Our thinking

Live and let dye

25 February, 2022

Haircare is a fundamental part of our daily routine: it takes time, precision and investment into quality products. However, how often do you consider their social and environmental impacts? Acing sustainable haircare and colouring (without the hands of a salon professional) has never been easier with the following innovations and movements.   

Bleach London has strong sustainability credentials. It’s cruelty-free, 100% vegan, uses recycled and recyclable packaging and ethically sourced ingredients, and they offer plastic-free hair dye in bar form. The Rosé Shampoo Bar, part of the ‘Pink Network’, cleanses and deposits a light shade of pink onto bleached, toned, coloured and blonde hair. It might be light-colouring but demonstrates a willingness to innovate in sustainable dye technology.   

Next up is Beauty Kitchen, with perhaps the best packaging credentials in the market. They use rock paper labels, aluminium bottles and drive circularity through their #ReuseRevolution. This is core to their sustainability mission, where empty bottles can be returned to Holland and Barrett in return for reward points. If you want to steer clear from bottles on the whole, not to worry, Beauty Kitchen has a line of award-winning shampoo and conditioner bars. These bars of goodness are plastic-free, cruelty-free and vegan: the future of sustainable hair care.   

Haircare in bar form is becoming ‘in’ – Ethique is also combating packaging and water stress issues through their solid shampoo collection and they don’t just care about the eco-benefits. All of their ingredients are directly traded – meaning fair prices paid to support suppliers (like their coconut oil suppliers in Samoa). Considering the social and community impact of brands is vital and this is where Shea Moisture stand out. Their social campaigns focus on supporting black artists, entrepreneurs and female beauty founders – showing us the power of community engagement.   

Changing our hair colouring and cleansing products could go a long way in making a positive social and environmental impact. Care for your hair and dare to care with these do-good and feel-good products!  

By Bertie Bateman