Have you tried a solid shampoo bar before? Besides being environmentally friendly and plastic-free, they are super concentrated and last on average about 50 to 60 washes or about 3 bottles of liquid shampoo. They travel very well and can act as a body wash if packing space is slim. They clean with a combination of surfactants, but they also contain some really lovely active ingredients. Mine are formulated to be smooth as I prefer a smooth surface that won't get stuck in my hair or pull it. I found that the noodles of other shampoo bars tend to stick out sometimes and pull on my very long hair.

The conditioning shampoo bars contain lovely emollients, conditioners, and humectants to help impart some moisture to dry hair. This could be used as a 2 in 1 for those with normal to dry hair, but I use it with a conditioner bar since my hair needs the extra conditioning and detangling. Let's talk about the special ingredients in it:

- Organic Cocoa Butter: A wonderful emollient and bar hardener.

- Organic Jojoba Oil: It can penetrate our hair follicles to moisturize from the inside.

- LuxGlide N5 and N350: These are natural, ECOcert silicone alternatives that reduce frizz, increase shine, form films, and moisturize.

- BTMS 50: A plant-based conditioning emulsifier. It has 2 jobs in my shampoo bars: to emulsify the oil based ingredients with the water based ingredients and to provide conditioning/detangling properties.

- Cetyl Alcohol: Another plant-based emulsifier and non-greasy emollient.

- Bamboo Extract: Contains silica, which can help strengthen hair, and smooth the cuticle to increase shine and reduce tangles.

- NaturePep Amaranth (White Lily variety only): Reduces friction for smoother, bouncier hair. Increases the diameter of individual hair fibers for fuller looking hair. Adds gloss and shine for healthier looking hair. Improves manageability and helps prevent damage.

- Polyquaternium 7: Provides good wet combing, has anti-static properties, and adds softness while not building up on hair.

- Panthenol: Vitamin B5

- Hydrolyzed Oats: Oat protein has a higher molecular weight, which means it can form a film on the hair strand, which helps the hair to resist dehydration.

The black bar is the Charcoal and Tea Tree variety. I formulated this shampoo for those with normal to oily hair or for those who struggle with itchy scalp/dandruff. It is so powerful, you may find that you need only to use this once or twice a week in between regular shampoo days. It is scented with a blend of equal parts lavender and tea tree essential oils with a bit of peppermint eo for a kick. Special ingredients include:

- Activated Charcoal: Aids in cleansing, exfoliating, and degreasing the scalp and hair.

- Willow Bark Extract: Contains salicylic acid, which acts as an exfoliant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-itching agent.

- Green Tea Leaf Extract: Anti-inflammatory that provides protection from photo-damage, it's anti-bacterial, and a phenomenal anti-oxidant. It has even been found to promote hair growth.

- Hydrolyzed Quinoa: While hydrolyzed oats forms a film, hydrolyzed quinoa has a lower molecular weight and helps to hydrate, reduce breakage, and repair damage (also has some film forming properties).

- Tea Tree Essential Oil: Can help reduce itching, helps control yeast/microbial overgrowth.

- Lavender Essential Oil: Promotes hair growth, has antimicrobial properties, may help with scalp inflammation.

- Peppermint Essential Oil: Has similar properties as tea tree essential oil.

See below for a full list of ingredients. If you have any scent suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Just use the contact button at the bottom of the page.

Net Wt: 90 g/3.1 oz

Scents:

• Peach Magnolia - Peach nectar is surrounded with a bouquet of freshly picked spring flowers on a light base of soothing woody notes.
• Bamboo Mint - This scent is described as a blend of pear, mint, black pepper, bamboo, black currant, lily, tuberose, sandalwood, musk, and violet.
• White Lily and Aloe -  The notes are blood orange, bergamot, rosehip tea, pineapple, aloe, sandalwood, lily, and violet.
• Hey, Honey - Creamy honey and hints of citrus with floral notes on top of vanilla musk and soft notes of caramel.
• Charcoal and Tea Tree - Tea Tree, lavender, and peppermint EO

Ingredients for Bamboo Mint, Peach Magnolia, Hey Honey: Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Diheptyl Succinate (and) Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetyl Alcohol(BTMS 50), Sodium Lactate, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Extract, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Panthenol & Aqua (Pro-Vitamin B5), Hydrolyzed Oats, Fragrance Oil, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Mica (Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Chromium Oxide Green). 

White Lily and Aloe Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Diheptyl Succinate (and) Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetyl Alcohol(BTMS 50), Sodium Lactate, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Panthenol & Aqua (Pro-Vitamin B5), Hydrolyzed Oats, Fragrance Oil, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Mica (Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Chromium Oxide Green). 

Charcoal and Tea Tree Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Sodium Lactate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetyl Alcohol(BTMS 50), Glycerin (and) Water (and) Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Glycerin and Water and Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) leaf extract, Polyquaternium-7, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Activated Charcoal, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate), Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil. 

 A note about handmade soap and shampoo: Each bar is handmade, hand molded, and no two are exactly alike. Your bar will last longer if kept dry between uses. Place your bar on a well-draining soap dish out of the spray of water for best performance. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Soaps/shampoos are for external use only and are not edible. You may experience colored lather with dark or brightly colored bars. I have not experienced any staining nor have my testers, but your mileage may vary ;-)