My Experience With The Wild Shampoo Bar – Hit Or Flop?

Overall Rating:

4.17/5

Ease Of Use = 4.9

Value For Money = 4.9

Range Of Products = 2.0

Results And Smell = 4.9

Switching to solid shampoos is a great way to reduce plastic waste and your impact on our environment. In this review I share my experience with the Wild shampoo bar with you.

I’m always on the lookout for new shampoo bars to add to my list of the best shampoo bars in the UK. After all, I want you to have a good amount of choice so you can find the one that works for you.

I came across Wild when I was looking for eco-friendly deodorants. So when I found out that they also do shampoo bars, I just had to try it.

So this Wild shampoo bar review will tell what I think of it and if it’s worth trying it for yourself.

Who Are Wild UK?

The UK-based company was founded in 2019 with the aim of changing our throwaway culture for the better. With millions of plastic packaging thrown away every year in the bathroom alone, Wild UK wanted to provide sustainable alternatives that work.

To solve the problem of single-use plastic, they came up with a reusable deodorant case that’s plastic-free and will last a lifetime. The aluminium case can be refilled using plastic-free deodorant sticks.

And their refill revolution didn’t stop there. From deodorants, they moved on to reusable and plastic-free body wash bottles, lip balm cases, soaps and shampoo bars.

But Wild doesn’t just make the packaging sustainable, they also say they use natural ingredients that are plant-based. And we know how harmful many of the commonly used ingredients in personal care products are to our environment.

You won’t find parabens, SLS or similar. However, according to their website only 92% of the ingredients in the shampoo bars are naturally derived. This means 8% are synthetic. What these synthetic ingredients are isn’t mentioned. 

But after some more digging I found that it’s the fragrances. Now that’s not what I want to see, because synthetic fragrances are some of the worst chemicals for our environment.

Wild says that they use them because the manufacturing of essential oils isn’t sustainable because only a small part of the plant is used, which isn’t sustainable. While this is true, they are less toxic to our environment than synthetic fragrance chemicals, as they become even more toxic as they break down. (Wu et al., 2021)

Besides, these are made from petrochemicals, which isn’t sustainable either. At least plants are a sustainable source material, unlike fossil fuels.

There is a sustainable alternative, which is synthetic fragrances made from materials that are either plant-based or biodegradable. (Elterlein et al., 2024) 

Wild doesn’t say that they are using these sustainable synthetic fragrances, but they do say that they don’t use any nasty chemicals. Looking at the company’s ethics and mission statement, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they do use these sustainable lab-made fragrance ingredients.

But it’s something to keep in mind, and it’s up to everyone to make their own decision.

One other thing I don’t like is their aggressive marketing. They keep sending me emails about their new deodorant cases with limited edition designs. This doesn’t fit with their sustainability ethos.

The reusable cases are meant to do away with waste as you can keep using it for a long time. Yet, they keep pushing me to buy new cases every few months. It wouldn’t be eco-friendly if I were to buy a new case every time I like the design, would it?

While I understand that they are a business and marketing is important if they want to grow their sales, at the same time the marketing strategy should reflect their sustainability ethos.

Plenty of other eco-friendly brands send me regular emails, but they don’t push me to buy something new that’s meant to be reused just because a new colour has come out.

I would like to see Wild to look at their marketing strategy and adapt it for a sustainable business.

Limited Choice But Great Performance

Wild only sells one large shampoo bar which has a vanilla and coconut scent. They have three minis with different scents, one of which is vanilla and coconut, but their size means they are probably thought more as samples.

It’s the same shampoo bar but with different scents. The company says that they are looking into making more solid shampoos to suit different hair types.

[Update: It looks like Wildh as given up on this. They now only seem to sell their three mini bars and no large bars anymore.]

For now, their shampoo bar is designed to be suitable for all hair types. However, Wild do say that they can’t guarantee that it will work for very dry hair, very greasy hair or very curly hair.

I have very thick and long hair that can get dry. And while I prefer to get shampoo bars that cater for those needs, I decided to give this one a go anyway. It does contain Jojoba and sweet almond oil, which are nourishing ingredients.

The first thing that I noticed when I got the solid bar was the strong vanilla scent. It was meant to be coconut and vanilla, but I could only smell the vanilla. A bit sweet for my liking, but not disagreeable.

It lathered up beautifully, making it easy to distribute it over my hair. Because I have a lot of hair, I rub it directly on my head as this works best for me. 

Once washed off, my hair felt clean and I could smell the vanilla scent. The biggest challenge for any shampoo bar when it comes to my hair is how manageable it is after it has been washed. 

And the Wild shampoo bar didn’t disappoint. I could comb my hair easily, making blow-drying them a much more simple and less painful task. 

Once dry, my hair was soft and looked shiny and healthy. And the vanilla scent did stick around for a day or so. This makes me a bit nervous, as I know that they use synthetic fragrances and I can’t be sure they are non-toxic for our environment.

One thing I like is that the shampoo bar doesn’t contain any sulfates, as these can dry out your hair. That doesn’t mean it’s free of surfactants, but the one used is a plant-based sulfate alternative, which is used by other manufacturers.

It’s milder while still cleaning your hair. Because it contains surfactants, it works well with hard water, and there is no transition period.

We have very hard water and I didn’t have an issue. That’s great, given that most people in the UK have hard or very hard water.

So all in all, the performance I got with the Wild shampoo bar was great.

Reduce Your Plastic Waste Without Breaking The Bank

The 75g shampoo bar lasts around 60 – 70 washes, according to the Wild website. But this will depend on the type and length of your hair. I have quite long thick hair, which means I need to use more than someone with short or thin hair.

In my experience, it lasts as long as about three liquid shampoo bottles (250ml). That’s a lot of plastic that you can save. 

However, no that they only sell mini bars, which are 20g each. On their Amazon listing, they mention that it lasts 20 washes. But again, this depends on much you use.

You will have to make sure you keep the bar dry when not in use. I keep it on a soap rack outside of the shower. I wouldn’t recommend keeping it in the shower, because it will get wet every time someone showers, which will make it get used up quicker.

Storing a shampoo bar correctly is key in making it last as long as possible.

And this brings me to the question of value for money in my Wild shampoo bar review. At first glance it might look more expensive than liquid shampoo, even the posher ones. But you have to keep in mind that it will last much longer than one bottle.

With this in mind, the Wild solid shampoo is no more expensive than most liquid and indeed shampoo bars. It might not be the cheapest shampoo you can get, but switching to it won’t break the bank either.

However, you don’t just get a product to clean your hair. You get a shampoo that keeps your hair clean and healthy while also keeping our environment safe from plastic waste and its consequences. 

And that’s great value for money in my book.

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What Other Customers Have To Say

To get the big picture, the opinion of one person isn’t really enough. So I always look at what other customers think about the product I’m about to try. 

Wild has a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot from almost 65,000 reviews, with 90% of reviews giving 5 or 4 stars. Only 6% of customers are giving a 1 or 2-star rating.

Over all, Wild customers are very happy with the customer service as well as the products. However, it has to be said that the vast majority of reviews talk about the deodorant. That’s because the shampoo bars are a newer addition to their range.

But the ones that do mention the solid shampoo seem to love it. And what I find particularly reassuring is that it’s people with different hair types that say it works for them. 

Of course, there are also some people for whom it didn’t work, but that’s to be expected. After all, we are all different, and our hair has different needs.

But all in all, most of their customers seem to be happy with their Wild shampoo bars, which is great as it gives you peace of mind.

My Verdict On The Wild Shampoo Bar

To finish my Wild shampoo bar review I only have to deliver my verdict. This solid shampoo lathered up well, cleaned and nourished my hair and made it manageable and soft.

The limited range, only one shampoo bar with three different scents and only one of them is not a sample size, isn’t ideal. And now that they only sell mini bars, it’s even more limited.

The price of their shampoo bars is similar to others on the market as well as many liquid shampoos, so you wouldn’t have to fork out more money if you were to switch to theirs.

I like their commitment to reducing plastic waste and making a difference for our planet. But I’m concerned about their use of synthetic fragrances. While I understand their reasoning, I would like to see more details of exactly what kind of lab-made fragrance chemicals they use.

Because if they use ones from sustainable sources, their arguments are valid. But if they use synthetic fragrances made from petrochemicals, their impact on our environment is quite big. Because not only are they supporting the use of fossil fuels, they also accept that toxic chemicals harm our planet.

It’s up to you to decide if you want to give them the benefit of the doubt or choose an alternative shampoo bar where you can be sure the fragrances are made from sustainable sources.

I personally prefer to go with a different brand that is transparent and I can be sure they don’t use any harmful chemcials.

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