A peek at our bathroom shelf will convince us that we are doing little to cut down on the use of plastic in our personal lives. But you can cut that clutter down a bit. Shampoo bars are a little eco-friendlier way to get your hair clean, shiny, and bouncy.
Shampoo bars are getting more popular by the day. Nobody ever wants a bad hair day, and a shampoo bar can deliver on the promise. And they help you in your quest to cut down on the use of plastic in your life.
Shampoo Bars Are Water-Less Shampoo
Makers of the shampoo bars say that the product has all the qualities of regular shampoo and will make our hair beautiful and clean. And it will save you water, and also save you from the guilt of having added another bit of plastic container to the planet.
Anything between 80% and 90% of shampoo is water. Moreover, the cosmetic and personal care industry is one of the biggest consumers of plastic. Over 120B units of packing are dumped on the planet every year, all made of plastic. In the US alone, 552M plastic bottles of shampoo are sold each year. But only 10% of that waste gets recycled, the rest end up in landfills or make their way to the oceans.
While plastic is a huge convenience, it is also non-biodegradable, or to put it simply, it stays around forever and 91% of plastic never gets recycled.
So shampoo bars, the solid version of the liquid variety don’t have to be filled into a plastic container. Not only does that get rid of the bottle, but many chemicals used in liquid shampoos are not used in shampoo bars. That is because shampoo bars are made with natural ingredients such as herbs and essential oils.
Getting rid of the water leaves behind a tiny bar that is as effective as three bottles of liquid shampoo. That will give you around 80 washes subject to the brand you use.
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The shampoo bars also cut down on the weight and space of traditional liquid shampoo. That drastically brings down the cost of packaging, transportation, and storing of the product. All these cutbacks mean less volume of greenhouse gases are generated during the whole process of logistics.
A shampoo bar contributes a mere 8% of the carbon footprint. Just one company, Ethique, stated that their conversion to shampoo bars has prevented 4.5M bottles from ending up in landfills or the oceans. CEO and founder Brianne West says that the company is devoted to preventing the use of over 20M bottles by the end of 2025.
Given the convenience, eco-friendly nature, and the saving in cost, shampoo bars are set to cut down on the use of liquid shampoo and convert to shampoo bars. Dion Hughes says that using liquid shampoo would soon become as incongruous as lighting up at a public place.
Getting Used To Using Shampoo Bars
The first barrier that comes with the shift to shampoo bars is the lack of lather. We have always equated cleanliness with a deluge of lather. But it is not a sign of cleanliness. It only gives an illusion of it and reassures us.
Shampoo bars will sud up, but without the outpouring of lather. Rather, it is a creamy sort. Rubbing the bar in the hand and then applying it to the hair helps in an even spread of the shampoo.
As shampoo bars are milder than liquid shampoo and contain a lesser quantity of harsh chemicals, it will take some time before your hair gets used to the milder cleansing.
There are also conditioner bars, especially for those with thicker, curlier, or longer hair. West of Ethique says that one bar of their conditioner is as effective as five bottles of conventional conditioner. Shampoo bars are also convenient if you are traveling. Especially as you won’t be carrying any liquid.
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The shampoo bars are also handy for shaving and can even be used for pets. Their gentle nature makes them ideal for any condition.
