Transparency clause: HiBar sent me products to review at my own request. All opinions described here are fully my own.
Solid shampoo has been on the market for years, though just recently it has become more popular in the mainstream. I have tried different brands in my attempts to align household products with more ecologically-helpful options. But for one reason or another, I always find myself back to those big bulky bottles because they’re seemingly more convenient to grab when I’m at the store.
If you have followed me for a while, you know I am one who likes to experiment with different products that are healthier and safer for the environment (more examples in this previous post). So when I heard about HiBar hair products, I was instantly curious to read some reviews and see if these would really be any different than what I had tried in the past.
I’m here to tell you, they are.
To help you see why I’m really loving this shampoo and conditioner, I’ll give you the rundown on HiBar basics. Just so you know, I’ve used these products a few times already because I wanted to get really familiar before writing my review.
The Packaging
Because HiBar is on a mission to reduce plastic waste, you can imagine that the packaging would be minimal. From the small cardboard box you receive in the mail to the paper that wraps the bar inside, everything is recyclable. They really make sure not to waste any space to keep shipping efficient and eco-friendly.
The Shampoo and Conditioner
HiBar offers three different types of shampoo and conditioner each.
- Moisturize bars: Best for hair that tends to be frizzy or dull.
- Maintain bars: Best for hair that gets washed regularly, and if you use a lot of hair products when styling.
- Volumize bars: great for both fine hair and naturally curly hair because they’re infused with B5 vitamin.
My Winning Combination
One thing I love is that you can mix and match what bars you order (like I did!). I got the Maintain shampoo bar and the Moisturize conditioner bar. I tend to use dry shampoo every couple of days when I’m in between washes. My hair is also on the thicker side but has no curl. The Maintain bar is perfect for making sure any product build-up is released while infusing your hair with essential oils.
Maintain Shampoo Pros
- The scent! Seriously, so fresh, citrusy, and light. It makes the whole room smell amazing.
- The lather! As I said, I have tried other solid shampoo in the past, but was not very impressed, for one, because it lacked suds. When I shampoo, I want to see and feel the sudsy clean and I definitely get that with HiBar shampoo.
- The fresh, clean feeling that lasts with my hair for days. I only wash my hair a couple of times per week. Nothing has had to change in that arena since I’ve started using HiBar.
- The shape! I have never come across shampoo bars that have this unique shape. Most are round like a bar of soap. These actually fit perfectly in your hand and the pointed edge makes it easy to lather into your scalp.
Maintain Shampoo Cons
- The scent doesn’t seem to cling to my hair after washing. It smells so good and I wish it did! That’s really the only thing I wish was a little better.
Moisturize Conditioner Pros
- It feels just like “normal” conditioner. As soon as I massage in the conditioner, I can feel the creaminess cover the ends of my hair.
- It rinses out easily. No sitting there for minutes on minutes trying to make sure I’m not going to have unexpected leftover buildup.
- Safer ingredients means it’s not only better for my hair, but what is rinsed down the drain is friendlier to our land and water.
- The bar lasts a long time. Generally, with liquid products, I would always run out of conditioner before shampoo (I love conditioner and my hair is thicker).
Moisturize Conditioner Cons
- The lack of scent. While the shampoo is a 10/10 in this category, the Moisturize conditioner bar has little to no scent.
- Learning how to maneuver the conditioner bar through your hair is tricky at first. I find that my hair needs to be sopping wet in order for the product to rub off the bar and onto my hair. It took a few tries, but I think I got a routine down.
Extra Tid-Bits
All of HiBar’s shampoo and conditioner bars are sulfate, phthalate, paraben, and silicon-free (most popular shampoos can’t say that). This means that these bars are made mostly with plant-based products, instead of harsh chemicals that are not great for the environment or your scalp. The length of times that these bars are meant to last will vary, depending on how often you wash. HiBar is confident in saying that a shampoo bar should last at least as long as a typical 16 oz. bottle of liquid shampoo.
HiBar is currently offering free shipping on orders over $20. Basically, if you get one shampoo and one conditioner, you’ll hit that mark. They also have special bundle pricing if you choose to grab the same kind of shampoo and conditioner.
What do you think? Are you ready to give solid shampoo a go? Let me know in the comments if you found this review helpful!