Solid shampoo
Switching to solid without getting it wrong.
A solid shampoo is not a hair soap. Both exist, they behave differently, and confusing the two is the most common reason a switch to solid goes badly.
Hair soap and solid shampoo are not the same thing
Hair soap is saponified: its pH sits around 9, it lifts the hair cuticle and needs an acid rinse — a spoon of vinegar in a litre of water — to close it again. A solid shampoo is a compacted surfactant at a pH close to the scalp’s, behaving like a liquid shampoo with the water taken out. On coloured or very dry hair, the second is the safer choice.
The three weeks nobody warns you about
A scalp used to silicones produces oil to compensate for what is being stripped. That production does not stop overnight: expect two to three weeks of heavier hair before the balance returns. Most people give up in week two and conclude the product does not suit them.
Making it last
A 60 g bar replaces roughly two 250 ml bottles — provided it dries between uses. Left in the bottom of a shower it dissolves; on a draining dish, out of the spray, it lasts three to four months.
My solid shampoo barely lathers — is that normal?
Yes, for the first few washes. Lather depends on what is still coating the hair: on a silicone-loaded head it comes poorly, and returns on its own once the hair is clear. Wetting generously and rubbing the bar between your hands rather than directly on your head also helps.
