We've all heard of them, but do they actually work?
The quick answer is yes! Yes indeed they work, but the next question is usually something along the lines of "Do they make your hair feel dry?" ...and here's where things can get a little tricky. There are certainly some shampoo bars on the market that work really well with the first use, but what about long term? What do we need to be looking for?
Well, let's start by what we don't want to be looking for in terms on ingredients. SLS! We most certainly do not want to be smothering our hair with this harsh surfactant, especially when there are so many other surfactants available to manufacturers that are much more gentle on your precious locks.
So, ideally the first ingredient you'll want to see is something like Sodium cocoyl isethionate, or Sodium coco sulphate. These coconut derived surfactants are gentle on the hair and skin, and what sets them apart from SLS is the fact that they are coated with a wax like substance, which stops them being able to penetrate your skin. The reason why so many have reactions to SLS is because it is not coated, and can penetrate the skin, which causes irritation, allergic reactions, and soreness. Did you ever get that tight, dry, sore feeling? Like a band going around the back of your head? That's probably due to SLS, or other harsh surfactants, which are cheap and easy to source.
A shampoo bar is basically exactly the same as a bottle of shampoo without the water. So whilst they don't contain water they are indeed water activated. So when swiping a bar across your wet hair ideally you want a bar that contains some conditioning agents, as well as some nice gentle cleansers, and maybe some plant keratin for good measure. You want the shampoo bar to gently cleanse, and condition a little too so you don't have to use a ton of conditioner afterwards. You also want just a light fragrance, not one that blows your head off. Fragrance can be an irritant due to the allergens present in most of them, so always choose a shampoo bar that doesn't smell incredibly strong. You really don't need it.
In FuturePrimitive Shampoo bars you will find gentle cleansers, pro vitamin B5 (or panthenol as it's otherwise known), a selection of plant proteins, some organic shea butter, and a strong conditioning agent in a minimal dose (we don't want to weigh down the hair), as well as a little bit of our best selling fragrance - Rook & Raven.
After just one use you will find your hair super shiny, and lightly conditioned.On fine hair we would recommend you use a conditioner on the ends of the hair, and leave the roots alone to prolong the shine.You may find that if you wash your hair ever day you may end up being able to go a little longer. It is certainly my own personal experience. I find I can go 2-3 days between washes, especially if I have curled my hair on day two, and have used hairspray. Hairspray seems to stop my very fine hair from becoming greasy to quickly.
To date, our shampoo bars have been one of our biggest sellers, which is absolutely brilliant, and great news for the plastic free movement!
To get your hands on a bar, click here