10 Best Biodegradable Shampoos That Are Camping-Friendly – 2024

If you often dabble with outdoor activities like hiking and camping, you must respect mother Earth and leave the space as you found it. When you pack your bag of essentials to maintain your hygiene for the trip, make sure everything in it is biodegradable, including your shampoo! Biodegradable surfactants are the need of the hour, and hair care brands are not far behind in making biodegradable products like shampoos, conditioners, and body washes that will cleanse your hair without generating any harmful waste for the environment. They are not only perfect for your nature trips, but they are also a boon for your skin and hair and are completely pet-friendly. By embracing these products, you are making a significant impact on preserving nature. Even though these products are made to dissolve entirely in soil, you should use them at least 200 ft away from a water source. So, ready to make the difference in choice? Go through the list of 10 biodegradable shampoos that will keep your silky hair smooth through all your adventures.

Top 10 Biodegradable Shampoos That Are Good For The Environment Too!

1. Best pH-Balanced: Ethique St Clements Shampoo

4.4

Image: Ethique

BUY ON AMAZON | $14.76

Add a zing of freshness to your hair wash sessions with this citrusy shampoo bar. Ideal for oily hair, St Clements Shampoo will intensely clean all the dirt and greasiness with the infused orange and lime oils. Free from surfactants that strip the natural oils from the hair, this shampoo will balance the oil production and moisture levels instead. And it is naturally conditioning too! 100% soap-free and microplastic-free, it also contains Theobroma cacao butter, castor oil, and vegetable glycerin to please all the proud vegans out there. This video featuring a tester’s experience of using the shampoo will offer a more detailed explanation of the product’s benefits.

Pro Tip

Follow up with the Ethique Too Delicious Intense Conditioner Bar to achieve the softest and smoothest hair. Use the shampoo bar on the scalp while focusing the conditioner on your hair lengths.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

This product has received 13,823 reviews from customers on Amazon, indicating its popularity and reliability.

2. Best Fragrance-Free: Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap – Baby Unscented

4.7

Image: Dr. Bronner’s Pure-castile Liquid Soap – Baby Unscented

BUY ON AMAZON | $5.89

The versatility of this organic biodegradable shampoo will amaze you! Safe for sensitive skin and gentle enough for babies, you can use this liquid soap for hair, body, laundry, pets, dishwashing, and other cleaning needs! Sounds unbelievable? The formula contains a double dose of nourishing ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, hemp oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and other fair trade and organic ingredients. Safe for you, your family, pets, and the Earth, this all-purpose cleaning soap is 3 times more concentrated than other soaps and free from harsh foaming agents too. You may check this video detailing a reviewer’s experience of using the shampoo for a better understanding of this product.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

It has received over 10,179 rave reviews on Amazon, proving it is a mass favorite.

3. Best Organic: Acure Coconut & Argan Shampoo Bar

3.1

Image: Acure

BUY ON AMAZON | $8.49

One soap for all your head-to-toe cleansing needs! Swap those chemical-based shampoos with this gentle and toxin-free bar on your camping trip. Free of harmful chemicals, it does not contain parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, formaldehyde, and petrolatum. This organic shampoo works effortlessly in cold, hot, and salt water. Instead, it has organic and ultra-moisturizing ingredients such as coconut oil, argan kernel oil, cupuacu seed butter, sunflower seed oil, goji fruit extract, and acai fruit extract. Safe for your hair, skin, and your pets, this biodegradable shampoo bar will clean with comfort and care.

Quick Tip

The ideal approach to use a biodegradable shampoo bar is to create a mild lather in your hands by massaging the bar with water, then applying the foam to your scalp. This allows you to use less soap while maintaining the same cleansing effect and increasing the life of the bar.

	Ethique St Clements Shampoo Best pH-Balanced	Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap – Baby Unscented Best Fragrance-Free	Acure Coconut & Argan Shampoo Bar Best Organic
	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Hair Type	All, Oily	-	All
Dimensions	5.5 x 3 x 1.5 inches	3.15 x 3.15 x 7.09 inches	1.25 x 1.7 x 4.75 inches
Weight	3.88 Ounces	0.03 Ounces	2.61 Ounces.
Rating
Reviews	13,823	10,179	685
Price	$14.76	$5.89	$8.49

4. Best Hypoallergenic: Mustela Gentle Shampoo

4.4

Image: Mustela Usa

BUY ON AMAZON | $475.0

Does your hair tangle up instantly after a shower? Try this shampoo as it will leave your hair feather-soft and detangled effortlessly. Although designed for newborns and their mummies, this biodegradable ultra-gentle shampoo is suitable for all dealing with weak, fine, and breakage-prone hair. This regular shampoo contains nourishing ingredients like chamomile flower extract and avocado fruit extract to cleanse the dirt without stripping natural oils and leaves a refreshing scent with every use. Also, no more painful detangling with this one, as 98% agree it prevents knots after a hair wash. Besides this, the dermatologist-tested shampoo rinses off easily and is free from phenoxyethanol, phthalates, and parabens.

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

With over 2,075 Amazon acclaimed reviews, this product is sure to find a place in everyone’s shopping bag.

5. Best For Curly Hair: J.R. Liggett’s Old-Fashioned Shampoo Bars – Pack of 3

4.2

Image: J.r.liggett

BUY ON AMAZON | $26.99

How about going traditional to restore your mane’s suppleness and shine? The century-old recipes in these eco-friendly shampoo bars contain naturally derived cleansers and ultra-nourishing ingredients for a dry and itchy scalp. If you are dealing with dryness, the jojoba and peppermint soap along with olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil will dissolve the hardened build-ups, clean and nourish the follicles and penetrate deep into the hair shaft to combat dryness. The tea tree and hemp oil shampoo bar also contain castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and almond oil to soothe itchiness, combat dandruff, and stimulate hair growth. And if you are dealing with frizzy hair, the coconut and argan oil shampoo bar will tame the frizz and flyaways and leave your hair supple, manageable, and shiny with every wash. This hair cleansing product also boasts countless positive customer reviews that will further assure you of its high quality and visible results.

6. Best For Color-Treated Hair: Love Beauty And Planet 2-In-1 Coconut Water & Mimosa Flower Shampoo And Conditioner Bar

4.3

Image: Love Beauty And Planet 2

BUY ON AMAZON

Good for your hair and safe for the planet, this biodegradable shampoo and conditioner bar is power-packed with sustainably and ethically manufactured ingredients! Are you missing your flip-worthy, gorgeous, and bouncy hair? This 2-In-1 shampoo bar will lightly moisturize, restore the suppleness and add a lush volume to your mane that you can’t help but flaunt! Also, it is free from harsh chemicals such as silicones, parabens, dyes, and phthalates and promises to add a Hawaiian touch with the infused coconut oil. Besides this, it contains the floral notes of Moroccan-sourced mimosa flower, sweet honey, and fruity raspberry for a blissful hair washing experience. Not to mention, it is also vegan and not tested on animals, thus a good option for ethically conscious individuals.

7. Best For Chemically-Treated Hair: Ingreendients Daily Shampoo

4.3

Image: Ingreendients

BUY ON AMAZON | $21.95

The Ingreendients Daily Shampoo is a must-have in your everyday hair care regime. It is made of all-natural ingredients that gently cleanse the dirt and debris accumulated on the scalp. The active ingredients include apple cider vinegar, which restores damaged hair, balances the pH level of the scalp, and eliminates itch. The tea tree oil, rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, eliminates dandruff, bumps, and improves the overall health of the scalp and hair. The green extraction process helps responsibly source ingredients from natural resources. The chemical-free shampoo is gentle, which makes it ideal for sensitive scalp and chemically-treated hair. But if you still wish to check some unbiased reviews before making your buying decision, then explore the product further on Amazon.

8. Best For Sensitive Skin: Reef Repair Reef Safe Shampoo Bar – Coconut

3.8

Image: Reef Repair

BUY ON AMAZON | $9.95

Ticking all the boxes of keeping the environment and ocean safe, this coconut-scented vegan shampoo bar deserves the spotlight. Besides being 100% natural, just a few drops of Reef Safe Shampoo Bar produce rich suds, is non-oily, and is suitable to use daily for hair and scalp cleansing. And unlike other vegan shampoo bars, this one will not disintegrate while using and is free from toxic ingredients such as silicones, sulfates, detergent, palm oil, parabens, formaldehyde, and dioxin. Biodegradable and child-safe, the shampoo bar is pH balanced, suitable for sensitive skin, and will prevent dryness and itchiness. It is also suitable for all types of hair. Want more? This bar shampoo is moisturizing and anti-bacterial too. So what’s keeping you from testing it out? go ahead and add it to your shopping cart now!

9. Best Eco-Friendly: Joshua Tree Tea Tree + Mint Body Wash

4.4

Image: Joshua Tree

BUY ON AMAZON | $13.99

For a minty-fresh and squeaky-clean feeling post-shower, this all-purpose cleansing shampoo would be a great choice. Safe and gentle, you can use it for bathing, hair wash, pets, laundry, and utensils, making it an ideal choice for campers and travelers. Infused with biodegradable and safe ingredients, this sustainable shampoo contains tea tree oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, peppermint oil, and vitamin E for an ultra-nourishing and conditioning experience. It’s time to add this one to your travel list today!

10. Best Reef-Safe: Direct 2 Boater Biodegradable Body Gel & Shampoo

4.5

BUY ON AMAZON | $12.98

Here’s another fantastic choice for travelers, campers, and those who enjoy fishing, sailing, and boating. Since chemical shampoos are not gentle on the environment and aquatic life, this gel body and hair wash would be a safe substitute with its 100% biodegradable formula. You can use it in hard, salted, chlorinated, fresh, and brackish water, and it will lather up just fine to give a squeaky-clean wash. Safe for the wilderness, tough on dirt and grease but gentle on your hair, skin, and environment. The eco-friendly hair product has numerous reviewers vouching for its effective results as well, so give this multi-purpose shampoo for camping a try if you haven’t already!

Enjoy your camping trips without harming the environment! Here’s our list of the 10 best biodegradable soaps and shampoos that are tough on dirt but gentle on nature due to their sustainable sourcing. If you are still wondering how to choose the best one from the list, we have some tips for you in our buying guide below.

How Do I Choose the Best Biodegradable Shampoo?

Here are some features that you must look out for in the product to make sure it is the best buy:

• Skin-friendly formula:

Since you are using it for bathing and hair wash, check if the ingredients are suitable for your skin and hair type. For example, if you have acne-prone skin, products with coconut oil may not be ideal because it is comedogenic. Besides this, biodegradable products with essential oils may be moisturizing for dry hair but may turn oily hair greasy sooner.

• How environmentally-friendly is it?

Not all biodegradable products may be good for the environment, and some may even use tags such as ocean-friendly and eco-friendly as a marketing gimmick. So, cross-check the ingredients and make sure it is free from harsh chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, silicones, formaldehyde, phthalates, and more for the best experience.

• Cleansing benefits:

While looking for the best biodegradable shampoo, do not compromise on the cleansing benefits. Maintaining hygiene is as essential as protecting the environment. Choose a shampoo that ensures a squeaky-clean and refreshing experience after bathing and hair wash.

• Multi-tasking:

With an all-purpose shampoo in your bag, you don’t have to pack too many toiletries for the trip. And surprisingly, there are multi-purpose shampoos on the market (and our list) that you can use for bathing, hair wash, washing pets, laundry, utensils, clothes, and more.

• Water requirement:

Even if you are camping near a lake or water source, pick a shampoo that will not require too much water. Ideally, shampoos that produce suds instantly will need less water than those that don’t lather up effortlessly. So, choose accordingly!

Infographic: Infographic: Biodegradable Shampoo: How To Buy, How To Use, And Trivia

If you are planning to switch to a more eco-friendly hair care regimen, biodegradable shampoos are your best bet. They are suitable for different types of hair, can treat various scalp concerns, and have versatile uses. Check out the infographic below to learn more about biodegradable shampoos, how to find and use them, and what they are good for. Keep scrolling!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Why Trust Stylecraze

The author of this post, Kirtana Divakar, is a professional product writer and editor specializing in skin and hair care segments. She believes that there’s a suitable product for almost every problem, and so she dedicates her time researching hundreds of options that can improve people’s lives. Here, she highlights the best biodegradable shampoos that aren’t just good for your hair but also for the planet. These options have also been endorsed by consumers on various e-commerce websites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is vegan shampoo biodegradable?

Yes, vegan shampoos are usually biodegradable. They are made with skin-friendly and environment-friendly ingredients.

How long does biodegradable shampoo take to work?

It takes hair around 3 to 6 weeks to get accustomed to a new hair care routine. You can expect to see visible changes from using a biodegradable shampoo.

Can I use biodegradable shampoo on black hair?

Bio-degradable shampoos can be used for all hair colors. Eco-friendly shampoos are usually made with no synthetic fragrances, or color-stripping chemicals.

Can you use biodegradable shampoo in a lake?

Even if the shampoo is bio-degradable and water-friendly, it is not safe to put shampoo directly into the water. It can affect the lake’s chemistry and have a negative impact on the living organisms in the water.

Are organic shampoos biodegradable?

Yes, organic shampoos are biodegradable. The eco-friendly shampoo comes from natural ingredients or renewable resources and uses environmentally friendly packaging.

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