Help! My shampoo bar is not working

Are you hesitating about switching to a shampoo without packaging and can't see the forest for the trees? There is a lot of confusion about the difference between hair soap and shampoo bars and frustration about the effect. That's a shame and absolutely unnecessary, because once you've found one that suits you, you'll notice how wonderful and caring natural shampoo bars are. High time for some explanation!

Why switch to shampoo bars?

Shampoo bars are not packaged in a plastic bottle like liquid shampoo, which saves a lot of plastic waste per person per year. The advantage of shampoo bars is that they are often packaged in a paper wrapper, cardboard box or reusable travel tin where you can store your shampoo bar.

In addition, shampoo bars are usually made of mild and caring ingredients and are free of harmful substances that are found in 'regular' shampoos. Think of SLS/SLES, sulphates, parabens, phthalates, silicones, mineral oils, polyethylene glycol (PEG), phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde, synthetic perfume and alcohol. All bad ingredients that you would rather not have in your shampoo.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate (SLS/SLES)

SLS/SLES is a cheap raw material that provides a lot of foam and a thorough cleaning. That may sound nice, but this ingredient is also used in cleaning products for the home. Effective, but not so caring for your hair and scalp.

Parabens

Another ingredient that is often found in conventional shampoos is parabens, which are often added as a preservative. Some parabens are suspected of being endocrine disruptors (EDC) and can cause skin irritations. However, there has been little research into long-term use of parabens and therefore it is unclear whether parabens are harmful.

Silicone

Silicones add shine and make your hair artificially smoother, but they are not natural ingredients and are harmful to the environment. By using silicone-free shampoo bars, your hair can feel just as clean, soft and shiny!

Palm oil

And then we haven’t even mentioned the use of palm oil, a cheap and effective ingredient that gives structure to many products. Unfortunately, the production of palm oil involves large-scale deforestation of tropical forests to create plantations, which is disastrous for the people and endangered species that live there. And deforestation also contributes to climate change.

Animal ingredients

Last but not least, many shampoos contain animal ingredients. Most shampoo bars, on the other hand, are vegan and not tested on animals.

Let's talk a little bit about the production of the bars. Most natural shampoo bars are produced locally, the shampoo bars in our range come from the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. These shampoo bars therefore travel a shorter distance than liquid shampoos that are often shipped from the other side of the world. In addition, shampoo bars are lighter, because no unnecessary water is transported, which results in less emissions.

And even though a shampoo bar is smaller, it does last longer. The exact number of washes is difficult to estimate, because it depends on how long and full your hair is and the amount of shampoo you use. Make sure that the bar dries well between washes, that ensures that it lasts longer. You can do this by placing the wet bar on a soap holder with holes in the bottom so that the water can drain away.

Finally, you no longer have to deal with large heavy plastic bottles when you go on holiday. Benefits enough, so switch! Now the big question which one suits you best.

The difference between hair soap and shampoo bars

The terms hair soap and shampoo bar are often used interchangeably, which makes it a lot more complicated to understand the difference between the two. We will do our best to explain this as clearly as possible!

The biggest difference between hair soap and shampoo bars is the pH value. Simply put, hair soap is literally a bar of soap to wash your hair with. Soap is on the higher end of the pH scale (around 9-10 pH). Our skin, on the other hand, is slightly acidic (4.75-5.5 pH). This can cause your skin/hair to feel a bit rough and tangled after washing with hair soap. Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar can help to rebalance the pH of your scalp and apple cider vinegar also works well as a natural conditioner.

When using hair soap, you often have to deal with a transition period of a few weeks before your hair gets used to it. Your scalp needs some time to start producing less sebum, which can make your hair feel greasy at first. Hair soap can also cause essential natural oils to disappear from your hair, making your hair feel duller. The advantage of hair soap, especially for people with thin or little hair, is that if you have been washing with hair soap for a while, you will notice that your hair gets more volume.

Many natural shampoo bars are actually soap bars, this is not always indicated on the packaging. However, if your bar contains any of the following ingredients, then you know you are dealing with hair soap: sodium cocoate, sodium olivate, sodium castorate and sodium hydroxide.

Soap-free shampoo bars have a pH value that is ideal for hydrated and healthy hair. This ensures that there is no transition period when switching to soap-free shampoo bars. Shampoo bars are therefore better for your hair and a lot more accessible, but pay close attention to the ingredients, because not all shampoo bars are free of palm oil and sulphates.

How do I find a shampoo bar that suits me?

Do you have sensitive skin? Or are you prone to dry, flaky, and itchy scalp? Soap will likely aggravate these issues. The gentle, cleansing ingredients in shampoo bars will help soothe your symptoms. Preferences and experiences are very personal, but for these reasons we prefer shampoo bars over hair soap. All shampoo bars on our website are soap free and do not contain any of the harmful ingredients discussed above.

We recommend everyone to try different shampoo bars until you find one that suits you. If you don't like them, you can just use them on your body. It took us a while to find the perfect shampoo bar, but now we can't live without it.

We hope that we have been able to provide more clarity about the effects of hair soap and shampoo bars and that you will find a wonderful bar that suits you!