Mastering Shampoo Bars: Fixes for Common Issues & Best Bars for Your Hair
Ask any beauty expert and they’ll agree, solid shampoo bars are the future of sustainable haircare. Solid, lightweight, plastic-free, low-water and concentrated, these skin and hair friendly formulas are just as, if not more, effective than their liquid counterparts.
Save water, reduce waste, last longer, super concentrated, gentle on skin and super effective. It might seem like a no-brainer but are you using your shampoo bar correctly? Founder of Little Soap Company Emma Heathcote James shares the most common shampoo bar blunders so you can get the most out of your solid shampoo and confidently choose bars, not bottles!
Why Your Shampoo Bar Isn’t Working…
RUBBING DIRECTLY ONTO HAIR
“For best results lather your shampoo bar in your hands before appling to wet hair! This not only ensures the shampoo is evenly distributed so it can work its magic on every hair strand, but hair tangling and breakage for those with especially thin, dry, damaged or fragile hair.”
NOT RINSING PROPERLY
“It is essential to properly rinse your hair after cleansing with a shampoo bar! Our Eco Warrior Shampoo Bars (£5.50 / 100g) are 5x more concentrated and contain 85% less water than the average liquid shampoo – this means a little goes a long way and require more rinsing than your usual liquid shampoo to ensure your hair is left beautifully clean and refreshed, with zero residue!”
DON’T WASH YOUR SHAMPOO DOWN THE DRAIN!
“Our Eco Warrior Shampoo Bars last much longer than your regular shampoo with each replacing (on average) three 250ml bottles – saving you money and reducing your plastic pollution! To ensure your shampoo bar lasts as long as possible allow it to dry in between uses by storing it in a separate soap dish or wire rack and never hold it under running water unless you want to watch your shampoo go down the drain before you’ve even used it.”
USING THE WRONG SHAMPOO BAR
“ Just like liquid shampoos, there isnt a ‘one size fits all’ for shampoo bars. Choose a shampoo bar that caters to your specific hair type, condition and needs. Dry, curly, textured hair? Scalp sensitivities? Blonde, highlighted hair? Find your shampoo bar soulmate with our Eco Warrior Shampoo Bar Collection…”
Now that Emma has helped you master how to use a shampoo it’s time to find the right bar for you. Keep reading to discover the best shampoo bars for your hair type, as approved by Editor’s Beauty.
The Best Shampoo Bars for Your Hair
ODACITÉ Soap Free Shampoo Bar £27
Delivering all the perks of any high-quality shampoo without the unnecessary waste, this nourishing shampoo bar uses coconut and argan oil, cupuacu butter and castor oil to maintain balance to the scalp’s skin while promoting silky soft, manageable locks.
ECO WARRIOR Colour Edit Purple Shampoo Bar £6.50 @ The Little Soap Company
Think you need to give up purple shampoo when switching to a bar, think again. Eco Warrior’s Purple Shampoo Bar prolongs hair colour in between treatments by neutralising yellow and brassy tones. With added squalane and shea butter to prevent breakage and add moisture. Fragranced with a blend of chamomile & rose essential oils
CENTRED Altered State Solid Shampoo Bar £20
Enriched with organic flower waters, apricot kernel oil, aloe vera and caffeine, Centred’s luxurious cleanser is designed to strengthen and moisturise whilst simultaneously stimulating and soothing the scalp.
CHRISTOPHE ROBIN Hydrating Shampoo Bar with Aloe Vera £11.90
Rethink your hair-washing ritual with this cramy shampoo bar formulated with 99.7% natural origin ingredients.
Approved by the Vegan society, natural Aloe vera helps to leave hair feeling hydrated. while Coconut and Olive oil helps to leave hair and skin feeling silky, soft and supple.
DAVINES Love Shampoo Bar £16
There aren’t many of us who haven’t fallen for the delectable scents of the Davines hair product range and Love Shampoo Bar doesn’t let the team down.
Created for coarse and frizzy hair, locks are left looking smooth, shiny and smelling amazing.
ONLY CURLS Curl Cleansing Shampoo Bar £12
Created for curly girls, this nourishing bar contains a balance of natural oils, emollients and agentle sulfate-free surfactant to moisturise whilst effectively cleansing your curls, leaving the hair feelingly clean and soft without any of the usual dryness of regular soaps.
KITSCH Rice Water Protein Conditioner Bar £11.50
You may have noticed Kitsch trending on Tiktok thanks to its hair growth promoting shampoo bars.
Not just satisfied with cleansing hair, they have developed their must have Rice Water Protein conditioning bar. Designed to strengthen and nourish, it pairs perfectly with their RiceWater Protein Shampoo Bar. A must for anyone looking to strengthen their hair or promote growth.
Application: post-shampoo, rub bar between hands and distribute into hair or ""paint"" on from length to ends. Finger-comb hair to detangle. Rinse, repeat or use as a leave-in conditioner
CHILDS FARM Strawberry & Mint Shampoo Bar £8
We are big fans of Childs Farm here at Editor’s Beauty and their strawberry & mint shampoo bar does not disappoint. Made with a soap-free formulation specially developed for the most sensitive skin, it gently cleans and detangles, leaving hair feeling soft and smooth with the summery fragrance of fresh strawberries & scalp soothing organic mint.
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