Best shampoo for travelling

The best shampoo for travelling is undoubtedly a shampoo bar.  There is no contest!

As we all know, airlines don’t allow bottles of liquid that hold over 100 mL.  This means that you have three options for taking shampoo and conditioner in your hand luggage. Obviously, taking a shampoo bar is the best option.

Below we have discussed:

1. Buy shampoo when you arrive at your destination
2. Take a small bottle of shampoo that is less than 100 mL
3. Take shampoo bars when you travel

After we have convinced you that taking shampoo bars travelling is the best idea, we have included some product recommendations.  These recommendations are not only for shampoo, but also for body wash and face care.

Buy shampoo when you arrive at your destination

You could leave your shampoo at home.  This means not take shampoo travelling, and buy it when you arrive.   This approach is very risky, because:

• You might not find any suitable shampoo at your destination.  This has happened to us often.  More often than not, it’s finding conditioner that is the issue.  Travelling through Croatia years ago, my thick, curly frizzy hair was a complete disaster.
• You might only find shampoo that isn’t suitable for your hair.  Then, your hair might end up clean, but damaged.  It’s not worth it!

It’s also wasteful.  You often need to leave what is left in the bottle behind when you are off to your next destination.  Wasted shampoo, and another plastic bottle that won’t biodegrade.

Take a small bottle of shampoo that is less than 100 mL

You can buy small refillable bottles especially for travelling.  Then, you decant your favorite shampoo and conditioern into the bottles to take with you on your trip.  The disadvantages of this are:

• 100 mL is only a small amount.  You might use up your travel shampoo up very quickly, then be left with none anyway and need to revert to buying whatever shampoo is available.
• You risk your shampoo leaking through your luggage.  This has happened to the best of us.  You might wonder why bottles leak in flight.  Air pressure changes while flying can cause the liquid in bottles to expand.  Some bottles just can’t cope with the added pressure, and the liquid then leaks out all over whatever else you have in your bag.  To prevent this, some people use plastic wrap.  This plastic wrap ends up in the trash, contributing to our plant’s environmental issues.  We would rather avoid this.

Take shampoo bars when you travel

The simplest, most environmentally friendly, hair-friendly and of course airline friendly shampoo option is to take shampoo bars when you travel. 

Here are the reasons why:

• Shampoo bars are a non-liquid shampoo.
  • With solid shampoo bars, you don’t need to worry about the liquid restriction rules that apply to air travel.
  • You don’t need to take your shampoo bars out of your bag when going through security which reduces travel stress (especially when there is a queue forming behind you).
• Shampoo bars don’t leak into your luggage.
  • No more exploding bottle of liquid in your luggage.
  • You won’t end up with broken bottles that need to be thrown out
  • No wasted (and usually expensive) shampoo.
  • Best of all, no more slimy clothes and toiletry items to clean.  What a way to start a holiday!
• You can keep up the same hair care regime as at home.
  • This is much better than changing your hair routine while you are travelling.
  • You know the product, and you know it’s right for your hair.
• You won’t run out.
  • Shampoo bars last for a really long time.
  • One shampoo bar is equivalent to 2-4 bottles of regular shampoo.
  • You won’t need to look for shampoo while you are travelling.  Extra fun time!
• Shampoo bars take up less space
  • They are small.
  • If you are pushed for space (every gram counts when it comes to hand luggage) you can cut it in half and just take a small piece.
• Less plastic waste.  This is a biggie.
  • Travelers and backpackers leave a trail of plastic bottles wherever they go.  This is often in developing countries that do not have the facilities to dispose of plastic or recycle your waste.
  • It’s not fair to leave other people to deal with the with the effects of our bad plastic habits.
  • Most shampoo bars even come with zero-waste packaging.

Convinced?  Shampoo bars are undoubtedly the best option for shampoo to take travelling.  Conditioner bars are just as easy.

If you are new to solid shampoo bars, you can find our guide to transitioning from regular shampoo to solid shampoo here (click link).

Product recommendations:  Shampoo bars for travel

We’re going to give you some product recommendations for shampoo bars for travel, along with some other non-liquid toiletries.

Sampler packs of solid shampoo and conditioner are perfect for travelling.  The are smaller than a regular bar.  You can keep them in your toiletries bag and leave the bigger bars in the bathroom at home.  That way, you are less likely to forget to pack them.

You don’t need to stop at shampoo bars when you are travelling.  Clever people have developed a range of solid beauty and body care products that make packing a breeze.

The best way to see if these products suit you is to try a sampler pack.  Ethique sell a range, categorized by either body / hair, or by your hair and skin type.  Check out the options below on Amazon  to see what suits you and your skin type, or hair type.