Searching for swaps I could do in my bathroom, I decided to give a go-to shampoo bars thinking it would be a pretty easy one… Well, let’s say it takes some practice … Shampoo bars help reduce your plastic waste and are more natural than most of the shampoos available on the market. It is definitely a good addition to your ethical bathroom. Here are some of the steps you should go through before starting:
First step, find a shampoo bar that works for you:
We are all different as individuals and our hair is too! Some shampoos are working perfectly for some hair. However, some others would not like it so you will need a few trials to find the perfect one for you. Even if this type of shampoo is getting more and more “normal” and talked about, it is still so hard to find appropriate ones in any supermarket in the UK.
My roommate from Germany had plenty and so I decided to go for the vanilla Balea Shampoo bar and the Foamie conditioner. Shampoo bars should not have sodium hydroxide in them according to Earthbits. It, as they state, strips your hair, leaves it dry and frizzy. The Balea bar has some sodium coco which is an alternative to SLS. This is like a natural detergent…. not the best for your hair… I will definitely look for a shampoo bar without sodium coco in or SLS for my next trial.
Second step, use it properly:
First trial was quite an adventure. Between, the shampoo bar sweeping off of my fingers, the expectation of so many bubbles before using it in my hand, the shampoo not expanding and leaving any foam in my hair, the impossibility to understand how to use a conditioner, this first trial was not convincing. The hustle was not necessary, a shower is to relax and not getting frustrated. And even after trying to wash them with the shampoo bar, my hair felt kind of sticky in a way, which is a weird and unexpected sensation.
However, I decided not to lose faith and went to do some research before my second trial. I found out: -that shampoo bar does not foam at all the same as normal shampoo so if you do not have a full cup of bubble to put on your head you should not be worried.- you need to really rinse your hair after using a shampoo bar and do not use a bottle conditioner, prefer a bar one as well as natural oil for your hair. To be honest I did not find yet an oil that I like so if you have any to recommend feel free too!
An apple cider vinegar rinse?
Some companies, when they present their shampoo bar invite you to rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar. To be honest I am not ready for that yet! They would explain that vinegar help balance the PH of your scalp and keep it fresh and clean without damaging the hair! I believe them, yet I won’t try it yet!
