According to a report by Grand View Research, the global shampoo bar market size was valued at USD 10.2 million in 2018. Rising awareness regarding plastic waste and more environmentally friendly packaging is propelling the demand for shampoo bars. In order to cut down the increasing burden of plastic waste, customers are adopting packaging free personal care products.
Consumer preferences are also leaning towards the use of natural ingredient products for dandruff protection and hair fall control. All of this is boosting the growth of the shampoo bar industry.
PLASTIC WASTE
Over the past few years, plastic waste has become a major environmental concern owing to its harmful effects on marine life as well as human and other land animals.
Product packaging is believed to be responsible for around 42% of the total global plastic waste. As a result, manufacturers, are looking to avoid plastic packaging, especially in cosmetics product packaging. These global pollution issues will further promote packaging-free or reduced packaging shampoo bars.
WHAT GOES INTO A SHAMPOO BAR?
Shampoo bars are made from surfactants, just like the ones found in liquid shampoo. A true shampoo bar is actually called a “syndet” bar or “synthetic detergent”—because the surfactants are produced “synthetically” by combining plant oils with water-loving molecules such as ammonium or sulfate ions. Surfactants used in syndet shampoo bars include sodium cocoyl isethionate, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium coco sulfate, coco glucoside, and others.
Surfactants are “surface-active” molecules. They’re what gives handmade soap its cleansing properties too. Surfactants have a fatty end (from the plant oil) that attaches to particles of oil and dirt. Their other end is water-soluble (the charged/ionic end). This oil-capturing blob is called a micelle. When you rinse, the micelles wash away, taking the dirt and oil along with them.
Most shampoo bars contain vegetable oils to nourish the hair. Popular options include coconut and hemp oils nourish, which protect and strengthen the hair while providing flexibility and shine.
Clays can also be added to shampoo bars so that they can double up as hair masks. Clays can also give shampoo bars some colour.
For more information on shampoo bars, formulations and ingredients for soap and shampoo bars contact Chemgrit Cosmetics.