My Top Five Non-Toxic, Sustainable Hair Care Products for Luxurious Hair and a Happy Planet

We spend a lot of time talking about the negative impact harmful chemicals leave on our bodies and the planet. From cleaning products to single-use plastics, there’s been a significant shift towards natural ingredients and small strides towards sustainability, but how often do we consider our hair care products in the push to minimize the same damage?

I think most people don’t even realize how damaging and toxic some of the most popular hair products are. Many of these products contain synthetic ingredients linked to serious health issues, not to mention the burden these products and their ingredients put on the environment!

As a stylist, I’ve been a beauty product junkie for most of my life — spending too much money on products that promised to give me luxurious hair with a salon-perfect finish. But it wasn’t until I began to read product labels and research the harmful chemicals used in most professional and commercial hair care products that I decided to make the change in the salon (and in my own shower).

The first step was researching the ingredients in those products I’d been using for years. What did they really do? Was there any scientific evidence that they actually worked? Were they safe? Would they cause damage or allergic reactions over time? And what about how they were made and packaged?

It turns out that many of the brands we’ve come to trust over the years are making their products using nasty ingredients like phthalates and parabens. Phthalates are linked with hormone disruption and cancer; parabens can cause skin irritation and allergies. And these aren’t even the worst offenders!

Change is hard. It takes time to learn about new ingredients, talk yourself out of buying your old products at the drugstore, and actually try something completely different — especially if you are still trying to figure out what is right for you. But that’s where I come in! Think of me as your personal guide to healthy, luxurious hair care. I believe small strides make a big impact, so I put together a list of my favorite non-toxic, sustainable hair care products that you can integrate into your routine. Let’s get to the goods.

1. Salty Mane Texturizing Dry Shampoo

Use It For: Get the tousled, textured hair of your coastal cool girl dreams (even days after your last wash).

Make The Switch: Ditch the drugstore dry shampoo packed with harmful toxins and aerosols that pollute the air.

Why I Love It: Think of this dry shampoo as the ultimate beach vibe wrapped in a shiny little bow. This dry shampoo gives you volume while absorbing excess oils to help you go the distance between washes and achieve the tousled texture that usually comes with a tan after spending the day by the ocean.

2. Reverie Ever Recovery Hair Oil

Use It For: Boost your hair elasticity to prevent split ends with a mega dose of nutrients and added shine for luxurious, healthy hair.

Make The Switch: Let go of the heavy hair oils full of silicone, artificial fragrance, and broken promises of healthy, nourished hair.

Why I Love It: Ever is everything you’re longing for in a hair oil. It’s lightweight, highly absorbent, and acts as a heat protectant to prevent breakage and fading color. Plus, it delivers some serious results thanks to the perfect blend of natural ingredients, including Crambe Abyssinica Seed oil that boasts a +191% improvement in hair elasticity after 12 treatments. Ever keeps its promise for healthy hair and then goes the extra mile.

3. Hairstory Balm

Use It For: Get the perfect air-dried curls of your low-maintenance dreams and end the co-dependent relationship with your blow dryer.

Make The Switch: Say goodbye to the crunchy curls of the OG early 2000s scrunching gels. You know what I’m talking about.

Why I Love It: Low-maintenance queens love a good wash-and-go look. I mean, seriously, who has the time to break out the blow dryer every. single. day. Not me, not you! The Hairstory Balm makes the perfect air-dry possible, giving moisture and definition to your curls without the crunchy, gelled feeling we all know (and despise). Plus, their bottles are easily refillable, making the switch smooth AND sustainable.

4. Reverie Cake Restorative Scalp Tonic

Use It For: Revitalize and soothe your scalp with lightweight hydration to encourage hair growth and reduce shedding for healthier, fuller hair.

Make The Switch: Dump the growth serums full of ingredients that do nothing but leave your hair feeling greasy and longing for actual nourishment.

Why I Love It: Think of Cake as skincare for your scalp. Reverie does their due diligence in crafting the perfect blend of natural, non-toxic ingredients that actually bring results, and this scalp tonic is no different. It gives your scalp all the soothing hydration and vital nourishment it needs in a leave-in treatment with a lightweight formula designed for daily use.

5. Oway Moisturizing Mask

Use It For: Treat yourself to this ultra-hydrating hair mask for soft, silky hair free from split ends.

Make The Switch: Break up with your old hair mask that isn’t serving you anything but filler ingredients.

Why I Love It: The Oway Moisturizing mask is hair care perfection in a tube. No, seriously. This mask pampers and nourishes each strand for lasting hydration while acting as the ultimate anti-aging treatment because it replenishes lipid and water deficiencies. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, this mask gives the flexibility your hair needs for the perfect air-dry every time.

I hope this guide has inspired you to switch up your hair care routine in favor of your health and the planet! The products above are all great for taking on a healthier, more sustainable approach to hair care. And if you still need to figure out where to start, remember I’m always here to help as a source for learning how we can all achieve the healthy, luxurious hair we deserve and leave the planet better than we found it.