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| ThornAppleRidgeSoaps (photo source) |
What is a shampoo bar?A
shampoo bar is essentially a bar of soap that is formulated to be used as a
cleansing agent for your hair. Shampoo bars vary in ingredients and effectiveness, depending on what you're looking for in a shampoo. Some shampoo bars can double as body soap and the same goes for body soap, some can pass for shampoo bars, again, this depends on your personal preference and the ingredients in the product. At the end of the day soap is soap, this all shampoo and body soap is....soap.
What is the difference between shampoo bars and soap bars?Really, not much. At most, they are
superfatted. Superfatted?
Superfatted is a term used in soap making that refers to when more oils are added then the lye in the soap needs to become soap.
Huh? It means that extra oils have been added to the soap that have not interacted with the lye and are basically just floating around in the soap.
Floating? Floating as in, it's like putting the oil straight into your hair. This is suppose to add moisturizing properties to the bar and essentially your hair.
As stated, ingredients in shampoo bars vary from company to company. Some add herbs such as nettle, marshmallow root, or even clays like bentonite and rhassoul.
Do shampoo bars cleanse the hair well?This depends on 2 factors; the particular shampoo bar that you are using and what product build up you have on your hair. If the shampoo bar is superfatted with shea butter (or any other butter or heavy oils) for example, then you
may feel a residue on your hair after washing. This also depends on the percent the shampoo bar was superfatted, i.e. the amount of oil floating around in the bar.
If you have an extensive amount of product build up on your hair from using commercial hair products, then this may be too much for some shampoo bars to handle. Notice, I said
may be, some shampoo bars can handle the job and some can't. Again, this depends on the bar. If you use products that are not on the natural side, such as silicones, store bought gels, and such, you will more then likely need to use a stronger shampoo.
How do shampoo bars work best?...with a low product regimen. Usually, someone who uses light oils and more natural products, will have more success with shampoo bars. Now, that is not to say, they won't work for you. Just give them a try and if you feel a residue or don't think they got your hair as clean as you would have liked try another type of shampoo bar or lessen the amount of product you apply to your hair between washes. Ya'll already know I believe less is best anyway...:)
Do shampoo bars leave a residue?Yes, some can. Some find that to combat the residue left behind, they do an Apple Sider Vinegar Rinse after shampooing their hair. For an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, just do a 1:3 part ratio; 1 part ACV to 3 parts water.
Have you tried shampoo bars? Did you like them?
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