When you go to your favorite hair salon, you spend at least $17 for a haircut (source). But what if going to a hair salon is not enough? Just like getting a haircut from a hairstylist, your choice of shampoo will also make or break the health and quality of your locks.
When it comes to hair care, it’s not just about proper cleansing but the products you use will also play a huge part in the process. This is why despite having great environmental benefits, some folks are still skeptical about switching to shampoo bars.
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What are Shampoo Bars?
If you’re not exactly updated with the latest haircare trends, you might completely miss the rise to fame of shampoo bars. A lot of people are ditching their liquid shampoos for these solid alternatives as they create less waste and are believed to be better for your strands.
What makes them a more attractive option is that they’re often loaded with oils that are nourishing for your hair so they can better condition and maintain your locks’ good health. Most of the time, they’re sulfate-free as well, so you easily opt for them if you’re avoiding harsh ingredients for your hair.
The Problem with Shampoo Bars
However, like other shampoos, shampoo bars are also formulated in various ways and not all of those formulas will work well on your tresses. There’s still a good chance that you’ll end up with a product that won’t do anything for your hair and might even damage it the same way commercial liquid shampoos will.
This is why choosing the right shampoo bar is necessary if you want to get the best results from such products. They’re pretty much the same with other hygiene products, so you have to be careful and consider personal factors in order to make the right call.
Choosing the Right Shampoo Bars
How do you choose the right shampoo bar for you, you might be wondering? Here are three tips that should help you out:
1. Do a good deal of research.
In order to find the right product that will solve your hair woes, you should do your research first. Shampoo bars are made of a wide range of natural ingredients so you have so many options if you’re interested in them. Not doing any prior research increases your risk of not choosing the right match for your hair’s needs, so it’s crucial that you know what your hair requires.
Aside from looking up ingredients that can solve your hair woes, you should also research the various benefits of certain products. In case you don’t really have a lot of hair problems, you can focus on improving your hair health instead.
2. Always read the ingredients list.
As mentioned above, most shampoo bars are made of great ingredients but this doesn’t mean that all of them have excellent formulas. Some might still have components that can damage your locks so you should still read the label and ingredients lists of these products very carefully.
Like with other hair products, stay away from the ingredients that you know are bad for your strands and that you’re allergic to. Remember that shampoo bars may be made mostly of natural ingredients but it doesn’t mean that all components are good for you. Your research will help you in this area as well, so make sure to do both steps.
3. Read reviews.
While skin and hair care products tend to have different effects on people, reviews can still come in handy to help you assess the possible outcomes of the use of the product you’re eyeing. You can also learn a lot more about the item you’re thinking of getting by reading their reviews so you’ll still be guaranteed that you’ll get something out of this step.
What should you look for in these reviews? Look for people’s description of how their hair feels after washing. If there are any mentions of stringiness, the shampoo bar might be too harsh and strips away oil. You should avoid such products as they can lead to damage instead of help keep your locks healthy.
Making the Most of Your Shampoo Bar
After you find the most convincing shampoo bar, you will still go through a trial and error phase where you need to further assess the effects of the product on your hair. It won’t always work the way you want it to so it’s best to keep an open mind. Sometimes, it also takes a while for good results to happen, so you should keep in mind to wait a bit as well.
Lastly, make sure to rinse off your shampoo bar properly as well. While it may be made of better ingredients, product buildup can still affect your strands, so you should do your best to avoid them. Finish it off with a great hair conditioner and you can then enjoy healthy, lustrous, and beautiful hair.
