Solid Shampoos and Conditioners are something that I've only briefly dabbled with in the past and I don't remember my experience with them being all together too pleasing. That being said, I'm always willing to give things a second chance. Since me and my partner are going travelling for a few months towards the end of the year, I've been looking at money saving, space saving, hand luggage friendly alternatives to my regular shampoo and conditioner. That is where the lush solid shampoo and conditioners come in.

I received these for my birthday in their lovely shiny new tins and I was eager to try them straight away. Does anyone else have that problem? The one where you can't resist to try a new product and then you wind up with about 10 different products open.... Yep, I'm guilty as charged for that one! 

The products I received were Honey I washed my Hair solid shampoo bar and Jungle solid Hair Conditioner. I am a little disappointed actually, that these products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate because it's something that I usually try to avoid, and with Lush being 'fresh cosmetics' I would expect a healthier alternative from them but hey ho. They do contain a lot more natural ingredients and essential oils than the majority of other shampoos I use so I suppose I can relax a little with the sulphates but I do prefer my products to be without them.

Honey I washed my Hair

I have to bee honest (see what I did there), the sweet citrusy, toffee scent of Honey I washed my Hair is absolutely delicious and it has succeeded in making my bathroom smell heavenly. Just thought I'd get the most important aspects out there first haha! Anyway, lets talk about the effectiveness. Firstly the lathering power is second to none. It literally only takes a few strokes down either side of your hair with the shampoo bar and you'll have enough product to lather all of your hair. The perk here is that this product is clearly going to last a long long time since so little product is needed per wash. Again, it's slightly disappointing to know that the lather is coming from sulphates which can strip moisture from your hair but we'll let it slide. After shampooing and rinsing, my hair felt really really clean. Sometimes if a shampoo isn't too effective then I'll shampoo twice to make sure my hair is clean, but once was plenty on this occasion. Unfortunately what comes with sulphates and super cleansing power is that squeaky clean feeling that I'm not so fond of because I'm afraid that it's stripping natural oils from my hair. Having said that, it didn't leave my hair in a tangled mess which is usually the result of too much stripping so I wasn't completely put off.

Overall I was quite pleased with Honey I washed my Hair, mainly because it left my hair smelling amazing but also because it felt like any product build up was removed with so little effort.

Jungle Solid Conditioner

Jungle solid conditioner is jam packed with plenty of fruits and essential oils which really filled me with confidence and fruity joy that I was using natural moisturisers as a pose to chemicals and synthetics. Again, the sulphates disappoint me somewhat but the addition of banana, avocado, kumquat, passion fruit, figs and plenty of natural oils sort of swayed me. Initially the solid conditioner seemed a very strange concept to me, but I quickly realised how much easier and faster it made my hair washing time. All you need to do is rub the bar in your hands a few times to collect some product, before running your fingers through the ends of your hair. Avoid your roots at all costs! I've read so many reviews that slate these product for leaving hair sticky, greasy or generally feeling unclean and I can imagine that in most cases, too much product has been used. Less really is more with this conditioner and although the lack of slippy slidey hair is a little confusing, believe me when I say that you'll get the best results by applying sparingly. I admit that upon application I wasn't convinced this was moisturising my hair much at all. However, after letting myself get wrapped up in the lovely scent for a while whilst going about my other shower duties I found that my comb was very easily gliding through my hair whilst rinsing off the conditioner. Success!

This leaves me with the question... does a slippy slidey conditioner mean it's effective? Or does it simply demonstrate the ability of silicones in the product? I'm not an expert, so I can't particularly answer my own question with a scientific answer. What I do know is that despite the lack of smooth, slippery properties, the Jungle solid conditioner really did give my hair enough moisture to match other conditioners I have used.

Will I be converted to solid shampoo and conditioners for my travels?

Yes, I absolutely will. Knowing that while I travel I'll be in humid conditions and soaking my hair with salt water - hopefully on a regular basis (sorry hair) I think these products will be perfect for keeping my hair in tip top condition. I'm confident that Honey I washed my Hair will be more than effective at removing any salt, product buildup, grease and general grime from my hair whilst Jungle solid conditioner will add the much needed moisture that I will be losing from hours in the sun and sea. Not only will using the solid shampoo and conditioner allow me to travel with them in hand luggage, they will save me so much space without any worries of spilled product amongst my other belongings. I think these are a fantastic idea for anyone wanting to travel with hand luggage only, or even if you have limited space in your case/bag.

As a matter of fact, I was that pleased with the cleanliness and volume I achieved from using these products that I have continued to use them since. Not only are they attractive for travellers they are also attractive for regular use at home (with the added perk of making your bathroom smell wonderful).

Have you tried any of the Solid Shampoos and Conditioners from Lush? If so, which are your favourites? There may also be other brands that I'm unaware of making solid shampoos and conditioners and if any of those are sulphate free then I need to know!

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