A third of those who used Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasures Restoring Shampoo Bar, a distinctly honey-scented (and honey-infused) formula, said they’d consider buying it, but the level of enthusiasm paled in comparison with that for our picks.
With their pock marks and intense scents, Lush shampoo bars were divisive. The majority of testers who shampooed with them reported that their hair felt weighed down after just a day, despite their liking how their hair felt during and right after showering. But more than a third of our testers were enthusiastic, naming these bars among their favorites: Angel Hair (liked by testers with curly hair), Honey I Washed My Hair (liked by a tester with thick, straight hair), and Seanik (liked by a tester with fine, straight hair). If you’re sensitive to scents, beware: As you might guess if you’ve ever walked by a Lush store, these bars were by the far the most polarizing of those we sniffed.
Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind is billed as an all-in-one cleanser for hair, face, and body, and it’s marketed toward those seeking a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free product. While one tester with thick, wavy hair liked this bar, it received mostly neutral, middling, or negative feedback from testers. Some reported a waxy residue or a milky film on the skin, even after rinsing.
The light, floral and vegetal scents from Davines MOMO and VOLU were among the most popular among those of bars we tried. But dried hair results received neutral or negative feedback. One tester, who has dry, thick, straight hair, and who normally shampoos with the liquid version of MOMO, was excited to try the MOMO bar. Initially they said they loved it. But it didn’t last. “My scalp felt dry and my hair was more fly-away than usual. I thought it was just a fluke, so I tried it again, and it was the same.”
Ethique Curl-Defining Shampoo Bar (previously called Professor Curl), for curly and coily hair, was unpopular with our three curly-haired testers (with two different water types); they found that this bar left their hair greasy. One of them, who washed their hair three times with the bar, reported scalp dryness on top of the grease. “My hair almost never [feels greasy], given that it’s dry and curly and I also have a dry scalp,” they said.
Writer Catherine Garcia is a fan of Ethique’s St. Clements Clarifying Shampoo Bar, but we did not test clarifying shampoos in this round.
True to the name, the Hi-Bar Moisturize was, in fact, too moisturizing, according to some testers. A number of testers, even those with thick, dry hair, said their hair became flat or oily after just a day. Two testers called the dry scent of the fragranced Moisturize “sour,” although this was not noticeable after washing. This is the only Hi-Bar shampoo that is also available without a fragrance.
The two testers with fine hair said they liked the light, herbal scent of Superzero Strengthening & Scalp (previously Volume and Shine). But it was less popular among testers than the Superzero Hydrating Repair, and it may be too heavy for fine hair. One tester with fine, straight hair said their hair was very flat and dull after washing, and they did not continue testing.
The fruity scent of Klorane Nourishing with Mango was polarizing for testers. It received neutral to negative feedback across hair types, and it seemed prone to leaving hair limp and somewhat dull.
This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.
