Shampoo & Conditioner Bar from Morrocco Method: All Natural! Amazing Results!
I've been using Morrocco Method (MM) products on my hair exclusively for the last 4 years. If you're not familiar with Morrocco Method, take a look at my intro post here. I had a really difficult time figuring out their products back in 2014, when I first discovered the concept of nontoxic shampoo and gave MM a try. I gave up, partly because I was living in South Africa, without access to the products. But I tried again when I moved back to the U.S. in 2016, and I have been using their products exclusively for my hair care ever since. The post mentioned above addresses some of my tips for successfully shifting to MM shampoo from conventional shampoos, which are loaded with toxins.
To be perfectly honest, as much as I love having a nontoxic shampoo, the MM products that come in the plastic bottles do have some minor setbacks. For one, they come in plastic bottles. While the bottles are recyclable, I try to reduce my use of disposables as much as possible. Granted, the bottles do last upwards of 6 months, depending on usage frequency. But I'd rather have another option that doesn't require sending another item to the recycling center and crossing my fingers that it won't just be sent to a landfill.
Secondly, the shampoos in the bottles take time. They are highly concentrated and require some prep work before use. They also require extra time in the shower, since they don't lather. Most soaps and shampoos on the market, even the ones with words like "natural" and "organic" are full of sodium lauryl sulfate, a chemical that creates that sudsy feel, while damaging hair and skin, as well as increasing the body's overall toxin load. You can read up on the problems of SLS in this blog post from MM. I highly value the lack of SLS in MM shampoos so much that I'm willing to take the extra time, to avoid the exposure to toxins.
Without the suds, the MM bottled shampoos require extra effort than conventional shampoos, in making sure that the shampoo has been evenly distributed throughout the hair and scalp. I use a scalp massager, which helps a lot. And if I want a great hair day, I wash and rinse twice. The double wash also helps to nourish the hair and scalp, which is great! On days when I'm really thorough in washing with the bottled shampoos, I get great results and can go two or three days before having the need to wash again. However, when I’m in a hurry, I skip the second wash. This can result in a less than ideal hair day and the need to wash again the next day. So those are three things that can be a little challenging regarding the bottled shampoos: disposable bottles, extra time, and not always the greatest results.
But wait - I have great news! Last year, Morrocco Method launched a shampoo bar, as well as a conditioner bar and they are both amazing! The new products address those three challenges of the bottled shampoos. But before we get into those improvements, let's just talk about a shampoo bar for a minute. I'd first learned about the concept of a shampoo bar from a few eco-conscious influencers on Instagram. My first thought was, What the heck is that and how do you even use it? There's no way you can get a great hair day from rubbing a bar of soap on your head, right?? And secondly, I thought, But if it does work, that's pretty brilliant and so eco-friendly! So let me just reassure you that using a bar of soap for your hair is really easy and it offers fantastic results! On top of that, it truly is totally brilliant and eco-friendly!
Okay, now that we've addressed the elephant in the room, let's get back to the reasons why I love the shampoo bar and conditioner. Upon the arrival of your shampoo and conditioner bars, be sure to admire the beauty of the handmade products and inhale the gorgeous citrus scents of the conditioner. Next, find a spot for them in your shower or bathtub and then toss their boxes into your compost bin, because yes!! the packaging is 100% compostable!! How great is that?? Though FYI, while I tried storing the soap on the bathtub ledge in the bar's container in which it came, that option is not so ideal, as the soap stuck to the box between uses. Instead, I recommend a soap dish like these. The bars are also ideal for traveling, especially for camping, bike packing or general off-grid living, as they're small and compact, all-natural, last a long time and can be used dually as a hand, face and body wash. But you'll need a travel container, such as this adorable eco-friendly soap / shampoo bar bag from Elodie's Naturals, a company local to my area, in Northern Virginia.
The Morrocco Method shampoo bar saves a lot of time. Although it's made from 100% natural ingredients, there is a gentle lather that makes it so much easier to distribute the shampoo all over the hair and scalp, in contrast to the bottled shampoos. Keep in mind that unlike the bottled shampoos, the bars are not raw. Additionally, they contain sodium hydroxide, which can be seen as a controversial ingredient. MM stated the following in response to a customer review inquiring about the safety of the ingredient: "Our sodium hydroxide is sourced by natural means. It is impossible to make a shampoo/soap bar without this ingredient. In the case of bar making, there is no lye left after saponification process. If comparing it to other products that contain sodium hydroxide, then it's possible that those other products could be harmful as it's only used as a ph adjuster and still has lye in the final formulation." Wiehan is not a fan of the bottled shampoos, but he really loves the shampoo and conditioner bars. So if it comes down to using conventional shampoo, with a long list of toxic ingredients, or using the MM shampoo bar with naturally sourced sodium hydroxide, I'd definitely select the MM bar. Morrocco Method still suggests rotating out the shampoo bar with all the other bottled shampoos, to throughly nourish the hair with different nutrients. I would also agree with this advice, as the ingredients in the bottled shampoos are raw and provide a more gentle feel. For a while, before investing in the conditioner bar, I paired the shampoo bar with Pearl Essence Crème Rinse and Sapphire Volumizer Mist Conditioner & Moisturizer, which also work well. But I've found that the conditioner bar smooths out my hair much more so than the other conditioners. Unlike the shampoo bar, it doesn't lather, but instead is very creamy.
The last reason why I really love the shampoo and conditioner bars is that they give amazing results! I consistently have great hair days after using these products and can go 3 or 4 days before needing to wash my hair again. Before using MM products, I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner every day, added products like mousse to give it more lift and styled it with a blow dryer. I dreaded the idea of going out in public without having undergone this routine each day. Now, I love that I can go days without even getting my hair wet. MM products save so much water, and the shampoo and conditioner bars save a ton of time as well. If you're thinking about making the switch from conventional shampoos to a nontoxic option, the MM shampoo & conditioner bar are definitely the way to go! Check out how the shampoo is made in this video from Morrocco Method, and you can see the process for the conditioner here. And be sure to check out my own video, discussing why I'm a fan of the bars. To find out more about making the switch to 100% natural hair care, and for 10% off your first order, sign up for the MM Healthy Hair Club. And let us know how it goes in the comments below!
Tell us! What are your thoughts on the idea of a shampoo bar? Would you give it a try?
- Christin
