Solid shampoos and how to use them

I’ve been using solid shampoo since December  2017 and now I will never go back. It’s already such a great feeling knowing I have prevented several plastic bottles going to landfill. Sometimes we think that our small actions will not make enough difference, but, collectively they will.

Here’s the sum I go by: Let’s say you know 50 people and they are all going to stop using bottled shampoo for the rest of their lives. Give or take some difference in their ages, it’s going to add up to roughly 360 bottles per person which makes at least 18,000 bottles – and that’s not counting conditioner. So if all those people then know others who might be willing to give up bottled shampoo, the ripple effect continues and fewer bottles end up in landfill. Hooray.

Another huge advantage of using natural solid shampoo bars is that you eliminate the use of some harsh detergents and chemical additives (such as sodium lauryl sulphate and 1,4 dioxane etc.) which are well-reported to be particularly bad for you and are found in so many personal care products. And yet another good reason to switch is that many of the big brands test on animals, which we’re not very fond of at Eco Passion.

But, what’s it really like? 

Is it as good as bottled shampoo or expensive brands you may struggle to part with? In my opinion, I’d say it’s just different and so an adjustment needs to be made in your expectations and also how you may manage your hair as a result. It also, of course, depends quite a lot on your hair type.

My hair is long and typically tends to have greasy roots and dry ends. I tried a few different brands including Bio Nature which you can buy from Carrefour, but at Eco Passion we have settled on shampoo bars that are handmade in London and are 100% natural, vegan and not tested on animals. They come in a variety of types which suit a variety of hair types – you can TODO: Add Solid Shampoo Link read the descriptions for more information.

There is a bit of a knack to using them as well. 

Before I switched I read a few articles on how to get the best results and since using them myself, I have found this to be the best method:

– First of all, make sure your hair is very thoroughly wet through
– Then take the shampoo bar and wet it like a normal soap
– Then rub the shampoo block around the edges of your hairline and, for long hair, divide your hair down the centre or in three sections and rub onto scalp
– From here you can pop the shampoo down and get your fingers to work on your scalp and give yourself a nice massage while generating a good lather. I usually add a couple of handfuls of extra water at this point
– This method produces a surprising amount of lather so you can use less or more shampoo according to your preference
– Do make sure you rinse thoroughly with plenty of water
– Hair will feel squeaky clean once you have rinsed all the lather off

What about conditioner you ask?

We stock the Funky Soap solid conditioner for normal hair. I have greasy roots and dry ends and so find this one works really well for me. It feels odd at first as it doesn’t feel as though anything is happening as there are no suds etc. I just rub the bar down the length of my hair, but not onto the scalp, and try to make sure to focus on the ends, then rinse as normal. When you come to brush your hair once you’ve towel dried it, then you can notice the softness from the solid conditioner. The shampoo and conditioner bars really compliment one another.

Do I need to rinse?

If you’re experiencing a transition stage (it took me about 6 weeks!) then you may find it works well for you to use a rinse. I have read about homemade bicarb and apple cider vinegar remedies that work as a rinse and provide extra softness so I will look out for some good recipes and make another blog post about them.

If you have any suggestions, tips or experience with solid shampoos, conditioners or plastic-free alternatives then please comment below. And to buy our solid shampoos and conditioner, you can find them here.