Washing your hair is the perfect time to think about the environment. Why not do it with Palm Oil Free Shampoo and Conditioner? This list of palm oil free shampoo products looks at cruelty-free, ethical & fair trade, hair care options so you can feel good about your next wash!
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Table of Contents
Why You Should Avoid Palm Oil Products
There are some pretty graphic scenes of forests burning and Orangutangs running for their lives as the deforestation of Malaysian and Indonesian forests makes room for palm fields. These images are haunting. But are they avoidable?
Can palm oil be sustainable?
There is a “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil”. But the reality is that this is far from a perfect solution.
- In March 2019, the European Commission officially classified palm oil as unsustainable
- To be labeled as sustainable only 1% of the oil has to come from a plantation that has been certified
In summary, palm oil is not really a sustainable option. But it’s also not quite a simple as switching to another type of oil to be sustainable. Palm oil produces more oil per area than other popular oils:
- 5 times more than rapeseed
- 6 times more than sunflower
- 8 times more than soya
Why is Palm Oil in Shampoo?
Palm oil is in so many packaged products it’s almost hard to avoid. The mean reasons that it is in shampoo products are that:
- It is used as a conditioning agent
- Can help restore natural oils after chemicals from shampoo strips them away
- It’s cheap to produce
- It has no smell or flavor once refined
Essentially, it is a cheap filler.
Names Palm oil Can be labeled Under in shampoo
You may think that looking at your hair care products and not seeing “palm oil” on the label is enough. Unfortunately, many companies understand the negative imagery related to the oil and therefore use different names to label it. These are just some of the sneaky names palm oil that could come under on your ingredients list:
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- Cetyl Palmitate
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamide MEA
- Glycerin
- Glycol Distearate
- Octyl Palmitate
- Palmate
- Palmityl Alcohol
- Palm Fruit Oil
- Propylene Glycol
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Stearyl Alcohol
Common Shampoo brands containing palm oil
Yes, there are a lot of beauty products for all different hair types that use palm oil. Many are mainstream and available all over the globe. Here is a list of shampoo and conditioner brands containing palm oil:
- Aesop
- Aveda
- Avon
- Body Shop
- Clarins
- Head & Shoulders
- Herbal Essences
- Holland and Barrett
- Johnson and Johnson
- John Frieda
- Lavera
- L’Oréal
- Palmolive
- Pantene
- Schwarzkopf
- Tresemmé
Some of these brands use “sustainably sourced palm oil”. As mentioned, sustainable palm oil is a very good marketing term. But not very realistic.
Here are our 8 favorite Palm Oil Free Shampoo and Conditioner Brands
These are brands that are not only palm oil free, but are also taking into consideration other environmental factors (like waste).
1. Ethique
Ethique is not only palm oil free, but also a great zero waste shampoo. All packaging is plastic free and compostable with no chemical coatings. Their boxes and labels can degrade in both the landfill or compost bin. The shampoo bars are really taking off around the world for a few reasons:
- They take up less space than traditional bottles
- Create less waste
- Are great for traveling with (not considered a liquid for carry on)
- They have only plant-based and vegan ingredients like coconut oil, cocoa butter and essential oils
- There is a purple shampoo (and conditioner) bar for blondes wanting to tone it down!
Purchase an Ethique shampoo bar on Amazon
2. Plaine Shampoo
Another great shampoo, Plaine products entire line is palm oil free and is made from organic, non-GMO vegan ingredients. This shampoo is perfect if you want to say no to plastic bottles as their shampoo and conditioner are packaged in aluminum bottles, that can be returned for refill/reuse creating a circular economy.
If you don’t return the bottles to their factory (Ohio, USA) or via the Canadian depot (Winnipeg/Calgary) you can always reuse the bottles for something else. A homemade soap. Alternatively, the aluminum bottles can be recycled at any recycling center or in your curbside recycling bin.
Purchase Plaine zero waste shampoo and conditioner on Amazon | Earth Hero
3. Yarok
This palm oil free shampoo is 100% vegan and chemical free. Along with some great minerals, natural flowers, and oils the company also donates 3% of all profits directly to the Pachamama Alliance which helps to protect areas of the Amazon Rainforest.
You can get Yarok shampoo product from Amazon
4. Conscious Skincare Shampoo
This is another great UK palm oil free option for those of all hair types. They use glass bottles that are fully recyclable, and have 500ml eco friendly refills available! They also have a sulphate free option (great for people with dry or frizzy hair).
Purchase Conscious Skincare Shampoo on Conscious Skincare
5. Viva La Body Shampoo
This is a great option for those based in Australia! Not only is it palm oil-free but it is also plastic-free (and vegan)! Another great shampoo bar filled with amazing ingredients that are great for your hair’s health like Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil & Argan Oil.
Get this Australian Made Shampoo bar from Biome (AU)
6. PBH Ethical Beauty
This family-owned and operated business in the UK makes a 100% natural product that is great for your hair and skin. They also donate 20% of their profits to local charities to help the community.
You can get this UK based palm oil free shampoo product from PHB Ethical Beauty
7. Friendly Shampoo
Yes, it is palm oil-free. There are lots of different oils used (coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil, lavender & geranium essential oils) but no palm oil. This is a great palm oil free shampoo option for those in the UK.
This shampoo bar is a great waste-free option for those with natural hair. Their website does describe (in great detail) that their natural shampoo is not formulated for dyed hair. If you are new to natural shampoos, they have tips describing how to transition from other (palm oil based chemical treatments) shampoos to a more natural shampoo.
Purchase The Friendly Zero waste shampoo on Amazon
8. Make your own Palm Oil Free Shampoo with Soap Nuts
Soap Nuts are a great natural base from which you can make your own palm oil-free, package-free shampoo at home!
Here’s how:
Boil the soap nuts in a muslin/nut milk bag. The heat helps to release the nut’s soapy lather from the nuts themselves and the bags catch all that lather. You can make as much or as little as you want to at a time. Just use these ratios:
- 2 Soap Nuts for every cup of water
- A few drops of essential oils to give it a nice aroma
- Bring your water to the boil then reduce to a simmer and allow 10 minutes for every 1 cup of water used
- Once your soap nuts have boiled, squeeze out the lather (through the muslin) into a container (glass jar, etc.)
- Use the soapy lather as your new, natural, zero waste shampoo!
Purchase Soap Nuts on Biome (AU) | Amazon
Other Factors To Consider
If you’re already looking at Palm Oil free options, you’ve already made up in your mind that environmental consciousness is part of your decision-making process. This is amazing.
In doing so, you can continue to take green steps forward. One of the easiest ways (with shampoo) is to consider the shampoo bar. The ones mentioned above are great because they area natural and plastic-free!
The more you look into it, the more options there are! You can start to swap out all your old bathroom items for eco friendly toiletries!
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