I tried Lush's naked Shampoo Bar and loved it so much, I will never use another shampoo ever again
THE PRODUCT
Seanik Shampoo Bar, £7.50, Lush
THE HYPE
Lush has been blazing a trail when it comes to sustainability for years, offering refilling services for their popular products, sourcing ingredients responsibly as well as putting policies in place to cut down their energy and water usage. They even sell totally "naked", packaging-free products to cut down on plastic waste like their Shampoo Bars, which have quickly garnered a cult following. Aside from being packaging free, the bars also brightly coloured, beautifully scented and full of nourishing ingredients, so it's not hard to see why people are so obsessed.
THE REVIEWER
Lottie Winter, Beauty Editor
BEAUTY BIO
I have quite an oily scalp so need to wash my hair daily (or else use a lot of dry shampoo) but I also have balayage meaning my mid-lengths and ends need a little extra TLC to keep them nourished. Ideally, I need my shampoo to be cleansing enough to ward off grease without being too harsh and stripping all the moisture out of my hair. Asking too much?
THE REVIEW
Ok, if I'm being totally honest, I used to cross the road if I was walking past a Lush store. I found the sweet, soapy smell too heady, especially when mixed with the sooty smells of the city smog. And as a result, I hadn't really given the products a fair shot.
I recently discovered that this was a great, great shame. Not only is Lush pioneering the sustainability movement, but their products are luxurious, fun, and results-driven. Plus, when it's just the one product, I find the different scents rather enchanting.
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The shampoo bar is unlike any other shampoo I have ever seen - it looks like vacuum-packed grains of rice that have been dyed funky colours. Not exactly your traditional shampoo and the novelty alone makes this product worth trying. I tried the Seanik Shampoo Bar (the blue one), which contains sea salt and seaweed to cleanse and boost volume, as well as lemon oil to add shine and condition.
The instructions say you can either lather the shampoo bar in your hands, and then scrub into hair as you would a normal shampoo, but I couldn't build up enough of a lather this way (NB this is more the fault of London's harder-than-nails water supply). Instead, I rubbed the bar directly into my head, which was not only fun, but quickly built up a considerable lather.
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My hair felt clean, quickly. If I have been using a lot of styling products, I usually have to do a double cleanse, but the shampoo bar left my hair detoxed and good to one with one rinse. I left my hair to dry naturally and it bounced up into its natural waves with a buoyancy I haven't witnessed in a while.
As for the smell? Mimosa, jasmine and orange flower essential oils makes for a feminine and fresh combination. I'm into it. So much so, I keep smelling my hair. Lush, I'm in love.
Scroll down for plenty of other shampoo bars we love...
Best shampoo bar for thinning hair
Centred. Altered State Solid Shampoo Bar, £20, Cult Beauty
Unlike many other solid shampoo, this super-charged, growth-boosting bar is ultra-foaming for an even cleaner feel. Plus, it contains organic flower waters, apricot, aloe vera and caffeine to strengthen hair while moisturising.
Best shampoo bar for sensitive scalps
Calling upon oat milk and rice cream for a supremely soothing formula, this vegan and 97% biodegradable bar will leave hair nourished and shining.
Best long-lasting shampoo bar
Odacite 522 Soap Free Shampoo Bar, £27, Cult Beauty
Named after the number of million plastic shampoo bottles destined for landfill this year, 522 Shampoo bar contains coconut, argan and castor oils to dissolve any product residue and nourish hair. Plus, it lasts for up to 80 washes.
Best shampoo bar for colour treated hair
Ethique St Clements Shampoo Bar For Oily Hair, £12.99, Holland & Barrett
This pH balanced solid shampoo is so hydrating, you'll be able to skip conditioner altogether, not only saving time in the shower, but saving three shampoo bottles per bar.
Christophe Robin Hydrating Shampoo Bar With Aloe Vera, £16, Look Fantastic
Known for their hair expertise, Christophe Robin's solid shampoo is enriched with soothing Aloe Vera, Glycerin and Castor Oil to lift away dirt while hydrating each strand.
Lush Montalbano Shampoo Bar, £8, Lush
Not only does the Sicilian lemon oil in this solid shampoo provide a burst of zesty aroma, but it also helps to provide a deep cleanse.
L'Occitane Gentle & Balance Solid Shampoo Bar, £10, L'Occitane
Free from silicones and sulphates, this gentle bar has been formulated with a prebiotic natural sugar complex to boost scalp health, as well as a blend of essential oils to nourish and provide a luxurious scent. Launches May 13
