🧼 🧐 What are shampoo bars?

Hand holding green shampoo bar with hair brush and sponge visible in background

Our writer shares her experience choosing and using a shampoo bar.

What are shampoo bars?

In a conversation just a few months ago, I shared with one of the Yas Alpaca founders how appalled I was by the number of products (and amount of plastic) I produced just to stay "so fresh and so clean." After going on a plastic recycling research rabbit hole (see the result here), I pledged to reduce the plastic in my shower routine. She suggested trying bar soaps and shampoo to start.

Not unlike the bar of soap, which replaced my liquid body wash, a shampoo bar is basically the solid form of shampoo. Taking out the water and concentrating the other ingredients of liquid shampoo means that a tiny bar of shampoo can pack a punch…and keep fighting for just as many washes but without plastic waste. A Yas Alpaca shampoo bar, for example, has been known to last for 30 washes.

What are shampoo bars?

In a conversation just a few months ago, I shared with one of the Yas Alpaca founders how appalled I was by the number of products (and amount of plastic) I produced just to stay "so fresh and so clean." After going on a plastic recycling research rabbit hole (see the result here), I pledged to reduce the plastic in my shower routine. She suggested trying bar soaps and shampoo to start.

Not unlike the bar of soap, which replaced my liquid body wash, a shampoo bar is basically the solid form of shampoo. Taking out the water and concentrating the other ingredients of liquid shampoo means that a tiny bar of shampoo can pack a punch…and keep fighting for just as many washes but without plastic waste. A Yas Alpaca shampoo bar, for example, has been known to last for 30 washes.

There is a myriad of reasons to switch to shampoo bars, chief among them reducing your single-use plastic purchases (read about five good reasons to use shampoo bars here), but starting on your shampoo bar journey can be overwhelming. In this article, I'll offer some tips on how to choose and use one for a great experience.

Choosing a type of shampoo bar:

It’s likely that finding the right bar will take some time, but you can do it! Different formulas work better for different types of hair. I tend to have dry hair and a more sensitive scalp so I need a gentle shampoo bar with lots of moisturizing ingredients. I tried about four before I found one that I really liked, Calendula Calm by Yas Alpaca; I recommend buying a few bars to find the one that works best for you.

To start your search, I would recommend choosing a type of shampoo bar to focus on. There are three main types and here are some things to know about each of them:

1. Cold-pressed hair soap. These bars are largely made by home crafters and natural products companies and marketed for the hair and body. They tend to be full of natural oils, which sounds great, but they often fail to lather and can leave a waxy build-up on the hair. Many users of this type of bar shampoo use apple cider vinegar to remove this build-up and keep their hair shiny. As a person who struggles with the smell of vinegar, I could not be convinced to use apple cider vinegar in my hair regardless of the benefits. If you want to reduce your shower routine to a single product, however, this is the bar for you.

2. Glycerin-based shampoo bars. These tend to be gentle and non-irritating, but they are less likely to be clarifying and won’t lather well. Because I really like the sudsy-delicious shampoo experience—it helps me feel that I’m doing a good job washing my hair—glycerin bars don’t work for me.

Choosing a type of shampoo bar:

It’s likely that finding the right bar will take some time, but you can do it! Different formulas work better for different types of hair. I tend to have dry hair and a more sensitive scalp so I need a gentle shampoo bar with lots of moisturizing ingredients. I tried about four before I found one that I really liked, Calendula Calm by Yas Alpaca; I recommend buying a few bars to find the one that works best for you.

To start your search, I would recommend choosing a type of shampoo bar to focus on. There are three main types and here are some things to know about each of them:

1. Cold-pressed hair soap. These bars are largely made by home crafters and natural products companies and marketed for the hair and body. They tend to be full of natural oils, which sounds great, but they often fail to lather and can leave a waxy build-up on the hair. Many users of this type of bar shampoo use apple cider vinegar to remove this build-up and keep their hair shiny. As a person who struggles with the smell of vinegar, I could not be convinced to use apple cider vinegar in my hair regardless of the benefits. If you want to reduce your shower routine to a single product, however, this is the bar for you.

2. Glycerin-based shampoo bars. These tend to be gentle and non-irritating, but they are less likely to be clarifying and won’t lather well. Because I really like the sudsy-delicious shampoo experience—it helps me feel that I’m doing a good job washing my hair—glycerin bars don’t work for me.

3. Solid surfactant shampoo bars. These shampoo bars use surfactants or sulfates and lather the best. Just like liquid shampoos that contain sulfates, they can be too clarifying for some hair (find more information on sulfates here and other "bad" ingredients here). Yas Alpaca’s shampoo bars are all of this type. With this type of bar, I get the sudsy shampoo experience without the waxy build-up or need for vinegar. So, this is the type I ended up landing on.

It's all about the rinse

While using a shampoo bar is not difficult, following the instructions will help you get used to them. Some brands like Yas Alpaca recommend rubbing the bar between your hands, then applying the suds to your hair. Other brands recommend applying the bar directly to your scalp. Unlike liquid shampoos and the ubiquitous and useless “rinse and repeat,” these instructions will help you with the hardest part of switching to a shampoo bar: rinsing it all out of your hair.

If you don’t manage to rinse all of the suds out of your hair, you can be left with weighted, waxy strands. The first couple washes with a shampoo bar, I failed to get out all of the product and found myself with defined waves. At first, I was thrilled. But, with three days of waxy buildup, it was like wearing a hair helmet. Today, I use less product and rinse more thoroughly to great results.

While using a shampoo bar is not difficult, following the instructions will help you get used to them. Some brands like Yas Alpaca recommend rubbing the bar between your hands, then applying the suds to your hair. Other brands recommend applying the bar directly to your scalp. Unlike liquid shampoos and the ubiquitous and useless “rinse and repeat,” these instructions will help you with the hardest part of switching to a shampoo bar: rinsing it all out of your hair.

If you don’t manage to rinse all of the suds out of your hair, you can be left with weighted, waxy strands. The first couple washes with a shampoo bar, I failed to get out all of the product and found myself with defined waves. At first, I was thrilled. But, with three days of waxy buildup, it was like wearing a hair helmet. Today, I use less product and rinse more thoroughly to great results.

There is a myriad of reasons to switch to shampoo bars, chief among them reducing your single-use plastic purchases (read about five good reasons to use shampoo bars here), but starting on your shampoo bar journey can be overwhelming. In this article, I'll offer some tips on how to choose and use one for a great experience.

Choosing a type of shampoo bar:

It’s likely that finding the right bar will take some time, but you can do it! Different formulas work better for different types of hair. I tend to have dry hair and a more sensitive scalp so I need a gentle shampoo bar with lots of moisturizing ingredients. I tried about four before I found one that I really liked, Calendula Calm by Yas Alpaca; I recommend buying a few bars to find the one that works best for you.

To start your search, I would recommend choosing a type of shampoo bar to focus on. There are three main types and here are some things to know about each of them:

1. Cold-pressed hair soap. These bars are largely made by home crafters and natural products companies and marketed for the hair and body. They tend to be full of natural oils, which sounds great, but they often fail to lather and can leave a waxy build-up on the hair. Many users of this type of bar shampoo use apple cider vinegar to remove this build-up and keep their hair shiny. As a person who struggles with the smell of vinegar, I could not be convinced to use apple cider vinegar in my hair regardless of the benefits. If you want to reduce your shower routine to a single product, however, this is the bar for you.

2. Glycerin-based shampoo bars. These tend to be gentle and non-irritating, but they are less likely to be clarifying and won’t lather well. Because I really like the sudsy-delicious shampoo experience—it helps me feel that I’m doing a good job washing my hair—glycerin bars don’t work for me.

3. Solid surfactant shampoo bars. These shampoo bars use surfactants or sulfates and lather the best. Just like liquid shampoos that contain sulfates, they can be too clarifying for some hair (find more information on sulfates here and other "bad" ingredients here). Yas Alpaca’s shampoo bars are all of this type. With this type of bar, I get the sudsy shampoo experience without the waxy build-up or need for vinegar. So, this is the type I ended up landing on.

You may be able to skip the conditioner (but you don’t have to)

Thanks to my shampoo bar, which has many hydrating elements, I am able to use a single product on my hair. If you must use a conditioner and find the idea of using a liquid conditioner contradictory, never fear, there are conditioner bars on the market as well!

Shampoo bars are bars of shampoo

To sum up, shampoo bars are bars of shampoo. They’re ultra-concentrated, compact, and more environmentally conscious than the liquid form, but just like any other product you choose to use, it may take some time to find the one you like. I recommend trying a few and rinsing well! Happy showering!

How to use a shampoo bar correctly

1. Prepare your hair by getting rid of tangles and knots before wetting. When I'm not too lazy to do this, my shampoo experience is much better.

2. Follow the instructions to apply the shampoo. If they recommend lathering between your hands, don’t apply the bar directly to your scalp and vice versa.

3. Start with a small amount of product. Starting with a little bit of product will make rinsing your hair easier. Of course, you want to clean your hair but err on the side of too little at first.

4. Rinse aggressively. Once I mastered the rinse, I was left with softer, cleaner, wavier tresses than I had with liquid shampoos.

5. Sing loudly while showering (optional). This will not help you to use the bar correctly but will make you feel fabulous.