Shampoobars

Cosmetics

Shampoo Bars was launched in 2018 by Marc Koehl, Mark Sanders, en Lyan Garritsen. The excess of plastic waste in our homes set them thinking. Something had to be done to tackle the problem. Under the slogan ‘begin by yourself’ they took the initiative to build an online store in an attempt to reduce the use of plastic shampoo bottles.

Own production in Deventer

Most bathrooms harbour an assortment of plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. The three entrepreneurs set out to create affordable, sustainable, plastic-free alternatives. They have come up with a range of shampoos, conditioners and shower gel in solid form, as bars, produced in-house in Deventer. In two years sales have rocketed. Some 40,000 homes in The Netherlands and Belgium are now using the company’s shampoos, conditioners and body bars. They are currently producing about 500 bars a day and this can be scaled up to 1,800 a day. Because of consistent, sharp growth they are now investing in new machines with a capacity of up to 9000 bars a day. The products are sold through Lifestyle outlets, chemists, concept stores and their own online store (70%).

Natural ingredients

All the bars are made from predominantly natural raw materials. They contain almost no chemical preservatives, unlike classic shampoos (often made up of 80% water) which end up in the natural environment when rinsed away. The many chemicals in shampoos are not good for your hair, either. They clean your scalp vigorously but remove the nourishing and protective layers along with the dirt. Fragile hair becomes extra dependent on detergents and other unnatural ingredients. The shampoo bars are based on essential oils and natural cleansers to wash, hydrate and detangle hair. This higher concentration of natural oils, which have an antibacterial function, guarantees extra-long storage. In short, a pure and very efficient product. The conditioner bar provides extra nourishment for hair that needs extra pampering, making it tangle free and easier to comb.

Future

The future is rosy for Shampoo Bars. The assortment is growing, as is the workforce (14) and the number of buyers is increasing substantially. Overseas markets beckon; the ambition is to make more inroads into the European market, beginning with Germany.