Shampoo Bars Revisited

 I last wrote about shampoo bars on Aug 23rd 2021, in my post "Regular Shampoo vs Shampoo Bars".  Since then I've actually been using both a bar shampoo and a bar conditioner. Even though they're not the same brand they work very well together. And, since they contain less irritating ingredients they can be great choice for more sensitive people. 

It's so much easier to find shampoo bars that don't containing sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate (they're well known for stripping moisture from your hair and scalp). It's also becoming easier to avoid ingredients like  phthalates, parabens, artificial scents, dyes, and formaldehyde producers. Although the one ingredient that my hair absolutely hates (coconut oil) still shows up in a lot of hair products, thankfully there are still a few products that it's not in.

I've found both shampoo and conditioner bars easy to use and they take up way less space on your bathroom shelf, or in your suitcase if you travel. They also last longer and do more washes per bar than your traditional shampoo. I personally found that a little product goes a long way and I didn't need to wash my hair nearly as often. I can easily get away with just rinsing or using a conditioner between washes. 

As with all hair and personal care products you need to find what works for you. Since I'm a curly haired girl my hair tends to be dry so it needs a lot of moisture and frizz reduction but someone with fine straight hair is going to require something completely different. So as always pay attention to ingredients and find what's right for you.

If your not familiar with shampoo bars here are a few helpful tips.

- Let your bar dry out between uses to help it last longer. A soap dish works great for this.

-  Many people find they don't need to wash their hair as often because there is less buildup on the hair when using shampoo and conditioner bars.

- Yes, you can still use a regular conditioner after you use a shampoo bar. But there are some great conditioners bars out there too.

- Always read the ingredients and stay away from potentially irritating or harmful ingredients. Ingredients like dyes, fragrances, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, and silicon's. Instead look for ingredients like natural butters and oils to help reduce irritated scalp.

Sources:

stylecaster.com/feature/should-you-be-using-bar-shampoo-425516/

sustainthemag.com/wellness/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shampoo-bars

nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/shampoo-bar-sustainable-toiletries-plastic-free

besthealthmag.ca/article/what-are-shampoo-bars/

getthegloss.com/article/shampoo-bars-better-than-your-regular-bottle-of-hair-wash