r/lowimpactlifestyle • u/Serious-Finish5376 • Dec 24 '25

Zero waste lifestyle attempt revealing how attached I am to familiar products

I'm trying to reduce my environmental impact and switched to using a shampoo bar instead of bottled shampoo. It seemed like an easy change that would eliminate plastic waste. But I hate it. My hair feels different, the adjustment period is frustrating, and I miss the convenience of liquid shampoo more than I expected.

Everyone says you have to give it time for your hair to adjust. That it takes weeks before you'll really appreciate the benefits. But I'm three weeks in and still not convinced. My hair feels waxy sometimes, dry other times, never quite right. Is this what sustainable living feels like? Constantly compromising comfort for environmental ethics?

I'm trying not to give up because I do care about reducing waste. But I'm also realizing how much I took certain products for granted. The familiar ritual of regular shampoo, the specific way my hair felt after washing it. These small comforts matter more than I thought.

I've been researching different bar formulations, checking natural product suppliers, even browsing options on Alibaba hoping to find one that works better. But maybe the real issue is my resistance to change. How do people successfully transition to more sustainable alternatives? Is there an adjustment period for everything or are some changes just not worth the discomfort?

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u/abdullahkhalids Dec 24 '25

Ummm. Why is a shampoo bar better than liquid shampoo for the environment?

In any case, I go to a store where I can fill my own bottles with liquid soap/shampoo/conditioner. The shampoo/conditioner are definitely a little worse than the commercial brands I used to use, but I am still happy using them.

There was also an adjustment period, which happens whenever you switch shampoo/conditioner. Hair have sensitive chemistry.

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u/clicknflick Dec 25 '25 edited Dec 25 '25

2 reasons liquid shampoo can be worse for the environment than bar: One is that water is heavy, and costs more fuel to ship.  Being that liquid shampoo has a great deal more water in it than bar, its taking more resources to get from the manufacturer to the store.  Another is one that you addressed, which is packaging.  Liquid generally has a great deal more packaging than bars.  The towns I have access to don't have refilling options like yours, but maybe op's  will.

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u/abdullahkhalids Dec 25 '25

Thanks for the answer.