Plastic shampoo bottles take anywhere from 100-450 years to decompose, with the average person consuming 11 shampoo bottles a year. Switching to a shampoo bar is an extremely impactful way for you to decrease your environmental footprint. Not only are shampoo bars better for the environment, but an all-natural shampoo bar is better for the health of your hair. The switch from liquid shampoo containing synthetic ingredients to an all-natural shampoo bar can be daunting for many people. 

First, shampoo bars are not for everyone. 

The point of using a shampoo bar is to strip your hair of all chemicals and synthetic ingredients. These ingredients you have been applying for years, thus your hair is trained to depend on these ingredients for softness, shine, etc. The process of eliminating these chemicals can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. During this time, your hair will feel rubbery, waxy, and maybe even frizzy and tangly. THIS IS NORMAL- just be prepared for the “why does my hair feel like shit?” period. There are tips below on how to get through this process. 

If your hair regime is not all-natural, there is no reason to switch to a shampoo bar. For example, you wash your hair with an all-natural shampoo bar to save the environment from plastic, chemical run-off, and yourself from certain chemicals and synthetic ingredients, then you apply a conditioner with chemicals… doesn’t make too much sense. This also does not allow your hair to ever leave the “why does my hair feel like shit” phase. So either you switch to an all-natural hair routine, or you don’t.

If you have chosen to switch over to an all-natural hair routine, yay for you and for the environment! During the phase when your hair is adjusting, there are several things you can do to help your hair.

The first step on your journey to a shampoo bar, can be to rinse your hair with baking soda. Mix 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda with a couple of cups of water. Pour the rinse over your head while massaging it into your scalp. This helps unclog the pores from the synthetic ingredients that you were applying before. You should only do this once, right before starting your transition, and it is not recommended to use for those that have colored hair. 

Do not over wash your hair. You are going to think your hair is not clean because of the way that it feels, but do not over wash. Your scalp needs time to produce the natural oils that your hair needs. I do not have a recommended hair washing amount, because everyone is different. I wash my hair once every 8-10 days. I do live an active lifestyle in Costa Rica- meaning a lot of sweat and salt water. After around day 5, I need to keep my hair up because it stops laying correctly, but it does not look dirty. 3-5 days later, it needs to be washed; it communicates with me by making my head itchy and as soon as I touch my hair to scratch, I wash it. If you are someone that currently washes their hair every single day, start by washing it every other day, then wash it every 3 days, etc. Before switching to a natural shampoo bar, my hair did look and feel dirty after 3-4 days. The chemicals in shampoo inhibit your hair from learning how to use the natural oils that we all produce. Therefore, the oils are produced and then they just sit there not being used, because each hair follicle and strand of hair is coated in some synthetic ingredient and the natural oils sit on top of the synthetic ingredient rather than penetrating and giving life to the hair. So, you have greasy hair after 2-3 days of not washing. 

Brushing your hair twice a day will help distribute the natural oils throughout your hair. This will help during your adjusting period. 

You can make an apple cider vinegar rinse to speed along the process. It’s super easy! 

Mix 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar with 8 oz of water. After washing your hair with your shampoo bar, pour evenly over hair while working it into your scalp. Let sit for a few minutes and rinse out. This should not leave your hair smelling like Apple Cider Vinegar. 

Again, be prepared for 2-4 weeks of your hair feeling like shit. If this feeling continues longer than 4 weeks, maybe the shampoo bar you are using isn’t for you- this doesn’t mean you should give up on the shampoo bar. Try a different shampoo bar, maybe from another company. 

I would love to hear how your journey is going! Let’s talk!

Stay Naturally Nourished, Sexy Ass xx