In August of this year, the team at Viori reached out to me with the proposition to personally test and review their shampoo bar. Having never experienced a shampoo bar before, my curiosity was piqued, and I eagerly accepted. This blog post is the culmination of that experience, providing an in-depth analysis of Viori’s innovative product.
Viori’s shampoo bar represents a departure from conventional liquid shampoos. It’s an eco-friendly hair care solution, free from sulfates, emphasizing sustainability and natural ingredients. This shampoo bar is a solid, travel-friendly option and boasts a mild and gentle formula crafted from naturally derived ingredients that promise to nurture your scalp and hair.
We’ll get into the science of key ingredients and their role in this shampoo bar formulation and also explain how they work together to deliver the desired results, and then of course, my experience with it.
What is Viori Shampoo Bar?
The Viori Shampoo Bar is a blend of cleansing, conditioning, and emollient elements, all concentrated into a single, innovative product. Its unique formulation offers an exceptional cleansing experience with outstanding detangling and conditioning properties that leave both wet and dry hair fibers feeling sensationally smooth.
Distinguished by its absence of synthetic detergents, such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, the Viori Shampoo Bar takes a gentler approach. It meticulously cleans without stripping away vital lipids and proteins from the scalp and hair, thus preserving their inherent feel and texture.
The result? Hair that not only looks but feels more natural, imbued with its authentic texture, body, and volume.
Ingredient listing of Viori Hidden Waterfall Shampoo Bar:
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Longsheng Rice Water, Cocoa Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Shea Butter, Stearic Acid, Rice Bran Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Vitamin B8, Vitamin B5, Bamboo Extract, Broccoli Seed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E Acetate, Jojoba Oil, *Fragrance.
My Experience with Viori Shampoo Bar
In the beginning, I was skeptical about using a shampoo bar. My main concern was its lathering capability compared to traditional liquid shampoos, and the convenience factor—using a bar seemed less straightforward than simply squeezing shampoo from a bottle. Additionally, seeing many straight-haired users on their Instagram made me question the bar’s effectiveness on my curly hair.
Despite the company’s request for a review after two weeks, I opted for a more thorough trial. Those who follow my journey know I prefer testing products over 3-4 weeks for a comprehensive assessment.
My choice fell on the ‘Hidden Waterfall’ option, primarily for its moisturizing claim and the inclusion of Longsheng rice, a component I’ve been intrigued by since my 2018 Instagram post. Plus, the promise of a musky, sweet, vanilla fragrance was appealing.
The packaging was a pleasant surprise—unique and different, radiating the product’s fragrance even before opening. However, upon unboxing, the scent was overpowering, which raised doubts about the naturalness of the essential oils used, contrary to the website’s claims.
To my astonishment, the shampoo bar lathered abundantly and quickly. Not only was it efficient, but after a couple of washes, my hair felt soft and moisturized, living up to its key claims.
After three months of use, the bar still hasn’t run out. It has left my hair feeling great, with impressive lather and simplicity in use. It ranks among the top 3 shampoos I’ve ever tried!
Now, for the drawbacks: the fragrance, while pleasant, seemed too intense for something claiming to be 100% natural essential oils. Moreover, my attempts to communicate with the representative who initially contacted me have been met with silence, which is concerning.
Despite these issues, I can’t deny that the shampoo bar is a hidden treasure that delivers on its promises. However, due to the aforementioned concerns, I’ve decided not to proceed with becoming a brand ambassador.
Key Benefits of the Viori Shampoo Bar
- Produces a creamy lather characterized by fine bubbles that deliver a delightful sensory experience during the cleansing ritual.
- Detangles hair fibers and unravels knots, making curls more manageable.
- Achieve uniformly hydrated hair strands post-shampooing, ensuring each fiber is evenly nurtured.
- Revel in the natural texture and authentic feel of your hair, both when it’s wet and once it’s dried.
- It gives a lightweight sensation with no heaviness.
- It does not dry out the hair or scalp, as this formula is designed to maintain moisture.
- Imparts shine and softness, showcasing its true luster and silkiness.
- It is a skin-friendly option to traditional shampoos.
Featured Ingredients
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate: A Gentle Powerhouse in Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate stands out as a mild yet effective cleansing agent known for generating an abundance of foam. It produces a stable, rich, and velvety lather, transforming your hair-washing routine into a luxurious experience. Its mild nature sets it apart from traditional shampoo surfactants like SLS and SLES, as it significantly lowers the potential for irritation.
In the realm of bar shampoos, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is utilized as the primary cleansing ingredient. It adeptly removes oils, sebum, residual hair products, and build-up, ensuring a thorough cleanse. Yet, its mildness is its true virtue; it cleanses without stripping the scalp and hair shaft of essential lipids. This careful balance helps to maintain the hair’s natural sheen and lubricity, leaving it feeling soft and looking radiant.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate: The Secret to Silky, Tangle-Free Hair
Behentrimonium methosulfate is a cationic, hair-softening marvel that works wonders during your shampooing routine. This ingredient is like a detangling superhero for your hair fibers. It cleverly binds to the protein residues on the hair shaft, and its fatty acid chain acts as a lubricating agent, imparting softness and conditioning.
The result? Hair that’s not only easier to manage but also feels irresistibly soft to the touch. This component plays a pivotal role in transforming your shampooing experience into an indulgent, nurturing ritual that leaves your hair feeling pampered and smooth.
Longsheng Rice Water: A Traditional Elixir for Red Yao Tribe
Longsheng rice isn’t just a staple food among the ethnic Red Yao tribes in China; it’s also the source of a centuries-old hair care secret. The water used in preparing Longsheng rice has been discovered to have remarkable hydrating and conditioning properties for hair, thanks to its rich composition. This includes starch, amino acids, an array of vitamins, an abundance of phenolic compounds, and essential minerals.
Among its many virtues, boiled rice water stands out for its potent antioxidant and anti-elastase properties, surpassing those found in soaked rice water. This suggests a high concentration of phenolic compounds, acting as powerful antioxidants that shield both the hair shaft and scalp cells from oxidative stress.
A key component in rice water is inositol, a natural substance related to glucose and found in both plants and animals. It protects biological cells from oxidative damage, and dehydration by controlling cell water balance. Additionally, inositol is instrumental in repairing hair damage, restoring its tensile strength and elasticity, and contributing to the overall resilience and health of your hair.
Cocoa Butter & Shea Butter: Nature’s Silkening Duo
Cocoa and Shea butters are revered not only for their delightful aromas but also for their natural emollient properties and hair-softening properties. When integrated into the shampoo bar formulation, they contribute substantially more than just a pleasant scent; they give the bar its substantial structure and enable a smooth, slippery glide upon application.
Their unique chemical makeup is akin to a nourishing balm for your hair, providing lubrication to each strand while simultaneously calming and soothing the scalp. Despite their rich textures, cocoa and shea butter are remarkably non-greasy, ensuring your hair remains lightweight and free-flowing.
Natural Oils: A Trifecta of Hair Nourishment
The inclusion of rice bran oil, broccoli seed oil, and jojoba oil in the shampoo bar serves as a testament to the power of natural ingredients in hair care. Each oil brings its unique set of benefits, working in harmony to provide emollience, slip, and softness.
Rice bran oil is a treasure trove of antioxidants and unsaturated fatty acids. It wraps each hair strand in a delicate, protective coating that shields without leaving any greasy or heavy residue.
Broccoli seed oil, rich in sulfur, plays a vital role in minimizing scalp inflammation and neutralizing toxins. It’s also a natural source of beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy hair.
Jojoba oil, distinct in its nature as a liquid wax, boasts exceptional sensorial properties. Highly prized in both skin and hair care, its non-fatty composition ensures that it conditions the hair fibers and scalp cells uniformly, leaving behind no trace of greasiness. Together, these oils infuse the shampoo bar with a blend of nature’s finest, transforming your hair care routine into a nurturing, spa-like experience.
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein: A Natural Remedy for Reviving Hair
Hydrolyzed rice protein emerges as a nature-inspired hero in the realm of hair conditioning agents. Its primary mission is to tackle cuticular damage head-on, offering soothing relief to the hair’s surface. This remarkable protein works by realigning the cuticles, and smoothing out their structure, which, in turn, significantly reduces the force required to comb through the hair.
Its inclusion in hair care formulations is a nod to the power of natural ingredients to not only repair but also protect and enhance the overall health and manageability of your hair.
Vitamins: The Dynamic Duo of B8 & B5
Vitamin B8, also known as inositol, is a sugar analog with exceptional hair-strengthening properties. It acts as a guardian against hair breakage, fortifying each strand from the inside out. Notably present in rice water, inositol’s inclusion in shampoo bars at high concentrations is a strategic choice. It’s aimed at restoring and enhancing the tensile properties of hair fibers, making them more resilient and robust.
Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is another powerhouse in hair care, renowned for its hydrating properties. It delves deep into both hair and skin, imparting moisture and maintaining hydration levels.
Sodium Lactate: A Hydration Powerhouse for Hair and Scalp
Sodium lactate, a derivative of lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy carboxylic acid, plays an integral role in maintaining hair and skin’s natural moisture. As a part of the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), its strength lies in its exceptional ability to attract and retain water molecules, ensuring deep and lasting hydration.
In the formulation of our shampoo bar, sodium lactate isn’t just a mere ingredient; it’s a hydrating hero. It ensures that both the hair fibers and scalp cells are thoroughly quenched throughout the shampooing process, effectively addressing and alleviating issues of dryness. This leaves your hair feeling refreshed, revitalized, and beautifully hydrated.
