Shampoo With A Purpose Cleansing Bars

A bar of soap which combines a healthy-for-hair shampoo AND a conditioner? It does exist, and you’ might be surprised to know that it works brilliantly too.

• What Is It: A shampoo and conditioner combined in a single, neat cleansing bar.
• Why buy: The cleansing bar does what it promises for your hair, and it’s eco-friendly saving on plastic bottles.
• The Details: Shampoo With A Purpose costs rrp $15 for a 135g bar, available from selected stockists nationally and www.shampoowithapurpose.com.

Road Test 

I’ve never used a combined shampoo and conditioner due to having oily hair, and as recommended by my hairdresser years ago in London, for me conditioner should only used on the length of my hair, not the scalp, so as not to make the scalp any oilier. And when it comes to soap, even though I had a flirtation with beauty bars in the 1990s, I haven’t used one since childhood. So when I was sent essentially a bar of soap which can wash AND condition hair, and can be used on the body, my curiosity was piqued. I had to try this odd product, if only to prove it wrong. The result was that I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome, as well as delighted to learn about how much plastic using it saves. Shampoo With A Purpose is a range of four naturally formulated, solid cleansing bars offering an effective and plastic-free alternative to traditional shampoos and conditioners. In Australia alone, over 27 per cent of us purchase single use plastic bottles each week, from bottled water and food products, to shampoos and conditioners. And even with recycling, plastic can take 20-1,000 years to degrade on its own, posing the earth with a big problem. Shampoo With A Purpose aims to tackle this head on. Gender neutral and catering to all hair types, colours, moisture levels, and thickness, its range of cleansing bars includes The O.G., Dry or Damaged, Colour Treated, and Volume. Each bar equates to approximately six retail sized bottles of traditional shampoo and conditioner, and they are created on triple-milling, commercial soap machinery, which makes the formula consistent as well as free from harsh chemicals, plastics and animal by-products. They're also pH balanced for scalp health, and contain a lineup of effective local and internationally sourced ingredients including Moroccan argan oil, shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, sandalwood, seaweed extract, ginseng, sage, lilly pilly, jojoba, avocado, and vitamin-rich Kakadu plum. As the saying goes, the proof in the pudding is in the eating, however, so how did these cleansing bars stack up in my road test? The answer is great. I tried the one for colour treated hair, wetting the bar and rubbing it in my hands initially to get the lather going, which was easy, then rubbing it on my super thick short hair to continue the process. Once you’ve worked the lather through you hair and had a good scrub, all you need to do to allow the conditioning elements to do their bit is leave the lather on for a few minutes, then rinse out. Afterwards, to my delight and surprise, my hair was soft, shiny and super clean. Shampoo With A Purpose is upping the ante in haircare in many ways, and whether you use this product on your travels or at home you will be not only treating your hair to some TLC but also doing a small bit to save the planet. 

Beauty In Travel Loves

• These cleansing bars lather up easily even in thick hair.
• They're rich, luxurious and smell great.
• They're ideally sized for, and suited to travellers.
• The cleansing bars are vegan and sulphate-free, while also saving on plastic bottles. 

Insider Tips

• Multipurpose and travel-friendly, each cleansing bar can also substitute as a rinse-out hair treatment when used in excess of 10+ minutes, and it can additionally be used on the body as an all-over wash.