What is a shampoo bar?
- one type contains sulphates and silicones, which cleanse and coat the hair by chemical method
- and the second type is a chemical free shampoo bar which cleanses like soap
This article is to explain about the 'base' of the shampoo bars rather than any specific additions such as essential oils, milks, clays etc to the bars, I will write an article about those down the line.
The Good Soap shampoo bars are a 'soap based' shampoo, with a slight alkalinity. They do not contain sulphates or silicones. If you are looking for a natural and additive free, environmentally friendly way to wash your hair then these are a great option. For a few they can take some adjustment, you are basically training your hair to stand on it's own two feet. They suit many people but not all and like any product sometimes it can be a process of trail and error. See here for more details on how to wash your hair with a shampoo bar.
The base oils in The Good Soap shampoo bars have all been chosen and finely balanced for a particular purpose, and have each been chosen specifically to care for hair as well as skin, so they are formulated to be more than just an ordinary off the shelf soap bar. You will notice that they don't leave skin tight or dry, including facial skin, and this is because of the balance of moisturising oils chosen to make it suitable as a shampoo bar too, to take care of hair and scalp as well as skin. The Good Soap bars also have a natural air curing time, and don't contain hardening agents like some soap bars.
Briefly my shampoo bar base oils are chosen for:
- Olive Oil - the fatty acids coat each hair and seal in moisture, adds softness to hair. Helps a dry scalp
- Coconut Oil is the most cleansing of all of the oils and helps remove dead skin cells, and dirt from the scalp and hair. Full of fatty acids it is essential in a natural soap / shampoo bar for forming lather and moisturising the hair
- Sunflower Oil is high is oliec acid and vitamins and helps with conditioning. Makes a nice lather in the bar with small bubbles
- Rice Bran Oil hardens the bar naturally and adds a creaminess to the shampoo
- Castor Oil is a humectant so retains moisture in the hair, I use it in the shampoo bars as the main conditioning element. The thick oil makes a creamy lather.
- In the Shea Butter bar the butter contains linolenic acid with is highly effective for moisturising dry hair
- In the Cocoa Butter bar the butter is not only moisturising but it is also good for scalp conditions that can cause dandruff
So hopefully you can see that The Good Soap bars are more than just a good bar of soap, they are designed for a purpose, to make a shampoo bar with many elements to care for and nourish your hair - without the need for plastic bottles and packages. They are designed to be kind to you and to be kind to our planet <3
Dawn Rhodes
www.the-good-soap.co.uk