Bar Soap...FOR HAIR???

Monday, August 4, 2025

The concept of using bar soap for hair is nothing new, but we don't generally associate bar soap with cleaning hair these days.  After all, what a disaster it would be to pick up your regular bar soap to try to wash your hair!!!

WHAT MAKES YOUR SHAMPOO BAR DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER BAR SOAP?

Our Shampoo Bar is specially formulated for hair, being a very high superfat bar.  By adding extra fat to our bar beyond what is needed for saponification, this fat remains in the bar unsaponified, creating a highly nourishing moisturizing bar.  Our Coconut Shampoo Bars are superfatted to a 20% level and our Castile Shampoo Bars are superfatted to a 15% level. This level of superfat has worked extremely well in our experience.  We have been using this shampoo bar for around a year and a half now with great success, and I dare say our hair has never been better!

WHY CHANGE TO BAR SOAP?

There are many downsides to commercial hair shampoo (with one being cost of course), but likely the greatest downside is the number of chemicals and other ingredients that your body should NEVER be exposed to.  The scalp is an area of the body similar to the soles of the feet. The pores are rather large, and transdermal absorption (ie, "through the skin" absorption) is highly effective through the scalp.  As such, we should be especially careful about what goes on our scalp, as it will inevitably end up in our bloodstream.  Our Shampoo Bar contains only saponified oil and water…That's IT.

WHICH TYPE OF SHAMPOO BAR SHOULD I USE?

So, which do you want to buy, Castile Shampoo Bar or Coconut, or maybe something else?  Obvious sensitivities to ingredients aside, everyone's hair is different for what will be most effective on your hair chemistry.  Some people do really great on coconut, while others find it can make their hair brittle.  We find that Castile works best for our hair type.  This is a very personal choice, and the best way to know is to try a bar of each and see how your hair does.  Again, as mentioned previously, you may like to alternate for best results.

DO I NEED TO USE A CONDITIONER?

You do NOT need a conditioner when you use bar soap! However, pH balance is an important consideration.  Although the bar soap cleanses well and does nourish the hair, it is important for the strength and vitality of the hair to keep the pH balanced.  This is done with a simple vinegar-water rinse:  Add 1 ounce of vinegar to a large cup of water, then pour over freshly washed hair in the shower.  Massage it in, then rinse it out.  No conditioner needed!

Commercial shampoo uses ingredients designed to coat the hair.  People often find that changing up the brands of shampoo they buy gives their hair a "boost".   In this scenario, what is likely happening is that a new brand of shampoo helps break up the buildup caused by another brand.  With our Shampoo Bar, this isn't generally an issue, as our method of cleaning hair actually cleans, not just coats.  That being said, sometimes we will use the castile for 10 or so washes then coconut for one or two washes, just going off what our hair feels like.  This can help wash away any potential buildup that could occur from using the same type of soap.

I have seen some YouTube videos that have really discouraged Shampoo Bar use, stating that they went for a walk and knew something was wrong when their hair "didn't move in the breeze". This is likely a pH issue and I would first want to know if this person was actually using the vinegar pH rinse. If you find your hair isn't doing so great, pay close attention to how your hair feels and time your pH rinses accordingly. You don't have to do it every time---just listen to what your hair is telling you. And also listen to what oil your hair might prefer. Also, if you think our bar is too superfatted for you, for instance, send us an email. We can formulate a lower superfat bar for you to try. I will reiterate, that switching between the coconut and castile has been very successful for us. Everyone's hair is different, so listen and do what works for you.

We're convinced that once you make the switch, you'll never want to go back to a chemically laden commercial shampoo!  It is a bit different to implement, but once you get used to it you're likely to find it infinitely easier than a bunch of big bottles in the bathtub.  What's good for the hair is good for the body!  One bar of soap is all you need in your shower---no shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bar soap, etcetera.  One bar does it all, and for every family member!