If You've Never Seen a Shampoo Bar It's Time to Buy One ...

Many shampoo bars are made by companies producing natural products. This means that they're kinder to your hair and scalp. What's more, using a shampoo bar with natural ingredients means that you'll need less conditioner - or even none at all, depending on your hair.

Are you fed up with having to throw away the ridiculous amount of packaging that most products come with these days? Another advantage of using shampoo bars is that it saves on packaging; all those plastic bottles aren't good for the environment. Sometimes they can be recycled, but better than recycling is not manufacturing the bottles in the first place! So by switching to shampoo bars, you'll be helping to reduce environmental damage.

Solid shampoo is also very convenient for washing your hair in the shower; there's no need to juggle shampoo bottles and risk spilling it or using too much. Some are even suitable for both hair and body, which means fewer bottles in the shower - handy if you don't have much space to balance soap and bottles.

Packing your toiletries for travelling can be a pain these days, what with having to decant them into smaller bottles because of the restrictions on liquids when travelling. Shampoo bars are ideal for getting round this. And if you choose a body/hair bar, you'll have everything covered. No need to pack shampoo, shower gel and hand soap, as the shampoo bar will keep everything clean!

Does it seem as though your shampoo doesn't last very long? Because solid shampoo is so concentrated, it tends to last a lot longer than the liquid version. So it'll be months before you need to buy a new bar. This could work out more economical than buying liquid shampoo - or mean that although some shampoo bars are more expensive, you'll save in the long run.

SLS, or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, is an ingredient found in many shampoos, shower gels etc, that makes them lather. Unfortunately it can be irritating, so you may prefer to avoid it. Solid shampoo bars are often SLS-free (though do check the ingredients list, as some do contain it)

While I can't promise that you'll find shampoo bars work better for you than liquid shampoo, many people do find that their hair responds better to solid shampoo. You're avoiding the irritation caused by SLS and using kinder ingredients. So if you want to be kind to your scalp (and hands), this could be the answer.

So give shampoo bars a try, and see how you get on! It used to be the normal way of washing your hair - and sometimes the old ways are the best. Do you prefer using natural products on your hair?