Solid Shampoo Bars ~ are they for you?
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Solid shampoo bars can be a great, green alternative. You can literally throw out all your bottles and just go with this one bar—perfect for traveling! Although it is recommended that solid shampoo bars only be used if you have soft water, here are some tips and tricks you may find useful if you’re thinking of making the switch to Solid Shampoo!
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Why does my hair feel funny?!
Sorry to say but, your hair is not going to feel the same the first few times you use a solid shampoo bar. You hair just needs time to adjust, don’t give up! Funny feeling hair is not uncommon when you first start to use solid shampoo bars. The difference in the feeling of your hair is caused by your hair trying to adjust to the missing chemicals and surfactants that it has been used to being lathered up with, up until now. This feeling will go away! It will take some patience, but if you can hang in there for a few days, your reward will be healthy, soft and silky hair without all of the extra additives and plastic bottles!
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How long will this last?!
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Everyone is different, so the transition period can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on a number of factors including, how damaged your hair is, how much residue and build-up is present and if you have hard or soft water. As you transition to a natural shampoo bar, your scalp needs time to rebalance scalp oil production.
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What makes this feeling go away?!
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During this transition period, hair may feel greasy, heavy or “waxy”, but fear not, there are a few things that will help!
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Be sure to work up a good lather and rinse, rinse, rinse! The "funny hair" feeling happens most often when the soap residue does not completely rinse out of your hair. Remember, commercial shampoos can be made up of up to 90% water! You’re using only the “good stuff” when you use a solid shampoo bars! No water, no chemicals, no preservatives! You may find it helpful in the beginning to not rub the bar directly on your hair. Try working up a good lather in your hands and rub only the foam on your hair. Keep repeating this until you have a good lather on your hair and then rinse thoroughly.
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Use an apple cider vinegar rinse. If you are going to use shampoo bars as part of your hair care regimen, it is important to use a natural vinegar rinse periodically. After washing your hair, you can either spritz a diluted herbal vinegar rinse all over damp hair and scalp and leave on, or pour a rinse on your hair in the shower, leave on for a few minutes and rinse off. Yes, your hair will smell like vinegar, but the smell will go away as your hair dries. The acid in the vinegar removes scaly build up and residue on the scalp and hair shaft and closes the cuticles causing the cuticles to lie flat and SHINE. Vinegar also restores the natural pH balance of your scalp, preventing it from becoming dried out and itchy. (Coming Soon!! You can purchase concentrated, herbal infused ACV rinses from Patina Shores, check back soon!)
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Some people may still find due to the texture of their hair, or the time of the year, that their hair occasionally feels dry. For this, you can spritz in a leave in conditioning spray like our ZEN Coconut Leave in Spray Conditioner. (You can purchase this here)
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If you have hard water, it can be more difficult to create a good lather and to rinse all of the shampoo from your hair. Your hair may feel “gummy” or like there is soap residue in your hair, especially if your hair is long. Aside from rinsing with distilled water, which can be a pain, you could try adding a pinch of baking soda to a quart of warm water. Use this solution to wet hair before shampooing. It can help the shampoo bar lather better and thus rinse out more thoroughly. Using an ACV rinse more frequently if you have hard water will also help with this.
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Ready to make the switch?!
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Ditch the bottles and purchase your solid shampoo bars by clicking on the images above! And remember, not all shampoo bars are created equal! You want a nice natural bar that doesn’t contain any synthetics or surfactants. Just because it’s in solid form, does not mean it’s natural!
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Don't forget your furry friends when making the switch!
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Solid Dog Shampoo Bar
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