Very rarely do I get a product in to test out and not know what to do with it. I’ll admit: I’ve used a bar of hand soap, a bar of shaving soap, a bar of body soap, but never a bar of… shampoo? This was just so unique I had to give it a try. The kind folks over at J.R. Liggett’s sent over some bar shampoo and other stuff (check back later to see what “stuff” I’m talking about), and I was eager to try it out. The first thing you notice about this company, in general, is their dedication to minimal packaging and sustainability. My box was packed with old newspaper, and none of their products were aerosol-based or apt to make lots of waste. Even the shampoo in bar form is dedicated to this mission because you are left with a minimal biodegradable plant-based wrapper, rather than a bulky plastic bottle at the end of it all.
Simple and effective. Just enough slight imperfections that you know it was handmade.
After admiring their great packaging, I opened it up to see what the bar looked like. It was basically the consistency and texture of a bar of hand soap, but it had a little bit more slickness to it. The bar has no added fragrances, which have a nasty reputation of drying your skin out when included. The only ingredients here are olive oil, coconut oil, caster oil, water, sodium hydroxide (a binding agent), jojoba oil, and almond oil. I’m pretty sure you can eat most of that stuff (but don’t eat the shampoo, ok?).
So the moment of truth: using it as shampoo. I’ll admit, there were times in undergrad when I’d use a bar of body soap to wash my hair because that’s all I had at the time. When I brought the bar of shampoo up to my head, those memories came to my mind. However, they quickly dissipated as the shampoo immediately created a really strong and heavy lather. It was pretty neat, I’ll admit–I wasn’t expecting such a strong lather. After about 15 seconds of rubbing it around, I put the bar down and shampooed my hair just like it was “normal” shampoo–amazing!
When I washed it out, it left my hair literally squeaky clean. I could feel how clean it was, unlike other shampoos that leave your hair sort of slick. J.R. Liggett’s formula doesn’t strip the natural oils from your hair, so it will feel different than most other shampoos you’ll use. Additionally, the bar has a really long life and will last as long as a 24 oz. bottle of shampoo–its not going to melt away as soon as you use it a couple times.
Overall, this was an unusual and refreshing experience to see someone’s take on revamping the idea of shampoo while staying within the bounds of sustainability. Want to learn more about J.R. Liggett’s? Head to their website, or go to The Motley and pick up a bar for yourself.
Do you have any specific questions about bar shampoo, or J.R. Liggett’s in general? Leave your inquiries in the comments below.
