I can remember the first time I saw a shampoo bar: I was in the Lush store in downtown Chicago and the idea intrigued me so much I bought one of each scent they offered. It was such a foreign concept that I just could not imagine that this would be a good product, and I assumed my hair would be a tangled mess after use.
What actually happened: I stood in the shower for several seconds not really sure what to do with it. Was I supposed to rub it on my hands and then to my hair? I decided to just rub the bar straight on my hair and I was immediately shocked by the shear volume of lather that merely sweeping the bar across my head a few times created. It was like nothing I had ever experienced using a liquid shampoo.
The experience got even better when I rinsed my hair and the lather was gone as quickly as it appeared. The fact that this incredible amount of lather was rinsed so cleanly so easily further sold me on the idea of the shampoo bar. What I didn’t realize at the time is that they are so long-lasting and my very dry, curly hair only requires washing once a week, so I had purchased the equivalent of roughly 4 years of shampoo in those few bars!
All was well and good in my world and I continued to use the Lush shampoo bars until a couple years ago. Through the course of creating our bath and body products business, we had acquired a ton of ingredients to play with. When I realized that I had all the ingredients I needed to try making our own version, I was like a kid in a candy store. The very best part of that is that I felt I could substitute a few ingredients for even better options. The main surfactant that Lush used then was Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which is considered one of the harsher surfactants, and I knew that although I had never had a problem, it could be oil-stripping for those with drier hair. I decided to substitute Sodium Coco Sulfate, which I now see per their website, Lush has started using as the main surfactant in some of their bars, so at least in this instance, the big boys agreed with the little handmade shop!
Our first couple attempts at shampoo bars were not ok: the very first was too soft and didn’t want to keep its shape after unmolding and didn’t last nearly long enough. The second iteration was better, but the oils I used were too soft and it didn’t rinse out well enough. The third try was almost a charm: definitely firm enough and lasted long enough, rinsed well but it needed a conditioner. I wanted to create a bar that people who don’t want a separate conditioner could get by with just the shampoo. Foreign concept to those of us with dry, frizzy hair, but some people just really do wash and go. Once I added D-Panthenol to the recipe, I knew we had a keeper. That was just over 14 months ago.
I think what I love the most about the shampoo bars we’ve created is that they are legitimately fantastic cleansers for your hair. They are safe for color-treated or permed hair, they are gentle enough to use on babies (not tear-free though) and they will leave your hair cleansed and soft but with plenty of volume. Our bars are created with only 5 ingredients aside from the color and fragrance. Most commercial liquid shampoos have a list of over 40 ingredients on their labels, the vast majority of which no one can pronounce. How about this for an ingredient list: Sodium coco sulfate, Coconut oil, Coco butter, Argan Oil, D-Panthenol, fragrance, color. Crazy, right?!
When we started working on these, I knew our first priority had to be that it was a great hair product. Period. Not “it’s an ok hair product that’s good for the environment”. It had to be great for your hair. No ifs, ands or buts. The fact that it was such a great thing to have a product with no plastic and no added water was fantastic, but those were secondary to creating a product that would give our clients phenomenal hair. I’m proud to say that I think we succeeded!
So now that we’re all walking around with amazingly beautiful heads of hair, let’s talk about what we’re NOT doing to the environment with every bar we use. We are not putting 3 (16 ounce) plastic bottles in a landfill. In fact, those bottles aren’t even being created. We aren’t using or charging our clients for water to put in those plastic bottles. We aren’t paying for the large amount of storage space, shipping fees or heavy boxes needed to store and ship those plastic bottles. Everybody wins!
Now let’s talk about the convenience factor. For me, the convenience is just the icing on the cake, but I know there are plenty of our clients who have easy going hair and who are not immensely environmentally concerned but who have lifestyles who are just made for this product. They live their lives out of a suitcase or a duffel bag: always on the go and on to the next adventure. Our shampoo bars are perfect for travel; no liquids so no TSA hassle, take up very little space and weigh nothing to carry. For those whose adventures are a little closer to home, these bars are perfect for camping, boating or throwing in your gym bag.
I believe we’re going to make a real difference in the hair health of our clients, and if we get to be environmentally friendly and super convenient in the process, what could possibly be better? I really really love my job!