Your zero waste hair care routine is something that can take time to figure out. If you've been following me long enough, you've realized that I've tried a variety of products and plundered my way through experiments to see what my hair can handle. Unfortunately, I have really greasy hair and most of the bulk shampoos, DIY remedies, and shampoo bars haven't really done the trick (or have stopped working after a little while). Recently though, I've discovered a zero waste shampoo designed for my greasy hair - shampoo cubes!
This post is sponsored by Well Earth Goods, a distributor of Beauty Kubes.
Beauty Kubes
Beauty Kubes are small square cubes of dried shampoo. They are about the size of a sugar cube (although who even has those anymore?) and dissolve when in contact with water. What I love about this company is that they actually make a shampoo cube that is specifically designed for greasy hair! If you're like me and your hair struggles not to get stringy after just a day or two, you really should try this shampoo. They also make a standard shampoo cube and a conditioner cube if you want to try those too! Oh, and don't forget about a body wash cube (although I honestly just use leftover shampoo to scrub me down!). Beauty Kubes are also vegan, sulfate free, cruelty free, and palm oil free. The ingredients are 62% certified organic as well!
Beauty Kubes are especially great if you travel a lot! Since they are in single-use sizes, you can pack exactly how many you will need for your trip, without lugging the whole box around. Each type of cube (standard, oily, conditioner, body wash) is also a different color so you don't have to worry about trying to keep track of which is the shampoo and which is the soap. Since the cubes are also not a liquid, no more worries about how many ounces you have going through security! Take as many as you need!
Zero Waste Packaging
Beauty Kubes is dedicated to making their product plastic free. Well Earth Goods (the only U.S. distributor for Beauty Kubes) assured me that all of the stock product is sent to them in cardboard boxes with only paper stuffing. My Beauty Kubes arrived in a lovely cardboard box with paper tape and recycled labels as well. The Beauty Kubes themselves are housed in a paper box with a wax paper liner inside. The paper box can be recycled and the wax liner can be composted in your backyard and in some composting facilities. The total product is 100% plastic free! Well Earth Goods even uses 100% post-consumer content paper shipping labels and is working on switching to a curbside recyclable Zero Waste Label later this month!
How to Use Them
Beauty Kubes are really simple to use. First, you need to make sure you are storing them in a place where water won't fall on them. I keep them in their original boxes right near my shower. You can also transfer them into a little jar to put in your shower caddy with a lid. When you're getting into the shower, make sure to grab a cube out of the box before you get your hands all wet, or dump one out into your wet hand from your jar.
Pinching your finger around the cube, it will crumble in your hand. Then add a tiny bit of water to your palm and mix it around. Honestly, I have never been able to make a completely smooth paste. It always has just a few chunks left. But I haven't found that to be a problem at all! I simply rub the paste onto my hair and it continues to dissolve and suds up as I wash! One of the things that is often weird for people when using a shampoo bar is that it doesn't foam up like regular shampoo does. These Beauty Kubes surprised me though in how much they created a soapy, foamy texture in my hair just like other shampoos!
Once you've worked it into your hair, wash it out! If you find that you need a conditioner afterwards, just grab one of the Beauty Kube conditioner cubes! I have found, though, that most days the shampoo does just enough. My hair feels clean and de-greased but also soft enough to control without conditioner. I like to use the conditioner every third or fourth wash just to add some extra TLC.
Where to Buy Them
Beauty Kubes are made in the U.K. and have grown in popularity quickly. Well Earth Goods, a U.S. based online zero waste store, is now the only place offering Beauty Kubes in the U.S.! Dedicated to being 100% plastic free, you can trust Well Earth Goods to supply only the best zero waste products for your home. They are also offering free shipping on their website for the Beauty Kubes.
Just remember, we aren't going to buy our way out of this plastic problem. So before you visit Well Earth Goods and stock up on Beauty Kubes, make sure to use up or give away all of the hair products you currently have. Wasting old shampoo and conditioner just because it's in a plastic bottle isn't going to help either! But once you have finished all that up, give Beauty Kubes a try and see if you like them as much as I do!
