Thinking of switching over to a wooden hairbrush? In a previously article, I discussed wooden combs vs plastic combs – but now it’s time to focus on brushes.
Many people use plastic hair brushes but they’re made from plastic, aka a non-renewable fossil fuel that contributes to climate change.
Let’s not forget these brushes don’t simply disappear when we toss them out – plastic takes hundreds of years to break up into microplastics (which only further pollute the planet!). Switching to a wooden hairbrush is a much more natural and sustainable solution. Here are the benefits of a wooden hairbrush.
Benefits of a Wooden Hairbrush – Table of Contents
- You’re Not Using Plastic
- Wooden Hairbrushes Are Built to Last
- Wooden Hairbrushes Increase Circulation and Growth
- Wooden Hairbrushes Reduce Static, Frizz and Tangles
- Wooden Hairbrushes Are Hypoallergenic & Prevent Hair Breakage
- The Best Tips for Caring For Your Wooden Hairbrush
- How to Properly Brush Your Hair For Maximum Benefit
1. You’re Not Using Plastic
Perhaps first and foremost, a wooden hairbrush isn’t made from plastic. Plastic is a synthetic material made from crude oil that’s unsustainably extracted from the earth. It has a high carbon footprint from beginning to end.
It takes tons of energy and resources to process crude oil into plastic, then mold it into the item’s shape (in this case, a hairbrush). Fossil fuels power most factories that make these brushes, only contributing to greenhouse gas emissions further.
Most plastic brushes also come in excessive plastic packaging. Transporting the ready-made plastic brushes to a store near you only further increases emissions.
Most plastic brushes cannot be recycled so it will likely end up in a landfill somewhere at the end of its life where it will take hundreds of years to break down. Before that, most of the plastic bristles on the brush will have long since popped off while you were detangling your hair – only creating further microplastic pollution.
As you can see, the life of a plastic brush has a high carbon footprint. But wooden brushes are a better alternative that are compostable at the end of their life. We sell bamboo hairbrushes – bamboo is a renewable and fast-growing crop that doesn’t require much water.
Here’s what you need to know about our bamboo hairbrushes:
- Brush pins are pure bamboo
- Cushion base is natural rubber
- Wooden handle has a beeswax finish
- Compostable packaging made from paper only
At the end of its life, our bamboo hairbrushes are fully compostable. We have three kinds of wooden hairbrushes: One regular sized, one mini and one for baby. The one for babies has super soft bristles made from natural goat hair that’s safe to use on newborns and infants.
2. Wooden Hairbrushes Are Built To Last
Have you noticed your plastic hairbrushes start losing their bristles/brush pins over time? I remember before I went zero waste I used a plastic brush that had absolutely no brush pins on it – just the bristles – and it was very uncomfortable. It would scrape my scalp every time I used it!
With a wooden hairbrush, especially the ones we sell, you can rest easy knowing it won’t fall apart in under a year. Wooden hairbrushes are built to last and incredibly durable.
I’ve had the Brush With Bamboo hair brush for several years now and it still works just as well as the first day I got it! I haven’t lost any of the bristles and it’s super easy and low maintenance to clean. This coming from someone whose dropped it on the floor accidentally more than a few times! It’s one of those zero waste purchases that last you years to come.
Durable and long lasting products are good for the environment because it helps reduce the amount of products you’ll have to purchase to replace them. This in turn reduces waste and keeps items out of the landfill.
3. Bamboo Hairbrushes Increase Circulation and Hair Growth
Now let’s get into the health benefits of using a wooden hairbrush. Believe it or not, using a wooden brush can seriously improve the circulation to your scalp. And trust me, you’ll feel the difference immediately.
Wooden hairbrushes aren’t harsh on your scalp or hair the way plastic is. The more you brush your hair with it, the smoother the hair will feel. And, you’ll stimulate blood flow to the scalp as well. This actually helps promote hair growth!
Thanks to the increase in circulation to your scalp, more natural oils and less tugging at tangles means your follicles below the scalp respond better. This results in thicker, healthier and longer hair. I can attest to this personally because my hair has never looked better since using this wooden hair brush!
I did a whole review on it here if you’re interested.
4. Bamboo Hairbrushes Reduce Static, Frizz and Tangles
Wooden hairbrushes are carbon based just like your hair, skin and scalp. Why’s this important you ask? Well, it creates a negative electrical charge that actually helps hair lay down and create a glossy, smooth look.
Plastic hairbrushes could never do this because they’re made from petroleum. Brushing your hair with a plastic hairbrush actually increases static, frizz and tangles because it’s not gentle on your hair.
Remember, wood carries a negative ionic charge that matches your hair. This helps smooth your locks and tame flyaway strands. It always helps seal in valuable moisture.
Plastic hairbrushes just can’t compete in this department and they often hurt your scalp or even damage your hair.
5. Bamboo Hairbrushes are Hypoallergenic + Prevent Hair Breakage
Unlike a plastic or metal hairbrush, a wooden brush won’t cause any allergic reactions or irritation.
More often than not plastic and metal hairbrushes leave our scalps deprived rather than nourished. It’s not uncommon for irritation and itchiness to develop after using a plastic or metal brush. Since wood is natural, it’s much less likely to cause these kind of problems.
Plastic and metal brushes can also be very harsh on your hair which leads to breakage. Aka, more hair loss. Specifically with plastic brushes – they tend to create static charge which makes the hair brittle and more prone to breaking.
Many plastic brushes come with a balled tip that cause snags in our hair and tangles that lead to breakage. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve gotten plastic brush tip stuck in my hair and it caused a knot I had to rip out.
Talk about trauma! I’ve never had this problem with my bamboo hairbrush – mostly because the bristles are long and all one part. Aka, no snagging possible!
Overall benefits of a wooden hairbrush:
- Better for the environment
- Compostable at the end of its life
- Massages the scalp
- Improves blood circulation
- Encourages hair growth
- Anti-static, frizz, and tangling
- Absorbs and distributes oils
- Built to last
6. The Best Tips for Using & Caring for Your Wooden Hairbrush
Now that you know why wooden hairbrushes are well worth investing in, here’s how to properly get the most out of them. From choosing the best brush for you to how to properly brush your hair with a wooden hairbrush, we go over it all.
Choosing the best brush for you:
- The longer your hair, the larger the brush should be
- The shorter your hair, the smaller your brush should be
- For thick hair, long pins are ideal
- Short hair, shorter pins
We sell a regular/large bamboo brush, a mini brush and a baby brush on our site so there’s something for everyone. The regular sized bamboo brush has longer pins compared to the smaller brush.
Also, it’s important to remember to go for wooden brushes that don’t have plastic or synthetic bases to cushion the pins. Ours is made from natural rubber, and our pins are made from bamboo as well – so all of it is natural and fully compostable at the end of its life (you won’t have to worry about that for a while though, trust me!).
- To clean the hair out of your brush, you can use something like a chopstick to get in between the bristles and lift the hair out.
- If your brush needs a deep cleaning, wash it with water in the sink and a tiny bit of gentle natural soap. Squeeze out the excess water by pushing on the rubber pad. Then wipe it down using a towel and let it air dry face down.
When our bamboo hairbrushes are properly cared for, they can last for decades! How zero waste is that?
7. How to Properly Brush Your Hair (to get the most benefit)
- We recommend brushing your hair at least twice a day, morning and evening, to prevent tangles.
- If you have long hair, grab all your hair into your hands like a low ponytail and then just brush out the ends. Start at the ends, then work your way up to the scalp to prevent you from ripping out your hair if you have lots of tangles.
- To really massage your scalp, flip your hair over your head and start to brush at the nape of your neck and work it through the back of your scalp. When you’re done, flip your hair back over and brush out the top to smooth things out.
We never recommend brushing your hair from the scalp down. Starting from the scalp can cause extra hair breakage, even with a wooden hairbrush, because you’ll have more knots to detangle on the way down. For best results, always start from the ends and treat hair gently.
About the Author:
Ariana Palmieri is the founder of Greenify-Me, a blog dedicated to zero waste living and sustainability. Her work has been featured on Going Zero Waste, Mother Earth Living, Green Matters and several other publications. Get her free e-book “10 Ways to Reduce Trash” by signing up to her newsletter and learn how to reduce your waste today.