Bar soap for your hair?

Bar soaps are a zero waste favorite, simply because you can get them plastic-free and/or package-free. Soap bars can be used to wash a lot of things, but are they good for your hair? One of the most recurring topics online regarding bar soaps is dry hair. I have tried using bar soap for my hair and thought I'd share my experience here.

I started my non-toxic journey before I became eco-friendly. In 2013 I began replacing my regular makeup with natural makeup. Shampoos and body wash also caught my attention. I discovered a natural soap seller on Etsy and ordered some bars, specifically for hair. I began using these and felt great because I knew I wasn't using those shampoos with who-knows-what type of ingredients. However, my hair suffered horrible consequences and for some reason I couldn't figure out why, at least not at the time.

In 2014 my hair was dry, tangled damaged. Despite being dry it would get very greasy the next day. I did everything possible to prevent tangling and damage. I never applied heat. I slept on a silk pillow case. I used brushes with very soft bristles. I oiled and trimmed my hair regularly. On top of that I used conditioner and a natural detangler. It doesn't just stop there. I started taking supplements and increased protein intake. Nothing seemed to help, my hair was still a nightmare. At the time I thought my hair had just become this thin, brittle and difficult to work with after years of dyeing (although I completely stopped dyeing it in 2013). Another thought I had was "it's because I'm no longer using silicone-based products that coats my hair".

Not only was my hair dry and damaged. I encountered another problem, my scalp was incredibly itchy! I would constantly scratch it and get gunk under my nails. This turned out to be residue from the bar soap. I rinsed properly but it still happened. Eventually, I used up my last soap and bought a liquid shampoo instead. My life and hair changed completely after that and I have been using liquid shampoo ever since. My shampoo (Sage) is from a Swedish natural brand called Maria Åkerberg. I also use their conditioner (Energy). Maria Åkerberg's shampoo and conditioner is not plastic-free, but comes in large recyclable 500ml plastic bottles. I always buy the 500ml bottles, that way I don't have to buy many small one's frequently. The big one's will typically last four to five months and I always recycle them.

This was of course just my experience. Try if bar soap if you want. There are different bar soaps out there, some might be more compatible for hair than the one's I used. Everybody's hair is different too, your hair might respond differently to these soaps compared to mine. I'm not going to discourage anyone from trying, but these are things you might experience while doing so. I totally use bar soaps for my body though!