Our hair is our glory... if only it didn’t need plastic bottles full of detergent to keep it glossy and clean.
The days of liquid, detergent based soaps to care for our hair and scalps should be on the way out – if not because detergents and plastic bottles are sustainability bad guys, then because soapy shampoos can strip our hair, leaving our locks brittle and dry.
It’s time to try something different – if you’re not already – like a shampoo bar. Easy to use, with less waste and packaging, shampoo bars are the hair care bomb.
Here are five solid shampoo bars for you to try:
DIRTY HIPPIE SHAMPOO BAR, $11.50
We love the name of this brand, it’s cheeky and descriptive. Especially the Hippie part, because this is one bar shampoo that really loves the earth and everything on it.
Coming in several natural scents (Hemp and Kawakawa bars, pictured) Dirty Hippie bars are made right here in Aotearoa-NZ, from natural, locally-sourced (where possible) ingredients that won’t strip your hair of natural oils, leaving your locks full of body, bounce and good smells.
LUSH HONEY I WASHED MY HAIR, $17.70
Lush’s solid shampoo bars won us over with their fresh, bright scents and silky texture. They’re super convenient too, if you add one of their little tin containers.
Honey, I Washed My Hair is a classic, loaded with rich citrus zest to wake your follicles up first thing in the morning.
ECOSTORE NORMAL HYDRATING BAR, $17.99
Ecostore products are frill free, but that’s part of what we love about them – all the pizazz is saved for the actual soap, rather than the packaging.
Plant-based and vegan friendly, with a sweet apple, jasmine and vanilla fragrance, this cleansing bar is loaded with softening oils to clean your hair, without stripping or drying it out.
ETHIQUE FRIZZ WRANGLER, $22
The pinnacle of Kiwi made, sustainable, ethical hair care, Ethique shampoo bars are an absolute favourite here at Stuff Towers.
With its rich, coconutty aroma (derived from fair trade Samoan coconuts, no less), and soap free recipe, Frizz Wrangler promises cleanliness, control and a little bit of body too, for healthy, vibrant, lively hair that smells like a tropical holiday.
ABHATI SUISSE SURAYA BALANCING SHAMPOO BAR, $41
It might be a bit of a stretch to pay $41 for any shampoo, let alone a bar that you can’t really gauge how much you’re using each time, but this lush treat for your mane is worth it (if you can afford it).
All vegan, this bar is made from cannabis seed oil and elderberry, to give the hair shine, and spirulina to nourish and enrich the scalp. It’s also a treatment for your hair and head, meant to be left on the hair for a minute after lathering.