Shampoo Bar FAQ:

What is it that makes a solid shampoo bar different from a homemade bar of soap?

Soap is made from oil or butter and lye, in a process called saponification. This process results in a finished product that is great for cleansing the body, but has much too high a pH for the hair. Our solid shampoo bars, on the other hand, have a lower pH and also contain surfactants, breaking up the trapped dirt and oils on the hair and scalp gently, so they can be washed away with water.

Why is pH important for a shampoo bar formulation?

Our skin has mechanisms of regulating pH, but hair does not. The surface of healthy skin will eventually return to its natural, slightly acidic pH after washing with soap—even with a higher-pH soap (many of them are between an 8 and a 10.)

Hair on the other hand can’t; it doesn’t heal and balance on its own. For this reason, it’s important to understand that one of the major sources of hair damage is using products with the wrong pH on the hair. Depending on an individual’s hair type and health, washing once or twice with soap might not immediately be a problem, but it can cause damage over time.

Our shampoo bar formulation is pH balanced, making it safe to use in hair on a regular basis. It is not the same as a bar of soap which contains saponified oils which are a higher pH.

Are the ingredients in your shampoo bar safe for the environment and healthy for our skin and hair?

Our formulation contains Ecocert approved ingredients only, which means it’s suitable for one of the most strict certifications of natural/organic cosmetics at this time. We have included four different surfactants that are EcoCert/COSMOS approved: sodium coco-sulfate (a solid surfactant), sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (a solid surfactant), cocamidopropyl betaine (an amphoteric surfactant), and decyl glucoside (a non-ionic surfactant). We’ve also incorporated cocoa butter, an emollient which will help to soften and nourish the hair. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol helps to solidify the shampoo bar and also provide a nice slippery feel to the bar and hair.

I see there is a sulfate in the ingredient list called Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS). Shouldn’t we avoid all sulfates since they are harsh on skin and hair?

Not all sulfates are the same. Concerns that are applicable to SLS are not an issue in the case of SCS. It’s naturally derived (from coconut oil), milder than SLS and is not in risk of 1,4-dioxane contamination.

Wet shampoo bar in shower stream, lather in hands, and then apply shampoo to hair or rub bar directly onto scalp and throughout hair. Create a foaming lather while massaging scalp and working the shampoo all throughout hair. Rinse thoroughly.

Place on a slotted soap dish to prolong the life of your bar. Store unused bars in a container with air circulation.