Have you tried a shampoo bar and didn’t like the way it lathered in your hair? Did your hair become matted when you worked up the lather?  Chances are, you’ve used soap on your hair. We love handmade soap, don’t get us wrong, but it’s not the best for hair, especially long hair. So many people have been asking why we label our shampoo bars as soap free and most don’t realise that there are two distinct types of shampoo bars on the market.

Is my solid shampoo bar a soap?

It’s easy to determine whether or not a solid shampoo is a soap by looking at the label. If it's a long list of oils, then it’s a soap.  If the manufacturer is recommending vinegar rinses and a settling in phase then it’s also a sign that it’s a soap. The ingredients list could look something like this:

• Castor Oil (or Sodium Castorate)
• Olive Oil (or Sodium Olivate)
• Rice Bran Oil (or Sodium Ricate)
• Shea Butter (or Sodium Shea Butterate)
• Cocoa Butter (or Sodium Cocoa Butterate)
• Water

How can I tell if my shampoo bar is soap-free?

Soap free shampoo bars have a much more complicated list of ingredients and the way we explain it to our customers is that it’s basically shampoo as you know it, minus the plastic bottle and the bulk of the water content. A lot of shampoos contain a the surfactant Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS for short) which is completely safe, but drying to the scalp and incredibly low cost.

Then there are the preferred milder, plant-derived versions like Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI for short) which is much better for the environment and your scalp. That's the one we use.

Why are soap free shampoo bars better?

In short, soap-free hair bars have a low pH which soap can’t even get close to. Because of the different manufacturing process, and the low pH mix, we are able to add all sorts of goodness into the bars like panthenol and proteins. With no transition phase, your hair will be looking and feeling luscious from the very first use.

How should I store my shampoo bar?

To prolong the life of your precious hair bars, we recommend storing them in a Block Dock. Suction your Block Dock to a glass shower screen or shiny tile and your bars will dry in record time and save money in the process.

Shampoo for oily hair

Our Orange Grove bar formula contains less oils and essential oils specifically chosen for their oil reducing properties.

Check out our full range of soap free shampoo bars.