Switching from traditional liquid shampoos to solid shampoo bars can have a huge impact on our environment.

And also on our looks! 

Why? Because shampoo bars often don’t contain the same detergents found in many liquid shampoos, which can sometimes strip hair of its natural oils, dry it and lead to breakage over time. 

Plus, if you add a conditioner bar afterwards, you will help seal in the nourishing ingredients from the shampoo bar and also make detangling a lot easier.

So let’s take a closer look and see why using shampoo and conditioner bars is an amazing switch you can start implementing today (and, why not, think about convincing friends and family to come on board as well!).

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars: Why?

Some quick facts to understand:

  • 90+% natural ingredients
  • Cruelty-free
  • Vegan
  • SLS and SLES free
  • No parabens
  • No microplastics
  • 100% plastic-free packaging

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars: 5 Benefits 

Let’s dive deeper and see the reasons for making the switch:

  1. Less water. Bars are formulated with less water and so have a higher concentration of other ingredients. This also means a lower carbon footprint than their liquid counterparts, which make them an easy swap if you want to reduce your own carbon emissions.
  2. Less plastic. According to environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, plastic bottles last for about 450 years in the marine environment! And this article states that around a million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute! (and that figure is estimated to rise in the next years).  But with bars there’s no liquid, and therefore no need for plastic bottles. We all know plastic pollution is such a huge problem, so making this simple switch can have an enormous effect in the long run.
  3. They’re travel-friendly. Forget about spillage or liquid restrictions! These bars are super easy to pack when traveling by plane and ideal for a non-messy post-workout hair cleanse.
  4. They last longer. The bars are more concentrated than traditional shampoos and conditioners, so you can use less per application. Besides, being much smaller and more light-weight means that they are great for saving space!
  5. They’re vegan-friendly. Did you know that many standard shampoos contain animal-derived chemicals simply because they are cheap? For example, keratin, which comes from the hair and horns of animals. This is not the case of most bars: they are vegan friendly and cruelty-free. Instead of harmful chemicals, they contain natural ingredientes like oils, which bolster hair health and strength (coconut, macadamia, argan and shea are some examples). 

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars: How to use them?

Okay, now that you know why the bars are an amazing sustainable option to add to your hair care routine, you may ask yourself how to actually use them. 

  • Rub the shampoo bar between your wet hands and then run your hands through your hair. That way the shampoo bar will last the longest. 
  • You can also rub the shampoo bar directly over your wet hair, then you get more foam.
  • Move from the ends to your scalp, massaging gently with your hands to allow it to work in. Then rinse well.
  • Follow with a conditioner bar if necessary: Hold the bar under hot water and gently rub the bar over the ends of your hair. Allow some time (about 5 minutes) to let it soak in then rinse well.
  • Store your conditioner bar on a soap rack or in a shampoo bar bag to ensure it dries properly and none is wasted.

A bar will last you up to 80 washes! 

Some tips to consider:

  • Keep the bars away from spraying and splashing water, or keep them out of the shower. If you prevent them from collecting water, you will make them last longer. Instead, allow it to drain and dry before your next use.
  • For best results while traveling, pat the bars dry before storing. 
  • Do not store wet bars in cans or use cans to store the bars in the shower.

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars: Recommended Products

The following are products we sell at Bluehouse, which comply with our Blue Labels, a set of sustainability standards where each brand justifies the way in which certain sustainability criteria are met for their products: