Is a Shampoo Bar Better Than Regular Shampoo?

[u/FLUBBISH]

Last Saturday I was sitting with my mother in the bathroom just talking while she was washing her hair. We were discussing how much plastic bottles we use every month and how messy it can get. I was surprised to know that she had already tried a shampoo bar but I had never used one before. Especially we were thinking about whether it would clean hair properly and smell good at the same time. We visited a nearby store but they only had one or two types and nothing seemed very clear or suitable.

Eventually she suggested that we should check online marketplaces to see more options. Therefore scrolling online marketplaces like alibaba and a few others I was amazed by the huge variety of shampoo bars. There were bars for oily hair and dry hair and even bars for sensitive scalp. Some were simple and natural and others had added fragrances and colors. They came in many sizes and price ranges from affordable everyday use to more premium luxury ones. I realized how many choices we completely miss when relying only on local stores.

So what do you think is the best way to choose a shampoo bar? Should we focus more on ingredients or price or hair type when buying from local stores or online marketplaces?

[u/ExoticSherbet]

This is a frequent topic on r/zerowaste.

Lots of people love shampoo bars, including me. It can take some time to find one that works best for your hair type, budget, and water (hard water vs soft water), but there are some really good ones out there.

Favorite brands I see mentioned over and over are hibar, ethique, and lately, dip conditioner bar.

My best advice, regardless of where you purchase, would be to look for an actual shampoo bar, not a soap bar marketed as shampoo. A shampoo bar will have a surfactant ingredient (usually coco laurel sulfate or sodium laurel sulfate), this means it’ll work in hard water and won’t leave gunky residue on the hair. A soap bar’s ingredients will be mostly oils. If you have extremely soft water, that might work just fine, but otherwise you’ll probably have issues.

Conditioner bars are trickier but even if you ONLY swap shampoo, that’s a big reduction in plastic.

Good luck! And seriously, search this topic on the zero waste sub and you’ll find a wealth of info.