The debate has been ongoing for years: should I shampoo or condition my hair first if I want my hair to look and feel as healthy as possible? The popularity of shampoo bars and conditioner bars has done nothing to dampen the debate, but we're going to try our best to determine a solid answer. Today, we'll look at how shampoo and conditioner bars differ from liquid versions and what benefits they can offer your body.
How Do Shampoo Bars Differ From Liquid Shampoos?
The primary difference between a shampoo bar and liquid shampoo (and a conditioner bar and liquid conditioner) is that bar versions of your hair care products contain little if any water. In contrast, most liquid shampoos and conditioners on the market contain around 70-80 percent water. As it turns out, a lot of what we put on our heads in the shower is water, and we pay for it by the bottle!
This also means that shampoo and conditioner bars contain only the active ingredients required to clean and moisturize your hair. This is definitely one great reason to consider switching to shampoo and condition bars instead of the bottled stuff.
Does this make a difference on whether you shampoo or condition first? Not really. Let's continue.
Should I Use Shampoo Bars Before Conditioner Bars?
There is no undeniably right or wrong answer to this, and there are so many different opinions on the subject that, to a large extent, this is really down to your personal preference.
If you experiment and find that your hair is shinier when you condition it before you shampoo, then there is no reason why you should not continue to do that. If you shampoo before conditioning and find that this leaves your hair feeling cleanser and healthier, the same is true! Everyone's experience with shampoo and conditioner might be a little different, and it's more important to observe your own body than to take advice from the Internet without knowing whether or not it applies to your skin and hair. You may find that no shampoo
works for your hair. Lucky you, one less product you need to purchase.
The best hair care tip we can give is to experiment and do what works for you. Are you still looking for advice? Here are some commonly expressed reasons for conditioning first. Give them a read and see what you think.
Why Condition First?
The way most of us learned to cleanse our hair was, first with shampoo and then apply conditioner to lock in moisture before drying. Not everyone does it that way. Some people believe you should condition your hair before shampooing because it adds a protective layer to your hair that will help to minimize oil-stripping when you add shampoo. Your hair may be less likely to become frizzy when you condition it first. Using a conditioner bar first in your hair may also help to limit the damage you might do to the cuticle. That's just one goat milk perk!
Of course, if you are using a gentle shampoo bar, like our goat milk bars, then you are far less likely to damage your hair when shampooing in the first place. So again, it isn't easy to know for certain whether you should condition or shampoo first. For the most part, you'll find your answer in the way you prefer to wash your own hair.
Note, if your hair is fragile (bleached, color treated, chemically straightened or curled, damaged by medical treatments) be sure you are placing your finger tips under the hair and massaging the scalp not rubbing the hair strands against each other. Pat dry, do not rub.
When it comes to hair care, there is very little information set in stone, and by trying out both systems for a while, you can accurately assess the impact of shampooing before conditioning and vice versa.
Try Our Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Here at Tristegus, we have formulated some of the gentlest shampoo and conditioner bars using sustainable goat milk. These bars can significantly improve your hair and scalp health, and these sustainable products are better for the planet than plastic shampoo bottles, too. Why not give them a try?