How to get the most out of your solid shampoo & conditioner

You're either thinking about switching to solid shampoo and conditioner, or you've already made the change. That's great! Thank you for looking for a plastic-free alternative and making conscious choices.

If you're wondering why these relatively small bars cost more than some bottled products, there's a simple explanation! Each bar is equivalent to several bottles of its liquid form. That's because solid hair care products are super concentrated and not diluted with water. A bar of Green Room hair care products should last you as long as about three bottles of a liquid alternative of the most common sizes.

In general, we can confirm that with proper use and optimal storage, a bar should last a veeeery long time. All tips and tricks on how to get the most out of it can be found here!

General Tips & Tricks

1. The most important thing: Keep your bars dry between uses!

Protect them from splashes in your shower or water accumulation on the tub edge. When storing, air circulation and drainage are your best friends! Use a soap dish with drainage for this.

 

If you place your shampoo & conditioner in a dish or shell, be sure to empty any accumulated water. If you store your bars in a travel tin, pat them dry and then lean them at an angle against the tin rim so they can dry completely before laying them flat. If not traveling, it's best to leave the tin lid open.

Try this super simple storage trick! Make a soap dish in less than 2 minutes with a lid and elastic bands (e.g., from vegetables) that you stretch around it as a drainage grid, on which your bars can rest and drain.

If your bars ever become too soft or even brittle, place them on a well-draining soap dish for a few days so they can dry out completely.

2. Cut your bar in half with a sharp knife.

Use only one half at a time and enjoy your natural hair care for even longer.

 

 

Shampoo Tips & Tricks

 

1. Apply your solid shampoo directly to your head. Lathering first between your hands is much less effective, because you are actually only cleaning your hands with it.
2. Don't apply too much pressure to your shampoo bar. Gentle circular motions on your scalp or along your hair are sufficient. The bars are solid but not unbreakable.
3. Less is more! This solid shampoo lathers very well and quickly – it's called "Suds" for a good reason. If you notice you've created enough lather for your scalp, that's enough. More lather would not be more effective... it would just make your bar run out faster.
4. If your shampoo breaks for any reason, simply use one piece after another if they are large enough. If the pieces are too small to be used well, you have two options:

• Soap Bag Method: Put all the small pieces or crumbs of your shampoo into a Soap Saver Bag. Wet the filled bag and apply it to your scalp like a shampoo bar to create lather. The mesh bag holds your shampoo remnants and is ideal for shampooing without tangling your hair. Our favorite way to get the last bit out of our solid shampoo. 

• Liquid Shampoo Method: All you need for this second method is a clean glass with a screw cap. Put all the small shampoo pieces into the glass with some boiling water and let the pieces dissolve. This creates a liquid shampoo (just a bit more watery) that you can use as usual. For the easiest application in the shower, we recommend pouring the liquid into a container with a pump dispenser. It's best to recycle something, e.g., an old clean shampoo bottle. Use the self-made liquid within a few weeks.

Conditioner Tips & Tricks

1. For best results: Leave the conditioner in your hair for 2-4 minutes. The conditioner is only "activated" when rinsed out. If you feel you don't have enough in your hair, add some water to activate it and go from there... you'll notice with conditioner too that "less is more"!
2. What do you do when your conditioner is nearing the end of its life and you only have small pieces left? Absolutely do not throw them away! Here are two more Zero Waste tricks for you:
• Melt & Shape Method: If your solid conditioner has become too small to use effectively, use a small aluminum dish (e.g., self-formed with aluminum foil) into which you can place your pieces. Bring a small amount of water to a boil in a pot. Place your aluminum dish with the conditioner pieces into it - attention: no water must get into the dish! Once all the conditioner remnants have melted, place the filled dish in the refrigerator until the mass has hardened. Take your newly formed and larger conditioner out of the dish and use it as usual again. 
• Stacking Method: You can also stack your remaining conditioner pieces on top of each other and thus form them into a new one. To do this, let the wet pieces dry stacked on top of each other so they stick together. The moisture helps them adhere to each other and thus extends the life of your bar. Apply the stack carefully, and over time it will deform into a solid new bar.

Wow! You've read all the tips & tricks so far. Now you're more than ready for solid hair care. What are you waiting for? Your hair and the planet will thank you! Still not convinced? Read here why you should definitely try it!

If you don't have Green Room's Suds & Silk yet, here is the entire selection for you.