My zero waste curly hair routine UPDATED 2022!

I have always had hair that's more wavy than curly and that behaves differently from one day to the next. Once I figured out a routine in college, I stuck to it like a religion. But I hated going through all those plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles and using mousse or texture sprays in aerosol. First I made the switch to products with more natural ingredients to be Earth-friendly, but the packaging still felt excessive. When I went zero waste in 2016, I started exploring all the low waste curl products to see what worked for my hair. What I didn't expect is to get better curl results and in the end I found I had happier, healthier hair.

Sidenote: This article was written in April 2019 but I updated it with some of my favorite new finds in July 2020 and I'm updating again now, in August of 2022!

Finding my natural curl has been a journey. When I first started playing around with zero waste curly hair products, I'll admit that the first thing I did was to buy a salon size bottle of the curl styling gel I loved, to hold me over in case I didn't like what I was experimenting with. I figured a bulk version resulted in fewer plastic bottles, and that soon enough I'd find some replacements. Because I allowed myself to keep my one favorite product in my routine, it gave me the freedom to try shampoos and conditioners without feeling like I was sacrificing too much, and I eventually even found a new favorite styling gel. Baby steps y'all!

Shampoo

The first shampoo bar I truly liked was called the Lovely Rita shampoo bar from a company in Maine called Dulse & Rugosa that wild harvests all of their ingredients. I really liked it - It gave me volume and didn't dry out my hair. It comes wrapped in paper, is packed with high quality nourishing ingredients, and was a fairly easy switch to make. Bar shampoo is weird at first but it's nice to travel with (no liquids!) and it seems to last a long time. The Lovely Rita bar was cleansing without stripping my hair of its natural oils, and I started shampooing my hair less often.

Now, a couple years into my zero waste curly hair routine, I have a not-so-secret confession: I actually don't shampoo my hair anymore! I stopped because I felt like it wasn't that healthy for my hair. I started washing it less and less and reading about water-only routines (I'm not that extreme yet. Talk to Ariana). My roots seem to have more volume now and over time, it started to balance its own oils. My scalp is healthier now, without the flakes I used to get, and my curls are happy with just conditioner. In the beginning (2019-2020), I did this brushing routine every week where I would brush my hair really thoroughly to redistribute my natural oils and then I would do a vinegar rinse to cleanse and balance my scalp pH. Pretty sure I heard of it from my friend Stevie of Yay for Earth... I don't seem to have to do that as frequently anymore, but it's a good trick if you want a deep cleanse or you're noticing oils or a flaky scalp as you make the transition. It does take some time to retrain your hair! I'll never forget when I told Marimar's older sister I was trying the no-poo routine and she said "I can tell." LOL! Thank you Kiva for always being real. I made some adjustments and recovered from a viral Tiktok video of horrified strangers, and now I can truly say, you can no longer tell that I don't wash my hair.

Nowadays (2022), I use a liquid conditioner every time I shower, and I do what's called co-washing where you apply the conditioner all through your hair, even in your roots, and it acts to cleanse and hydrate without being so harsh on your hair or your scalp.

My curls and my scalp are happier than everywhere, but the no-poo road is not for everyone. I do think it's widely agreed that for curly hair, if you use shampoo, try to limit it to once or twice a week and look for a gentle nourishing shampoo or one that's oil based. We carry a nourishing shampoo bar from Kitsch that's really popular with curls.

Conditioning

The first swap I tried back in 2016 was a Lush conditioner bar, but it didn't really cut it for my hair type. I have thick hair (thank you mom!) and I needed a bit more hydration and moisture to keep my hair happy. A couple years later, we found a cocoa butter conditioner bar for Eco Collective that I still love, especially for travel. It smells really good and it always leaves my hair so soft and curly. (still use this in 2022!)

Somewhere along the way, I discovered a leave-in conditioner spray in bulk at the Soap Dispensary up in Vancouver. It was lightweight, and the perfect thing to tame flyaways and nourish my curls. I wish I knew the brand but visit that bulk store, it is so worth the trip. That leave-in along with my conditioner bar and regular brushing became my new routine.

Then by total luck, we found the dreamiest curly hair conditioner in bulk back when we had our Bulk Bar in Ballard - It was thick, creamy, and locked in the hydration which really helped shape and define my curls. I still adore it. They were out of stock forever and now we need to figure out some kind of sustainable packaging to ship in, but we're working on it... I promise!

We also added the coconut deep moisturizing conditioner bar from Kitsch to our line, and it is really nice. It has great slip, and if you haven't found a conditioner bar you love, this one is worth a try. It smells so nice, and it's great for dry hair. 

Leave-in conditioner does magic for curls. It's great for detangling and just sealing those healthy natural oils. A good leave-in will reduce frizz and help to rehydrate your hair on a no-shower day. I usually just use a dollop of our curly hair conditioner as a leave-in conditioner after a shower, but you can use almost any oil (argan is great!) or I highly recommend the jasmine scented leave-in conditioner from Ecoslay. We can't carry their products anymore because the shipping gets so expensive, but we still love and sing the praises of that brand.

Another hack for a no-shower day - put a little of the orange marmalade styler from Ecoslay in a spray bottle with some warm water. It totally refreshes and rehydrates curls, and adds a little shape and definition.

If my hair is really dry, I do an oil hair mask (linking here to my blog on oil and protein hair masks).

Photo by Anya Nnenna for Eco Collective

Brushing

I learned from Stevie Van Horn that if you brush your hair for at least 2-3 minutes every few days, it brings the oils from your roots all the way down to the ends, naturally conditioning your hair. It also exfoliates your scalp and increases blood flow, which promotes hair growth. We love.

When I was little, my Mom would make me brush my hair out every morning which resulted in huuuuge frizzy hair (no longer cool in the 90's) so I swore off brushing for a long time. Turns out, if you only brush before you shower, so you can fully condition and style, you don't have to live through the big hair part... Also, a wooden brush helps to reduce static and breakage, and lets your hair reap more benefits from a regular brushing ritual. Pro tips, my friends.

I've always loved the idea of the jade and amythest combs that can stimulate your scalp, but my hair is probably too tangly for even a wide tooth comb. I can't remember the brand of wooden hair brush I use but the one pictured is from Brush With Bamboo. There's so many lovely ones on the market now. Wooden bristles are the important part!

Volume and styling tools

A key part of giving up shampoo was learning how to dry my hair in a way that diffused my curls and lifted my roots. There are so many great videos about how to diffuse curly hair. It really makes a difference how you dry your hair because towel drying can result in frizz and using a regular blow dryer can ruin all your curl definition. My favorite curly hair "tool" is the bamboo hair towel we carry, it allows you to tie up your hair and let the leave-in or stylers soak in while you get ready, and it works to reduce frizz, dry your hair gently and preserve the curl. You can also dry with an old cotton t shirt to avoid frizz or use a diffuser with your blow dryer to get good volume and definition.

While I was retraining my hair, I lived on dry shampoo - I would use powder ones from Captain Blankenship or Fat and the Moon and even started to make my own with arrowroot powder and cocoa powder. My hair is dirty blonde, so that blend works for me but for darker hair, my friend Christie of Sedona Christina suggests applying dry shampoo the night before so that your roots soak up all the oils overnight. By the time you wake up, voila, no white flecks!

(A note from 2022 me - I still use dry shampoo but only if I do an oil hair mask or my roots get oily from a workout. If you do use dry shampoo, you should really only use it for one day before rinsing it out and massaging the scalp to clear any residue).

Dry shampoo DIY - probably still on our YouTube channel

Styling gel and masks

Styling gel was probably the last switch I made when I was crafting my low waste curly hair routine. I have tried making my own, but I don't really take the time anymore. Flax seeds and hot water are the easiest way to go (I bet the recipe is still on our YouTube channel) but you have to keep it in the fridge to preserve it and that never worked for me when I lived aboard.

More recently, we discovered EcoSlay and their amazing styling products! I already mentioned that we can't carry them anymore, but their jello shot and orange marmalade are MAGIC for curls. The orange marmalade was and still is my favorite. You can layer it for as much hold as you want, it's hydrating, smells like Florida, and gives my hair great definition. Would totally recommend ordering from them.

When my hair is feeling a little flat or lifeless, and not responding in the usual way to my stylers, I find that my hair is probably low on protein. Doing a protein hair mask once a month has been revolutionary for enhancing my curls. I wrote a blog on hair masks here that tells you how and when to do a hair mask and how to figure out what your hair might need.

On the go

When I travel, I put my conditioner bar in a soap tin or bring a mini glass jar of conditioner. I use a silicone squeeze bottle for my curl gel. I bring my wooden brush if I'm going to the beach (hello tangles) and if I was more high maintenance I would bring my diffuser but I try to travel light these days.

For hair ties, I use the spiral hair ties that are so popular for curls - no crease, and it doesn't ruin my curl when I take my hair down, meaning I can go more days between styling. Kitsch has some great ones for all hair colors, and we would carry them but they're not technically low waste... except in my mind, they totally are because unlike regular elastic hair ties, when these stretch out you can use a hair dryer to shrink them again and you end up using them for way, way longer! Until you lose them. I don't know friends, they're what works for me. Kooshoo makes some really cute compostable ones from cotton and rubber if you're more strict about zero waste than I am these days :)

If you're backpacking or really want to pack light, there's this cool solid-to-liquid styling gel from Salon Solids. It comes in a little packet and you just add hot water when you get to where you're going. It does not have the longest shelf life, but you can adjust the consistency with how much water you add and it's a pretty cool product as far as what's on the market.

It's an ongoing journey!

It took a long time to create the perfect zero waste routine for my hair, but it has been so worth it! My hair is the healthiest it's ever been. My advice is to go natural, take the time to learn about your hair type, and have fun trying new things from local brands you love.

Before

After

If my curly hair journey has taught me anything, it’s that every one’s hair is unique.  What works for your hair? What have been your favorite zero waste solutions? Tell us in the comments below!