If you want to save plastic in your hair care routine, you usually can't avoid them: hair soaps and solid shampoos (also known as shampoo bars). But what exactly is the difference between these two plastic-free hair care alternatives? In our blog post, we'll explain.
Solid shampoo and hair soap have one main thing in common: they are more environmentally friendly alternatives to liquid shampoos, as they don't require plastic packaging and are particularly long-lasting. They are also very travel-friendly and fit easily into any carry-on luggage. However, in their composition and application, these two plastic-free hair care products differ fundamentally.
Solid Shampoo
A solid shampoo contains all the ingredients of a liquid shampoo, except for water. The dry, solid shampoo bar is simply foamed up with your hands on wet hair. For natural cosmetics, the cleansing foam is created by natural surfactants, usually based on sugar or coconut. Natural oils provide an extra dose of care. The shampoo is rinsed out as usual, leaving hair smooth and nourished.
Hair Soap
Hair soaps consist of natural oils (e.g., olive oil, argan oil), which are mostly "saponified" by an alkali. The reason for this is the slightly acidic pH value of our skin, which is cleansed by an alkaline soap (slightly elevated pH value). Many soaps are characterized by a superfatting degree; this describes the percentage of oil that was not saponified in order to nourish skin and hair. Depending on the lime content and mineral composition of the tap water, the hair soap rinses out with varying effectiveness. To wash out soap residues and oil residues that weigh down the hair, an "acid rinse" is recommended. The water-vinegar rinse (approx. 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per 1 liter of water) closes the roughened hair again, making it easier to comb.
Our Recommendation
We are convinced by the use of solid shampoos, as they do not leave any heavy soap residues in the hair. For this reason, we have developed our shampoo bar.
- 100% vegan & natural
- Fragrance & plastic-free
- For children & adults
- Suitable for sensitive scalps
Care tip: If you change your hair care routine, your hair needs some time to adjust. If your ends seem a little drier than usual during the transition period, you can massage natural almond oil into your hair ends. To do this, rub a few drops of almond oil in your hands and gently massage it into towel-dried hair.
