Are you wondering how to use a solid shampoo bar on your hair?
You wake up in the morning, jump in the shower and wash your hair. That shampoo you're applying to your head contains as many as twelve synthetic chemical compounds. Source
The morning I realized that, I started searching for an alternative to shampoo. I tried the "no-poo" method but hated it. I tried making my own liquid shampoo but I didn't like it either.
Shampoo bars sounded so unusual, but after reading everything I could find about them, I took the plunge and never looked back.
I bought my first shampoo bars online, and I still love them. I make my own now, mostly for the sake of convenience and price.
When I made my first batch of shampoo bars - you can find the recipe here - I was a bit worried about how soft the bars were when I took them out of the mold, but now that they've aged for a couple of months they are awesome!
They hardened up well and have great lather.
One loved it and the other not so much. I realized I'd forgotten to tell that friend how to use it. Oops.
So here's everything you need to know about using shampoo bars. If I left something out or if something isn't clear please leave a comment below.
This post contains affiliate links.
Where to buy shampoo bars
Shampoo bars probably aren't for sale in your local grocery store or drugstore, so where do you find them? Fairs and festivals are one of the best places to buy them, as well as online.
Always check the ingredient list before you buy though; not all shampoo bars are created equal. I was surprised to find that a well-known retail brand contained some of the ingredients I didn't want to use on my hair.
If you're not familiar with the ingredients that we should probably avoid and why, you can read more about them in my post the dangers lurking in your bathroom.
If you're not familiar with the ingredients that we should probably avoid and why, you can read more about them in my post the dangers lurking in your bathroom.
3 ways to use a shampoo bar
There are several ways to use a shampoo bar. First, wet your hair and your shampoo bar. Then:
1. Rub the shampoo bar on your wet hair to work up a lather. This is the method I use and it works well on my short hair. OR
2. If you have longer hair you can rub the bar down your hair from your head to the ends to work up a lather. I imagine this works better with longer hair than mine. OR
3. Rub the bar in both hands to work up a lather, then apply the lather to your wet hair.
As with any shampoo, gently massage the lather into your hair and on your scalp. You'll lather-rinse-repeat and perhaps lather-rinse a third time. Your hair will feel different than it does when you use commercial shampoo, but trust me, it'll be ok.
Rinse your hair very well. It will still feel different, but don't panic, it really is ok.
How to rinse your hair after using a shampoo bar
You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or even homemade vinegar (that's what I use), it doesn't matter.
I fill a squeeze bottle with a pointed spout, the kind that's supposed to hold ketchup or mustard at a BBQ or picnic. It works great for squirting the vinegar and water right where you want it.
Don't let the vinegar and water mixture run into your eyes. It'll sting like crazy, so be careful.
Work the vinegar and water through your hair, then rinse it out.
Don't let the vinegar and water mixture run into your eyes. It'll sting like crazy, so be careful.
Work the vinegar and water through your hair, then rinse it out.
You'll notice the difference immediately in how your hair feels now, it's smoother and softer. The vinegar restores your hair's pH as well as helping to detangle and soften your hair.
Sometimes I repeat the vinegar rinse, depending on how my hair feels.
Rinse the vinegar out well. Once your hair dries, the vinegar smell fades.
Rinse the vinegar out well. Once your hair dries, the vinegar smell fades.
I know you're not used to having hair that smells like vinegar but trust me, it will go away.
WAIT! You're not finished yet!
Learn how to make homemade vinegar for pennies with my free ebook.
How to store shampoo bars
WAIT! You're not finished yet!
Don't leave your shampoo bar in the tub or shower in a pool of water. It will melt away into a slimy mess and waste your money.
Keep it in a dry place outside the tub or shower, or use a soap rest like this one or this insert for your soap dish. Both will keep your shampoo bar up out of the wet muck and will allow it to stay dry and last longer.
Keep it in a dry place outside the tub or shower, or use a soap rest like this one or this insert for your soap dish. Both will keep your shampoo bar up out of the wet muck and will allow it to stay dry and last longer.
Give your hair some time
When you switch from commercial shampoo with its detergents and chemicals, your hair will go through an adjustment period.
It can take several weeks to rid your hair of detergent residue, so please give your new shampoo bar time before you decide it isn't for you.
Patience and time, my friend, be sure you allow enough time.
And the vinegar rinse - don't skimp on that. It really makes a difference.
And the vinegar rinse - don't skimp on that. It really makes a difference.
Don't give up - some troubleshooting tips
There are as many different recipes as there are brands of shampoo in the drugstore aisle and you may need to explore several before you find the one that works best with your hair type.
Your results will also depend on the hardness or softness of your home's water.
Your results will also depend on the hardness or softness of your home's water.
Keep looking until you find a bar (or a recipe) that works perfectly for you.
Be sure to read the comments below for great tips from our readers!
For more gardening and simple living posts, subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly-ish newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. I'd love to see you there!
Related Posts:
My Shampoo Bar Recipe
What You'll Need to Make Your First Bar of Goat Milk Soap (or shampoo bars)
The images below are affiliate links.
Read my complete affiliate disclosure here.
Read my complete affiliate disclosure here.
~~~~~
My hope is to inspire you, and to encourage your homesteading plans and your dreams of a simple, self-reliant, God-dependent life. You can follow me at:
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Subscribe
question is this good for hair that has been colored? Also the vinegar will it wash away the color?
ReplyDeleteI no longer color my hair so I don't know. Sorry!
DeleteThe vinegar should help fix the color!
DeleteI've never tried it, but it's intriguing. I'll have to keep an eye out for one to try. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteI hope it's helpful, Michelle.
DeleteI am a Cosmetologist, and no the vinegar won't was the color out. I use the no poo method and haven't use shampoo in 14 years. You also rinse with a vinegar mixture. Yes my hair is colored with a temporary color and it lasts much longer using this method. Hope this helps.
DeleteThat's VERY helpful; thank you so much for clearing that up!
DeleteI used a shampoo bar and loved it at first! After using it for a month the extra build up from the oils in the soap left my hair a greasy stringy mess! I've since learnt a vinegar rinse is a must to keep the build up down. Love the squeeze bottle idea will have to get one way easier than using a cup.
ReplyDeleteIt really does make all the difference, doesn't it, Virginia? I'm glad you thought the squeeze bottle was a good idea. :-)
DeleteI have been looking for a natural shampoo alternative. I tried a shampoo bar sold by one company but I was not happy with it. I would love to be able to make my own! I'm off to check out your recipe - thank you!
ReplyDeleteand the vinegar tip? I highly recommend this as well. My daughters and I used to use it, got lazy and haven't for a while. I am noticing more tangles in our hair so I think it helped not only rinse, but also keep tangles from collecting too.
If you're not happy with one brand, Linda, definitely try another. The vinegar rinse really does make a difference, doesn't it?
DeleteAny build up can be cleaned off by adding a pinch of baking soda to the shampoo or suds from the shampoo bar in your hand. Your hair will be squeeky clean with this little addition.
DeleteI've wondered about the shampoo bars before, puzzling over how best to use them. I'm so glad you clarified it for me. I will definitely have to look into finding some locally or on etsy. I'm also intrigued by the vinegar rinse. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can find one you really like. Don't skip the vinegar rinse!
DeleteI recently bought a shampoo bar and love it. I think it leaves my hair softer than then I use conditioner. I originally bought it for travel. I’ll have to try the vinegar rinse
ReplyDeleteI agree, Lara, my hair is softer and it stays clean longer too. Aren't they great for travel? No liquid to worry about when you're flying, or to spill if you're driving somewhere. Just be sure to let your bar dry completely before you put it in a plastic bag or a soap tin.
DeleteAnother wonderful thing about shampoo bars is that they travel so well - no liquid to worry about at plane checks, great for camping, and no plastic bottle for the recycling plant or the dump!
ReplyDeleteI like that part! Taking a shampoo bar along makes getting through airport security much easier.
DeletePS: There is a store in Canada that has shampoo bars and dry toothpaste - wonderful! I often find my shampoo bars at the health food store as well.
ReplyDeleteI like the shampoo bars from Lush. They have a store in Tampa. They also have an aluminum tin for the bar that is great for travel.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I bought one bar from Lush when I used up the last of my homemade shampoo bar while on vacation. It lathered really nice. Then I looked up the ingredients online and realized it contained sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient I want to avoid. :-( (https://uk.lush.com/products/shampoo/new)
DeleteI use Lush shampoo bars! And it works for me, but I'm happy that they're working on formulas for new shampoo bars without sodium lauryl sulfate
DeleteI'm glad to hear that they are working on new formulations without SLS.
DeleteI have dry, coarse hair that I always have to use thick, creamy conditioner on or I can't even get a comb through it. Won't the vinegar rinse make it worse?
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina. That's a good question. The vinegar rinse leaves my hair softer and less dry, but it might not do that for everyone. You might want to give it a try after using your regular shampoo and see what happens.
DeleteGreat post! I've been using shampoo bar for a while now. I make them with the recipe from Liz Ardlady using apple cider vinegar instead of water (http://lizardladysoapinfo.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-you-want-to-make-bar-of-shampoo.html). They are great. I like to add stuff like ayurvedic powders or a combination of essential oils. I still rinse with apple cider vinegar. I rinse out my hair with water first, then add about 1 litre of cold water in a jug + 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar as a last rinse. The smell is not strong. Finishing a shampoo with cold water makes the hair more shiny.
ReplyDeleteI<m going to try your recipe for the shampoo soap. As for the vinegar rinse, how much vinegar do you put in the squeeze bottle?
ReplyDeleteI use roughly 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water.
DeleteIs the rinse in the bottle a combo of vinegar and water? If so, what %mix?
ReplyDeleteAbout 2/3 wate and 1/3 vinegar.i just eyeball it.
DeleteHi everyone. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteMy tip about using bar shampoo its positive.
I have done 2 kind and i feel my hair more clean and keeps it longer, soft and strong.
I have done 2 kinds, one of Aloe Vera (I have take the extract from the plant), Castor oil, coconut oil and almond oil. Don't be scared because my hair didn't became greasy. Is lovely now and stronger. You must try for some time. What I do firt is to put some condioner with castor oil , just some drops and rub the edges of the hair with that oisture and on top you can rub it with a little of coconut oil. let it be in your hair for 1 hour. After that you wash it with the bar sghampo, and repet twice, wash it with a lot of water to take out everything, If your hair is to much dry you can use the oisture of sidra vinegar.
I also do the Turmeric bars to wash body and hair. Its very good as well.
Julia, thank you for the information about the conditioning bars. I've never tried one so it's very interesting.
DeleteI use the vinegar rinse (in a bottle just like that!) and I find that it works nicely regardless of what I use for shampooing. However, unfortunately shampoo bars and our super-hard water just don't seem to mix. I never got less than awful results with a shampoo bar. :( I've been using a liquid-soap-and-coconut-oil combination and it's been working nicely.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a quality shampoo bar it will rinse clean and you won't need vinegar rinses.
ReplyDeleteI make my own shampoo bars and conditioner. If out of my conditioner, I do use an apple cider vinegar/water rinse until I make more conditioner—it’s time intensive. Both (ACV/water rinse & conditioner) are for the purpose of returning the hair to it’s needed lower pH, which in turn will lower the hair cuticles. Natural shampoo bars have a higher pH which will raise hair cuticles and hair doesn’t rebound as our skin does (on it’s own) when its pH is raised; therefore it needs something to lower its pH and thus lower the cuticles. Raised cuticles can be broken when the hair is brushed. Plus, hair tangles more easily since the hair will not lie flat against itself due to the raised cuticles. So the purpose (for myself) for either an apple cider vinegar/water rinse or conditioner is not so that my shampoo bar rinses clean from my hair but rather to return my hair’s pH and lower the cuticles. Also, I only need to wash my long hair one time with my shampoo bar, I find no need for multiple washes and I only wash my hair twice a week. My comments, by no means, are meant to be negative, it’s just that before I started making my own hair care products I didn’t realize that hair could be quite negatively affected by pH if I wasn’t careful. I have had the pleasure of sharing my shampoo bars and conditioner with family members as well as my son whose beard is 18 inches long and all have enjoyed both. I love the more natural stuff far more than the commercial products. FYI, it is not wise to brush hair when it is wet because that’s when it is at its weakest.Google it, interesting information. You can actually pull hair that is not ready to fall out on it’s own if you brush your hair when it is wet.
DeleteGood tips, Michele, thank you.
DeleteI am definetly interested in trying the bars - my daughter is allergic to cocamidopropyl betaine & propolis (beeswax). Both of these are found in almost every commercial shampoo. The first 1 is in almost anything that suds. I have been talking to her about making own make up also as it's also in most make-up, chapstick, neosporene, etc.
ReplyDeleteI use a small nylon bag to store my bar. Like those you get in drugstores for “gift soaps” sometimes. Alternatively you can use a piece of nylon stocking. Not so pretty, I know. That way you can hang up the bar to dry out after use and it helps to build up lather.
ReplyDeleteI use Lush's Coconut Shampoo bar and then coconut oil after my shower when my hair is still wet. Tons of reviews of people not using the soap correctly or letting it sit on water but my hair hasn't been healthier since I switched! Plus low/zero waste!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try shampoo bars for awhile. As some pointed out, they are great for travel but I think the main reason for me is to get rid of the plastic shampoo bottles. When we were kids, we always rinsed our hair with vinegar - makes it nice and shiny. I've gotten away from that so will have to start again. Love the squeeze bottle idea.
ReplyDeleteI tried my own recipe for bar shampoo and it made my hair greasy, however my husbands looks fantastic. Are there certain types of oils that are less greasy
ReplyDeleteMelissa, oils are oils and they are all "oily" - it's the combination of oils used and how they work on your particular hair and with your home's water too. Try a couple of recipes until you find one that works really well for your hair. And at least it wasn't a waste since that first batch works really well for your husband's hair!
DeleteIt depends on the kind of color you use. I color mine with henna based colorations and it works just fine. Been using hair soap bars for over 4years now and my hair is less damaged or dried out than before (I have long, fine hair). Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteGood information on using shampoo bars...the ones I've tried didn't really have instructions! Thanks for sharing on Farm Fresh Tuesdays!
ReplyDeleteEven the shampoo bars from Lush and other companies don't come with instructions, Lisa!
DeleteI've been using shampoo bars made from goats milk for a few years now and love them. I do absolutely need the cider vinegar rinse afterwards and then my hair feels great. I also find using no strong chemicals that my hair needs washing a lot less. #FarmFreshTuesdays
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that as well, Rosie. With commercial shampoo I have to wash my hair two or three times a week, and only once a week with a shampoo bar.
DeleteThis was actually really helpful for me because I've known about shampoo bars for a while, but I've never actually known how to use it! I know it probably seems really simple but I got gifted one not that long ago and I brought it into the shower with me and I was kind of just like..how does this work? haha
ReplyDeleteJulia // The Sunday Mode
Julia, I'm glad it was helpful. You're right, most of them don't come with instructions and using a solid shampoo seems so weird!
DeleteHas anyone tried adding rose water to the vinegar rinse?
ReplyDeleteNot that I know of, but it sounds heavenly!
DeleteDo you need to use a conditioner after? Or is that what the vinegar sort of replaces?
ReplyDeleteI don't use a conditioner, just the vinegar, and I'm very happy with my hair!
DeleteI like using soap bars, I don’t need to buy water (comes with every liquid shampoo) in plastic bottles anymore. I’ve had trouble finding a good looking holder for my soaps since this is ”old fashion” and nobody uses soap bars... So I’ll make my own :) or use this idea on your picture.
ReplyDeleteThis vinegar thing was news to me so next time I’ll try it! I have long hair and it’s been a struggle without conditioner. Thank you! Greetings from Finland
You're so welcome! I hope the vinegar rinse is the perfect answer!
DeleteI have been using bar shampoo and conditioner for over a year. Love it. I wash my hair 2x a week. I do not dye my hair. My hair looks, styles, smells great.
ReplyDeleteI have been using shampoo bars and I absolutely love them but I didn’t hear about using vinegar before will it help with static in my hair this winter I’ve had a lot of static
ReplyDeleteIt might, Cathy. It's pretty humid here so we don't have a lot of static normally. Let me know if it helps.
DeleteWould you recommend using the Apple cider vinegar after every wash or will my hair eventually get used to a shampoo bar and no longer need it? The bar I’m using at the moment is leaving a lot of residue in my hair but I don’t want to give up on it!
ReplyDeleteI use the vinegar rinse each time.
DeleteEvery spring I make lavender vinegar (fifty lavender bushes in my garden) for use in the laundry. Maybe I should be using it in the shower too!! I fill a gallon jar with lacender flowers and leaves, pour hot white vinegar i and let it steep for a week or so. Strain out the solids and store in the empty vinegar jug.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteThis might sound a little strange but I’m allergic to vinegar and am not a huge fan of using it. Is there another alternative to the vinegar rinse you might recommend?
Excited to try this out. Thanks!
Try lots and lots of water, Christine.
DeleteAre you allergic to both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar?
There are different companies that sell conditioner bars as well. I’ve been using the shampoo bar and conditioner bar for a few weeks now and I won’t go back to the bottled stuff. Hope you are able to find a conditioner bar that you aren’t allergic too.
DeleteThank you! I love this post and how you walk us through the steps and concerns. This helped me describe for my customers how to use my shampoo bars
ReplyDeleteWow, I love that I've helped you with your customers!
DeleteAlso, can essential oils be added to the vinegar? We like to use tto in our shampoo. Sometimes lavender or rosemary. All for scalp health. TTO on my elementary age kids to help prevent lice.
ReplyDeleteI haven't added essential oils to the vinegar/water rinse so I don't know. If you give it a try (and why not give it a try, right?) I hope you'll come back and let us know what you think.
DeleteYou could infuse the herbs in vinegar and use that for your vinegar rinse.
Or add the essential oils to the shampoo bars when you make them.
I have really hard water and very long hair so I have been doing a vinegar rinse and it helps a lot with softness. Putting the vinegar rinse in a squeeze bottle is a great idea! I'm definitely going to do that. Thanks for sharing this with us at the Homestead Blog Hop!
ReplyDeleteHi and thanks for sharing, though I just want to know if the shampoo bar can be used on my natural African hair. Thank you 🙃
ReplyDelete