LUSH Copperhead shampoo bar

Hi everyone, a quick post today as I settle back into the habit of blogging again after disappearing for the past 2 weeks or so.

LUSH Copperhead is one of six new solid shampoo bars launched this spring. LUSH already offers henna hair dye bars to add shine and colour to hair, but now they've worked red henna into a shampoo bar promising similar effects.

Copperhead in a LUSH shampoo bar tin (sold separately for $3.95)

If you're not familiar with the shampoo bars, FYI this is a puck that lathers up quickly and easily in the shower to wash your hair. You can either rub the bar in long strokes down the length of your hair, or draw 1-2 circles on the crown of your head with it, like I do. When not in use, keep it safe and dry in a tin or a zip-top plastic bag. They tend to leave hair feeling super squeaky clean, so they're great if your hair needs a really deep cleaning. They last much, much longer than their smallish size may suggest.

Since I had dyed my hair several weeks ago and the colour was fading, I decided it didn't hurt to give it a shot. (At this point, if you are familiar with LUSH shampoo bars, you probably know that they are formulated with sodium lauryl sulfate. You're thinking, "you idiot, sulfate shampoos will strip the dye out of your hair." Here and here are two posts suggesting that sulfates may not be as stripping to dye as is commonly believed. I personally haven't noticed a difference between sulfate and sulfate-free in regards to my dye job.)

What I really love about LUSH's shampoo bars is that they are low in packaging (no plastic, wrapped in paper if you buy in store) and are super portable (no liquid to spill all over inside your luggage!) However, after previously trying Seanik and Soak & Float, and now Copperhead, I feel that the shampoo bars just aren't for me.

Although I didn't notice my hair colour fading any faster than usual, my scalp and hair were looking more dry, which is in line with my previous experiences with their shampoo bars. (Whenever I use a LUSH shampoo bar, I tend to pair it with a heavier, more moisturizing conditioner to try to offset drying effect.) I might have been able to put up with the dryness if it really did give my hair a boost in shine and colour, but I didn't really notice any difference, so Copperhead is a miss for me.

The description calls the scent of this bar "intoxicating" with fairtrade vanilla and roasted cocoa extract. I think some people might love the spicy, earthy scent but I wasn't a fan of this myself. I would say the scents of the coriander seed oil and powdered rosemary come through more than anything else.

If you have had success in the past with other LUSH shampoo bars, Copperhead might be worth a look! Unfortunately, it didn't do anything for my fine, thin hair and exacerbated my dry scalp. Judging by the reviews on the LUSH website and online, it's actually pretty well-loved, so I'm in the minority. I might revisit Copperhead once every week or two in between shampooing with something that agrees with my scalp a little better, and hopefully see some of that promised shine and colour.


Ingredients: sodium lauryl sulfate, agar, water, red henna (Lawsonia inermis), cocoa butter (Theobroma cacao), fragrance, ground coffee (Coffea arabica), vetivert oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), fair trade vanilla absolute (Vanilla planifolia), roasted cocoa extract (Theobroma cacao), coriander seed oil (Coriandrum sativum), powdered rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), fresh organic lemon juice (Citrus limonum), caffeine powder, coumarin, limonene, linalool

Available at LUSH: $11.95 CAD / 55 g