Fresh Cucumber Shampoo Bar

For hair that quickly feels greasy at the roots. These bars cleanse a little more firmly and leave your scalp feeling fresh for longer. Use them mainly on the scalp and leave the ends alone.

By the way, a greasy scalp is usually not down to your shampoo but to internal factors such as hormones, or to washing too often. The more often you wash, the more you stimulate the sebaceous glands. Two to three times a week is enough for most people.

Look at how your hair behaves two days after washing. If your hair quickly goes flat and greasy at the roots, Fresh & Clean is the one. If it feels dry or frizzy instead, go for Hydration & Nourishment. If it is somewhere in between, Daily & Mild is a safe bet.

Wet both your hair and the bar thoroughly with warm water: properly soaked, not just damp. Rub the bar directly over your wet hair and scalp for five to ten seconds, put it aside and massage with your fingertips. That is where the lather forms. Then rinse thoroughly.

With very short hair you can also lather the bar between your hands first and apply only the lather. If you have just switched from shampoo in a bottle, feel free to lather twice during the first few washes: the first time removes silicone residue, the second time really cleanses.

Find the bar hard to hold? It lathers more easily in an organza bag or an old pair of tights. View the soap bags and soap dishes.

That is part of it. Allow for an adjustment period of two to four weeks. Your hair is missing the silicones that normally coat it in a smooth layer, and your scalp needs to readjust its sebum production now that harsh sulphates are no longer involved.

During that period your hair may feel rougher, greasier or flatter than you are used to, while old product build-up slowly washes out. Feel free to wash more often than usual; it will not slow the process down.

Two things speed up the transition: lather the bar twice in the same wash, and rinse for longer than you are used to, especially at the scalp. Use the conditioner on the lengths only. After the adjustment period, hair usually feels fuller and healthier.