One simple way to reduce your waste and become more environmentally friendly, is to switch to alternative products that do not use plastic packaging that end up being tossed into the bin once they’re used up, like a shampoo bar. Another simple way to reduce a lot of waste is to start composting.

I tried some of South African’s very own Zero shampoo bars before and was thoroughly impressed by them and have been using them for some time now. Recently they introduced a charcoal shampoo bar, which I managed to try out and I must say I think is my favourite one!

“Our Proudly South African, Zero Shampoo Bars are anything but average. Packed full of all the good stuff, and made using zero of the things that leave behind a mess. This shampoo bar will get you through 55 – 70 hair washes which will outlast most of your favourite bottled shampoo’s. Wash away knowing you are leaving behind zero waste!”

• Zero plastic packaging
• Zero palm oil in the ingredients
• Zero water in the ingredients

The Charcoal Bar

“I’m the lightweight cleanser. I deeply nourish and cleanse both your hair and scalp. I’m packed with activated charcoal to help wash away scalp build-up.”

“A scalp refresher you never knew you needed!”

Some of the Ingredients:

• Argan oil (hydrates and softens)
• Macadamia nut oil (shines and strengthens)
• Avocado oil (a deep penetrating moisturiser)
• Linseed oil (nutritious for hair follicles)
• Grapeseed oil (moisturises and conditions)
• Sunflower oil (nourishes and soothes the scalp)
• Coconut oil (stimulates hair growth)

Why switch to shampoo bars

1. Reduce plastic bottle waste. Think about all those shampoo and conditioner plastic bottles that get thrown away every few months when the shampoo is finished. You could avoid sending all that plastic into the environment by making the switch to a shampoo bar.
2. Less palm oil use. Palm oil production results in a lot of deforestation.
3. More natural. Most shampoo bars like this use more natural ingredients and ones that are biodegradable than most bottled shampoos.
4. Ease of use. Shampoo bars are easier to carry and travel with. They are nice and small and won’t spill and you can take them on the plane without that hassle of having to make sure you only have 100 mls of liquid.

The Review

Use:

When I received this charcoal shampoo bar to try, I was using another generic charcoal soap bar, which you can find at most plastic free shops. I naturally had to draw a comparison between the two and without a doubt the Zero bar charcoal shampoo bar is much better suited as a ‘shampoo bar’. As a soap bar the generic one is wonderful and can be used as a sort of exfoliating soap as well, but the Zero bar lathers and foams a lot more making it the ideal shampoo bar. I also feel my hair feels a lot better and less oily after a wash with the zero bar.

The other thing that makes this charcoal shampoo bar my favourite, is the fragrance. It has a lovely eucalyptus fragrance that is just incredible. That alone got me hooked as I really love the eucalyptus smell!

It is easy to use. Use it just like a soap bar, lather between your hands and apply to your hair (and body). You don’t need that much, just a bit and then rub your hands together to get it to foam up. Ladies with longer hair would probably need a bit more of a lather, or may need to put a hand through your hair a couple of times. 

For me, the bar worked well on my hair. I have oily hair that builds up after a few days, and after washing my hair with this bar all that oily build up was gone leaving it feeling refreshed (and smelt so nice :p ). I do not see myself ever going back to conventional shampoos or conditioners ever again thanks to these shampoo bars.

Cost

The bars can be purchased online from various places as well as from their website for +- R85. It may sound expensive, but when you compare them with conventional shampoos and how long the bars last you realize it really is not that bad. And you are reducing your waste without even trying Check their website for a full list of stockists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Eco living in SA (@letsecolife)

The best thing to do is give one of these bars a try and see if you like it! It may take a bit of getting used to, using a ‘soap bar as a shampoo’ instead of liquid shampoo, but once you get a feel for it, you won’t look back. They are really magnificent and smell really great, and with many different fragrances you are bound to find your favourite. Do let me know your experiences with them or if you need any  more info!

For more Photos:

• @fitnish

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The post A Look And Review Of Zero Bar’s New Addition, The Charcoal Shampoo Bar appeared first on FitNish.com.

Check out a few pictures of them below  

“Our Proudly South African, Zero Shampoo Bars are anything but average. Packed full of all the good stuff, and made using zero of the things that leave behind a mess. This shampoo bar will get you through 55 – 70 hair washes which will outlast most of your favourite bottled shampoo’s. Wash away knowing you are leaving behind zero waste!”

• Zero plastic packaging
• Zero palm oil in the ingredients
• Zero water in the ingredients

Keep us Zero Bar SHAMPOO BARS and Zero Bar HAIR & BODY BARS protected and dry with this handy, re-usable gem of a tin. It’s also the perfect little house for us bars when you take us from place to place. Don’t leave a Bar Bro behind!

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The post Zero Bar’s Hair And Body Bars New Addition, The Bar Saver! appeared first on FitNish.com.

“Our Proudly South African, Zero Shampoo Bars are anything but average. Packed full of all the good stuff, and made using zero of the things that leave behind a mess. This shampoo bar will get you through 55 – 70 hair washes which will outlast most of your favourite bottled shampoo’s. Wash away knowing you are leaving behind zero waste!”

• Zero plastic packaging
• Zero palm oil in the ingredients
• Zero water in the ingredients

Zero bar flavours:

• Jojoba oil
• Moringa oil
• Argan oil
• Desert melon oil 

Why switch to shampoo bars

1. Reduce plastic bottle waste. Think about all those shampoo and conditioner plastic bottles that get thrown away every few months when they shampoo finished. You could avoid sending all that plastic into the environment by making the switch to a shampoo bar.
2. Less palm oil use. Palm oil production results in a lot of deforestation.
3. More natural. Most shampoo bars use more natural ingredients and ones that are biodegradable than most bottled shampoos.
4. Ease of use. Shampoo bars are easier to carry and travel with. They are nice and small and won’t spill and you can take them on the plane without that hassle of having to make sure you only have 100 mls of liquid.

The Zero Bar Review:

Ingredients:

The ingredients are listed below:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
• Agar
• Peg- 7 Glyceryl Cocoate
• Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Oil
• Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolized Silk
• Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
• Steartrimonium Chloride
• Citric Acid
• Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
• Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
• Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
• Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil
• Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
• Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
• Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
• Hydrolized Keratin
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone
• Methylisothiazolinone
• CL 3844459, CL 934210

I am not going to lie and say I know what every one of those ingredients are, so I won’t comment much on them without doing some research first, but it is good to see a lot of natural oils on the list, and no Palm oil, which is one of the main features of this bar.

Use:

I gave it a try and the zero shampoo bar is easy to use. Use it just like a soap bar, lather between your hands and apply to your body and hair. You don’t need that much, just a bit and then rub your hands together to get it to foam up. Ladies with long hair would probably need a bit more. I am yet to see how long it lasts, but judging from how much I use, I’m sure it will last me a good number of months, maybe even a year. 

I had already made the switch to a more natural soap for my face, body and hair with the pure simple soap, so I will not be buying a bottled shampoo ever again.

For me, the bar worked well on my hair and I can’t really say if there was a big difference compared to using a bottled shampoo (head and shoulders). I do quite like the smell of these bars though. One thing to remember, if you travel with the bars and keep them in a small container, is to not leave them in the container when they are quite wet. Rather let them dry a bit outside before placing back into your container after use. This just helps them not become soggy and keep their shape.

Cost

The bars can be purchased online from various places one being harmless house for +- R75. It may sound expensive, but when you compare them with conventional shampoos and how long the bars last you realise it really is not that bad. And you are reducing your waste without even trying Check their website for a full list of stockists.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2UkgZ-gjZz/

I was also sent a bamboo toothbrush to try, which is quite nice, and a whole lot more environmentally friendly than conventional plastic toothbrushes. Just be sure to make sure you choose one suited to you, I.e. Soft, medium or hard bristles. I use very soft bristles and find even the soft bamboo brushes to be a tad bit too hard. 

So in conclusion.. which one will you choose?

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The post I Tried A Shampoo Bar, Why You Should Switch To Hair And Body Bars To! SA’s Own ‘Zero Shampoo Bar’ Review appeared first on FitNish.com.