Finder Green Fave: Lush shampoo bars
Each shampoo bar you use saves approximately three 200ml bottles from going to a landfill.
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, known more simply as Lush, was founded in the UK in 1995 and has had stores in Australia since 1997. Offering colourful bath bombs, handmade cosmetics and charitable products, Lush is known for its sustainable and ethical manufacturing processes.
Lush makes a huge range of products and one of our favourites is the company's line of shampoo bars.
What makes Lush shampoo bars sustainable?
Lush shampoo bars are a solid, packaging-free alternative to traditional liquid shampoos. Each shampoo bar lasts between 80 and 100 washes, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. This is equivalent to approximately three 200ml bottles of shampoo per bar, which means for every shampoo bar you use, you save around three plastic bottles from going to a landfill.
According to Lush, the company has sold more than 41.3 million shampoo bars since July 2005, saving approximately 124 million plastic bottles.
However, Lush shampoo bars don't just help save the environment, they can also help you save money, especially if you're currently buying pricier salon-quality shampoo. At around, $15.95 per bar, Lush shampoo bars cost approximately $0.15-$0.20 per wash.
Every shampoo bar is handmade in a kitchen in Sydney and new products are freshly made to order daily. Each product includes a sticker that tells you who made it to remind you that a real person is behind every product you use. The sticker also gives you a suggested use-by date to ensure you're always using an effective product.
All Lush products are cruelty-free. The company is against animal testing and doesn't buy ingredients that have been tested on animals. Not all Lush products are vegan as some use honey and beeswax supplied by Beechworth Honey, a family-run business in Victoria. However, the company does have a wide range of vegan-friendly products available. According to the Lush website, around 80% of the company's products are vegan.
We tried it and loved it
Lush's shampoo bars are extremely easy to use, last for ages and come in several different varieties to suit different types of hair.
I've been using Lush shampoo bars for several years. I first bought the "New" shampoo bar (admittedly a very confusing name), which claims to help promote new hair growth. While I'm not sure it makes my hair grow any faster, it smells great and my hair doesn't get as oily as quickly as it used to when I used traditional shampoos.
Over the last few years, I've tried a few other Lush bars. My current favourite is the "Honey I Washed My Hair" shampoo bar, which has made my hair softer than ever.
To use a shampoo bar, rub it against your wet hair a few times until it lathers up. Then, massage it into your hair and rinse it out the same way you would with a liquid shampoo.
Where can I get a Lush shampoo bar?
You can get Lush shampoo bars directly from the store's website or at Lush retail locations across Australia. Each shampoo bar costs around $15.95.
If you're looking for more hair care options, check out our round-up of the best shampoo and conditioner in Australia.
Finder Green Fave is a regular column that highlights our favourite sustainable, eco-friendly, ethical and cruelty-free products. If there's a product that you love and think we should look into, leave a comment below or using our customer service chat.
Looking for more information about sustainable products and companies? Check out the Finder Green homepage.
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