Travel shampoo
 

With more hotels going to bulk dispensers, I'm trying to find a type of shampoo I can carry with me. Ideally looking for suggestions where I can buy 100-200 small bottles (1-2oz) of quality brands. I've seen lots of travel size stuff but it tends to be 3oz bottles which will be a tough fit in my already small zip lock bag. Retail costs for the smaller high end stuff will be high, so I was hoping to to find it at wholesale by the carton. My idea is if I can get enough of it, I'll just throw a couple in my bag every week and toss them every night. I shouldn't need more than 200 a year. Any suggestions?

I bought a bunch of small silicone travel tubes and fill with my favorite body wash, shampoo, hair gel, etc.


Also I have a TSA liquids bag which I find more spacious than a zip lock. I am TSA precheck but still carry liquids this way just in case.

Some of the solid shampoo bars are amazing. I have a few from Lush that I love for travel. The bonus is that they do not need to be in my liquids bag. They sell small tins to transport them too.

I honestly had no idea there was such a thing a solid shampoo but I'm going to check into it more. The ones I've just looked up seem a bit pricey to toss everyday (I frequently change hotels nightly) and repacking them seems like it would be messy, but maybe I can find them in bulk somewhere.

Why not just get a one ounce Nalgene bottle and fill it with whatever shampoo you prefer? Their bottles are leak-proof and cost about $1 at major retailers like The Container Store and REI. They are available on Amazon too, but for some reason are a lot more expensive there.

Why do you need to toss shampoo bottles every night? Is there something preventing you from using a slightly larger travel bottle(s) for multiple uses and refilling when needed? Or even buying half a dozen empty travel bottles and filling them all at once as a mini toiletry supply to "shop" before each trip? Genuinely confused.

Matador sells a soap bag made of breathable technical fabric so you can put in a wet soap/shampoo bar and it should dry https://matadorup.com/products/flatp...12135840874609 Some people just wrap the slightly damp bar in a bit of scrap fabric so it doesn't get stuck in the soap container. You can also cut shampoo bars into pieces if you're going to toss wet bits but honestly a quarter of a Lush bar is still more than hip length hair could use in a single shower.

ebay has bulk lots of travel shampoo bottles for hotel supply
https://www.ebay.com/itm/140-Bulk-Lo...cAAOSwgFldyTup
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-Neut...xTiZOhSQwT7Zzw

I like the oval standing shape for Pantene (Radisson) or Neutrogena (HGI, Hampton, etc) and actually refill them via pump bottle of shampoo or small funnel.

There is also a brand called Gemz that is shampoo or conditioner embedded in sheets that dissolve in water. Put one in your hand, add a little water and rub your hands together to make the suds. I’ve just started using them, but like them a lot.

Frankly, I was looking for something a little more high end than Pantene or Neutrogena. I tend to use brands like L'occitane, Kiehls, Le Labo or Baxter at home. I was more interested in a place to buy something like this wholesale.
I just know myself and refilling isn't an option. I'm neither organized or timely enough to do it regularly. The ROI isn't there for me, and when it comes to shampoo I'd prefer to spend money than time. I'd rather just have something I can grab and toss, maybe always having an extra or two in my bag (hence the need for small).

I'll check out the sheet based stuff. If it is nice enough it sounds like a good disposable option.

I used to buy the 100ml empty bottle from Muji and fill the shampoo. For me it could last for about 2 weeks, which more than enough for regular travel

I swear by the Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve Company's shampoo bars. See https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalv...-shampoo-bars/

Please don't throw out plastic bottles every night and contribute unnecessarily to this world's plastic problem. It's completely unnecessary

FYI, I've found that I don't need an entire sheet for my medium length hair. I cut them in half and put them in a very small baggie for travel.

There are suppliers for luxury/spa brand shampoos in travel size bulk. I'd say YMMV for getting the same formulation as retail bottles, though, as the hotel version deals with more water conditions and less hair varieties. It also makes sense to cut costs here as most people won't compare the ingredient labels or detect the difference between higher concentration of inexpensive detergents and better formulations with higher quality ingredients based on a few nights.

Waterless formulations like shampoo bars and sheets are much easier to pack and lighter. They're usually SLS based.

Have you been using hotel supplied shampoo and conditioner? If you're able to switch between high end brands at home and hotel brands, your hair & scalp might not be that picky which makes finding a replacement so much easier. My scalp is sensitive to several detergents including harsher SLS (which is generally cheap and effective for cleansing) and using hotel shampoo for a longer trip would not be pretty. I mentioned the Neutrogena/Pantene's flatter bottles as they're easier to pack and you might want to find refillable bottles in a similar form factor or grab a few & refill with your desired shampoo. I don't use the contents of such bottles on my hair but it does the trick for hand wash laundry or washing the tub.

+1

I have a couple of 2oz bottles that I refill. They've lasted me 15+ years. With a minimum of 50 hotel nights per year (although more like 75-80 in recent years), that is 750+ little plastic bottles that I didn't (unnecessarily) consume and toss. Seemingly insignificant steps can make a difference when added together.

I sent away for the Gemz. I have a long trip coming up and want to save room. I will test them out.