Bubbles, bars, and biceps

Okay, I know this title may seems a bit deceiving but honestly when I think about a review of my experience with bar shampoo and conditioner, this covers it. Let me start by saying, I am only reviewing one set of bar shampoo and conditioner, from one company. This is not the end all be all. I’m sure there may be a better product out there. I’m sure there may be a worse product out there. The three products that I ordered from LUSH were:

1. Seanik, shampoo bar

Price: $11.95

The description reads “Soften tangled locks and add oceans of shine with this mineral-rich, volumizing shampoo bar. Seanik is made with ingredients from the sea: softening Irish moss seaweed and Japanese nori seaweed make hair soft as silk from root to tip, and sea salt gives body and volume to hair that tends to fall flat. We’ve also added lemon oil for extra shine, and a sensual blend of floral oils to perfume your hair subtly all day long.”

2. Big, pressed conditioner

Price: $13.95

The description reads “Liven up limp locks with a big dose of volume and shine. Fine sea salt creates texture and body while hydrating extra virgin coconut oil and toothed wrack seaweed infusion condition hair without weighing it down. An intoxicating perfume of jasmine and vanilla absolutes lingers long in your locks, and a splash of fresh lemon and lime juice pump up the shine for that just-swam-in-the-ocean look.

3. Sandstone, bar soap

Price: $7.95

The description reads “This is the strongest, scrubbiest soap we make. Loved by men and women alike, it was inspired by Brazilian beach babes that mix sand with tanning oil to make their backsides smooth as silk. A layer of sand will exfoliate your body as you wash to leave you with soft, touchable skin, while litsea cubeba oil tones and cleanses skin, leaving it seductively scented with tropical citrus notes.”

You can find these products at: https://www.lushusa.com/home

I’ll start with my review of the bar shampoo. Honestly, this is why the word “bubbles” is in the title. As soon as I started scrubbing, the bubbles were unbelievable. I’m talking suds everywhere. This outdid my typical shampoo in terms of level of clean my hair felt. I also felt like I used less shampoo because I didn’t have to commit to pouring out a certain amount. When I felt like I had enough to get the job done, I set down the bar and proceeded to scrub. I recommend the bar shampoo 10/10. It left my hair feeling cleaner than ever and the smell is an added bonus.

Now on to the pressed conditioner. Before buying this product, this was where I heard most of the negative reviews. Friends and family had told me when they tried to make the switch to bar shampoo and conditioner, they felt that their hair was left dry and tangled. I tried it anyways and this is what I found. After attempting to scrub the conditioner bar throughout my hair for a solid two minutes, my biceps were burning. I am the person who goes through conditioner twice as fast as shampoo. When I pour it into my hand, it fills up the palm. I love the feeling of my hair soaking it in from top to bottom. With the pressed conditioner, it proved difficult to get the amount of moisture I wanted throughout my hair. I felt like I was constantly scrubbing and trying to mix the bar between the tangles. It was tedious and exhausting. (In terms of what a shower should be. I wasn’t out there breaking a sweat or anything.)

Although it felt so strange to limit what I put in my hair, it was effective and left my hair feeling light and smooth.

However, once I was out of the shower and went to brush my hair, I didn’t find that the conditioner left any more tangles than my typical conditioner. That being said, I have long, thick hair. I have never found a conditioner that didn’t leave me with a few tangles to work through. I was able to brush my hair the same way I always have, no more or less effort. I will also say, my hair is as soft as ever. It smells amazing and feels great!

What this experience with pressed conditioner taught me, is that I don’t need a handful of conditioner to make a difference. Although it felt so strange to limit what I put in my hair, it was effective and left my hair feeling light and smooth. I give the pressed conditioner a 6/10, I will absolutely keep using it! But, I would love if it was a little softer and able to glide through my hair without force.

Now the last item I purchased doesn’t need a huge review. We all know what bar soap is; we’ve been using it for years. I added it to my cart so I could have three metal tins in my carry on, for travel purposes. But I have to give it a huge shout out. For someone who is always in the sun, my skin often dries out, even with the constant moisturizer I use. This soap was so exfoliating, I wanted to use it forever! Hands down best soap I have tried.

So, here’s a summary of my pro’s and con’s following this experience:

Reasons to buy bar shampoo and conditioner:

1. Decrease the amount of plastic we use on a daily basis.

2. If you are into a ton of bubbles and super clean hair, the shampoo works wonders.

3. Easy to travel with. As someone who is constantly booking my next flight, not having to buy travel size toiletries saves me a world of stress.

4. Easy to store. With 3 metal tins, they take up far less room in my suitcase and bathroom.

5. Last for up to 80 washes. I think about going on our honeymoon for two weeks. Packing shampoo and conditioner I would be forced to check a bag. With these I can throw them in my carry on and not worry about running out.

Challenges when using bar shampoo and conditioner:

1. The conditioner takes a lot to get used to. It’s not a silky smooth in the shower and requires a great deal of effort to transfer to your hair.

2. Finding the product lacks a convenience factor. You either have to have the product shipped to you or live within driving distance to a store that sells it. (This may prove to be more difficult than you think.)

3. It’s harder to find products that are specific to your hair’s needs. Often products designed for specific types of hair are only sold in liquid form.

I’m sure there are more benefits and more challenges associated with bar shampoo and conditioner. These were just the top few that I could think of. Overall, if you ask me, the convenience of travel and the benefit of helping our planet make this a win-win situation. It’s a product I plan to continue to use and possibly shop around each time, finding what works best for my hair in particular.

If you decide to give it a try, I would love you to send me a message or leave a comment with what you think!