Best bar none

Cutting down on packaging doesn’t mean compromising when it comes to beauty products.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest conflicts us beauty lovers come up against is the issue of packaging. In a world where plastic and waste is literally piling up in mountains, we’re certainly not helping reduce the problem by arming ourselves with all the beauty essentials (and not so essentials).

And while more and more beauty brands are heeding the distress call and making changes (I’ll address this more fully in its own future column – there are some great things happening), the option to do away with bottles, tubes and jars altogether is growing ever more viable.

Lush does particularly well on this front, now even offering bottleless serums, foundations and lipsticks. However for the sake of shopping local, I set two particularly eco-conscious friends on assignment to trial a selection of New Zealand beauty bars – from face washes and scrubs and multi-taskers to shampoos, conditioners and moisturisers – to see how they stacked up against the bottled types.

Note: both friends mentioned the need to ensure bars are properly identified/homed in order not to get them confused – so if you’re making the swap it’s also a chance to get some snazzy new soap dishes or storage containers.

Ethique SuperStar, $25

Alice Neville: This cleanser comes as three little oval-shaped bars – use one and keep the other two handily tucked away for when you run out. I like the small size a lot, as it takes up less room in the old soap dish (you’ll find you’ll suddenly need a lot of these if you’re switching to a plastic-free beauty routine).

Ethique describes the SuperStar as a “multitasking wonder bar” that can be used as a cleanser, makeup remover and moisturiser. I tried out the first two functions and found it removed makeup pretty well. It has a waxy feel, which does take a bit of getting used to if you’re switching from liquid cleansers. I like my face to feel super clean after cleansing, and I didn’t really get that from this product, but after a few days I got used to it. Ethique Gingersnap, $22 Alice Neville: Like the SuperStar, this product comes as three mini ovalshaped bars, but unlike the SuperStar, it left my skin feeling super clean. Made with brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon, it smells deliciously like gingerbread, and I admit I was tempted to bite into it (I didn’t, don’t worry).

The Gingersnap is described as a face scrub, so I used it about once or twice a week as I would with an exfoliator. The Ethique website says it’s “a great cleanser on its own – so you don’t need to use two products”, so I’m considering switching to use this every day and reserving the SuperStar for makeup removal duties.

Fair & Square Soapery Lemony Snicket face wash bar, $15 at Oh Natural

Jo McCarroll: This has a lovely, albeit faint, lemon fragrance and feels super moisturising to use (apparently it contains a high percentage of avocado oil). I’ve been using it as part of a double cleanse routine in the evening – first micellar water to remove makeup and then the foamy Lemony Snicket bar to actually wash my face. It leaves my skin feeling super clean without feeling at all stretched or tight.

Ama Kanuka & Manuka Solid Moisturiser body bar, $20 at Oh Natural

Jo McCarroll: This solid moisturiser is rich but not greasy and a tiny amount is enough for your whole body. The tea tree gives it a lovely smell too, a bit like a sports liniment (which is much nicer than it sounds). The directions on the paper sleeve say to apply to damp skin straight from the shower, but I found this easier to apply if I towel dried first. With actually wet skin, the bar seemed to just slide over the top of the water and not end up on my skin.

Ethique The Guardian conditioner bar, $25

Alice Neville: Having been a fake blonde for over a decade, my hair tends to be a little on the dry side, so a good conditioner is crucial. The Guardian, which has cocoa butter, vitamin B5 and lime oil, did the trick, leaving my hair nice and smooth. My test of a good conditioner is how much trouble I have combing my hair once out of the shower, and after using this the comb glided through.

Frankie Apothecary Kūmarahou & Kawakawa shampoo bar, $22, and Vanilla & Kawakawa conditioning bar, $25, both at Oh Natural

Jo McCarroll: Frankie Apothecary is inspired by rongoā and uses native New Zealand ingredients, which is a big selling point for me. The shampoo bar, featuring kūmarahou flowers and kawakawa, worked a treat: it lathers up nicely and works a treat, leaving my hair squeaky clean.

The conditioning bar has a nice subtle vanilla scent and it felt pleasant to use, but it didn’t work too well on my knotty hair: trying to get the comb through was a bit of a drag, literally and metaphorically.

However, I succeeded in the end and my hair looked and felt pretty good after blow-drying.