Do shampoo bars actually work?
Prudence Wade is on a mission to cut plastic from her beauty routine – starting with her hair
As someone with a multi-step skin and hair routine, I often feel uncomfortable at the amount of waste involved.
That’s why I was keen to try shampoo bars. These replace your normal liquid shampoo, and look just like a bar of soap. They do away with a whole lot of plastic packaging – plus, they take up a tiny amount of space in your shower.
How does it work?
According to Anabel Kingsley, brand president and consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsley (www. philipkingsley.co.uk), there’s “not a great deal” of difference between solid and liquid shampoos. “The job of a shampoo is to cleanse the scalp, and both will do so effectively,” she says.
So, what do you need to know?
“You should definitely consider the ingredients and whether they are suitable for your hair type and texture,” says Kingsley. “Someone with fine or oily hair would want to avoid a bar with oils, whereas someone with coiled curls or very dry hair would want to avoid a bar that was drying.”
Why should you make the switch?
Around 13 billion plastic bottles (including drinks and toiletries) are used every year in the UK, with only 57 per cent recycled. Enough said.
How did I find it?
I tried the Nuddy Daily Shine Treatment Shampoo Bar in Mint, Lime and Grapefruit (£8.95), which has a delightfully tropical scent. I was surprised at how well it lathered and I’m pleased with the shine it gave my locks. However, I have found my hair getting greasier more quickly than normal, but I’m chalking this up to over-enthusiastic lathering. It’s quite hard to know how much product you’re actually using with a bar, but I imagine this is something I’ll get used to over time. In the longer term, it will be interesting to see how well it protects the colour in my hair, and I’m curious how many washes I’ll be able to get out of one bar. For now, I’m delighted with the results, and think it’s an easy way to cut down on plastic in my beauty routine. Maybe it’s time I started looking into solid conditioner, too?
Shampoo bars you might like to try
Bleach London Rose Shampoo Bar, £9; Kind2 The Two In One, £12.50; Faith In Nature Dragon Fruit Shampoo Bar, £5.79; Garnier Ultimate Blends Coconut Hydrating
Shampoo Bar with Aloe Vera for Normal Hair, £3.99 (was £7.99), Boots; Foamie Coconut Shampoo Bar, £7, Oliver Bonas; Lush Honey I Washed My Hair Shampoo Bar, £8; Solo Nine Shampoo & Body Bar, £7.50, No Secrets
Where?
66 Hyndland Street, Partick, Glasgow G11 5PT (0141-339 7180, ziques.com)
Reconnecting with an old friend has been one of the positives of the last year. I have found myself chatting or quizzing with school pals on Zoom more regularly in 2020 than in the past ten years.
The same feeling of rediscovery can be applied to finding out that a much-loved restaurant has survived lockdown and is emerging, blinking and dazed into the restrictions to offer comfort in the familiar.
This was the case with Café Zique, which closed its doors in March 2020 and remained shut for most of the year. A note in the window explained it was shut for a refurbishment but, as the months passed, the fear it was gone for good was real.
Finally, through the freezing mist of winter, large, bright orange letters spelling out Zique’s were placed in the window – followed by a new website and a surprising new menu.
The revamp of Zique’s is the latest addition to owner Mhairi Taylor’s portfolio, which once included Delizique and the charming Bakery by Zique a few streets away. The Zique name is a nod to Ms Taylor’s grandfather.
Gone are the full breakfasts and eggs Benedict and in is a small menu of Asian inspired dishes – from loaded parathas to butter chicken and Thai curries.
The tagline on the Zique’s website is ‘food we love’ so it’s with great enthusiasm that we place an order online on a Saturday night to see exactly what that means.
This was one of the first weekends that the restaurant, which is yet to have its refurbishment complete, was open and it was a hive of activity that led to a bit of a wait for our order. Staff were friendly but understandably stressed, given the circumstances. When we finally got our order home, and heated up it was time to tuck in.
For starters we shared a halloumi paratha (£7) – a pillowy soft flat bread topped with salty and charred halloumi, smashed avocado, chilli oil and seeds. The flavours here combine very well – the savoury cheese complimented the creamy avocado all of which was given some heat with the chilli oil.
I can see these being firm favourites when we can go out for lunch again.
We had also ordered a Thai vegetable broth (£7) but it ended up a casualty of its packaging and didn’t make it home (the packaging is set to change and we received a heartfelt apology).
Next on to the mains, I opted for the pork Bibimibap (£10), a traditional Korean dish of meat, veg and rice usually served with a spicy sauce. Zique’s version included soft pulled pork shoulder peppered with what looked like chilli. This was perked up with pickled red cabbage, crisp carrot, beetroot and a fried egg. The dish has a mild kick and a more herbaceous taste than is traditional and, when mixed together and without a sauce, it was a bit dry.
My other half chose a Thai vegetable curry (£8) which smelled lovely and coconutty. Made with pak choi and baby sweetcorn, and greens such as courgette, broccoli and my nemesis coriander, it was a no-go from me but he described it as perfectly pleasant and made light work of clearing his plate. A side of buckwheat noodles (£4) covered in a sticky satay sauce topped with sliced chillies were a real highlight and eaten before they even made it to the plate.
On to dessert, which was a shared warm hazelnut brownie served with ice cream (£6.50). A sweet, light and nutty end to the meal it was lovely but my inner Bake Off inspired expert would say it was more cake-like than true brownie. Vegans should note that the other two desserts, caramelised pineapple and sticky toffee pudding, are both dairy free.
Zique’s also has a couple of cocktails to order – a Partick Negroni and a White Russian (£6 each) as well as an extensive hot and soft drinks menu.
While the food was fine, it feels more like a homemade attempt at popular Asian dishes rather than aiming for authenticity and I can’t quite understand where it’s trying to place itself. But I understand the move away from breakfasts and it’ll be interesting to see how the restaurant and menu evolves, especially the cocktail element, when we can all get back out.