Hey earth muffins! Back in September I wrote a post about CleanO2’s carbon capture bar soaps… And let’s just say I still love them (and have gotten my boyfriend hooked too!). Now that they came out with a line of shampoo and conditioner bars, I was excited to give them a try. CleanO2 kindly sent over their Co-Wash for curly hair, so let’s get right into my thoughts in this CleanO2 co-wash review!
What I Love About This Product
Like I mentioned in my CleanO2 soap review, their products are made using an awesome carbon capture process. The founders of the company created the CarbinX, which captures carbon dioxide emissions from building heating systems. The result of this process is non-toxic pearl ash/potassium carbonate… Which is then upcycled into their sustainable products!
Hey earth muffins! If you are looking for an eco-friendly swap in the bathroom, I recommend switching to a shampoo bar. Lush has a ton of great ones to try out… I’ve tried a bunch of them so far; today I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the Soak and Float shampoo bar. Keep reading for everything I love (and dislike) about this sustainable product!
What I Love About This Shampoo Bar
The first pro of this shampoo bar is that it is a great sustainable alternative to typical shampoos. No plastic bottle, no packaging, and no watered down shampoo. It is always better to choose bar over bottles because they are a much more eco, zero waste swap. Lush does a great job with shipping (if you can’t pick up the bar in a local Lush store). The box it comes in is small and fits the product exactly. I love that this brand uses water soluble packing peanuts too!
Hey earth muffins! It has been a little bit since I shared a shampoo bar review…. So let’s fix that! 😍 I’ve almost tried every single Lush shampoo at this point, so I figured I would continue my tradition of sharing what I think about the one I’m currently trying out. With the promise of giving you big, beachy hair, is the Seanik bar worth it??
What I Love About Seanik
In terms of sustainability, bars are always better than bottles. I love using shampoo bars because you can avoid all packaging waste. Not having a hideous, brightly-colored plastic bottle in your shower is also a huge win. The bar is made of condensed materials, which means it lasts much longer than liquid shampoo because it hasn’t been diluted by water.
Hey earth muffins! Today I’m coming at you with another shampoo bar review… It seems like I’ve been reviewing these a lot lately but it’s just because I like to try new ones whenever one is used up. 😀 I picked up this bar from my local zero waste store (something I am so lucky to have nearby!). It is by the brand Tiani Body Care, which is a Michigan company based out of a town near Ann Arbor. Let’s jump right into my Tiani shampoo bar review!
What I Love About This Shampoo Bar
As I mention in all my shampoo bar reviews, I love that this product is naked and creates no packaging waste. I picked it up from the shelf and took it home in my reusable bag – no plastic needed! Bar products look much better in my shower too, which is why I prefer bars to bottles. This product is shaped like an octagon instead of a circle like the bars from Lush. I personally love that it has a flat bottom, as it helps them stand up in my Ethique soap saver container (affiliate link). Plus, the bar is thicker too which makes it easier to hold onto when I am washing my hair.
Hey earth muffins! When I was writing my latest review of the American Cream pressed conditioner bar, I realized that I haven’t written a post about the latest shampoo I’ve been trying. So, I figured now was the time to share my thoughts on Lush’s “New” shampoo! The bar is almost gone, and I am thinking about trying some new brands next. I’ve tried out a bunch of Lush shampoo bars over the past few years. I have enjoyed all of them, but I don’t have a Lush near me anymore. There is a store nearby that sells a bunch of sustainable products, so I think I will be shopping there next. 😊 Fingers crossed I can find other brands I like while shopping local! Without further ado, let’s jump into the Lush “New” shampoo bar review.
What I Love About This Shampoo Bar
Now that I’ve swapped from plastic shampoo bottles to shampoo bars, I will NEVER go back. Bar products are awesome because they are eco-friendly and reduce the need for any packaging. Check out my other reasons for choosing bar bathroom products! This Lush shampoo bar is just like the other bars I’ve tried from them – sustainable and awesomely packaged in absolutely nothing. 😍 I like that the bars are round and easy to travel with too!
Hey earth muffins! Whenever I try out eco-friendly products, I always try to share a review on this blog. I hope they are helpful in sharing hits and misses in the growing sustainable products market! 😊 I have tested out multiple shampoo bars ever since I made the switch from plastic bottles to bar products in the shower… But, I have never shared my thoughts on conditioner bars – until today! When winter started, my hair was feeling a bit dry. I had to reorder shampoo bars from Lush, so I figured I would try out a conditioner bar as well. Let’s jump right into my American Cream Lush review!
What I Love About the Conditioner Bar
As I’ve mentioned in all my past shampoo bar reviews, I love that these products cut out any plastic packaging. Plastic is not only bad for the environment but the hideously colored bottles never fit the vibe I’m going for in my minimalist bathroom. The naked bar looks much nicer in my shower! While the product still had to be shipped to me, you could always hit up a Lush store if you have one in your area. Unfortunately, I no longer have a Lush near me. To save on shipping emissions, just make sure you order a huge haul of bar products so that you will be stocked for a long time. 🙃
Hey earth muffins! One of the easiest swaps you can make during Plastic Free July is to start using shampoo bars. Instead of plastic bottled shampoo, these bars come with absolutely no packaging! I’ve tried many different shampoo bars over the years. Personally, I really like the bars from Lush; but, many brands are starting to offer these as an alternative to bottles. 🧼 This is the third shampoo bar I have tried from Lush, so I thought it was fitting to write a review for you all. Let’s get into my Montalbano shampoo bar review!
What I Love About the Montalbano Shampoo Bar
Obviously the first thing I love about this shampoo bar is that it is sustainable! There are so many good reasons to choose bar products over bottled, especially since it often means there is no plastic packaging involved. Lush sells these shampoo bars with no packaging in the store. If you have to order them online, they are shipped with water-dissolvable packing peanuts. It is so much fun to watch them dissolve in the sink! If you are looking to reduce some of your plastic in the bathroom during Plastic Free July, swapping to a shampoo bar is a great idea!
I absolutely love the color of the Montalbano shampoo bar. It is bright yellow, which adds a great pop of color in my shower. I appreciate that this color also doesn’t transfer to my tub when I use the product. When using certain shampoo bars (namely the Jumping Juniper bar from Lush), the color will stain the tub a bright color. While this can easily be removed with some scrubbing when I clean the bathroom, I enjoy that this bar doesn’t leave a bright yellow mark in my shower!
This Montalbano shampoo bar review would be incomplete if I didn’t mention the smell – it is amazing! The shampoo bar has a nice lemon citrus scent, but it isn’t overpowering. When I was using the Honey I Washed my Hair bar, the scent of toffee/honey was super strong in the bathroom. While it smelled really good, I personally am one for more subtle scents. According to the Lush website, there is also rosemary in the shampoo bar. But, you don’t really get much of that when smelling the bar. Citrus is definitely the overwhelming scent!
The Montalbano bar is meant to boost shine, add subtle volume, and cleanse your scalp. I think it definitely does those things! My hair feels super soft after using this shampoo, and it definitely has been adding some extra volume to my naturally curly hair. I recently got my first post-pandemic haircut, and I chopped off a ton of my hair. This shampoo bar has been great in keeping it healthy! In terms of cleansing, I have psoriasis on my scalp which often results in extra grease…. I think this shampoo does a nice job of reducing grease too.
What Could Be Better with this Shampoo Bar
The first con to this Montalbano shampoo bar review would have to be the big chunks of dried citrus in the bar. On each side, there are big dried pieces for decoration. While it looks pretty, it just seems like a waste to me. Those dried citrus pieces could be used for something else! Plus, it makes it more difficult to lather up with the bar. Once the pieces fall off, it seems like they could also clog your shower drain. I personally have been saving them to put in the compost bin! 😊
Along with the dried pieces of citrus, the bar itself isn’t as smooth as other Lush shampoos I’ve tried. I’m not sure what gives it a rough texture, but it is definitely not as smooth. I typically like to lather up the bar in my hands before applying to my hair. But, the texture of the bar makes it easier to just lather in my hair directly. Not a huge con to this product, but I wanted to mention it!
Lastly, to close out this Montalbano shampoo bar review, I noticed more dandruff than usual when I first started using this bar. As mentioned above, it is supposed to cleanse the scalp; so, it was probably just doing its job with my psoriasis! But, I wanted to mention it just in case you are prone to having dandruff already. You might want to opt for a different bar.
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Final Thoughts on the Montalbano Shampoo Bar
Overall, I think the Montalbano is a good shampoo bar to try! Lush has a really nice selection of shampoo bars to choose from. Especially during Plastic Free July, there is no reason to not try out a package free option. This bar smells great, looks pretty in the shower, and works! While there are huge chunks of dried citrus on it, don’t let that deter you from trying it out. What shampoo bar have you been using lately??
Hey earth muffins! If you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know that I switched from bottled to bar products. One of these first switches was my shampoo where I traded the bottle for a Lush shampoo bar. When quarantine first started I ran into a problem: my shampoo bar was almost gone and the Lush near me was closed…. And the website was behind on orders! YIKES 😬 As my family was already placing an Amazon order, I decided this would be the perfect time to try out a new shampoo bar from JR Liggett.
After doing some quick searching on Amazon, I came across JR Liggett. Not only are they highly reviewed but they also make their products in New England, which is where I grew up. I was already sold! This brand makes 6 different scents that have various oils in them. To keep it simple, I decided to try out their original formula shampoo bar. Here are my thoughts! 😊
What I Liked
–The bars are sulfate/detergent free and full of great oils! Switching to bar products is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for your body. I’m quite shocked by the nasty chemicals/additives that find their way into bath products; I love that this brand focuses on simple ingredients. They are also vegan! The original formula includes three types of oils: olive, coconut, and castor. Some of their other bars include more oils and various essential oils as well, which gives a nice variety for all hair types.
–There is not an overwhelming scent. For some reason, many bar products can be heavily scented… Probably the essential oils! But, this shampoo bar has a nice fresh scent to it. I was worried that my hair wouldn’t smell nice after my shower since it was “original formula”, but that was not the case at all.
–The bars are an affordable price, a bit cheaper than Lush bars. On Amazon they are $10 each; if you buy them on their actual website, they are only $7.50. I don’t really think this couple of dollar difference truly matters because once you switch to bar products you will be saving money regardless. The bars last much longer than a typical bottle = less money spent for you! 💰
–The bar doesn’t have any dyes in it. After using the Lush Jumping Juniper shampoo for awhile now, I have noticed that the purple color leaves a residue in the shower (and on my Ethique soap container) that is difficult to get off… I love that this bar is an off white color, as it doesn’t leave a mess behind! 🙌
What I Disliked about the JR Liggett Shampoo Bar
-The shampoo left residue in my hair. ☹️ I’ve always had an oily scalp, but this shampoo bar left my head feeling almost sticky to the touch. While this could have been due to the low water pressure in my apartment or changing water after traveling home to quaratine with my family, this was a huge negative for me. When switching to natural shampoo there is a period of time where your hair will have to adjust (similar to an armpit detox when switching to natural deodorant)… But my head STILL has residue leftover even after weeks of using the product and taking extra care to rinse it all out. Not to mention the fact that I have been using bar products for over two years now!
–The bar doesn’t lather as well as Lush bars. I don’t like to have to rub the actual bar on my hair, as I find that wastes some of the product. But, it was extremely difficult to lather the bar in my hands, so I had to use the bar this way. Definitely a downside for me, but that might just be a personal preference!
–It made my hair look greasy (probably due to the residue). After finding shampoo bars that were able to not make my hair look greasy, I was disappointed that this product isn’t one of them. Now maybe I should have tried a different “flavor” or something, but the bar just did not work for my hair type. Oh well!
Overall, I don’t think I will be trying out any JR Liggett shampoo bars any time soon. Now that Lush stores have opened again, I decided to try out their Honey I Washed my Hair bar. The white color of this bar will help with the whole staining my tub situation I mentioned above; I hope my hair likes it just as much as Jumping Juniper. I will definitely write a review of this new shampoo in the future! What shampoo bar are you currently trying out? 😁
