Hair is a deeply personal thing. Unless you’re a buzz cut kind of person, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve been going to the same stylist for years. You probably have an arsenal of products you trust for styling your hair. And, you fluctuate between one to three hair styles outside of special occasions. 

Hair is a unique part of each of us. Our washing and styling habits are unique. The climates we live in are unique. That makes taking a chance on a new shampoo and conditioner risky. Once you’ve found a brand that makes your hair voluptuous… How do you switch?

This was a predicament I found myself in as I removed single use plastic from my home. Hand soap, dishwasher soap, and laundry detergent wereeasyswaps. But leaving behind my favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner to try something new, while worth it, was likely going to take some trial and error. 

I’m glad to report that this story does have a happy ending but it did take trial and error. I was eventually able to find a shampoo and conditioner bar for curly hair that lathered well, completely rinsed out, and left my hair feeling light and full. 

This is my experience with HiBAR’s Curl Shampoo and Conditioner Bar.

For Context: My Type of Curly Hair

Curly is a broad word. My hair is somewhere between wavy and curly. And, it’s really thick. When my hair is short, it’s easier to help my curls form. When it gets longer, I look more like a California surfer than someone with truly curly hair. 

I am not a natural-ringlet-with-no-effort kind of girl. To achieve my best curly hair, I have to do all the curly hair things. I have to:

• Buy the right products
• Get it cut the right way
• Wash it twice a week (max)
• Avoid towels, brushes and straighteners like the plague
• Only use a comb when it’s wet
• And, sleep on my hair when it’s wet

The less I move when I sleep, the better my hair looks the next day. 

While these details may feel cumbersome to some, it's likely because you have straight hair. But, these details matter given that there are so many variations of curls.

My History with HiBar Shampoo and Conditioner

I started my quest to remove all the single-use plastic from my home a few years ago. When I found out about shampoo and conditioner bars, I thought they were so cool. Afterall, 550 million shampoo bottles head to landfills each year. Yeah – just shampoo. 

I decided to try HiBAR. At the time, Maintain and Moisturize were my only two options. Now, they also have Soothe as well as their Curl variation. Given that I live in a desert climate and my skin is always dry, I went with Moisturize. 

After two washes I had a strong feeling these bars weren't going to work out. My hair was flat, dull, and felt heavy. It got greasy much quicker than normal. 

Maybe the Moisturize shampoo bar was too much moisture for my hair? 

When my hairstylist noticed my hair had lost some of its bounce and asked what type of shampoo I was using, I knew it was time to switch. That said, keep in mind that hair is a deeply personal and unique thing to each of us. 

Just because HiBAR Moisturize didn’t work out for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a great fit for you. But, if your hair sounds anything like might, you might want to save this bar for last in your trial run. 

My First Impression of HiBAR Curl Shampoo and Conditioner

I was back on the (plastic) bottle when HiBAR’s Curl Shampoo and Conditioner Bar hit the scene. Despite my past experience, I felt it deserved a shot. After all, this shampoo and conditioner was made for mykind of hair. 

As always, I love HiBAR’s sustainable packaging. They do a great job of minimizing their waste as much as possible with cardboard boxes and paper liners. And as soon as I pulled them out of the packaging, I noticed that they smelled amazing. I’m a big fan of citrus and earthy scents.  

Since I last tried HiBAR, they’ve added an “S” stamp to the shampoo. This is a nice touch, although maybe a little futile? The two bars are almost the exact same color. Why not make them two, very different shades, HiBAR? 

Here, I’ll even help. Make the darkest bar the shampoo, so we can all remember “Dark hue, shampoo.” We can even leave it in our guest bathroom and our guests will know which one to use that way, too! 

The “S” doesn’t work for me because I use the whole bar, not just the teardrop end. It won’t be long before I’ve rubbed the “S” stamp right off. Then I’ll be left in my moody lighting shower trying to figure out which bar I’m supposed to use first.  

Pro-Tip: Previously I used a paper clip to carve a deep “S” and “C” into the bottom of the soap (rather than the side) to keep track of which is which. Guess I’ll have to do the same for HiBAR Curl Shampoo and Conditioner.

Using HiBAR Curl Shampoo

When I wash my hair with a shampoo bar, I use the entire bar all throughout my hair. I’ll stick it right in the middle of my hair and rub the hair against it to help get an even application. Then, I use the flat teardrop end to massage my scalp, and roots. 

Once I started using the shampoo bar in the shower, the smell only got better. 

I noticed that the shampoo had a really great lather, much better than the other bars I’ve tried. There were lots of suds all throughout my hair, which made me feel like my entire scalp and all my hair was clean.

Using HiBAR Curl Conditioner

When I went to use the HiBAR conditioner, I noticed that it had less of a lather than the shampoo. Instead, it almost seemed to apply a soft layer to my head and hair. But there were certainly less bubbles. 

The conditioner still smelled amazing. It’s not overly citrus-y either. It was almost hard to place the amazing smell until I double checked the scent on the box. 

I noticed that it did detangle my hair really well. I always use my fingers to comb my hair out in the shower. I had little to no knots as I ran my fingers through my hair, and was able to remove rogue strands of hair easily. 

The Next Day Test

I went to bed with my hair wet, but I didn’t expect to wake up with luscious, full curls. I’ve been straightening my hair pretty regularly, haven’t got it cut in a curly cut, and used a towel to dry the hair a little bit. I also haven’t been able to find a great curl hair mousse to replace my single use plastic one. 

So my most genuine hope was that I would wake up with hair that was far better than the last time I used HiBAR shampoo and conditioner. 

When I woke up in the morning, my hair was springy and light. It had a ton of volume and wasn’t weighed down at all. There wasn’t a ton of curl, outside of some of my shorter strands of hair. But, that was to be expected with my type of hair. 

And it still smelled great. HiBAR Curl Shampoo and Conditioner Bars exceeded my expectations. I would recommend it to someone with curly hair that’s similar to mine. And I’d encourage those with curly hair that’s different from mine to give it a shot. Please share how it went in the comments below, for the sake of all curly hair folks!

Variables That Could Affect This Review

There were some variables that could affect this review. I live in Colorado, which has a dry climate. If I had used this bar in Houston, I might have woken up with curlier hair due to the humidity. 

I’m a wash-my-hair-twice-a-week kind of gal. If you’re an every night washer, that may affect your results. 

And, I wash my hair in hot water. My husband jokes that I’m the “Mother of Dragons” given the hot water levels I can tolerate. If you take cold showers, it could affect your experience. 

But, I can only imagine that would make it better, as I’ve read curly hair folk should wash their hair in cold water.

Does HiBAR Curl Shampoo and Conditioner Actually Work?

I’m super excited to say that yes, HiBAR Curl Shampoo and Conditioner bars do work! And, I think it’s one of the best eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner bars for curly haired folk. 

If you have curly hair and are looking to switch from a single use plastic bottle shampoo and conditioner to a bar, or are simply trying out new bars, give this one a try! Others have also found similar results to mine. 

If you’ve tried other HiBAR products and they haven’t been what your hair needs – don’t fret. This one just might be the right mix of natural ingredients to make your hair full, light, and support your curls. 

I’m grateful to have this sustainable option to replace another bottle in my home. I hope some of you find the same success I did. Every bottle diverted makes a difference!