If there’s one thing I’m vain about, it’s my long hair. I have spent hundreds of dollars making sure I have healthy and beautiful hair. I get haircuts, treatments, and buy hair products and accessories to look good and feel good.
But sometimes, it also makes me feel guilty.
From chemical ingredients to plastic materials, almost everything I use for my hair can be toxic not just for myself but also for the environment. So I try to make changes when I can.
If you’re like me who cares about protecting their hair while protecting the planet, you can make some easy zero waste swap that will prevent plastic from entering our landfills and oceans. You can use zero waste shampoo and conditioners or use eco-friendly hair brushes and combs will give you the shiny and gorgeous hair you deserve while minimizing the negative impact on our planet.
If you’re dealing with problems like dryness, tangles, hair breakages, and split ends, plastic-free hair brushes do a great job addressing these hair issues. Here are some of the best eco-friendly hair brushes and combs for all types of hair.
- 1. Zero Waste Store bamboo hair brush
- 2. Me Mother Earth bamboo paddle hair brush
- 3. Redecker handcrafted wooden hair brush
- 4. Life Without Plastic wooden hair brush
- 5. Haakaa Wooden Baby Hair Brush
- 6. Beechwood Travel Hairbrush
- 7. MRD bamboo hair brush and comb set
- 8. Calcutta wild boar bristle hair brush
- 9. Onedor eco-friendly hair combs set
- 10. Boodboo bamboo hair brush and comb travel set
- 11. Spornette DeVille eco-friendly round hair brush set
- How to choose the best eco-friendly hair brush and comb for you
1. Zero Waste Store bamboo hair brush
What you’ll love with this eco-friendly hair brush:
- Handle and bristles crafted entirely from 100% sustainably sourced bamboo
- Rounded bristle heads to massage scalp and increase blood flow
- natural rubber cushion base
- Suitable for all types of hair
- A practical and useful gift for environmentalists
- Shipped in compostable or recylable packaging materials
What you might not like:
- Bamboo handle has a beeswax finish and might not be suitable for vegans
2. Me Mother Earth bamboo paddle hair brush
What you’ll love with this zero waste hair brush:
- Made with a bamboo handle, bamboo pins, and a natural rubber cushion
- 100% biodegradable
- Bamboo is gentle on the scalp, reduces static, frizz and breakage
- Can be used on wet or dry hair
- Long and wide paddle size
- Comes in a kraft paper box packaging and ships plastic-free
What you might not like:
- Some bristles may pop out and need to be replaced (stop includes extra bristles)
3. Redecker handcrafted wooden hair brush
What you’ll love with this sustainable hair brush:
- Made without any animal products
- Handcrafted wooden hair brush detangles and smooths hair with ease while massaging your scalp
- Compact but sturdy
- Sustainably made with waxed beechwood handle and rounded hornbeam wood pins mounted on natural rubber base
- All shipping packaging is plastic free, recyclable, and made from recycled content
What you might not like:
- size might be too small
4. Life Without Plastic wooden hair brush
What you’ll love with this plastic free hair brush:
- sustainable hair brush made in Germany
- features seven rows of maple wood bristles fixed in a base of natural rubber and a beeswax-finished beechwood body
- compact size (22 x 3.8 x 3 cm / 8.7″ x 1.5″ x 1.2″)
- ships plastic free
What you might not like:
- might be too small for everyday use if you have long and thick hair
5. Haakaa Wooden Baby Hair Brush
What you’ll love with this zero waste hair brush for babies or toddlers:
- Uses natural rubber wood and natural goat hair bristles that’s gentle on baby’s hair and skin
- Made of high-quality materials and are BPA, PVC, lead, and phthalate-free
- Baby brush is great for massaging out cradle cap
- Ergonomic handles make it easy for adults and children to use
- Includes a cute carry pouch
- Great for gifting
What you might not like:
- Not vegan; makes use of goat hair
6. Beechwood Travel Hairbrush
What you’ll love with this zero waste travel hair brush:
- Made from sustainably sourced beechwood with a natural rubber cushion and bamboo pins
- Convenient size that is perfect for travel or on-the-go
- Perfect to include in your zero waste travel kit
- Water resistant and can be used on wet or dry hair
- Ships in recycled and recyclable packaging
What you might not like:
- Too small for thick long hair
7. MRD bamboo hair brush and comb set
What you’ll love with this eco-friendly hair brush:
- The eco-friendly hair brushes and combs set includes 1 standard brush, 1 mini brush, 1 fine-toothed comb, 1 wide-toothed comb
- Made from rubber and natural sustainable bamboo
- Suitable for all hair types
- Great for daily use or travel
What you might not like:
- Does not guarantee plastic-free shipping
- Not completely biodegradable as the bristle base is made of synthetic rubber
- Waste of resources if you do not need all 4 pieces
8. Calcutta wild boar bristle hair brush
What you’ll love with this sustainable hair brush:
- Made from wild boar bristles from a special type of wild boar raised in high elevations in the highlands of India
- Regular brushing with a boar bristle brush improve the texture and vibrancy from roots to hair ends
- The handle is made of dark pear wood, grown locally in Germany
- Recommended for fine or medium hair
What you might not like:
- Not vegan; makes use of wild boar hair
- Not suitable for all types of hair
- Does not guarantee plastic-free shipping
9. Onedor eco-friendly hair combs set
What you’ll love with this eco-friendly hair brush:
- Made from high-quality green sandalwood that will not snag your hair or damage hair roots
- Crafted with refined traditional woodwork techniques
- Polished for smoothness to minimize tangled hair and split ends
- Alleviate and relieve scalp tension
What you might not like:
- Does not guarantee plastic-free shipping
- Green sandalwood turns from yellowish to greenish as time goes by
10. Boodboo bamboo hair brush and comb travel set
What you’ll love with this eco-friendly hair brush:
- Includes a bamboo hair brush, a comb and a cotton drawstring bag
- Made from premium quality organic bamboo wood
- Wooden pins keeps away static electrical charges from ruining your hair
- Round tip massages your scalp
What you might not like:
- Not completely biodegradable as the bristle base is made of synthetic rubber
- Does not guarantee plastic-free shipping
11. Spornette DeVille eco-friendly round hair brush set
What you’ll love with this eco-friendly round hair brush:
- Includes 3 eco-friendly round brushes (1.5″, 2″, 2.5″ in sizes)- you can get each piece separately if you do not need all three pieces
- Perfect for blow drying and styling
- Uses boar bristles that helps redistribute your hair’s natural oils
- Can be used for all hair types (natural, treated, colored, fine, course)
What you might not like:
- Not vegan; makes use of boar hair
- Does not guarantee plastic-free shipping
If you would like to buy your eco-friendly hairbrushes or comb from a sustainable shop, you may also check out these online stores that ship plastic-free.
USA: Zero Waste Outlet | Bamboo Switch | Well Earth Goods
Canada: Smile Boutiques
UK: Plastic Free Zone | Bambootique UK
Australia: Biome
For more recommendations, you may also search my List of Eco-friendly Stores Online to find the best online zero waste shop near you.
How to choose the best eco-friendly hair brush and comb for you
When buying eco-friendly hair brushes and combs here are the things you need to consider.
Sustainably and ethically sourced materials
If you want to buy a more environmentally friendly brush or comb, consider what the product is made of, where and how the product was made.
To replace your plastic brush or comb, swapping choose one that is made of wood. Wood brushes or combs are just as effective in removing tangles, improving hair texture, and adding natural shine. They are also great for massaging the scalp to promote the growth of healthy hair.
Bamboo hair brushes and combs are a popular choice as they are sturdy and can be grown sustainably. They are also considered as grass so you won’t be chopping any trees.
Instead of choosing brushes with plastic pins or bristles, you can also find bristles made from pig or boar hair. Using boar hair has many benefits. The soft bristles leads to less hair breakage and it is also great for massaging the scalp. it is also biodegradable which is a better alternative to plastic. However, boar hair has raised some ethical questions on how it was sourced or obtained. If you are vegan or unsure of how it was sourced, then this option might not be for you.
Compatibility with your hair
Your hair type and issues is something you need to consider when choosing the right brush for you.
As someone who has lived with long hair most my life, a big brush has been a staple in my bathroom. Because I am also a scuba diver, part of my dive hair care routine is to use a wide-toothed comb to remove tangles.
When it comes to hair, different folks will definitely need different strokes. Figure out what type of hair you have and the hair problems you need to address, so you can choose the right solution for you.
Pricing
Most often plastic hair products will come out to be cheaper because it is exactly that: cheap. When it comes to sustainable hair brush and combs you are paying for quality material and craftmanship so expect to pay a little bit more.
While you might pay a bit more upfront, you’re also paying for quality and to make sure that you’re choosing something that is more environment friendly. In the long run, it’s more economical as you’ll end up taking care of it and seeing its real value.
Unlike cheap plastic that we all have the tendency to throw away once it chips, cracks or break, a quality, eco-friendly hair brush can be used for many years to come.
Packaging and Shipping
If you are an eco-conscious shopper then you should also consider how and where it is shipped from.
If you have a local store that you frequent and they sell eco-friendly hair brushes then you should consider buying directly from them to reduce your carbon footprint.
However, if you have no choice but to shop online, find out how they package the product and how the items are shipped. Do they use plastic to package and ship? Are you buying from eco-conscious company?
These things should be considered if you want to use less plastic everyday.
End of life disposal
Often times, we buy something without even thinking of how we will dispose of it when it no longer serves it purpose. We live in a throw away society. Once its in the bin, we don’t think about where it will end up.
But we should think about it. Because whatever we throw away will end up in landfills and our oceans. At the end of the day, we still pay the price. This is also why it’s also important to consider how a the brush is as packaged and shipped because the trash it generates is also our responsibility.
If you want something that’s good for the planet, you should get a sustainable hair brush that does good for the planet from the time it was made up until its end of life.
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Zero waste and eco-friendly guides you might want to read:
60+ Best Online Zero Waste Stores and Eco-friendly Shops
45 Easy Zero Waste Swaps for a Plastic Free Life
15 Best Zero Waste Starter Kits and Bundles
21 Zero Waste Travel Essentials
101 Ways to Say No To Plastic
Best Zero Waste Subscription Boxes
Best Zero Waste Reef Safe Sunscreen
Best Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioners
Best Eco-friendly Hair Brushes and Combs
Best Zero Waste Period Products
Amazing Ocean Companies Saving Our Seas
10 Saving the Ocean Bracelets
27 Best Environmentalist Gifts: What To Get An Eco-friendly Person
Are you ready to make the switch to a more sustainable hair brush or comb? How do you use less plastic when it comes to your hair care routine? Leave a comment below!
