If you're looking for a way to save money on your hair care routine, you may have heard about shampoo and conditioner bars.
These bars clean your hair without creating all the plastic waste that traditional liquid shampoos do. But their well-kept secret is that the best shampoo and conditioner bars can save you money. And it's more than you might expect.
How do shampoo and conditioner bars save people money?
Americans, on average, spend a little less than $80 on shampoo every single year and use about 11 plastic bottles worth, adding to the endless pile of waste in our landfills and oceans.
And although most shampoo and conditioner bottles are less expensive than the best shampoo and conditioner bars — though cheaper options exist — each bar shampoo has roughly the same amount of product as three plastic containers.
So, making the upgrade means you'll buy fewer hair care products and spend a lot less by using shampoo and conditioner bars. While the upfront cost of the hair care bars is probably a bit higher, the cost per wash is much, much lower.
And you're buying a smaller product with much less packaging. Essentially, you'd be buying more shampoo (or conditioner) and getting less water and plastic. And since most shampoo and conditioner bottles are 80% to 95% water, you'll use up way less bathroom space too.
Estimates vary on how much you can save by making the swap, with one calculation putting the potential savings at $4,800 through a lifetime.
Of course, the actual amount of savings you could see will depend on several factors. The price of your liquid shampoos, the cost of the bars, and the amount you wash your hair will all play into your potential savings.
But if anything is clear, it's that not paying for plastic packaging and water makes sense for your wallet and the planet.
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