If you usually keep an eye on what’s going on in the beauty world, you’ve probably heard about bar products, especially shampoos and conditioners. One of the great trends of the present time, mainly for having a more natural composition, full of organic ingredients, this type of cosmetic is gaining more and more space in people’s daily lives.
But why? The fact is that the scalp absorbs the products used by us through the hair glands. Which means that if you use chemical-filled shampoos and conditioners, your body will absorb them all. Looking at it from this side, it’s even easier to understand why the bar products are getting more popular, since, in addition to being better for our health and our hair, they also prove to be great friends of our pockets and the planet!
Have you thought about using a shampoo or conditioner in a bar? Already a fan of this type of product and want to know more about its benefits? So come on, there’s a lot to tell you!
First things first: What exactly are bar shampoos and conditioners?
Bar Shampoos and conditioners are solid products, made especially for hair care and that have a series of benefits for the threads. Generally, they are made with natural ingredients to promote hair health, in addition to not affecting the environment.
Precisely because they use natural products that do not harm the scalp, many people, when they replace conventional products with bars, report a series of benefits, such as: more volume, reduced dandruff, shine, reduced frizz, faster growth and even more defined curls. Of course, it all depends on the type of hair and the expected result, but the fact that they are more sustainable says a lot about their importance.
Now that we have briefly talked about it all, we have a few more reasons to convince you that shampoos and conditioners in bars are a good option! Check it out!
#1 DEEP CLEANING AND HAIR SPLIT REPAIR
One of the great advantages of bar shampoos over liquid hair care products is to promote hair health, through deep cleansing and the synergy of shampoo compounds. Many of these products are made with organic ingredients and do not contain artificial fragrances, which can cause irritation and possible allergies.
When the product has so many natural ingredients, it tends to be more effective and gentle on the hair, naturally removing impurities and making it healthier.
Due to their properties, these ingredients, which can be herbs, clays, plant extracts, spices, essential oils and vegetable butters, provide a deep cleansing and therapeutic treatment, without drying the hair and damaging the scalp.
#2 NO SLS AND SLES IN THE FORMULA
Most of bars shampoos and conditioners are usually made in a natural way, not containing SLS (Sodium Lauril Sulfate) and SLES (Sodium Lauril Ether Sulfate) in their composition. But what does it all mean? We explain it to you!
The two substances are made from a mixture of lauryl alcohol, sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate. These sulfated compounds are known as surfactants and can be found in many different products, such as soaps and toothpaste.
Generally, surfactants are used to make foam, making products more commercially attractive. Furthermore, the surfactants are responsible for allowing the products to spread more easily.
Speaking like that, it’s still a little bit hard to understand what are the problems with these substances, right? But believe me, it doesn’t even need to go far for us to start finding the “cons” related to them.
SLS and SLES can dry the scalp, causing itching and irritation. They can also accelerate hair loss, especially if you wash it every day.
Furthermore, SLS can attach to hair follicles, even if you keep washing them, weakening them for a long period. Therefore, as they are softer and do not contain such products, bar shampoos and conditioners allow the hair to retain moisture, preventing the scalp from becoming excessively dry, but also balancing the oiliness, so that it does not become the opposite.
#3 COLORED HAIR
One of the recurring doubts of those who think about investing in bar products are the impacts they can have on dyed hair. But here’s also good news: if you have dyed hair, you can relax!
When we use commercial shampoos and conditioners, colored hair tends to quickly lose its shine and intensity, precisely because of the chemical formulation containing SLS and SLES, which remove the lipid layer from the strands. As the bars are made with several natural products, they tend to keep their color for a longer time, preventing the threads from fading.
If you still have any fears, do a “mecha test” beforehand. You’re sure to have even more security when buying a solid product to call your own!
It doesn’t stop there! For strands with split ends, which are usually a consequence of very dry or damaged hair (whether due to lack of care or excessive use of chemicals and heat), shampoos and conditioners in bars are also a solution. Even because, when we decide to put an end to the critical condition of the threads, we usually opt for nutritious oils and butters, which contain a series of beneficial vitamins. By coincidence (or not), these oils and butters are part of the composition of most shampoos and conditioners in bars, which makes it contribute, consequently, to the health of the hair.
#4 CONCENTRATION AND DURABILITY
Unlike traditional shampoos, which generally contain 80% water, hair products in bars or natural soaps are super concentrated and free of harmful substances to the body and the environment.
Produced with natural actives and obtained from the saponification of fats and oils, in addition to having less water in their formulation, solid shampoos obtain, during this process, glycerin, a substance responsible for protecting and nourishing the skin. Vegetable glycerin is a very valuable compound for the cosmetics industry because it has the ability to clean the hair, maintaining its natural moisture, and to absorb moisture from the air. This effect is not usually observed in common shampoos, since the glycerin obtained in the saponification is removed from these products.
And because they are more concentrated, there is no need to use, at each wash, a considerable amount of cosmetic bars. Just a little is enough.
#5 REDUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Another benefit of consuming natural soaps is sustainability, which is, the concern to satisfy current human needs without compromising future generations. This objective is achieved by combining the ingredients that make up shampoo bars and the containers in which they are stored and sold.
Generally, bar shampoos are developed by brands concerned with protecting fauna and flora, as well as the oceans. To fulfill their mission, they produce natural formulas without synthetic compounds (preservatives and other chemical products).
This absence of harmful substances, such as palm oil, maintains the hair’s natural oils and also does not deforest or degrade the environment.
Additionally, solid shampoos eliminate the need for plastic packaging. That’s because most of these products are wrapped in cardboard boxes and recycled paper, materials that decompose more easily compared to plastic.
Today, about nine million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year. This number equates to one truck full of garbage being dumped into water per minute. With no doubt, an unsustainable situation!