Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (2025)

The research

  • Best for most hair types: Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth
  • Best for thick, dry, or coarse strands: Superzero Hydrating Repair Shampoo Bar
  • Best for fine hair: HiBar Volumize Solid Shampoo
  • Best for itchy, sensitive scalps: HiBar Soothe Solid Shampoo
  • Other shampoo bars worth considering
  • Why you should trust us
  • How we picked and tested
  • How to use and store shampoo bars
  • Are shampoo bars environmentally friendly?
  • The competition
  • Sources

Best for most hair types: Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (1)

Best for...

Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth

Hydration and body

This citrusy-scented bar’s eight ingredients pack a versatile punch, imparting both moisture and volume, with rich, satisfying suds.

Buying Options

$14 from Amazon

$14 from Walmart

$14 from Ulta

To appreciate the squiggle-shaped Kitsch Rice Water Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth, you’ve got to ignore the “hair growth” claim. This bar was a clear favorite among panelists with all hair types and thicknesses, from fine to thick and straight to curly. None of our testers experienced extra hair growth, nor did we expect any to. And with only eight ingredients—most of our favorites had two or three times more—this shampoo bar gets the job done. The formula is a combination of gentle surfactants, hydrators, and rice protein, and it leaves strands clean, soft, and moisturized but not weighed down.

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (3)

It lathers and rinses easily. Like all of the bars on this list, the Kitsch Rice Water bar doesn’t contain traditional foaming agents, like sodium lauryl sulfate; instead it taps gentler ingredients to cleanse. This particular blend earned praise in the shower for its frothy lather, akin to that of liquid shampoo, and it also rinsed clean and didn’t leave behind slimy or tacky residue.

The squiggle serves a purpose. It turns out that the grooved S shape isn’t just a gimmick: Panelists agreed that the shape made the bar notably less slippy, both in their hands and on shower shelves and ledges. We’ll report back in our long-term testing on how the bar held up once the ridges dissolved.

Dry hair is left soft and shiny. Across a range of hair textures—from thick, curly hair to fine, straight hair—the Kitsch Rice Water bar imparted softness, body, and shine. And some testers even reported that it outperformed their go-to bottled shampoo. One tester with thick, wavy hair called this one the “Goldilocks bar”—not too moisturizing, not too drying, but just right. And, crucially, that healthy texture lasted beyond day one.

The fragrance is pleasant but not overbearing. Testers said they liked that the shampoo left a light—rather than overbearing—scent, similar to that of some of the other contenders we tried. The package claims the scent is “white tea and mandarin,” though no one reported that it actually smelled like either of those ingredients. However, testers liked the scent itself—impressions ranged from spicy and herbal to earthy with citrus.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • The Kitsch Rice Water bar is not moisturizing enough to be an everyday shampoo for curly strands. “But I’d consider traveling with it if I were limited to carry-on,” one curly-haired tester said.
  • The bar contains added fragrance, which some people avoid because of the link to certain health concerns, such as migraines.

Average cost per ounce: $4.38 (at the time of publication)
Certifications: Leaping Bunny (no animal testing)

Best for thick, dry, or coarse strands: Superzero Hydrating Repair Shampoo Bar

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (4)

Best for...

Superzero Hydrating Repair Shampoo Bar

Quenching moisture

This lightly scented, onigiri-shaped bar contains a nuanced cocktail of hydrators, so it quenches extra-dry strands without leaving them greasy or weighed down.

Superzero’s Hydrating Repair Shampoo Bar is marketed toward those with dry and damaged hair. But testers didn’t need to have dry or damaged hair to appreciate its benefits. It was a favorite of our panelists, regardless of whether their hair was color- or chemical-treated.

With its nourishing formula, delightful packaging, and pleasant, mild scent, the Superzero Hydrating Repair Shampoo Bar made believers out of every one of them. Best of all, though, this bar left coiled, straight, and coarse strands soft, shiny, and really clean, without a hint of heaviness or frizz.

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (6)

It offers intense hydration, yet it isn’t greasy. This colorless, unsuspecting little triangle packs an impressive array of humectants, botanical oils, and shea butter (a heavy-duty hydrator). A range of testers reported that their hair, once it was dry, felt bouncy and polished for days. Notably, however, their hair wasn’t flat, which is something our testers had experienced while using other hydrating bars, like the HiBar Moisturize. Thick-haired users particularly liked the results they got from the Superzero Hydrating Repair bar—so much so that two of them were reluctant to move on to test other contenders.

No one reported experiencing oily roots or irritation—even testers with sensitive skin. “I felt sure that my hair was clean, and it felt moisturized but not greasy,” reported one tester with thick, curly hair.

The bar’s design is thoughtful. All of the Superzero shampoos (we tested one other) are relatively dense and shaped like small, triangular onigiri, with a pressed-rice-like texture. Panelists reported that the nubbly hand-feel made the bar pleasantly grippy and less prone to slipping off the shower shelf. The Superzero bar also comes with an unbleached cotton pouch, to hold the bar and encourage more lather when it shrinks in size; this is something no other bar we tried offered.

It has a subtle herbal scent. Although the bar isn’t unscented, there’s no added synthetic fragrance. The bar smells bright and herbal, with a note of lavender that some testers noted was especially pleasant and relaxing in the shower. The scent is more neutral—and borderline imperceptible—once the bar is dry.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • At about $28 per bar at time of writing, the Superzero bar is the most expensive of our picks. Yet because shampoo bars have impressive longevity, we thought the cost per wash was more than worth it, especially given this bar’s performance on dry hair.
  • Some testers with fine hair found this bar to be too moisturizing, reporting that it caused their hair to feel limp.

Average cost per ounce: $13.02 (at the time of publication)
Certifications: There are no third-party certifications, but Superzero claims this shampoo bar is vegan and cruelty-free (no animal testing). A spokesperson stated that Superzero’s ingredient suppliers sign cruelty-free documentation.

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Best for fine hair: HiBar Volumize Solid Shampoo

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (7)

Best for...

HiBar Volumize Solid Shampoo

Volume and shine

Due to its angled tip, this teardrop-shaped bar is easy to apply to greasy roots; hair is left notably clean but not stripped.

Buying Options

Buy from Amazon

$14 from Walmart

May be out of stock

Fine hair is easily weighed down by oil, and some of the shampoo bars our fine-haired panelists tested contained too many surfactants (to remove oil), so they made hair lighter and fuller but overly dry. The HiBar Volumize Solid Shampoo’s gentle cleansers and moisturizers plumped up fine hair without depleting it. The teardrop shape and sharply angled tip were particularly great for targeting oily scalps, a common complaint for those with thin strands.

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (9)

Hair looked and felt bouncy and soft. Our two fine-haired panelists reported that after they used the HiBar Volumize bar, their stands were soft, full, and moisturized, with a natural shine—sans oiliness. That’s likely because, in addition to a few excellent cleansers, this bar also contains moisturizers, like coconut oil and panthenol. “This bar has made my hair feel a way I’ve never experienced with other [liquid] shampoos, which I didn’t really think was possible,” one tester said. The tester said, “I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, my hair looks so good. It’s noticeably fuller than usual, and the ends are flippy in a way that usually happens when my hair is well moisturized.”

It seemed to add body. There are not a lot of studies on how the topical application of rice proteins will impact the width of the hair shaft. But, like the Kitsch Rice Water bar, the HiBar Volumize bar contains hydrolyzed rice protein, and our testers did note that their hair felt fuller once it was dry.

Testers liked the unique shape. All HiBar shampoos have a teardrop shape, with a flat bottom and an angled point. Some testers said the shape helped them apply shampoo at the root, which is important because those with fine hair tend to experience visible scalp-oilness more quickly. The design also helps the bar sit upright in the shower, so it can dry faster (this seems to slow dissolving and preserve product).

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • While the HiBar Volumize bar’s tapered, angled cone shape pleased most testers, a couple of testers found that this bar easily slipped out of their hands. The same went for the HiBar Soothebar we tried.
  • For fragrance, this shampoo contains four kinds of citrus oil, one of which the National Eczema Association says can be irritating to some people. However, the scent itself is light.

Average cost per ounce: $4.36 (at the time of publication)
Certifications: Leaping Bunny (no animal testing) and Vegan Society–certified

Best for itchy, sensitive scalps: HiBar Soothe Solid Shampoo

Best for...

HiBar Soothe Solid Shampoo

Gentle but exfoliating

This soothing, lightly honey- and citrus–scented shampoo bar contains salicylic acid, for mild exfoliation of flaky scalps.

Buying Options

$17 from Amazon

$14 from Walmart

Our testers with itchy, flaky scalps were universally impressed with HiBar’s Soothe Solid Shampoo, which didn’t cause irritation for anyone. In fact, most thought it helped calm the scalp, while leaving hair smooth, defined, and full. It contains a small amount of salicylic acid, for mild exfoliation—excellent for anyone who experiences flaking. And the zippy honey scent is a treat. This is a solid option for people with sensitive scalps who often are saddled with medicinal-smelling, underperforming formulas.

Our 4 Favorite Solid Shampoo Bars (12)

The bar lived up to its name. We sent this bar to testers with dry or sensitive scalps, and none of them reported irritation after use. “It’s actually soothing!” one wrote. “My scalp wasn’t dry, itchy, or flaky after using it three times.” That’s largely because of the common irritants it doesn’t contain. Just one of the ingredients, orange peel oil, is on the National Eczema Association’s Ecz-clusion List.

And there are additional calming agents, too. The HiBar Soothe contains honeyquat, which is a honey derivative, and honey has some proven anti-inflammatory properties. The exfoliant salicylic acid sloughs away irritating flakes. Plus, this bar contains moisturizers like olive and nut oils.

Our hair looked and felt clean for days. Even though the formula was gentle on the scalp, the shampoo did a great job of whisking away dirt and grime. Testers with dry scalps awarded this bar high marks for the look and feel of their hair, even after repeated washes. One tester with thick, wavy strands was especially impressed, saying their typically oily hair stayed grease-free for about three days between washes.

It smells amazing. Oftentimes people with sensitive scalps don’t get to use shampoos with scents, since synthetic fragrance additives can be irritating. The HiBar Soothe’s sweet, piquant scent received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our testers.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

  • While the HiBar Soothe bar’s tapered, angled cone shape pleased most, a couple of testers found that this bar easily slipped out of their hands, due to its shape and size. The same went for the HiBar Volumize.
  • One of the four included citrus oils is on the National Eczema Association’s list of potential irritants. Those with serious skin conditions may prefer an even more neutral formula, like Ethique Gentle Shampoo Bar.
  • This bar contains a honey derivative, so it’s the only one we recommend that isn’t vegan.

Average cost per ounce: $4.36 (at the time of publication)
Certifications: Leaping Bunny (no animal testing)

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Other shampoo bars worth considering

If you’re looking for a truly unscented shampoo bar that performs exceptionally well: Testers with a range of hair textures and thicknesses loved the Ethique Gentle Shampoo Bar, which was rebranded over the months we were working on this guide. Half of the testers who tried it—those with thick, wavy hair to fine, straight hair—said they’d buy it. They were enthusiastic about the shine, bounce, and softness of their hair after drying. Although the formula didn’t change, the product got a new name (it was previously Ethique Bar Minimum). And it has a new crescent shape, which is good, since some testers found the bar’s previous, rectangle shape to be particularly slimy while resting on a shower shelf. We’ll report back on how the new shape fares over time.

Why you should trust us

I’m an editor at Wirecutter covering the intersection of products and sustainability. I also regularly review personal-care products, from dental floss to sunscreen.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and hold a certificate in life cycle assessment (which analyzes the environmental impact of a product from beginning to end). And I’ve lived a lifetime with specialized personal-care and health needs, including sensitive skin, asthma, allergies, and eczema. Both personally and professionally, I’m always on the lookout for low-impact, high-reward products.

For this guide, I consultedcosmetic chemists, hairstylists, a dermatologist, and experts who specialize in the environmental impact of products. I researched 78 different shampoo bars before settling on the 16 that I tested on my very own strands.

Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

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How we picked and tested

Our aim was to find exceptional, easy-to-use shampoo bars that would be suitable for regular use with a range of hair thicknesses, textures, and treatments (such as dye or keratin). No matter what a shampoo bar claims to do for your hair, the cosmetic chemists we spoke with thought the primary meaningful difference among formulas rested on the ratios of cleansers to hydrators. Those bars that are particularly moisturizing are best suited to thick, dry, curly, and coily textures. Bars labeled as being volumizing or for fine hair have more cleaners and fewer heavy conditioning ingredients.

After consulting with experts; combing through product reviews, retail sites, existing shampoo-bar guides, and Reddit; and polling staffers for their favorites, we came up with a list of 78 popular shampoo bars.

We eliminated those containing saponified oils, such as potassium cocoate, olivate and jojobate, which can leave a heavy residue on the hair, especially if your shower has hard water. As a consideration for those with dry, sensitive scalps, we cross-checked formulations against the National Eczema Association’s list of commonly irritating ingredients, though we didn’t eliminate any bars based on this alone. We tested primarily sulfate-free bars, since the foaming agent may further inflame sensitive skin or, depending on the formulations, may prematurely strip pigment from color-treated strands. We also prioritized bars with a reported pH between 4.5 to 6, and all of our picks fall within this range. This range matches the natural acidity of the skin, and bars in this range are thereby better tolerated.

That narrowed the field to 16 bars for testing, and we divided them up among panelists based on their self-reported hair and scalp types. Our 12-tester panel included members with stick-straight fine strands, thick strands, curls and coils, dry scalps, eczema, and color-treated hair. Notably, none of these testers had used shampoo bars as their go-to cleansers prior to testing. Panelists used each bar at least three times, followed by their regular conditioners. They reported back on the following criteria:

  • Cleansing power: How well did the bar clean? Was the lather generous or skimpy? Did hair look degreased or overly stripped? How long did that feeling last? Did the bar sting on the scalp or skin?
  • Hair texture: We noted how the hair looked and felt after it was dried and styled normally. Was it unusually coarse or delightfully silky? Were strands left stringy or puffy? Were curls loose or defined?
  • Fragrance: We took our time on this very subjective metric, noting impressions of the bar’s scent in the shower and once dried. We also clocked how long the aroma lasted and whether it changed over time. We tried two fragrance-free shampoo bars, and we loved one.
  • Shape: We tried orbs, triangles, squiggles, and cylinders, and we evaluated how those shapes impacted how a bar felt in the hand and held up on a shower shelf. We took note of whether a bar seemed especially prone to sluicing away or breaking apart.
  • Price: The bars we tried ranged from about $10 to $28 (at the time of publication). If a cheaper formula performed the same as a pricier one, it got extra points.

How to use and store shampoo bars

Transitioning from liquid to solid shampoo involves a couple of learning curves.

Storage: Ideally, shampoo bars should be stored on a surface that can drain (like a grate or a basket) and that’s out of the way of direct spray or dripping. This might entail a little redesigning of your shower space. One tester said they bought a wire rack because the bars kept slipping off of their usual shower ledge.

Washing: For the best results, thoroughly wet your hair at the roots before applying shampoo. Some bars we tested recommended that you lather it in your hand and then apply it to your head; others bars said to lather directly by gently rubbing the bar on your head. But in practice, the best technique boils down to personal preference, water type, water temperature, and hair length and texture, and it may require a little trial and error. Even using the same bar, some people had very different lathering experiences.

Rinsing: You may need to be extra-delicate when running your hands through your strands. Although our top picks were mostly exceptions, some (not all) shampoo bars seem to make wet hair feel grippy or waxy—even after thoroughly rinsing—and clingy on wet hands. (Some liquid shampoos contain silicones, which can make hair feel silkier in the short term.) When our testers observed any waxiness on wet hair, their dried hair often still felt soft and smooth.

To protect your hair, we recommend combing or detangling before showering and then working out any tangles during conditioning, rather than while you’re shampooing. A conditioner’s lubricating effect can prevent pulling and breakage.

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Are shampoo bars environmentally friendly?

To reduce your shower’s environmental impact, the best thing you can do is not change your products and instead spend less time in the shower. Showering’s carbon footprint mostly comes from the amount of water you use and the energy needed to heat your water. If sustainability is your aim, we advise that you find a shampoo—solid or liquid—that lengthens the intervals between washes yet still leaves your hair feeling great. A dry shampoo could work, too.

There are three steps you can take to save water and energy while caring for your hair:

  1. Take shorter showers.
  2. Wash your hair less often. (Rinse with plain water to refresh your scalp.)
  3. Use cooler temperatures. This is especially true while rinsing shampoo and conditioner out of your hair, since that step can take a long time. It might be a win for your hair health, too: Hairstylists say rinsing with cool water (or the coolest water you can tolerate) is better for your hair. And when you avoid rinsing in hot water, it’s less drying for your scalp and skin.

If your main concern is cutting back on single-use plastic, shampoo bars can do that. But it’s impossible to make a sweeping generalization that solid shampoo is more sustainable than liquid. Many of the shampoo bars we recommended claim to be the equivalent amount of product to about two 8-ounce bottles of liquid shampoo. But we can’t independently quantify or verify these hypotheses.

The competition

A third of those who used the Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasures Restoring Shampoo Bar—a distinctly honey-scented (and honey-infused) formula—said they’d consider buying it. However, the level of enthusiasm paled in comparison with that for our picks.

With their pock marks and intense scents, Lush shampoo bars were divisive. The majority of testers who used these bars reported that their hair felt weighed down after just a day, even though they liked how their hair felt during and right after showering. But more than a third of our testers were enthusiastic, naming these bars among their favorites: Angel Hair (liked by testers with curly hair), Honey I Washed My Hair (liked by a tester with thick, straight hair), and Seanik (liked by a tester with fine, straight hair). If you’re sensitive to scents, beware. As you might guess if you’ve ever walked by a Lush store, these bars were by the far the most polarizing of those we sniffed.

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind is billed as an all-in-one cleanser for hair, face, and body, and it’s marketed toward those seeking a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free product. While one tester with thick, wavy hair liked this bar, it received mostly neutral, middling, or negative feedback from testers. Some reported a waxy residue or a milky film on the skin, even after rinsing.

The light, floral and vegetal scents from Davines MOMO and VOLU were among the most popular among scents of bars we tried. But dried-hair results received neutral or negative feedback. One tester—who has dry, thick, straight hair, and who normally shampoos with the liquid version of MOMO—was excited to try the MOMO bar. Initially they said they loved it, but that didn’t last. “My scalp felt dry, and my hair was more fly-away than usual. I thought it was just a fluke, so I tried it again, and it was the same.”

Ethique Curl-Defining Shampoo Bar (previously called Professor Curl), for curly and coily hair, was unpopular with our three curly-haired testers (with two different water types); they found that this bar left their hair greasy. One of them, who washed their hair three times with the bar, reported scalp dryness on top of the grease. “My hair almost never [feels greasy], given that it’s dry and curly and I also have a dry scalp,” they said.

Writer Catherine Garcia is a fan of Ethique’s St. Clements Clarifying Shampoo Bar, but we did not test clarifying shampoos in this round.

True to the name, the Hi-Bar Moisturize was, in fact, too moisturizing, according to some testers. A number of testers—even those with thick, dry hair—said their hair became flat or oily after just a day. Two testers called the dry scent of the fragranced Moisturize “sour,” although this was not noticeable after washing. This is the only Hi-Bar shampoo that is also available without a fragrance.

The two testers with fine hair said they liked the light, herbal scent of (previously Volume and Shine). But it was less popular among testers than the Superzero Hydrating Repair, and it may be too heavy for fine hair. One tester with fine, straight hair said their hair was very flat and dull after washing, and they did not continue testing.

The fruity scent of Klorane Nourishing with Mango was polarizing for testers. It received neutral to negative feedback across hair types, and it seemed prone to leaving hair limp and somewhat dull.

This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.

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Sources

  1. Kelly Dobos, cosmetic chemist and adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, email interview, February 22, 2024

  2. Perry Romanowski, cosmetic chemist, email interview, April 23, 2024

  3. Michelle Wong, cosmetic chemist and founder of Lab Muffin, email interview, April 25, 2024

  4. Lissa Renn, hairstylist and owner of The Hive salon in Los Angeles, phone interview, February 1, 2024

  5. Val Paiva, hairstylist at Bloom Salon in Los Angeles, phone interview, February 13, 2024

  6. Hayley S. Goldbach MD, FAAD, FACMS, double board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Brown University, email interview, April 27, 2024

  7. Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, email interview, February 29, 2024

  8. Ricardo Zaragoza Castillo, life cycle assessment expert and co-founder of Regenergy, email interview, April 25, 2024

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