There are more and more hair care alternatives popping up, and shampoo bars have advantages over ‘traditional’ shampoo for a variety of reasons
Believe it or not, a lot of my sense of self-esteem is attached to my hair. It drives my boyfriend crazy that I think about my hair as much as I do… but to tell the truth, if I were to cut it all off tomorrow, he’d be upset.
It seems that more often than not, I’m on this quest to find the balance between good conscious and living a ‘normal life’ and this includes ‘normal hair’. After reading this Time Magazine article regarding the truth about plastics… plastic-phobia is no longer reserved for the patchouli pot-head community. There are even people who pledge to reduce the amounts of plastic in their lives.. A few months ago, I started experimenting with shampoo alternatives… with baking soda/apple cider vinegar. I have to say it really works well, however the way baking soda is packaged and sold in Germany, I can hardly call it an eco friendly alternative.
Quite a few of you commented that you use “bar shampoo.” There are more and more hair care alternatives popping up, and shampoo bars have advantages over ‘traditional’ shampoo for a variety of reasons. Many shampoo bars are made with organic ingredients, detergent free (they don’t strip your hair of natural oils), have minimal packaging, often times biodegradable. You can even find a whole slew of them on etsy, where they are handmade as well.
Solid Shampoo Bars
It seems that more often than not, I’m on this quest to find the balance between good conscious and living a ‘normal life’ and this includes ‘normal hair’.
Lush Cosmetics Solid Shampoos: $8.95-$14.95 Lush always smells heavenly… they have a great selection of solid shampoos ranging for fine hair, oily hair or for blondes… they even sell tins to keep your shampoo bar in.
JR Liggett: $6.99 Created from an old New England Cookbook recipe, JR Liggett has been around for years, and have many satisfied customers. They claim that because their shampoo is made with vegetable oils, or for damaged hair aloe vera and almond oil and detergent free, leaving your natural oils, you won’t need a conditioner.
Vermont Country Soap: $4.95, natural ingredients, organic oils, detergent free
Yucca Root Shampoo and Body Bar: $6.00 Moisture rich, tea tree oil, and conditioning shampoo.
Burts Bees Rosmary Mint: $6.49, uses latering Yucca Root, 99% natural, and not tested on animals (I think the same for the rest… but they didn’t mention it)
White Lye Soap Co. Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang Shampoo Bar: $5.50 Handmade and detergent free. “Tea Tree Oil treats skin rashes, fungal infections, acne. It is very beneficial for skin. Ylang Ylang Oil is used in many hair treatments and is incorporated in many massage mixtures that are used to stimulate the scalp and hair follicles, encouraging new hair growth.”
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I’ve always wanted to try bar shampoo, but I just get the feeling that it wouldn’t do what I need it to do. I don’t know why, but I have this fear that it will leave a lot of residue in my hair. I don’t know where I got that idea but it’s what keeps me from trying bar shampoo. I guess I could give it a whirl. Thanks for reminding me!
yeah, we’re kind of going over the top in the coveted household… beauty products are only the begining of what’s happening in the shower.
I swear by anything Burt’s Bees….they have an amazing line of products!!!
Not to be a downer, but last fall Clorox bought Burt’s Bee’s. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/burts_bees_sell.php
BB was one of my favorite companies.
ooh… yeah, treehugger… aren’t they owned by the discovery channel?
yeah, clorox has some restructuring to do… but burts bees are still good products.
never tried to wash my hair with those kinds of products, but i’m sure gonna give it a try!
everyone owns everyone. nautty nautty companies. better than most though, not like theres gonna be bleach in the chapstick yo!…
I continue to be (such a California, like Jennine says) and be an uber Dr.Bronner lover. All the way. Sometimes aveda soaps when I get them as a gift. Im glad JR Liggets. very very good english products. <3
ah dr. b… i always get sidetracked by his cooky packaging… i didn’t find a shampoo bar! i’ll have to look this up…
I had been looking for a recommendation on a shampoo bar and remembered your post - I picked up the Lush one and two shampoos in I love it - they have different types for different hair - and my hair seems prettier today:) - thanks for the recommendation! Oh also if you buy two you get the soap tin free!
I just finished looking on the Lush site and the bars I looked at are no better than the bottles of shampoo you can buy at your local store. I don’t see what makes this so eco-friendly.
I saw SLS and other ingredients that I prefer not to use on myself or my family.
I am getting ready to make my own because all promises (not just on the Lush website) of “all-natural” and “eco-friendly” have been complete let downs.
I have to agree about Lush…nothing too natural about many of their products. Most are overpriced and over hyped. Try A Wild Soap Bar’s Yucca Root Shampoo Bar Kyri, it really and truly IS all natural and we have lots of testimonials on our site about how well it works.
Eco friendly shampoo bars are nice since they are made of natural ingredients. Also natural soap made from natural ingredients and scents are also eco friendly and nice for skin care.
I have used Liggetts and it’s quite good. A bit spendy. And they claim it lasts as long as a bottle of regular shampoo which I do not find to be the case. I have used regular and herbal and it’s not bad.
I have used the Rosemary Mint Burts Bees bar and it’s dreadful. Just horrible. In fact just today Yahoo ran a story on worst Shampoos and it was in the top 10 for worst!!! Leaves a horrible waxy residue. i have not tried any of the others. Very hard to find these products locally, and when you do they are full Retail. Simply not worth the money.
Environmental Workings Group’s “Skin Deep” report is a great place to test the claims of these bars for “natural safety”.
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I make my own handcrafted soaps and would like to find that “old new england shampoo bar recipe” and make my own. I do not belive on a commercial basis it is made as good. My handmade soaps are so nice and last longer and feel better. Thanks Recipe anyone??