What Is A Shampoo Bar?

By Author: Andrew Wright
Total Articles: 138
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We've all used liquid shampoo that is typically manufactured by large companies, which remove all the goodness, and replace it with cheap alternatives. Shampoo bars, on the other hand, are made from 100% natural ingredients that cleanse and moisturise your naturally curly tresses the way Mother Nature planned it!

Shampoo bars do not contain any of those nasties that the big manufacturers add. Therefore, when you buy a bar of shampoo, it is guaranteed that no harsh chemicals will encounter your hair, potentially damaging it. This means that there are:

No artificial perfumes - promising a natural essence
No Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), an unnatural chemical designed to remove grease
No Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), which can potentially cause skin irritation
No Phthalate, which is basically a plastic softener
No artificial colours, so the colour you see is the natural colour created when mixing ingredients together
No Sodium Polyacrylate, which is used in products to absorb water
No added Vegetable Glycerine, a sophisticated complex that draws moisture in
No ...
... animal products, meaning that shampoo bars are completely Vegan friendly
No Petroleum based Detergents that could harm the environment
No alcohol, which is not good for your hair
No urea, Formaldehyde, or DEA which can all be quite toxic
No Silicones, which weigh your hair down

What a Pa-Lather!

When trying to explain the goodness and pros of shampoo bars, many people worry that a bar won't lather up the same way as a liquid shampoo. This is only partially true, shampoo bars do lather, but whilst liquid shampoo's lather up due to the unnatural, harsh synthetics, that are added during manufacture, shampoo bars lather up due to a natural form of glycerine that exists naturally in its ingredients.

Large companies remove the natural glycerine, and replace it with a much cheaper alternative, which creates the lather you are used to. These added synthetics are most commonly:

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Cocobetaine and/or Propylene Glycol

None of these products is necessary at all, as the natural ingredients would produce the lather all the same.
Fatty acids are the reason that shampoo bars are able to lather, which created during the saponifying process between the fatty acids and the natural butters and oils.
Fatty acids consist of:

Lauric
Linoleic
Linolenic
Myristic
Oleic
Palmitic
Ricinoleic
Stearic

Each of these contributes to the lather process in a very way, if a large amount of each is present:

Palmitic, Stearic and Ricinoleic, all contribute to creating the soft and creamy bubble-action lather
Lauric & Myristic, both create a cleansing and rich bubble-action lather
Ricinoleic, Oleic, Linoleic and Linolenic contributes to the shampoo bar's conditioning qualities
Lauric, Myristic, Palmitic, Stearic, all contributes to the hard consistency of the bar

Strip Show

Another common worry is that shampoo bars will strip your hair of all those essential oils that your naturally curly hair so desperately needs, in order to keep its elasticity, shine and gorgeous bounce. However, this is not the case.

Bars of shampoo (or even soap) are made up of molecules that essentially, are carbon atoms. Carbon atoms are created when you mix the soap with water. These atoms have two ends: the first draws water towards it, creating the lather-effect mentioned before. The other attracts oil, which you want to get rid of. When rinsing the product out of your hair, the oily end detaches and is removed from your hair, whilst the precious water-based added remains, giving your hair that much needed moisture.

The process of adding fatty acids to shampoo bars, is called Super Fatting, and as a result of this process, ensures that shampoo bars cleanse your curly locks, look after not only your hair but your skin, and scalp, too. Finally, they are gentle and suitable for even the most sensitive of skin.

For further information regarding the benefits of using Babassu shampoo bars in your hair care regime visit Anita Grant