I’m extravagant, I have to admit. I like nice things, I like to take care of myself, and I like to spend my hard-earned money on things that will make me feel good. I also like to find options that help others and/or the environment in some way. So that’s why when I found nuddy, a fabulous little business that makes shampoo bars, I was totally here for it! Let’s start with a little bit of a backstory… I’d seen some Instagram posts and TikTok videos about how many ingredients in shampoos and conditioners can damage your hair and, it’s safe to say, I was concerned. I really try to care for my hair the best I can, so finding out that I could have been damaging it all this time without even knowing was a bit of a shock.
I sat down at my laptop to do a little bit of research (and to procrastinate writing my coursework, of course). It turned out that the videos and posts were right – my seemingly harmless bottle of shampoo may have been making my hair dry and irritating my scalp. These are only two of the possible negatives and they’re certainly two of the tamer ones. I’m not here to scare you so I’ll let you search for some of the others if you want to know more.
So it was decided, the old bottle was out, but I didn’t have the first clue where to go to find an alternative. I searched and searched for something that had good reviews and didn’t have those nasty chemicals, but every option was super expensive (I’m talking £100+ in a few cases!). It’s safe to say that I was losing hope.
I’m not sure how I found nuddy. At the point of finding their website, I was about two or three hours deep into my research!
I know for sure that I hadn’t been searching for a shampoo bar. I like quick and easy – I don’t mess about when I wash my hair – and, to me, a shampoo bar just didn’t seem to be that way. They managed to talk me around though… and I’m very glad they did.
nuddy is a company whose products are vegan-friendly, contain minimal chemicals and have plastic-free packaging. As I said earlier, I like doing my bit for the environment when I can, so I gave them a few extra points for their effort in being environmentally friendly by removing plastic.
A few other massive ticks next to nuddy were that:
- They’re a small, female-led business.
- They said I’d see a difference after just one wash.
- The bar lasts twice as long as a regular shampoo bottle.
- They were actually affordable!
That was me sold! I decided to order the shampoo and soap bar bundle and save the environment a little bit more by ditching the bottled shower gel too.
When my nuddy box arrived, I could smell both bars before I even opened the box. Let me tell you, it was divine. I ordered the ‘Practice What You Peach’ bar and the coconut-scented soap bar.
The packaging was very minimal which I definitely liked. I’m all for beautiful packaging but, when it bumps up the price I have to pay, I’ll pass. The minimalist style was just right and, as I say, the smells coming from the box were out of this world. Safe to say I didn’t have COVID.
I couldn’t help cracking them both open to try out that evening. Naïvely, I thought that using a shampoo bar would be the same as a soap bar. Just rub it between your hands and wash… I was wrong.
After that first night I doubted if the shampoo bar life was for me. However, I persisted – watching a few videos after that first time. I realised that it may be better to rub the bar directly onto my hair and then wash it. Trying that the next time I washed my hair, I fell completely in love.
I’ve now been using the shampoo bar for over month, and I wouldn’t go back. They’re not difficult to use once you know how and they really do give you that squeaky-clean feeling without all the hassle. I haven’t used conditioner since I started using my nuddy bar and I now don’t think it’s necessary for my hair (but you may find that it is, so don’t worry about that).
I would recommend nuddy to anyone! I’m going to branch out and try some more of their products but, for now, their soap and shampoo bars get my five stars!
Words by: Alice Mason
Edited by: Laura Murphy