The Best Shampoo Bars In The UK (Tested Over 8 Years)

Looking for the best shampoo bars in the UK? I’ve tried dozens, and these are the ones in 2026 that actually deliver on shine, softness, and everyday manageability, without harming the planet.

If you’re looking to cut your use of plastic in the bathroom, switching to a solid shampoo bar could be a good option.

I’ve been using these plastic-free bars for years, and find them a fuss-free solution to clean hair. Simply rub the bar between your hands and then work the lather through your hair, before rinsing as normal. Bingo – clean hair without any waste whatsoever.

And with claims that some shampoo bars can replace anything from 2 to 4 bottles of shampoo, there are big plastic savings to be made.

However, not every shampoo bar is equal. Some come with a dreaded shampoo bar transition phase. As such, it can be frustrating and costly to buy bar after bar, to try to find one that works for you.

To help you out, here are my tried-and-tested favourites chosen from over 8 years of experimentation:

My 5 Best Plastic-Free Shampoo Bars

I’ve tried so many different shampoo bars over the years (SO MANY!) in my search to find the best one. In that time, I’ve really been able to hone down on what I do and don’t like from my shampoo.

For reference, my hair is straight, fine, and can be a bit oily. I don’t colour my hair, but I am going a little bit grey. I’ve found my grey hairs can be a bit delicate and prone to breakage, so I need something gentle. I also wash my hair every other day.

For me, a good shampoo bar has to lather nicely; rinse out easily with no waxy residue; have no transition phase (I’ve used natural shampoos for eons, and what even is my hair transitioning from?!); smell nice; and leave my hair looking and feeling healthy.

Here’s what works for me, and fulfils all of these criteria:

Lush

Lush is probably the brand I go to most often to buy shampoo bars. With over 12 different bars, Lush has something for every haircare need.

Whether you want to boost shine, hydrate your hair, suffer with tangles or dandruff, or something else, Lush is probably on it. Be prepared to spend around £10. I find a bar lasts around 2 months or so.

My personal favourite is Honey I Washed My Hair – I’ve bought it again and again. It meets all of my criteria. It smells amazing, lathers up beautifully, leaves my hair feeling soft and healthy, without any residue, and doesn’t come with any weird transition phase. The only thing to note is that it contains honey, so it isn’t vegan-friendly.

I’m also a fan of the lemon-scented Montalbano bar. It’s vegan-friendly and particularly great for greasy hair, but it can be a bit drying. This means I’m using it less now my hair is going grey.

The other thing I don’t like is that it has a bit of dried lemon stuck to it, for some unknown reason. Towards the end of the bar I often get bits of lemon stuck in my hair. I think that would be a nightmare if you have curly hair!

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Faith In Nature

Faith In Nature (£6.99 at Ethical Superstore) is another favourite of mine for solid shampoo bars. It’s a good affordable option, that comes in a plastic-free cardboard box.

The bar produces a nice, thick lather quickly and easily, and cleans without weighing my hair down. My preferred option is the lavender and geranium one – it’s not overpowering. Unlike my favourite Lush bar, it’s also vegan-friendly, which I appreciate.

It’s free of things like SLS and parabens, and lasts me for around 2 months or so.

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Green People

Green People is another brand I have used and like. It’s not my very favourite, but only because it’s £17 a bar, and that’s a bit out of my budget for shampoo.

If that fits within your budget, then I recommend giving it a go. Green People’s bars create a good lather (with maybe a little bit more effort needed), and clean really well. They’re also organic, vegan, free of any undesirable ingredients, and available in eucalyptus and mint or unscented options.

The eucalyptus one is best for sensitive scalps, with the unscented one is great for anyone that can’t tolerate fragrance.

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Davines

I wanted to treat myself one day, so I bought the Davines Volu shampoo bar. It’s £18.50 a bar at Cult Beauty (ouch!), but you can get 15% with the code CBAFF15, helping to ease that sticker stock. And I hate to say, but it is worth the price.

Davines is a luxury sustainable hair care brand, and this one really does feel like a luxury hair care product. It smells so good, lathers up quickly and easily and makes my hair feel amazing. I read one review that said, “This is the bar that finally convinced me a solid shampoo could work like a high-end liquid”, and I couldn’t agree more.

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KinKind

Finally, KinKind is my top choice for shampoo bars for grey hair. It’s Nourish Me! bar (£15.90) is formulated for normal, dry and grey hair. After lots of recommendations from readers, I figured I would give it a go to see if it could help with my grey hairs.

I liked it. It foams up easily, makes a rich lather, and leaves your hair feeling clean. It also has coconut oil and argan oil in it to give your hair a moisture boost. My hair isn’t fully grey, so it was just a bit too moisturising for my fine and oily hair, but I think if you are fully grey, this will give you wonderful results. I’m bookmarking this one for when I’m a bit more grey!

More Top Tips

Do also check out my guide on how to store shampoo bars to help make them last as long as possible, so that you get your money’s worth out of your bar! I’ve also got a handy guide to plastic-free conditioner that you might find useful.