CHENNAI: Every time you trash your empty shampoo bottle and replace it with a new one that promises to transform your hair into a lustrous one, you might be adding to the plastic pollution. Governing systems across the globe are introducing bans and laws to eliminate the non-degradable villain. Have you considered going green with your shampoo?
Enter shampoo bars. Each bar is equivalent to the amount from three medium-sized shampoo bottles. They are made of natural butters and nourishing oils, handmade, paraben and sulphate free without any trace of synthetic fragrance or colours. Here are a few green champions who care for your hair, and the environment.
Why go sulphate and paraben free?
● Sulfate might get rid of oil and dirt but recent studies have found that it is toxic and carcinogenic. Sulfate has been found to be one of the key culprits of hair loss and thinning. It destroys hair follicles and inhibits hair growth.
● Parabens have been linked to irritation of skin conditions. It also causes allergies in children.
● Studies have found that sulfate can cause eye damage and blindness in young children.
● Most of the liquid shampoos need surfactants and water as their base and hence, need preservatives. Shampoo bars are oil-based, eliminating the need for a preservative.
Juicy Chemistry
Coimbatore-based Juicy Chemistry is redefining organic cosmetics with their Ecocert-certified shampoo bars. Megha Asher, founder of Juicy Chemistry, arrived at a solution to end dandruff and scalp problems. “I used to apply fenugreek and curd paste, which was wonderful, but I found it time-consuming,” she says. Have dandruff and flaky scalp? Go for the Fenugreek and Yogurt bar. For hair loss and premature greying, opt Hibiscus, Onion, Black tea bar. “They work best when used with our serums and you can return the glass bottles to us to minimise waste,” Megha says.
WWW juicychemistry.com
No 106, Ramalingam Road (West), next to Ramalingam Sowdeshwari Marriage Hall, RS Puram, Coimbatore between 10 am to 8 pm.
Vilvah
Kruthika Kumaran, founder of Coimbatore-based skin care store Vilvah, came up with the idea of 100 per cent natural beauty products to fulfill her mother’s dream. “She suffered from skin problems for more than a decade. The products she used on her skin made the condition worse,” says Kruthika. After completing her diploma in natural cosmetology, Kruthika extended the initiative to hair care with shampoo bars. Talking about her signature goat milk and honey shampoo bar, she says, “Goat milk combats dry, damaged hair. Unlike liquid shampoos, the bars are free of surfactants that strip of natural oil. “
WWW vilvahstore.com
132 Nava India Road, Coimbatore between 11 am to 8 pm
Etymology and History
● The word ’shampoo’ is derived from Hindi word ’champo’, which is originally derived from the Sanskrit word ‘chapayati ’, meaning to press, knead and soothe.
● The ancient Indian way of shampoo-making involved boiling of Sapindus shrub leaves with dried amla and a selection of herbs. Cleansing with hair and body massage during one’s daily bath was an indulgence of early colonial traders in India. When they returned to Europe, they introduced hair treatment, which they called shampoo.
● In the 7th century, the French started using olive oil to make soap. Eventually, fragrances were introduced and specialised soaps for bathing, shaving, and shampooing began to appear.
WWWsoapworksindia.com