The real reason why I created a natural soap-based shampoo & conditioner bar called Solibar 🌿

The real reason why I created a natural soap-based shampoo & conditioner bar called Solibar 🌿

Sitting at home one afternoon, I was watching my toddler play with her toys, most of which are made from plastic in one way or another. The endless amount of plastics that fill my kitchen and even my bathroom is astonishing. So, it got me thinking.

The world we live in today is all about the end result. We choose products for the desired outcome without considering the consequences of these products and furthermore their effect on our health or the environment. More often than not it takes more energy, water and resources to create the products than what it takes for us to use them. 🌏
Then there are nasty chemical additions to everything we eat, we use, we clean and even we wear. These chemicals are the bad guys. And whilst they have allowed us to achieve a higher form of convenience, they are resulting in a lower form of health. 🤒
Born entirely out of the need to find a better alternative, and as the more, I researched I found that many baby products claim that they are a better option because they’re pH balanced or have ‘no tears’ properties. But it left me thinking what exactly does pH balanced really mean? You’ll be shocked to know what I found out about pH-balanced products when I dug a little deeper. (pH balanced) In conclusion, it left me knowing more than I could even have imagined, and I could no longer feel comfortable using any products that contained hormone disruptors on my daughter, so I created a natural soap-based alternative called Solibar. 

Solibar is a natural and Vegan shampoo & conditioner bar that is designed to moisturise your hair whilst giving you the amazing benefits of carefully sourced natural ingredients. As a baseline, all of my Solibar’s contain Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Oil and shea butter. Where they differ is the inclusion of super ingredients like Zinc, Alkanet Root, French Pink Clay, and French Yellow Clay – which are all incredible ingredients designed to promote hair growth and keep sensitivities at bay.
And if you're wondering why our bars contain caustic soda, it's because they're soap-based. Natural soap-based bars need such an ingredient in order to solidify the natural oils into a solid bar. The process is called saponification and when done correctly there is no caustic soda left in the final product. If a bar does not contain caustic soda/lye or sodium hydroxide then it is not natural. 

As the shampoo and conditioner bar market continues to grow exponentially it’s really important for people to be able to recognise the differences between natural soap-based bars and syndet bars (Syndet - synthetic-detergent). Both types of bars perform the function of cleaning your hair but the way they work is entirely different. Solibars require your hair to return to its natural state by regulating its own sebum production and not relying on sulphates to strip your hair of dirt and moisture to clean. The lack of sulphates in our bars is why many of my customers no longer use conditioner to follow. (How Solibars work). 
I have also learnt over the last year that it’s not always easy to make the switch to a natural haircare product, and I refer to this period as the transition phase. The transition phase can be impacted by a variety of different things but a big factor is often silicone residue from previous products. During the transition phase, your hair will need to return to its baseline without the use of detergents and begin a new life without traditional shampoo. It’s also the reason why Solibars work well within the ‘No-Poo’ or ‘Curly Girl’ methodology. 
And for those who are extra sensitive, I developed a Solibar called Calma Chameleon, a Solibar that was named by the engaged members of The Solibar Society Facebook group. I love this group because they’re amazing at providing tips and feedback on all different types of hair, but also how they really help me to create new bars and provide support to others going through transition. I couldn’t do it without you.
Then there’s our incredible best-seller Blonde Way Or Another shampoo and conditioner bars that are designed to keep blondes and silver foxes light and bright. (How). These are my favourite and are responsible for keeping my blonde the way it should be. 
The question I get asked the most is whether or not Solibars will change the colour of your hair, and you’ll be pleased to know that The Solibar Society often report that they are getting longer timeframes between colouring because of the detergent-free way in which Solibars wash your hair. (It’s all about the lack of stripping by sulphates and detergents). 
The best part about Solibar for me is that they’re all handmade in Melbourne! Which makes them individually unique but loveable at the same time. 🇦🇺I also wanted to keep such a product local, as it was really important to me that I know what is in my bars but also how they’re made. That they are sustainable and support the local industry being the secondary factor in making this decision. 
In short, I wanted to create a shampoo & conditioner bar that was going to:
  • Shampoo and conditioner your hair in the same way as conventional products do 💆‍♀️
  • Be Vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulphate free, detergent-free & palm oil-free. 🌿
  • Be the best option for healthy haircare & without any nasty ingredients 🌿
  • Not contribute to the already increasing rubbish created by plastic bottles and ensuring that both wrapping and packaging was zero waste. 🌏
But most of all, I wanted to create a Solibar that was the best choice for my daughter. ❤️
Links to the articles referenced above:
  1. Is your shampoo doing more harm than good?
  2. Why using a pH balanced shampoo isn't always a good thing...
  3. What does 'saponification' mean in natural shampoo bar making?
  4. What is the difference between a soap-based shampoo bar and a syndet shampoo bar?
  5. Are you feeling stranded by overproduction or underproduction of sebum?
  6. I've got a Solibar shampoo bar, do I need a conditioner?
  7. Moving to natural haircare? Have you heard about the 'transition phase'?
  8. Does my shampoo have silicone in it? And how do I get it out?
  9. Why should I use a violet shampoo?
  10. Will Solibar's natural solid haircare bars change my hair colour?
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