Hair soaps have been very trendy for some time. On the one hand, because it’s about sustainability, on the other hand, they should be just as good as regular shampoo. But what is the difference between hair soap and shampoo bar? We will explain it to you.
Washing hair without plastic waste is becoming increasingly popular. Instead of regular shampoos and conditioners, there have been more and more hair soaps and solid shampoos on the market for some time, which do entirely without plastic packaging. While soaps used to be used primarily for washing hands, they are now used on the head much more frequently. The reason is self-explanatory: vast amounts of plastic waste, including numerous shampoo bottles, end up in the garbage yearly. Of course, this pollutes the environment, especially the seas where the plastic waste ends up.
But there are other reasons hair soaps are becoming more popular, and you should consider making the switch. Hair soaps promise well-groomed, healthy, and shiny hair that is significantly less greasy. They are said to clean and care more effectively than ordinary hair shampoos. In addition, the shampoo alternatives are very economical and primarily free of palm oil and synthetic ingredients such as preservatives, silicones, surfactants, or parabens.
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Hair Soap Or Shampoo Bar: What’s The Difference?
On the outside, the two shampoo alternatives are very similar, but the difference lies in the details or in the manufacture and composition of the two products.
Solid shampoos are very similar to ordinary shampoos in their composition. They were pressed into soap form with the water removed. The ingredients often consist of natural products, are vegan, and promise the same effect as liquid shampoos.
But they also contain various surfactants, oils, perfumes, and dyes. Solid shampoo variants are synthetically manufactured. This has the advantage that the pH value can be precisely adjusted to the scalp during production. This is 5.5. If the pH value changes, the skin can dry out, or skin irritation can occur.
Hair soaps, on the other hand, consist mainly of fat (approx. 3 – 5%) and nourishing oils such as, e.g., E.g. olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil (approx. 50%). Other nourishing ingredients include aloe vera, shea butter, and cocoa butter. In contrast to solid shampoo, hair soap contains only natural ingredients and no synthetic ones. They naturally have a fundamental pH value of over 7, which can damage the skin’s protective acid mantle.
That is why it is recommended for hair soaps that you carry out a so-called acid rinse after shampooing. This can, e.g., E.g., a rinse made of water and apple cider vinegar or lemon (1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice in 1 L of water). This means that the hair scales close, and the lime cannot settle in the hair—the result: is shiny hair without residue.
Also Read: How To Find The Proper Hair Treatment For Your Hair Type!
Hair Soaps: These Products Are Convincing On The Internet
We looked around the web and put together our hair soap favourites for you. Best of all, you can shop for them right here.
Carenesse Aleppo Soap
The hair soap from Carenesse is a purely natural product and consists of just four ingredients: olive oil, laurel oil, soda, and water. The soap can also be used as a shower gel, for washing hands, or as shaving foam. The moisturising hair soap is biodegradable, has no synthetic additives, dyes, or fragrances, and does not contain parabens, mineral oils, or palm oil.
Black Hair Soap From Meina
Medina Black Hair Soap is made from 100% natural ingredients and specially developed for oily and flaky hair. Ingredients such as eucalyptus, mountain pine, and rosemary oil have a regenerating effect, and the black activated charcoal prevents the hair from becoming greasy quickly after washing.
Golconda Hair Soap Against Hair Loss
Golconda hair soap contains nettle and rosemary, which have a stimulating effect on the hair roots and are said to prevent hair loss. It’s also supposed to prevent dandruff. The vegan and certified natural product is handmade and consists only of lye and selected vegetable oils.
How To Use Hair Soap Correctly?
Before you use hair soap for the first time, you should check the degree of hardness of the water in your home. It is much more challenging to use soap in hard water. This is because soap combined with lime and water forms small white flakes that make the hair feel rough. If you want to avoid the problem, you can use a shower head with an integrated water filter.
Tip: A water filter prevents limescale from settling on shower cubicles quickly.
Now take the hair soap and rub it between your wet hands to foam. You can also rub it directly over your wet hair. It is best to hold the hair soap under running water beforehand. After lathering your head, you can rinse out the lather as usual.
You can then make an acidic rinse with apple cider vinegar or lemon and water for more shine and manageability. You don’t even have to wash it all off.
Of course, you can also use a conditioner after washing your hair with soap. However, it would be best if you only used this rarely so that your hair can get used to the soap during hair care.
Store Hair Soap Correctly: You Should Pay Attention To This With Solid Shampoo
So that your hair soap lasts a long time and you can use it repeatedly to wash your hair, you should store it properly. The problem with soaps is that they eventually dissolve in contact with water. It would be best if you, therefore, stored them dry after showering.
Therefore, only take the shampoo bar with you into the shower if you need it. Otherwise, you can store the shower bar outside of the shower.
If you have used the hair soap for washing, it is best to put it in a soap bag or store it on a soap dish (with holes), so the water can drip off. But there are also special storage boxes where you can put the soaps. These are permeable to air and particularly suitable when travelling, and you want to pack the hair soap while it is still wet.
Also Read: Myths And Truths About Hair Growth
