Consider the amount of packaging you discard every day. Plastic is in all of it, from the sandwich wrapper to the crisp packet, from the disposable diaper to the shampoo bottle. Yes, the shampoo bottle… There’s a major global thrust at the moment to ditch plastic bottling of shampoo: roughly half a billion empty bottles wind up in landfills annually, and that doesn’t account for those which end their days littering the seas and shores. Well-known British cosmetics brand Lush seems to have been the driving force behind the trend; their package-less, chemical-free shampoo bars (which purportedly last three times longer than your average bottle of the stuff) utilise essential oils and fresh ingredients for a wash that really gets to the root of the problem. Which would be very valuable here in Cyprus (hot, sticky summers = more hair washing) if only Lush were available on the island.
Luckily, they’re not the only brand to clock the value of long-lasting, package-free shampoo. At least two local companies have begun making their own versions, promising they’re just as good, equally ecologically-friendly, and cheaper to boot! So we thought we’d give both types a try to see how they fare in the punishing heat (and endless swims) of a Cyprus summer.
We began with Vegenero, a Limassol-based e-commerce eco-company which sells all over the world. Founded and run by Maria Roussou, the name is an amalgam of vegan and eros, and the tagline is ‘Good for you – good for our planet and good for our Island in Cyprus’. With products that are 100 per cent natural and homemade from quality vegan ingredients sourced in the main from the island itself, the entire line is chemical and toxin-free. And that includes their shampoo bars which, says Maria, are actually multi-use.
“Our shampoo bars can also be used as a soap, and come in a variety of scents,” Maria explains. “At the moment we’ve got coffee, charcoal, and lavender bars, and I’m in the process of creating a peppermint and eucalyptus version. All are highly effective,” she continues, “you don’t even need to use a conditioner afterwards as, over time, shampoo bars will bring an equilibrium back to the scalp and hair. And though they’re not for everyone,” she says, acknowledging that it takes a few washes for the hair to detox from the chemicals in normal shampoo, and some people may find them too much of a change, “on the whole people love them.”
Maria has chosen the Vegebar Coffee for me: a soap and shampoo bar infused with freshly-brewed ground coffee and coffee grounds with minty-fresh eucalyptus notes which not only promises to help with hair balding, hair growth, and hair shine, but also reduces signs of ageing, cellulite, sunburn, and inflammation
(Yes!). It arrives wrapped in a page from a comic book – a lovely touch, and I can’t wait to try it…
But wait! Before we give our verdict, let’s talk about Gaia Olea’s version. Another local handmade cosmetics company, Gaia Olea was founded by Elsie Hadjipavli, an aromatherapist and holistic therapies practitioner, in 2013. The name reflects both the goddess Earth, and the olive tree which lends its oil to so many of the products, along with a host of other organic, sustainable and ethical ingredients. Elsie has sent us two shampoo bars: the Aloe Vera and Green Tea Detoxifying (which detoxes the scalp and promotes hair growth) and the Orange and Patchouli Spice (both neatly wrapped in recyclable brown paper), as well as a bottle of herb and essential-oil infused apple cider vinegar (recommended for rinsing).
I try the Vegenero bar first, and realise Maria is right. Used to years of chemical-filled shampoos, I’m wondering where the lather is. But here’s the weird thing: while I need two washes with bottled shampoo to get that squeaky clean feel to my hair, one quick rinse with the bar and I’m there. Of course, without conditioner my hair seems rather tangled post-shower: there’s quite a struggle with the comb and, when dry, my hair isn’t its usual silky self.
A few washes in, and my hair does feel better – healthier and less tangled after each wash – so I decide to give the Gaia Olea Aloe Vera and Green Tea Detoxifying version a go. This time, I use the vinegar rinsing concoction, and can immediately see the difference. To be fair, Maria recommended the same thing, so I should have tried this from the start. My hair is shinier and smoother, and though still not silky, there’s an improvement.
“Commercial shampoos contain chemicals which remain after washing, leaving your hair shiny and soft,” Elsie explains, “but this is actually damaging. What you’re aiming for with this more natural method is leaving nothing on the hair other than the natural oils that do their own good work. I do think that those with shorter to mid-length hair tend to get on better with shampoo bars,” she continues, noting my very long, thick mane! “And of course these bars are great for travelling: hand luggage-friendly, no leakage, long-lasting, and economical, especially if you’re using your bar as a facewash, body wash, shampoo and conditioner.” Speaking of which, while my hair is still adjusting to this new method of washing, the one area I’ve seen immediate benefits are in my skin…
Both the Vegenero and Gaia Olea bars are multi-use, and I’ve noticed my dry skin loves the wealth of essential oils. So while I may go another round with shampoo bars in the winter when my hair isn’t so exposed to the summer sun/sea/sand, I’m still feeling pretty eco-friendly… Though I’ve definitely saved myself at least two bottles of shampoo over the last few weeks, the real environmental benefit is in the moisturiser (and attendant packaging) that I haven’t needed once in all that time!
