Stiftung Warentest has tested several liquid and solid shampoos. The winner surprised. There are also clear recommendations.
Solid shampoos score points in the eco-balance and are also allowed to travel in large packs in hand luggage on the flight. On the other hand, if you pay attention to the price, the liquid products are unbeatable. But how do they wash in comparison?
Stiftung Warentest compared eight liquid shampoos with four hair soaps and six shampoo bars in some aspects such as care and use – and came to a positive result. All liquid and six solid products received an overall rating of “good”.
But the testers also rated solid shampoos and hair soaps three times “satisfactory” and even once only “sufficient”. The reason for the grade four was an allergenic fragrance in a hair soap that should have been among the ingredients. Instead, the product advertises with the statement “Fragrance-free”. You can read the details of the test results in our detailed purchase advice.
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Lidl shampoo outshines the competition
In comparison, the Lidl brand “Cien Day by Day Fruit / Vitamin Shampoo Power & Volume Normal Hair”, which came out as the test winner, was particularly convincing. In addition to the positive results with the hair washes, the discounter shampoo also scores with a price of 75 cents in the price-performance ratio. The hair wash received an overall grade of 1.9.
You can read the original test for a fee at Stiftung Warentest.
Make your own shampoo: Instructions with natural ingredients
Bad care from hair soaps
During care, the testers looked at how well the hair could be combed after washing, whether it was shiny, supple and voluminous. Both liquid and solid shampoos do consistently well here. It looks different with hair soaps.
Solid shampoos and hair soaps look similar at first glance, but the latter are saponified with lye. Their high pH value changes the washing result: the hair can swell or be damaged, it is difficult to comb, or whitish residues form. Against the last point, an extra rinse helps after washing, the product testers recommend vinegar water here.
Solid shampoos convince in the test
Independent of the test of the individual products, Stiftung Warentest looked at the ecological balance, which includes many different factors. Here, the solid shampoo basically beats the liquid one. The production consumes less energy, the shampoo pieces also do not contain any preservatives and are often mixed with fewer fragrances and dyes, explain the testers.
They are also usually packaged in paper or recycled cardboard, while liquids are usually in plastic bottles. Another plus point of the chunky shampoos: According to experience in hair washes, they are less likely to be overdosed for the test than is the case with liquid products.