Suggestions for bar shampoo that would condition and be good for travel

[ohdokey]

Hi! We are going to be travelling a lot coming up. I would like to get a shampoo bar that would have a conditioning agent, be ok for henna hair, and also maybe work for my kids' hair. Is this too much to hope for in one little bar?

[mira-chan]

Most nice soap bars will do that. Chagrin valley was a popular one here. Soap should be no more damaging to henna than shampoo, herb washing. Do note that soap is alkaline and you will need to follow up with an acid rinse, with something like vinegar or citric acid. It could work just fine for your kids too, but be careful about getting into eyes, jsut like regular shampoo it's not pH balanced for the yes, and follow up with a vinegar rinse for them as well.

[Katrine]

Sweet Creek Herbal Soap on Etsy has lovely bars as well. I really like the Lavender Shea Silk Shampoo Bar and Lavender Chamomile Goat Milk Shampoo Bar. You can order sample packs to try and order full size bars of your favorites.

[meliel]

I cannot even begin to express how much I love shampoo bars from Lush! There is one in particular called 'Godiva' that is a shampoo and conditioner in one, and I often use it just as shampoo because it doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy at all. I can either go on and use another type of conditioner or just use the bar itself and that's it. I really suggest you look into these bars, you'll probably find something that you like. :) https://www.lush.co.uk/products/shampoo-bars

[kganihanova]

Yeah, lush bars don't need a vinegar rinse

[ohdokey]

Ok, will definitely be trying some of these! thanks

[Cania]

Please be aware that lush bars are not true shampoo bars. They are more a solid shampoo and will not have the same conditioning benefit. That is why they don't need the acv rinse.

I found them hideously drying, even with conditioner even my forehead was getting flaky!

[kganihanova]

They're good for a short time. Which it sounds like she needs. Plus doing an ACV rinse with kids is a nightmare- not that I have any.

[teela1978]

Lush (or similar) solid shampoos would be my vote. They do have sulfates, so aren't great if you have sensitivities to those... I use sulfates regularly and love them myself. Lush also has some solid conditioners that work decently.

[furnival]

I took a Lush Godiva 'conditioning' shampoo (solid SLS) bar with me whilst I travelled round India for six months, and by the end of that my hair was brittle, fried and so damaged that it had actually got shorter during that period. I had done nothing but wash every few days with the bar and wear it up every day. I would hesitate to recommend it for long-term use based on my experience.

[meliel]

I've used Karma Komba and Godiva for the past year and never experienced these problems, my hair only seems to keep growing longer and is in a healthy state... It's too bad a few people had terrible experiences :( not fun

[Cania]

I'm not denying that they have a place for some people, they can be ideal if you just want a solid shampoo! But a lot of people use shampoo bars for their conditioning properties (they have allowed me to give up conditioner completely) but you just will not get that from the lush bars. If you use them, it is almost certain you will need to follow up with conditioner. They are probably fine if you treat them like a conventional shampoo, I just wanted to make OP aware of the differences.

If you don't want to travel with any bottles, a shampoo bar and some citric acid pouches.

As an aside, lush solid conditioners smell lovely but are insanely hard to use imo and I'm not sure rubbing the bars on the hair shaft is very good for it and I found lathering them in my hands too tedious haha. I also notice a shampoo bar will last me 6+ months, but a Lush solid shampoo only lasts about a month. "Real" shampoo bars offer me better value for money, which I didn't expect!

ETA: I am not sensitive to sulfates, I used to use them with success :) I think I just have a very delicately balanced scalp and they stripped too much oil. Looking at the reviews on the site, even the positive ones sometimes comment on how drying it is, so YMMV. I'm not saying don't use them, I'm just saying proceed with caution and don't think that they are shampoo bars (and therefore carry the same benefits) because they aren't :horse:

If you do go for the Lush, the carry tins are good but can get stuck sometimes... or maybe I am just feeble...

[meliel]

I'm not denying that they have a place for some people, they can be ideal if you just want a solid shampoo! But a lot of people use shampoo bars for their conditioning properties (they have allowed me to give up conditioner completely) but you just will not get that from the lush bars. If you use them, it is almost certain you will need to follow up with conditioner. They are probably fine if you treat them like a conventional shampoo, I just wanted to make OP aware of the differences.

If you don't want to travel with any bottles, a shampoo bar and some citric acid pouches.

As an aside, lush solid conditioners smell lovely but are insanely hard to use imo and I'm not sure rubbing the bars on the hair shaft is very good for it and I found lathering them in my hands too tedious haha. I also notice a shampoo bar will last me 6+ months, but a Lush solid shampoo only lasts about a month. "Real" shampoo bars offer me better value for money, which I didn't expect!

ETA: I am not sensitive to sulfates, I used to use them with success :) I think I just have a very delicately balanced scalp and they stripped too much oil. Looking at the reviews on the site, even the positive ones sometimes comment on how drying it is, so YMMV. I'm not saying don't use them, I'm just saying proceed with caution and don't think that they are shampoo bars (and therefore carry the same benefits) because they aren't :horse:

If you do go for the Lush, the carry tins are good but can get stuck sometimes... or maybe I am just feeble...

Cania, I really agree with you on the conditioner bars, I can't use them because it isn't conditioning enough for my hair and I find it extremely difficult to use. It leaves my hair just really dry and as if I didn't use any conditioner at all, unfortunately! So I always use bottled conditioner, I find it works better and my hair soaks up conditioner quickly!

[meliel]

Oh, and the shampoo bars do get stuck in the tins hehe, I also have this issue but I often just smack it right out of there :D I take the leftover shampoo bar pieces and actually mix it with water to make a liquid shampoo... I refuse to let anything go to waste haha :o