Unsure whether to choose a plastic-free shampoo bar over a regular shampoo bottle? Switching to a shampoo bar can feel like a leap into the unknown but we’re here to tell you they aren’t so different.
Green People offers both shampoo bars and liquid shampoos and we don’t feel strongly that one is inherently better than the other.
Read on to find out about the benefits of liquid and solid shampoos so that you can choose the shampoo format that best suits your lifestyle.
What’s the difference between solid shampoo bars and liquid shampoo?
Shampoo bars and liquid shampoos have the same function – to cleanse the hair and scalp. Their formulations may differ slightly, but all Green People liquid shampoos and shampoo bars are highly concentrated and use similar quantities of plant actives. The main difference you will notice is that you just use them slightly differently.
We are used to pouring out a little liquid shampoo into our hand and rubbing it into our hair. The difference with shampoo bars is that you take the bar and rub it directly onto wet hair.
The result is the same! Lots of bubbles and lather, which should then be rinsed thoroughly to leave hair soft and clean.
Here’s a bit more information, to help you make up your mind what’s best.
Green People’s natural and organic shampoo bars and liquid shampoos can both be used daily and we offer a shampoo and conditioner to suit all hair types.
Here are our shampoo bars:
And 3 of our most popular liquid shampoos:
To help you choose the best hair care product for you, we offer a shampoo finder tool.
Shop all natural and organic shampoos.
Want to dig deeper? Read on for more detail to help you understand the differences between our liquid shampoos and their solid shampoo counterparts.
Shampoo bars vs liquid shampoo: the 4 main differences
- FORMAT
The main difference between a shampoo bar and a regular shampoo that comes in a bottle is that the shampoo bar will be a solid shampoo and the shampoo in the bottle will be liquid.
Shampoo bars are typically smaller in size than a liquid shampoo because they are more concentrated. A 50g Green People shampoo bar equates to 250ml of liquid shampoo.
- PACKAGING
Solid shampoo also tends to be packaged in plastic-free materials such as a carboard box or an aluminium tin. Shampoo bottles are typically presented in plastic tubes, such as Green People’s recyclable sugar cane plastic tubes.
- APPLICATION
Another way that shampoo bars and liquid shampoos differ is in the way that they are applied. Shampoo bars must be squeezed from the tube before being applied to the hair and this brings a risk that you may dispense more than you need.
Its slightly easier to control how much you use with a solid shampoo bar as the bar is gently rubbed onto the hair.
Both formats of shampoo lather with ease and need to be rinsed out thoroughly. Both shampoo types should be followed by conditioner. Read more tips on how to use a shampoo bar.
- STORAGE
Lastly, shampoo bars and liquid shampoos need to be stored differently in between uses.
Shampoo bottles certainly take up more space in your bathroom, but their protective plastic packaging means they can be stored anywhere but in the path of direct sunlight.
It is important to pat your shampoo bar dry and then place it back in their box or in a shampoo bar container after use.
Are shampoo bars effective?
As experts in sensitive skin, we set out to create shampoo bars that even those with the most sensitive scalp could use with confidence.
To be sure that our shampoos really do work for every skin type and every hair type – including coloured and curly hair, we asked our customer tester panel to test them first.
For six weeks, they tested our Scent Free Shampoo bar which has an almost identical formulation to our subtly scented Citrus & Ginger Shampoo Bar.
Both bars are designed to deliver a deep-cleansing action that’s gentle on the scalp and effective at fighting frizz and boy do they deliver on their promise.
- 97% of our testers said that Scent Free Shampoo Bar left their hair feeling more healthy*
- A further 97% reported that Scent Free Shampoo Bar felt gentle on their hair and scalp*
- And 91% reported that the bar left their hair soft and smooth!*
Best of all, 63.9% of our testers said they’d switch to a shampoo bar permanently*. Just imagine how much plastic this will help to reduce!
Clare P says our shampoo bars are a revelation:
“What a revelation! I was very excited to find that Green People were producing a scent-free shampoo bar, having successfully used GP shampoo and conditioner for several years on my extremely sensitive scalp.
This lathers well, and the conditioning wax means I don't need to use an additional conditioner. It leaves my hair feeling lovely and soft. I also used the bar as a body wash on my recent holiday and will replace using my GP scent-free shower gel when I run out. This product saves water, time and packaging and is great for the planet. It was also easy to take in hand luggage through the airport as no liquids involved. Well done.”
*These results are based on a 2023 Green People customer survey where 29 respondents tested the Scent Free Shampoo bar for a 6 week period.
Are shampoo bars better for travel?
Yes! We think that shampoo bars are perfect for travel.
Solid shampoo bars are typically waterless, and this makes them a great choice if you’re flying and are restricted on the volume of liquids that you can take on your travels.
Bars are also lighter than liquid shampoo and won’t spill in your luggage.
If suitcase space is a concern, you might be pleased to hear that we do offer selected liquid shampoos in travel-size tubes.
Are shampoo bars better for the environment?
Some people cite environmental concerns as the main reason why they choose to use a shampoo bar over a liquid shampoo and indeed a fantastic benefit of shampoo bars is that they tend to come in plastic-free packaging. Shop our zero-waste shampoo bars now.
This makes them a great choice for those wanting to curb their use of plastic beauty products.
As a certified organic beauty brand, we strive to make sure that all our hair care products make a minimal impact on the environment and all our hair care products use natural and organic ingredients that are responsibly sourced.
While our liquid shampoos are not plastic-free, their plastic tubes are created using recyclable sugar cane plastic. For every 1 kilo of sugar cane plastic produced, 3 kilos of CO2 is removed from our atmosphere. This exchange can be described as being climate positive.
Shampoo bars vs liquid shampoo: your decision
Hopefully this post has given you a good overview of the differences between a regular liquid shampoo and a solid shampoo bar.
Both formats have their benefits, and we encourage you to make your choice based on the format that you will most enjoy using that that best meets your hair needs.
To help make your next shampoo shop easier, you can use the following quick shop links to shop by format and by hair need.
SHOP LIQUID SHAMPOOS
BROWSE BY SHAMPOO BAR
Don’t forget your conditioner!
We don’t yet have a conditioner bar but our liquid conditioners are perfect for use following either a shampoo bar or liquid shampoo.
Packed with goodness from plant ingredients such as organic Aloe Vera, Quinoa protein and Jojoba Oil, our range of natural conditioners promote shiny, strong and healthy hair.
If you would like more help in deciding whether to choose one of our liquid shampoos or a shampoo bar, our friendly UK customer care team is happy to help and can be contacted on 01403 740350 or at organic@greenpeople.co.uk.
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