Shampoo and Conditioner Bars | My Routine and Top Tips
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Transitioning to bar soap or shampoo and conditioner can be daunting… There’s no sugar coating the change from conveniently pumped shower gels and hair care. But if one this is for sure, we would all be better off consuming less. If you’re considering the switch to go plastic-free or reduce plastic in your routine (hands up for imperfect sustainability 🙌), here are my top tips and routine breakdown for shampoo and conditioner bars.
New Shampoo or Conditioner Bar?
Hold it under running water for a few seconds to warm it up. This will help it to lather up on its first round. If the bar isn’t new, I like to briefly hold it under running water for 1-2 to warm it up.
Prep Your Hair
Make sure your hair is wet. Not like wet because you already held it under running water then turned away. You want to bring your soapy hands straight to your head moments after wetting it for ultimate lather potential!
Lather it Up
Some people prefer to bring the bar straight to their head, while others (and myself) like to lather in hands first. I give the bar a good rub between my hands then bring my hands (and bar to my head) to massage into my hair. I like to do this while wetting my hair for a quick turnaround and lather situation.
Need a Top-Up?
Sometimes I massage my head with one hand while the other holds the bar so that I can rub it for a top-up. Sporadically, I’ll take the bar directly to my head, especially when getting the underside at the back of my head where the bar is really magic. Although using the bar on your head may feel a bit caveman, it works wonders for adding more lather.
Shampoo Bar Storage (IS EVERYTHING)
Once everything is soapy, I put the shampoo bar back in its place (think high and dry) and massage my head a little then rinse. Placement is so important because when you have the bars stored within a splash zone, they’ll melt away quite quickly, meaning you waste product and it’s pretty counterintuitive. This is my absolute favourite rack for storing my bars above head-height in my shower without having to get involved with any nails or drills (#rentallife).
Conditioning Phase
Once I move onto my conditioner bar, I warm it up by holding it under the water for 1-2 seconds. I found that the Lush Golden Cap didn’t release product quickly so I put the bar on the floor in the tub while I do shampoo to warm it up. Then I rub the bar between my hands. If you still feel like the product you’re using doesn’t ‘give’ a lot, try rubbing the bar directly on your hair in downward motions. Then rinse and voila.
To Root or Not to Root
Back when I used regular conditioners, I skipped putting it on my roots to avoid oily scalp and to prolong the time between washes. However, with Golden Cap, I don’t seem to have the same issue so I do apply at the top. I believe this is because I use less product with the bar anyways. As I said earlier, you’ll need to experiment a bit to see what works for you!
Just hate conditioner bars?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I’ve not yet fallen in love with ‘the one’ and I am still continuing to discover other brand out there to bring you the latest. But what I can tell you is that I’ve benefitted from shifting my perspective on where conditioning happens in my hair routine. Traditional conditioners are used in the shower, but I found that if I skipped this step and focused more on the post-shower haircare using leave-in conditioners, hair oils and serums, you’ll be sure to serve your hair the conditioning and care it needs. I’m currently using up a lot of old hair products I seem to have collected - use what you’ve already got at the moment as it’s the most sustainable option we all have!
Tackling Tangles
Sometimes using a bar can make your hair feel a bit more tangled, so I would highly recommend adding a wet brush or detangler product to your routine to help detangle gently. Although Wet Brush isn’t the first hair brand to come to mind when it comes to sustainability, check out their new biodegradable Go Green brush range (available in the US and UK). It’s made from plant starch!
Have you started trying out shampoo and conditioner bars or are you feeling a bit nervous? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you on what’s working and what’s proving more difficult. And remember, imperfect sustainability means making changes where possible and accessible. More people executing imperfect sustainability will make a bigger impact than a few people doing it perfectly. 😜