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By Customer Team

Men’s Shampoo Bars Are the Cheat Code for Legendary Hair

In 1927, a dude named Hans Schwarzkopf invented something that would ruin guys’ hair for the next century: liquid shampoo. 

Since his diabolical concoction hit shelves, we’ve put computers in our pockets and traveled to the moon (maybe). But we’re still nuking our scalps with the same chemicals used to wash dishes and scrub floors.

We’re overdue for an upgrade, and luckily there’s a fresh invention to salvage your hair: the Modern Mammals Shampoo Light Bar. As the name implies, a shampoo bar is a hair cleanser that comes in solid form, rather than a watered-down liquid formula. However, not all shampoo bars are created equally.

The idea of bathing with a bar instead of liquid might seem way too 1950s. But if you get the right stuff, it’s a game-changer for your hair, your scalp, and your bank account.

Are you bar-curious yet? Good—because we’re about to drop some sweet knowledge on what makes shampoo bars better than liquid, how to use them, and what kind of results to expect.

5 Benefits of Shampoo Bars for Men

On the fence about being a bar guy? Here are five reasons to make the switch.

1. Shampoo Bars Don’t Require Harsh Detergents

One of the biggest advantages of shampoo bars is that they don’t require harsh detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) that are found in most liquid shampoos. These chemicals strip away your hair’s natural oils and create an unnatural “squeaky clean” sensation.

Even though harsh detergents aren’t necessary for shampoo bars, a bunch of brands use them anyway because they’re cheap and familiar. But you deserve better than washing your hair with the same ingredients found in dish soap and laundry detergent.

That’s why we teamed up with one of the smartest haircare scientists on the planet to make Shampoo Light: a low-impact shampoo bar designed to leave your hair in better shape after every wash. 

Most shampoo bars are made the same way as soap using lye: a strong alkaline liquor. But we use a melt-and-pour method to create a condensed, low-lather product that won’t fry your hair follicles. You won’t find any sulfates, silicones, parabens, or artificial fragrances in this bar. Instead, it features a pH-balanced blend of naturally-derived ingredients that preserve your hair’s natural moisture.

Translation: you can use it every day and not worry about frizzy shampoo hair.

2. Bars Last Longer Than Liquid

Old-school shampoo is basically bottled water with cheap chemicals mixed in. No wonder guys go through it so quickly, especially when they wash their hair every day.

Shampoo bars aren’t diluted with water. Instead, they’re concentrated with the good ingredients that actually cleanse your hair and nourish your scalp. That means a small bar will last for dozens or even hundreds of washes—the equivalent of 2-3 bottles of liquid shampoo.

Longer-lasting products mean less money wasted on mass-produced goop that you need to restock every month. Use the extra cash to buy your mom something nice.

3. Shampoo Bars Are Travel-Friendly

Good luck getting your bottle of neon gel through airport security. Shampoo bars are an underrated travel hack: since they’re waterless, they won’t get confiscated by TSA. 

Throw it in your carry-on and forget about buying those mini shampoo bottles. Plus you won’t have to worry about frying your hair with mystery liquid in hotel showers when you need to look fresh for those wedding pics.

Shampoo bars are also ideal if you shower at the gym. You can toss it in your gym bag without neon blue sludge leaking all over your sneakers.

4. Shampoo Bars Save Water

Traditional shampoo is made up of 75-85% water by volume. And while water is cheap, it costs a lot for good old Mother Earth. The water-free formula of shampoo bars requires way less energy during the production process. 

That’s a win-win for your hair and the planet.  

5. No Plastic Packaging

Speaking of the environment, shampoo bars don’t require plastic bottles, making them an eco-friendly alternative to those giant bottles of goop. Putting shampoo in a box instead of a bottle burns less fuel, creates less waste during production, and makes it light and easy to carry on the go.

6. Shampoo Bars Are a Productivity Hack 

Want to optimize your life? Your next life hack starts in the shower. Using a shampoo bar is faster and easier than the two-bottle dance you do with your clunky bottles of liquid shampoo and conditioner. We cut 8.5 seconds off our morning routine once we became bar guys (not that we’re competing or anything…)

Not to mention shampoo bars take up way less space in your shower, which we’re guessing is cluttered with random bottles of mystery liquid from your girlfriend. This bar is your chance to simplify your life. If you’re not ready for Zen meditation yet, you can at least declutter your shower. 

How to Use a Shampoo Bar

Guys, washing your hair with a shampoo bar isn’t rocket science. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Rinse your hair
  2. Wet the shampoo bar
  3. Rub it in your hands (our bar is low-lather, so it won’t get super bubbly like regular shampoo). You don’t need a ton—just enough to lightly coat your hands.
  4. Spread through your hair, going from roots to tips
  5. Rinse your hair

Can Men Use Shampoo Bars Every Day?

If your shampoo bar is free from harsh detergents, sulfates, and parabens, then yes—you can use it every day. But if you see “sodium lauryl sulfate” or “SLS” on the ingredient list, it’s not built for daily washing.

As a rule of thumb, the more suds your shampoo makes, the less often you should use it.

If you’re an active guy (or if you just sweat a lot), you should still be able to wash your hair every day without looking like Bob Ross. That’s why we designed Shampoo Light for daily use. The lighter formula leaves your hair in better shape after every wash—perfect for athletes, gym rats, runners, hikers, surfers, and bikers.

mens shampoo bar

Do You Need to Use Conditioner with a Shampoo Bar?

You may have heard you still need to condition your hair after using a shampoo bar. But that’s because many shampoo bars contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and lye (the same stuff in bar soap) that zap the nutrients, moisture, and minerals that make your hair soft.

If you’re the kind of guy who wants to simplify his hair care routine, Shampoo Light is designed to cleanse your hair while preserving its natural oils, so you don’t need to use an extra conditioner. It’s pH balanced—and in case you skipped science class, that means it preserves your hair’s natural balance of moisture every time you wash.

Rather than having to scorch your hair dry and then coat it with conditioner, Shampoo Light provides all-in-one, minimal hair care with one bar. You’ll save room in your shower and save money from not having to build an arsenal of products.

Once You Go Bar, You’ll Never Go Back

Switching to the Modern Mammals Shampoo Light Bar after washing your hair with toxic berry sludge is like watching HD TV for the first time. There’s no going back to your old, shameful ways.

As guys who use this stuff religiously, we can tell you our shampoo bar is the bomb—or you can ask the thousands of guys who are obsessed with it. (Some have dared to call it a cult).

Grab a bar here or on Amazon and prepare for your DMs to be flooded with compliments on your impeccable flow.