Over the last few months I have completely neglected my liquid shampoos replacing them entirely with solid shampoo bars. I have no qualms admitting that I much prefer the liquid format as I find it more convenient and pleasurable to use. The solid format does have numerous advantages though, particularly from an ecological stance. They are usually packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes and in terms of economy they last twice as long as a standard bottle of liquid shampoo. After considering these 2 important advantages I wanted to find out if I should consider moving over to the world of solid shampoos entirely!
I tested 4 solid shampoos, all of which are made in France, aiming to compare and contrast them to see which one will come out victorious!
- Sweetie from Pachamamaï for all hair type
- Glamourous from Pachamamaï for dry hair
- Scots Pine from Lamazuna for normal hair
- Solid Repair from Secrets de Provence for damaged & colour-treated hair
Packaging
All four shampoos are packaged in a recyclable cardboard box. To my surprise when I opened the box, Secrets de Provence’s Solid Repairer, is ALSO wrapped in a plastic bag. I find this additional packaging quite unnecessary as the cardboard would suffice. This addition is quite a big drawback considering that the ethical nature of the packaging to be one of the dry shampoos big draws. This definitely means it’s a win for Lamazuna and Pachamamaï on the packaging!
Principaux Actifs
Sweetie from Pachamamaï: Rice Milk (softening), Coconut oil (nourishing), Bitter Orange essential oil (brings shine). Certified Slow Cosmetic.
Glamourous from Pachamamaï: Clays (cleanse scalp), Baobab oil (nourishing), Shea Butter (nourishing), Vegetable Glycerin (humectant and moisturizer), Cider Vinegar (brings shine), Ylang Ylang essential Oil (strength and shine). Certified Slow Cosmetic.
Scots Pine from Lamazuna: Clays (cleanse the scalp), Coconut oil (nourishing), Glycerin (humectant and moisturizer) Scots Pine essential oil (purifies). Certified Slow Cosmetic.
Solid Repair from chez Secrets de Provence: Glycerin (humectant and moisturizer), Shea butter (nourishing), Argan oil (brings shine), Aloe Vera (moisturizer), Ginseng Root (promotes growth hair). Certified organic by Ecocert.
The ingredients of all 4 shampoos is healthy, natural and contains no aggressive ingredients so it’s a 4 way draw in this round!
Application
It is very simple to use dry shampoos, you either lather them in your hands like a normal soap and then apply the later to wet hair, or alternatively just rubbed the shampoo directly onto your hair.
I personally prefer the latter as it is quicker and more efficient. When I used all 4 shampoos in this manner I found that the fluted shape of Lamazuna shampoo was not very comfortable when massaging it directly into your scalp.
As for the grip, they all have practical shapes but my favourite was definitely the Secret de Provence shampoo which is the easiest to handle thanks to its unique floral ring format.
Price
Sweetie from Pachamamaï €12,50 65gr
Glamourous from Pachamamaï €12.50 65gr
Scots Pine from Lamazuna €12,50 55gr
Secrets of Provence Secrets de Provence €7.50 85g
The Lamazuna Scots Pine is the most expensive of the 4 with its price being similar to the Pachamamaï shampoos but weighing 10 grams less. The secret of Provence costs less than the other 3 and is bigger in size and considerably heavier.
Conclusion
The first important point I feel I should emphasise is that all the shampoos produce an abundant foam which is light, pleasant and distributes fairly easily. I’m not sure about you but I just can’t abide a shampoo that doesn’t foam!! Moreover, they all managed to completely wash out very oily hair masks in 2 rinses! Now to the result……..
The Secrets de Provence Solid Repairer is a super nourishing shampoo that doesn’t weigh my hair down at all. At first I liked it a lot as it seemed to be a perfect shampoo for my fine and dry hair. Unfortunately though, during continued use, I found that it dried up my scalp to the point that I scratched my head continually! As a result, I ended up using it as a hand soap instead. I will definitely not be buying this shampoo again.
I was pleasantly surprised by Lamazuna’s Scots Pine shampoo which isn’t made for my dry hair type and yet was surprisingly effective. It washes well and leaves my hair so soft and light that I don’t even need to use a conditioner! The only slight negative would be its quite high price point considering its small size.
As for the Glamourous of Pachamamaï I have a rather mixed opinion. It washed my hair well but I felt that it tended to make my hair drier which is slightly concerning for a shampoo intended specifically for dry hair. In addition this shampoo crumbles when you use it which causes it to run out far faster than the others.
I much prefer this shampoos sibling, the Sweetie, which is my favourite. The Sweetie brings a lot of softness and silkiness to my hair. It perfectly detangles my long fine hair which tends to get tangled easily. I now completely understand the craze around this shampoo on social media as my hair absolutely adores it.
In my opinion The Sweetie is the best of the four although the Lamazuna follows very closely behind! The Sweetie is cheaper and its pebble shape is more pleasant to use than the Lamazuna which gives it the edge! Seeing as my hair loves the Sweetie so much I think I have found my shampoo buddy ^^
For any DIY lovers out there it’s also super simple to make your own solid shampoos! If you want to give it a try I strongly recommend trying out the recipe of the french blogger Naturellement Lyla as it is superb!
Have you tried any other solid shampoo bars? If so, which is your favorite and why? I would love to hear in the comments section below your experiences!
