Have you ever seen those photos from Asia of the beaches and oceans completely inundated with plastic bits and other garbage? Shocking and hard to look at, am I right? That was the big smack upside the head for me.

I’d already heard about the Great Pacific Garbage patch and been suitably disgusted but it wasn’t until I saw the photos from Bali that I really thought long and hard about my own plastic use and made an intention to do something about it.

Its challenging because plastic is cheap and it.is.EVERYWHERE! It feels overwhelming and hopeless at times. It feels like it’d be easier to throw up my hands and say “Oh well”, leaving it at the that.

But I cant do that in good conscious. And while it IS overwhelming it is NOT hopeless. If each of us does one small thing every day, collectively we can affect change. It might come slowly but it WILL come. Just watch and see.

In preparing for my upcoming trip, I remembered that Lush makes solid shampoo and conditioner bars. The last time I tried them, frankly, they sucked. I think it was a combination of lack of knowledge on my part and unsuitability on the product’s end.

Simply put, I didn’t know how to use them and I bought the wrong kind for my hair.

I decided to give them another try but this time I did some research and gained some tips-which I will share with you-and made sure I got products that met my hair’s needs.

My hair, much like my personality, is ALL OVER the place. It’s straight in the front, wavy in the back and drier than the desert. I’m about 50% grey-which tends to run dry anyway-plus, I bleach it and bleaching is very hard on hair. (I dream of the day when I go all natural!)

ANYway, the very nice girl at Lush, in Kingsway Garden Mall recommended I try a Godiva Shampoo bar. It was the most moisturizing one out of the bunch. I wasn’t all that keen on the dominant scent-Jasmine- but bought it knowing it suited my needs.

Next up- conditioner!-Jungle was what I bought, to “soften and tame wild hair” HA! That’s exactly what I need.

I also bought a couple more metal containers to store them in and this is what the whole lot looks like:

So what’s the verdict?

I like! My hair, while still not completely smooth is SO soft! I annoyed the heck out of my husband ALL day with “Honey! Feel my hair! Soft, isn’t it?” Ha Ha Ha, poor guy.

The shampoo bar makes a very nice, rich lather and my hair felt clean. I even managed to get over the smell, finding that I liked the scent on my drying hair.

The conditioner bar was odd at first. I was able to get it to soften up and release conditioner onto my hands but ended up running the bar over my head to ensure I got something more out of it. It seemed like I wasn’t getting enough. After I combed it all through my hair though, I could see that it was indeed doing its job and felt better about the whole thing. And then after I rinsed it all off, the glorious silky feeling confirmed it for me.

So two thumbs up for both products from me. I’m happy with the results and my hair DOES feel well moisturized. The bars were super easy to use and are completely packable for travel. Leaving me with more room to haul over sunscreen, essential oils and bug spray. The best part about all of this though is that I’ve stopped contributing my shampoo and conditioner bottles to the plastic problem we all share in. Yay!

OK, now for some tips:

1. Some people rub the shampoo bar over their heads, from forehead to nape, in one straight motion, but its better for beginners to work up a lather in their hand and then apply that to the hair.
2. The exception to this of course is that if you are unable to work up a lather or release any cream from the conditioner bar, it might be best if you do run it over your head. Play around and see what works best for your noggin.
3. Rinse, rinse, rinse. Paying special attention to the nape of you neck. Rinse for at least one minute.
4. Set your bars on a small towel to dry before putting in their container or line your containers with parchment or fabric. (Cut up an old washcloth) The bars will be wet and squishy after use and will become stuck like glue. You will have one hell of a time getting them out otherwise!
5. Identify your hair needs and buy accordingly.

Have you ever used a shampoo/conditioner bar on your hair? What was your experience? What do you do to reduce your plastic use? Do you have any tips you think are clever and helpful? Please share!