AS PEOPLE look to reduce their environmental impact, soap bars, including shampoo bars, are starting to replace plastic bottles in our bathrooms.
The best shampoo bars not only reduce waste, but they'll also save you money in the long run, since one shampoo bar is roughly the equivalent of three bottles of shampoo.
Shampoo bars - also known as solid shampoos - have other benefits too: since they're usually made with all-natural ingredients and no nasty chemicals, they're healthier for your hair.
Converts find that their hair texture improves after switching to a shampoo bar, which won't strip hair of natural oils and works well for long or short styles, curly or straight.
Do note that hair has to go through a 'transition' period of a few days to weeks if you're switching from a chemical-based shampoo to an all-natural product.
Shampoo bars are now widely available, from designer beauty brands as well as eco-beauty leaders like Lush and Ethique - and you can find shampoo bars online starting at less than £3.
Shampoo bars last longer if they have a chance to stay dry - they can easily last a year - so make sure to invest in a stylish soap dish to keep yours in.
1. Best 2-in-1 shampoo bar: Soul and Soap Floral Freesia Solid Shampoo Bar + Conditioner
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(AD) Soul and Soap Floral Freesia Solid Shampoo Bar, £6.99 from Amazon - buy here
This zero-waste shampoo bar has a fresh floral scent and is made with conditioning ingredients like cocoa butter, vitamin B5 and honey.
You can save even more cash with this product if you like it, since it works as a 2-in-1 shampoo bar as well as a conditioner.
Fans like the smell, how well it lathers up and how long it lasts.
We also like the tin for storage and travel - it'll double as a soap dish in the shower.
2. Best shampoo bar for specific hair needs: Ethique Heali Kiwi Shampoo Bar
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(AD) Ethique Heali Kiwi Shampoo Bar, £13.99 from Amazon - buy here
Ethique is a well-respected zero-waste brand that meets every requirement when it comes to creating beauty products we can't live without: they're gorgeous smelling, work well and they're completely sustainable, too.
Their extensive range of shampoo bars is well-reviewed and also includes a bar for every hair need, whether you're lacking volume, have frizzy hair, normal hair, oily hair or dry hair (there's an accompanying selection of solid conditioners, too).
This shampoo bar for itchy scalps contains a range of potent natural ingredients like kiwifruit oil, coconut oil, neem oil, oatmeal and karanja oil, to help combat any scalp issues.
Even dandruff sufferers have become instant converts, loving that it leaves hair feeling 'clean and shiny'.
3. Best designed shampoo bar: Foamie Shampoo Bar
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(AD) Foamie Shampoo Bar, £5.94 from Amazon - buy here
With an ergonomic shape, massaging ridges from the logo design and a ribbon so it can hang anywhere in the shower, Foamie's shampoo bar teams all-natural ingredients with brilliant design.
Plastic-free, chemical-free and vegan, this shampoo bar has nourishing ingredients like coconut oil and wheat proteins.
Plus, it's specially formulated with a pH that cleanses hair without damaging - it's even cold-pressed to ensure the ingredients retain their scent and beneficial properties.
4. Best value shampoo bar: Friendly Soap Natural Shampoo Bar
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Friendly Soap Natural Shampoo Bar, £2.42 from Vitalife Health - buy here
The best value shampoo bar on the market, Friendly Soap's lavender and tea tree oil soap only contains natural ingredients and essential oils - no nasties.
Castor oil, coconut oil and olive oil cleanse and hydrate, while lavender and tea tree oils have antibacterial properties to keep hair looking healthy.
Those with fine hair particularly like it - and insist it gives thin locks a volume boost.
5. Best designer shampoo bar: Odacité 552M Soap-Free Shampoo Bar
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Odacité 552M Soap-Free Shampoo Bar, £27 from Cult Beauty - buy here
Named after the 552 million plastic shampoo bottles that end up in landfill annually, celeb-fave beauty brand Odacité's 552M shampoo bar is definitely the luxurious shampoo bar choice.
It works on all hair types - including colour-treated locks - and is vegan, cruelty-free, silicone- and sulphate-free.
What it does have? Gorgeous natural ingredients like coconut oil, cupuaçu butter, argan oil and castor oil to build up a lovely lather.
Leaves hair feeling and looking gorgeous, while sealing in moisture and improving hair texture.
6. Best smelling shampoo bar: Lush Honey I Washed My Hair
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Honey I Washed My Hair, £8 from Lush - buy here
No roundup of shampoo bars would be complete with including the original high street beauty brand which had us falling for solid shampoos, Lush.
The brand has a selection of shampoo bars, designed to boost shine, tame frizz and calm itchy scalps (to name a few).
Honey I Washed My Hair is a good all-rounder that should leave hair hydrated and shiny.
In addition to antiseptic, moisturising honey, the shampoo bar has refreshing wild orange oil and bergamot oil.
Fans love that it leaves hair looking 'amazingly shiny', 'easier to style' and 'lathers up so nicely'.
Plus, it smells 'divine' - no surprise with those ingredients.
We've designed Sun Selects to help you to find the best products that won't break the bank.
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