There are many benefits of solid shampoo bars and we’re here to discuss them. If you’ve used a liquid shampoo your whole life, it might seem like a difficult switch to make. Will a solid shampoo lather as well? Will it wash your hair properly? The truth is, switching to a solid shampoo is the best thing you can do both for your hair and for the environment. Let’s take a closer look.
Why Are Shampoo Bars Better for the Environment?
As the name implies, a shampoo bar is a solid form of liquid hair cleanser and what distinguishes one from another is that they don’t have the same detergents. Solid shampoo bars are made of gentle oils, butter and conditioners that don’t affect the natural oils of the hair.
According to the Green Whale, in the United States, there are 550 million shampoo bottles thrown away every year. That is just one country in the world, and these statistics are difficult to predict for each country and therefore globally.
We know that consumerism is high in the United Kingdom as well, so those numbers can’t be much better. Plastic waste ends up overfilling our oceans and landfills. If you are at all concerned about environmental pollution, switching to a solid shampoo bar is a simple decision to make. The benefits of a solid shampoo bar include creating no waste! Most of them come packaged in biodegradable or recyclable packaging that doesn’t harm the environment. For example, this eco-friendly solid shampoo bar from Dook is packaged in a box made out of recycled coffee cups!
Solid Shampoo Bars Benefits
There are many benefits of a solid shampoo bar. Are there also any cons? Let’s have a look!
1. Better for Your Hair and The Environment
We’ve already covered this, but it’s so important to look after the planet that we wanted to mention it again! Bear in mind that plastic bottles need 450+ years to decompose while shampoo bars can decrease this waste! On top of eco-friendly biodegradable packaging, solid shampoo bars are mostly made of natural ingredients and free from SLS and parabens. This means that it’s a better and healthier option to choose, also what goes down the drain won’t harm the environment. If you’re looking for more eco-friendly hair products, check them out on Vivnaturelle.
2. Better for Travelling
If you have any holidays planned, a solid shampoo bar is much easier to travel with. Solid shampoo bars help save space when packing for a trip as they are small and can fit anywhere! You won’t have to worry about exceeding the liquid allowance, or worse, the shampoo spilling over your belongings! Eco-friendly solid shampoo bars also don’t take up as much space in your luggage. It’s really common sense to make the switch to a solid shampoo bar when travelling!
3. Less Water Wasted
Solid shampoo bars don’t require as much water to be made. With all the draughts around the world, you can do the planet a favour by no longer using liquid shampoos. In addition, as these shampoos are made with less water, the shampoo ingredients are more potent. That means all the goodness won’t be diluted with unnecessary water or sulphates. Eco-friendly shampoo bars are without doubt an environmentally friendly alternative!
4. Solid Shampoo Bars Save Space
No matter how large or tiny your bathroom is, saving space by purchasing smaller products will help you organise your space better. You can choose a soap dish you prefer, or keep it in a biodegradable bag or an organic cotton bag to store it.
5. Shampoo Bars are Lightweight
No, this is not just about saving space. Solid shampoo bars being lighter also means that transporting them produces less carbon. To get the same number of washes would require ten times more transportation of liquid shampoos compared to solid shampoo bars.
6. Solid Shampoo Bars Last Longer
Another benefit of a solid shampoo bar is that it lasts much longer than liquid shampoo. Most shampoo bars last 60-80 washes! In comparison to liquid shampoo, that would require 2-3 bottles to get the same number of washes. Taking that into account, they also end up saving you a lot of money. They are already cheaper than most eco-friendly liquid shampoos and they will last you at least twice as long since they are more concentrated than liquid shampoos.
How To Use Solid Shampoo Bars?
It may seem like a big difference when first using a solid shampoo bar as they are smaller and resembles a soap bar. Don’t worry they are easy to use! Just lather the bar in your hands for a few minutes and after that, you can massage the foam at your hair roots. After that, gently rinse your hair with water. You can also save up from using conditioner afterwards. Many shampoo bars include nourishing oils such as argan oil coconut oil, jojoba oil and almond oil, hence there is no need to apply more products to your hair.
Are There Any Cons to Solid Shampoo?
We wouldn’t call them cons, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, you need to make sure to keep it out of water. Otherwise, it will decrease in size as if it’s being used even when it isn’t. We mentioned a couple of solutions to this issue, such as keeping the shampoo bar inside a biodegradable bag. In addition, some people may point out that it doesn’t lather as much as liquid shampoo. However, that depends on what kind of shampoo you compare it to. It is sulphates (SLS) that make the liquid shampoo lather much more than the solid shampoo bars, which don’t contain SLS. However, if you prioritise planet-friendly and natural hair products, there won’t be much of a difference when you get used to them.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the benefits of a solid shampoo bar we hope the decision is easy. If you’re looking to be more eco-friendly and reduce plastic waste, solid shampoo bars are a great and easy solution. It won’t hurt to give it a try! We hope this was helpful and would love to hear your opinions in the comments below on solid shampoo bars if you’ve tried them!
You can read more on Unwrapped Life, Carol’s Daughter and Kind2.me.