalicious - for balanced hair
Sorbet - for balanced hair (sulfate-free)
Professor Curl - for curly hair (sulfate-free)
Mintasy - for balanced to dry hair
Sweet + Spicy - For fine hair
Tone It Down - purple shampoo for blonde and silver hair
Bare Minimum - unscented, for all hair types (sulfate-free)
Oaty Delicious - Baby/adult shampoo for hair and body
I’ve got a sample pack to try that contains the first three shampoo bars on the list, along with two conditioner bars.
The state of my hair
After trying two different shampoo bars, that left my hair full of soap residue, I decided to try the “no poo” method.
The no poo method is which is when you replace traditional shampoo with alternatives (like rye flour and apple cider vinegar) with the goal of one day only using water.
Let’s just say it did not go well.
After months of greasy hair, the only thing I found that cleaned it was a bicarbonate of soda (baking powder) rinse. Unfortunately, this damaged my hair and it started falling out.
I went back to liquid after that, but my long, thick, coloured hair is still a bit dry and frizzy. You’ll see in a moment.
Before I show you a “before” photo of my unclean, knotty hair, I feel I should mention I’ve just moved house and my toddler hid my hairbrush three days ago. So it’s not even going to be brushed today - eek.
I chose a good time to try out a new product, didn’t I?
In the “after” photo, my hair is completely natural, I haven’t used any oil so you can see what it looks like after using the Ethique bars.
In this post, I’m going to do a short review for those of you in a hurry followed by a longer review with more detailed FAQs about shampoo bars. Be sure to check out the shampoo bar section on my website for more tips and reviews.
These Photos were taken before and after my first wash with Ethique’s shampoo and conditioner bar:
Review of three Ethique shampoo bars:
I’ll start by saying, that I like all three bars, and found they all worked well with my dry hair.
I followed instructions and swiped the bars down my hair, rather than lathering them in my hands.
Because I was using a sample size, it was harder than I imagined to glide it all over my hair.
Afterwards, I found out you need to make sure your hair is really wet so don’t squeeze out the water! Unlike liquid shampoo, solid shampoo bars are missing water in the ingredients list so you need to ensure your hair is wet.
Frizz Wrangler shampoo bar review
(For dry hair)
I’m very impressed with the Frizz Wrangler bar. My hair feels clean yet the shampoo hasn’t stripped away the natural oils. There isn’t any grease or residue left, and it doesn’t feel as dry or dull. It is still a little frizzy but I’m not expecting miracles after a couple of washes.
Combined with the Ethique conditioner, my hair feels silky and soft. It was easy to comb out the knots after washing.
It has a subtle coconut scent which makes sense as this product is made from coconut and cocoa butter.
I have a sensitive scalp which gets itchy if I use products with SLS or certain essential oils. After using the Frizz Wrangler, I have no itching, burning, discomfort or rashes.
My hair feels lovely and fresh. I’m so pleased to have found a shampoo bar that works!
Heali Kiwi shampoo bar Review
(for sensitive scalps)
Like the other Ethique shampoo bar, the Heali Kiwi bar left my hair feeling clean and fresh.
It contains oatmeal, neem oil and Karanja oil to help soothe itchy and dry scalps, and while it didn’t cause me any irritation, I couldn’t use it long enough to be able to comment on this.
For some reason, the Heali Kiwi bar goes down a lot quicker than the other Ethique shampoo bars I’ve sampled.
It seems a lot softer and more came off during one wash. I still had no problem washing it out of my hair, but I don’t think this bar would last as long.
Obviously, I’ve only tried the sample size so I can’t comment on the full-size bar, but I’d be disappointed to pay the full price and get fewer washes. I only got a couple of washes out of the sample size as it was falling to bits.
St Clements shampoo bar Review
(for oily hair)
This bar is ideal if you have oily hair, or are struggling with product build-up from using silicones or a bad soap-based shampoo bar.
From the research I’ve done, this is the bar for you if your hair gets greasy really quickly, is fine, or you need to wash it frequently.
I was happy with my hair after using this bar, there was a bit more lather so it was lovely and clean. It smells nice, but as there are no artificial fragrances (a good thing in my opinion), the smell doesn’t stay on your hair for a long time.
I probably wouldn’t use this bar long-term because it's the wrong hair type for me and might end up drying it out, but I had no issues using the sample.
If I ever need to do a clarifying wash due to product build-up, this is what I’ll buy.
How much do Ethique shampoo bars cost?
At the time of writing, Ethique shampoo bars are £12.99 in the United Kingdom, $15 in the United States, and $22.95 in Australia.
You can save money by getting a bundle deal on shampoo and conditioner - just go on their website and select “haircare bundles.”
Check and compare prices here:
Ethique (UK)
Holland and Barrett (UK)
Sephora (UK)
Ethique (USA)
Biome (AU)
Samples
If you’re not sure which bar to buy you can buy the sample boxes in the UK here, and in the US here.
My dry/damaged hair after two washes with the Frizz Wrangler shampoo bar and The Guardian conditioner bar and no other products:
Which Ethique conditioner bar is best for your hair?
The Guardian - for dry to balanced hair
The Wonderbar - for oily to balanced hair
In the buff - unscented and coconut-free for sensitive scalps
Curliosity - for co-washing and curly hair
Tone it down - purple conditioner for blonde and silver hair
Untangled - conditioner for kids
Ethique Conditioner Bars review
In this section, I’m going to review the Guardian Conditioner bar and the Wonderbar Conditioner bar.
I absolutely adore these two Ethique condition bars. They are easy to use, just slide them down the length of your hair. I definitely used too much at first because I wasn’t sure if it was enough, but it was still easy to wash out and left no waxy residue.
Funnily enough, I find the conditioner bars easier to apply than the shampoo.
These bars also last ages. They are quite pricey but lasted twice as long as the shampoo bars so they feel cost-effective. I’m definitely going to purchase a full size bar.
The Guardian conditioner bar review
The Guardian conditioner bar has been formulated for dry, frizzy hair. If your hair is oily, you may find it too heavy.
It contains Fairtrade coconut oil and cocoa butter to reduce frizz and is scented with lime oil from lime peels. It has a lovely citrus smell.
How effective Is the Guardian conditioner bar?
I was genuinely surprised that the bar was as good as a bottle of conditioner. Having long hair and a toddler who likes to hide my hairbrush means that my hair gets knotty more often than I like.
This week it was on another level and the bar still managed to condition it so well that I could untangle it easily when it was damp after my shower.
After shampooing and conditioning, my thick, knotty hair is silky soft and conditioned enough to brush through with a comb.
This conditioner bar works well for my dry hair, it adds moisture but doesn’t weigh my fine hair down.
Ethique Wonderbar conditioner review
The Wonderbar conditioner by Ethique has been created for oily hair and formulated not to weigh it down. It contains coconut oil to soften the hair and has a light coconut scent.
How effective is The Wonderbar conditioner bar?
As my hair is dry, I prefer the Guardian, but my hair still felt great after using the Wonderbar conditioner. It was soft, smooth, and I was able to comb out any tangles with no issues.
How much do Ethique conditioner bars cost?
At the time of writing, Ethique conditioner bars are £14 in the United Kingdom, $17 in the United States, and $24.95 in Australia.
Save money by getting a bundle deal on shampoo and conditioner - just go on their website and select “haircare bundles.”
You can check and compare prices here:
Ethique (UK)
Holland and Barrett (UK)
Sephora (UK)
Ethique (USA)
Biome (AU)
What I like about ethique:
The packaging is 100% compostable (I'm buzzing about my new compost bin).
Certified vegan and cruelty-free
No palm oil
No SLS, SLES, phthalates, or parabens.
No overpowering smells from the bars or on my hair post-wash, which I prefer as I don’t like powerful fragrances. (Lush isn’t my thing)
They're a carbon-neutral company.
I like that Ethique offers samples, even though they don’t last very long.
All three types of shampoo bars worked absolutely fine on my hair.
What I don’t like:
At £12.99 for each bar (actual bars, not the samples in my photos), people on a low income will struggle to afford it, making zero-waste living harder for people on a tight budget.
However, as a certified B corp that gives 20% of its profits to environmental charities and pays employees fairly, at least they are doing worthwhile things with it. It’s the cost of living crisis that needs fixing!
When you’re used to liquid shampoo, it can be a bit awkward to get used to swiping it down your hair - make sure your hair is dripping wet so it lathers better.
After wash number three, my small shampoo sample broke apart so now it’s even harder to use. However, I’ve been using the conditioner to shave my legs too and it’s still going strong.
Do I Recommend Ethique?
Definitely.
My hair is clean, shiny, and soft after all three Ethique shampoo bars and there is no leftover waxy residue. The conditioner bars are just as good as liquid shampoo, last a long time, and mean you can ditch plastic bottles.
Frequently asked questions about Ethique shampoo bars
I’m going to expand on some of my previous points so if you want more than “yeah it works” then let’s keep going.
Who is Ethique Shampoo for?
People who want to reduce their plastic and palm oil consumption but are having a hard time finding a shampoo bar that actually works for them.
Ethique has formulated a dozen different bars covering all hair types.
How to apply with long hair:
Ethique’s instructions say to swipe the bar down wet hair from root to tip. Having long thick hair, I found it easier to swipe it down all my roots first, and then down the rest of my hair chunk by chunk so I didn’t lose my place.
I separated my hair into two halves to make sure I’d covered all of it and then massaged it. After a little while, it lathered up, not loads but enough for it to have cleaned my hair completely.
I think you just have to remember you don’t need a huge amount of foam for it to be washing your hair.
Once I’d washed off the shampoo, I halved my hair to make it easier to use the conditioner.
Read next: how do you use a solid shampoo bar?
How many washes does an Ethique shampoo bar last?
80 washes
According to Ethique, one shampoo bar = 3x 350ml (or 11.85 fl. oz) of liquid shampoo which is over 1 litre (34 fl. oz) of liquid shampoo. This means each bar should last over 80 washes.
It is really important to let your shampoo bar dry out in between uses otherwise it won’t last as long.
Are there any other shampoo bars that work in hard water?
The majority of natural shampoo bars are soap-based and highly alkaline. If you have minerals in your water, they can combine with the soap and turn into soap scum. If you have noticed a waxy residue on your hair, it is likely from a soap-based bar.
For clean hair, especially in a hard water area, you have to use a bar that has a surfactant in it. There are plenty of non-toxic, plant-based surfactants that are kind to the planet.
Without shampoo in your bar, you are literally washing your hair with a bar of soap.
Read next:
Have you been struggling to find a shampoo bar that doesn’t leave you with greasy hair?
My latest blog post goes into all kinds of details about water hardness, types of shampoo bar (and why some don’t work), pH and surfactants. Plus a list of bars that work in any kind of water.
Have you tried Ethique? How did you find it?
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everything you need to know about Transitioning to shampoo bars in hard water
Are you wondering why some bars make your hair greasy and some don’t? It’s all about the ingredients.
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