In the summer of 2018 I made the switch to plastic-free LUSH shampoo bars. A few months later I made the switch to plastic-free conditioner bars as well. I’ve gotten quite a few questions about my experience and I wanted to give a truly honest review about what using shampoo and conditioner bars is like! It wasn’t the easiest transition so I want to be transparent about the ups and downs of this step on my journey to having a more natural and plastic-free beauty routine.

LUSH Shampoo Bars

I have had a good experience with shampoo bars from the beginning. LUSH recommends that you run the shampoo bars under water and then from the roots to the ends of your hair two to three times. The bars suds up like CRAZY and I really did only needed two little swipes of it to fully clean my hair. The first shampoo bar I tried was the Karma Komba from LUSH, and it is known for its scent and being a good de-tangling shampoo. The Patchouli scent was a bit too strong for my liking but it did make my hair easier to manage.

After a few months of using my shampoo bar it melted and could not become solid again. I think water must have gotten stuck in the little tin that I keep it in while it was drying out. After the tragic ending of my first shampoo bar I switched to the Montalbano. The Montalbano is made for dull hair and it soothes the scalp. I love the citrusy smell of this bar much better, and have noticed my hair becoming more shiny as time goes on.

Though LUSH shampoo bars are vegan and cruelty-free, they do use safe synthetic ingredients in their bars. There are other brands that sell sulfate free shampoo bars if that is important for your haircare routine. Either way, shampoo bars are a super simple way to cut out plastic from your everyday use. Overall, I love LUSH shampoo bars. It has been one of the easier plastic-free switches to my daily routine and they make traveling a breeze.

LUSH Conditioner Bars

After having such a great experience with shampoo bars, I tried a LUSH conditioner bar. I started with the Jungle conditioner bar which is meant for hair that needs deep-conditioning and smoothing. It did not work on my hair. The conditioner bars by nature don’t lather up as the shampoo bars do so I had trouble getting the conditioner in my hair. I eventually found that it was best to just run it through my hair over and over until my hair felt covered. After my hair dried it was not as smooth or shiny as it normally was with regular conditioner. Also, because I ran it through my hair so many times, I went through an entire bar in only a few weeks. It was very frustrating.

I was ready to swear off conditioner bars, but found myself in a LUSH store right as my Jungle bar bit the dust. One of the store employees recommended I try BIG after hearing about my frustrating experience with Jungle. BIG is meant to be ultra-hydrating and brings volume and shine to limp locks. I was skeptical to try conditioner bars again but I loved BIG since the first time I used it. I only have to swipe this bar through my hair a few times for it to feel soft and smooth. And even when my hair dries it looks shiny and full. After relying on leave-in conditioner for years, I have not reached for it once since switching to BIG.

While my shampoo bars last for at least a few months, I cannot say the same for conditioner bars. My hair is almost constantly dry and needs a lot of conditioner to be its best so I go through them quickly. I still prefer using a conditioner bar, however. I see the value in choosing package-free products whenever I can.

The conditioner bar experience showed me that any switch to your beauty routine takes getting used to. And there is no one-size-fits-all personal care product! Don’t give up if your first swap isn’t the best swap for your hair. I had to try two different conditioner bars until I found the one I liked best for my hair. Overall, it is a more difficult process to find a conditioner bar that works for your hair than it is to find a shampoo bar that works for you. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up altogether just yet.

LUSH Hair Masks

Hair masks are not a regular part of my haircare routine, but I want to make sure to mention them. When I made the switch to my new conditioner bar I was nervous that my hair wouldn’t be as shiny or hydrated as it used to be. So I added the Roots hair mask to my routine. I use it about once a week to keep my roots healthy & keep my hair feeling its absolute best. Roots is my first hair mask that I use regularly so I cannot compare it to others. But I can confidently say that my scalp feels refreshed after using it. I especially like to use it when I feel product buildup in my scalp from solid haircare products.

These LUSH masks aren’t plastic-free, but the tubs are made from 100% recycled plastic. Plus, if you collect five of them and send them back to LUSH, you get a free mask. This has been a great transitional product for me to use while my hair finishes adjusting to solid shampoo and conditioner.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which help keep this site running. All opinions are my own, and none of these LUSH products were gifted to me. I just genuinely love them!

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