Rice Water Protein 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner Bar, Strengthening & Shine-Enhancing, Improves Elasticity, Sulfate-Free, Vegan, 1 Bar (100 g)

A long, detailed & brutally honest review- with an ingredient deep dive. Everything you need to know
⭐OUR HAIR TYPES & PAIN POINTS⭐Both my daughter and I use (and love) this bar, which is incredibly rare as we NEVER like the same hair products, due to having completely different hair types.I have long (mid-lower back length), pin straight 1A hair made up of incredibly fine strands that are prone to tangles/snarls, breakage and fluff (the straight haired version of frizz). While my strands are fine, I have A LOT of them (my hairdresser always says a ¼ section of my hair is ‘average’ for most people). Because of the weight of all this hair, I can’t afford to add any more to it, as I don’t have a ton of volume as it is. However, moisture is an issue for me, especially because I highlight my hair regularly. My hair is alsp prone to breakage.My daughter on the other hand has the gorgeous (and enviable) 3C ringlets. Her hair is long (mid back length) and even thicker than mine. Her strands aren’t fine, but they are far from dense. Hydration is key for her, so those natural curls are bouncy and full of life. Her hair is prone to tangles and frizz. Add to that, she is an incredibly active teen, with a head that get’s stinky- quick. She also likes to straighten & apply heat on those gorgeous curls.While we both have different hair needs, one thing we both agree on is that getting any shampoo (bar or viscous liquid) through the thick of our crown is a real pain. Typically our hair ends up tangling/snarling like crazy if we do.The only other thing we agree on is that even with the best 2-in-1 cleanser where a conditioner is added, we 100% of the time need to use an additional conditioning product afterwards. A subsequent conditioning product is ALWAYS a MUST for us.⭐ARRIVAL & PACKAGING⭐This bar arrived a day after placing my order.Inside the good looking, clean box, the bar was neatly/beautifully wrapped and sealed in delicate (but protective) paper.The box was stamped with a proper manufacture date (05/2025) and expiration date (05/2028). The box also has a full ingredient list (more on that, and the list below), notes about the product and instructions on how to use. The bottom of the box has a proper bar code and let’s us know that the bars are distributed by Busy Nature and gives the address in Houston TX.⭐INGREDIENTS- FULL LIST AND DEEP DIVE⭐I am a straight up product junkie. I don’t just love the products themselves or the results they deliver though. I am a total chemistry nerd and love reading and researching product formulations and ingredients. I’ve been doing this for many years, so I can spot inconsistencies that the product checkers can’t (like when products from China leave out key components).This ingredient list is pretty short. Let’s take a look at it so we can deep dive into this formulation-🧪INGREDIENTS (FULL LIST COPIED STRAIGHT OFF THE BOX)🧪Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, N-Lauroyl-L-Glutamic Acid, Shea Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Oil, Rice Water Protein, Trimethylstearylammonium Chloride, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein.This is where knowing chemistry, what the actual ingredients are and what they do, comes in handy…*Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is a mild surfactant (cleansing agent) that also helps all of the included ingredients spread easily and equally. It is sometimes referred to as ‘baby foam’ because it is super gentle. It doesn’t strip the natural (good) oils from the hair or scalp, so it isn’t drying, but it does provide a gentle, thorough clean. This ingredient is responsible for the rich, velvety lather of the bar and it is one of the best alternatives to sulfates. Seeing this in the top spot on the list makes me incredibly happy!*Glycerin is a stellar humectant (drawing moisture in and holding it there). It is a superstar in haircare and cosmetics. It helps keep our hair and scalp hydrated, healthy and shiny. It has also been shown to reduce irritation on the scalp.* N-Lauroyl-L-Glutamic Acid is another awesome ingredient that I’m happy to see high in the list. It is a biodegradable amino acid derivative that delivers gentle but effective cleansing while also adding moisture to the hair and scalp. It also helps produce thousands of tiny bubbles which add to the creamy rich lather of the bar.*Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil and Argan Oil are all amazing conditioning agents that also add a ton of moisture to the hair and scalp. They make the hair soft, shiny, reduce frizz/ fluff as well as help with tangles. These are, of course, all natural.*Most people see the word alcohol and immediately get turned off because they think ‘Drying’, but that’s not the case with Cetearyl Alcohol. This is actually a fatty alcohol derived from coconut or palm oil, so it’s not drying at all. It’s a wonderful emollient (full of moisture/hydrating), It helps with the texture of the bar, giving it a soft, silky feel, it even has some cleansing properties too. A big plus for this ingredient in this bar is that it helps keep all the oils mixed in with the rest of the formula, so the bar doesn’t separate on us.*Trimethylstearylammonium Chloride is one of the more interesting ingredients here. As part of the name (chloride) suggests, this is an organic salt, however it is far from drying! This is another conditioning agent that helps tremendously with static, split ends and a smooth overall hair texture.*Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, a plant derived (it comes from guar beans) and modified form of guar gum is an awesome natural alternative to silicones in haircare. It is a fantastic conditioning agent that reduces static and doesn’t leave a heavy build up behind. I was actually really excited to see this here, as typically brands lean towards cheaper synthetic silicones to get the same results.*Hydrolyzed Rice Protein is another big one here. It is an actual protein that makes the hair nice and strong and less breakage is always good! It’s a great volume booster too. But one of the most important features of Hydrolyzed Rice Protein is that it smooths the hair cuticle (the outermost protective layer of the hair strand- where all the keratin and amino acids are). By doing so, it locks in moisture, keeps the hair protected from heat, UV, chemicals and styling. The smoothing makes the hair shiny, stronger and healthier (with less frizz) too. Similarly, Rice Water Protein delivers the same results, thanks to the high protein, amino acid, vitamins and antioxidant levels. It’s a key ingredient for healthy and strong hair.We now see that this list is FULL of gentle yet effective cleansers as well as a bevy of conditioning agents.We aren’t missing any key components for a (haircare) bar, as everything needed is within this list, which puts my mind at ease that this probably isn’t made somewhere overseas. This product IS free from sulfates, silicones, parabens and phthalates. There are no harsh or artificial fragrances added either. I am BEYOND impressed with this list as Busy Nature really selected clean and gentle ingredients. Yes, it’s true that some of the ingredients are synthetic or chemically modified, however none of them are dangerous or raise a red flag. I agree that some of these ingredients may not be the easiest to pronounce, but I assure you that everything in this bar is better than ANY bottle of drugstore shampoo (or even a lot of the premium or luxury brands) you can buy!Bottom line- From a chemistry standpoint, I am IMPRESSED! ( and that isn’t common for me to say either as I usually tear formulations apart!)⭐THE BAR⭐Once unwrapped, we have a very generous sized, cylindrical bar (2.5” in diameter x 1.5” thick) that weighs 101g or 3.6oz. This isn’t a tiny bar by any means, however it is very easy to pack and barely takes up space in my shower.The bar is opaque and white, however there are some areas where the bar has a slight transparency and a tinge of luster, so it’s not a basic white circle.I absolutely LOVE the gentle, natural aroma of the bar. True, there is no added fragrance, but the Shea and Argon oils specifically do lend a delicious aroma that is mild and incredibly soft smelling. The bar doesn’t smell soapy, but it does smell clean and quite natural. I get very subtle nutty, warm notes as well as some earthiness. It is light, pleasant and does leave the hair smelling incredibly fresh, but it doesn’t really impart any real scent on the hair. The aroma has never triggered a migraine for me.Something else I want to address about the scent-A friend of mine, also a chemist, works for some BIG names in hair/skin care and cosmetics. He told me that usually (but not always) when a company adds a heavy fragrance to a product, it’s there to cover up the stench of sub-par quality ingredients- as they smell quite rank. There are brands that choose to add scent to products for many reasons (ie. to keep the same, consistent aroma through all the products they sell, to enhance the scent of the product overall, etc) and don’t use sub-par quality ingredients too. Then with haircare specifically, strong fragrance can be added so it stays with the hair, keeping it smelling nice, so haircare can be a bit tricky when trying to distinguish quality ingredients from those that aren’t.This is relevant here because, as we know, there is no added fragrance in this bar, but it does have the natural (and yummy) aroma from the natural ingredients (specifically argon and shea). The mere fact that those are the only scents that I detect (I have a sensitive nose!) tells me that the rest of the ingredients in this formulation must be better or higher quality. That’s not even an opinion- it’s just science!I don’t see any reason why the bar would have an unusual, unpleasant or rank smell however.Yes, this does contain natural ingredients and oils that, when not paired with the right ingredients, can go ‘off’ and develop that spoiled oil smell, but that shouldn’t happen here, as the other ingredients in the formula help to keep those oils stable. I’m not saying something can’t happen (maybe a bar was stuck in very high temps for days during transit or something), but that would be rare. Aside from that, unless you have a massive diversion to light, natural and slightly nutty aromas, then you will enjoy the scent of this bar.⭐EN USE⭐The generous size of this bar makes it incredibly easy to hold and use- even for me and I have issues with my hands.It is very easy to move across and through the hair, as it has a nice slip to it. It isn’t slippery though where it is hard to control or slips out of the hand, but this is absolutely NOT one of those bars that gets stuck on the hair (almost like glue) where it’s difficult to move.Within a few seconds after you start to work with the bar, you will start to notice the gorgeous, rich, velvety and creamy lather that it produces. There are millions of tiny little bubbles that together produce one of the most impressive and dense lathers I have ever experienced with any shampoo bar- ESPECIALLY because this is sulfate free! Sulfates have a laundry list of problematic effects, but they are one of the main components in a formulation that gives us that ‘good’ lather. This bar is evidence (due to the presence of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and N-Lauroyl-L-Glutamic Acid- the two main surfactants/cleansers) that with the right formulation, sulfates aren’t needed at all to get that wonderful lather! Even with the amount of hair that my daughter and I both have, getting a full head full of this whipped, buttery lather takes under 60 seconds- not long at all! The lather remains, even after you put the bar down (you aren’t actively adding more product to the hair) and you are just scrubbing in what you have. The bubbles don’t pop or deflate and this isn’t one of those products where you feel like you need ‘just a bit more’ of it.Some shampoo bars can be ‘stingy’ (as my daughter and I like to say), as they will move across/through the hair, but it’s hard to actually feel the bar imparting much of itself onto the hair. That is definitely NOT the case here though as you not only get the lather, but you can actually feel the product being worked into your hair, dissolving the bad oils (aka grease) and breaking down the dirt and products.Even with all the tiny scrubber bubbles covering your head, you can actually feel the slip in this bar- meaning your hair isn’t just an unruly, tangled mess of foam and knots rather there is still some manageability to it. We find it very easy to section off different portions of hair (after lathering them up) in order to get to other sections easily. That’s extremely important for us because of how thick our hair is. Basically, we can easily get down to the thickest part of our crown or even down to the scalp and thickness at the nape, without struggling or tearing wet knots of hair apart to get there. This bar (both the size/shape and the formula) make it easy to wash the entire head and scalp- even through the thickest of hair.I was surprised at how well this rinses out too!Even with the mass of concentrated lather, this is quite easy to rinse out. Rinsing our mops does take a bit longer than average (especially because the product is now down to the scalp- in even the thickest parts of the hair), but it isn’t one of the products where you constantly feel like you have to keep rinsing, like there is still some suds remaining. It all comes out well, taking the dirt, product build up and oils with it.After you put the bar down, it doesn’t get all slick and slimy- it actually dries off pretty quick. (I used this the last morning of vacation to wash my hair at 9am. By 11am, I was able to wrap it in parchment, put it in the case and pack it up- and it didn’t drip anywhere or get funky in the case). I’m also absolutely amazed, especially because this isn’t a ‘stingy’ bar, how long it lasts! Even after 2 dozen uses (on long, thick hair), it has just barely shrunk in size. Busy Nature isn’t stretching it when they say the bar is equal to ‘2-3 bottles of shampoo’. If you don’t wash your hair daily or if you rotate your shampoos often (like we do), you don’t have to worry about this bar turning into a flaky, dry mess that’s split with all types of layers. The oils and conditioning agents keep the bar from drying out and looking raggedy.⭐RESULTS⭐Both of us have noted the presence of conditioners in this bar, as our hair isn’t incredibly tanged during or after rinsing, there is a sort of softness to the hair and this has a lot more slip than a regular shampoo (without conditioner) would, however for us, we DO still need to follow up with a subsequent conditioner- and I don’t mind that at all. To be fair, neither of us use nearly what we usually would (maybe about half the amount) and we haven’t needed to use the super rich stuff either.I wouldn’t say my hair feels stripped or like straw after I rinse this out (not even close) and it’s not one big mess of tangles either, but I do notice that my hair has that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling to it. It’s not actually squeaky though (that would be BAD!), rather it almost feels like my hair does after I have used a really good clarifying shampoo- just nowhere near as stripped or dry. The reason for that (I believe) is because…This really is a powerful (but gentle) cleanser! I can’t remember ever using a regular (not clarifying) shampoo before that was as effective as this one is. If you have a dirty, sweaty head from working outside- doing yard work ALL day? Is your hair covered in a weeks+ worth of styling/hair products and it’s starting to look gross and lifeless? Is your hormonal teen’s head slick with grease and sweat from 3 hour practices every day? Does your dry shampoo or texturizing powder just NOT come off- no matter what you wash with? If you answered YES to any of those questions, then THIS BAR will work wonders for you! It cleans like a clarifier (a GOOD clarifier), but it doesn’t strip all the oils out of your hair and make it feel like straw. It might be a bit dry, but still manageable. The hair seems to stay cleaner, longer between washes too. Your scalp doesn’t go into ‘freak out mode’ where it’s so dry it goes into oil production overdrive.Since we don’t have to use the amount of conditioner we usually do AND because our hair is SUPER clean (and doesn’t have the extra weight from it from anything I mentioned above), I will attest to the fact that we actually have a decent amount of volume after using this bar. Our hair is nice and shiny and looks/feels well hydrated/moisturized. My daughters curls are gorgeous- bouncy and full of life. We haven’t had any issues with static or frizz either.I know this is strange to mention but I wash my hair at the end of my shower. It’s relevant because my skin isn’t anywhere near dry when I get out of the shower. If this didn’t have all the good stuff in it that helps with moisture and hydration (and that keeps the hair from drying out), then my skin would probably feel like a dried up sponge- and it doesn’t.As far as strength goes…I can attest to the fact that our hair is easier to comb/brush after the shower (while it’s still wet) and it doesn’t seem to tangle much when it’s dry either. It does feel strong and nourished, but I really can’t call if my hair isn’t breaking because I’m not battling with all the tangles or if it’s actually stronger. Whatever it is, I see it as a positive.Both of us have sensitive skin/scalps and neither of us have had any type of negative reaction to this bar. It IS quite gentle.I also haven’t noticed any negative effect on my hair color either. If anything, it makes my blonde a bit brighter/vivid (but not orange) because it’s not covered in product or grime.⭐ VALUE & FINAL THOUGHTS ⭐I think for $20 a bar, you get your money’s worth here!Not only is the bar a very generous size (and doesn’t break down easy), but this is unquestionably one of the most effective shampoo bars I have ever used! It literally has the cleaning power of a clarifying shampoo, but without the stripping, dehydrated, straw like mess a good clarifier can leave behind. Pair with that the exceptional formulation and high quality ingredients and $20 is actually a bargain for this bar.As far as the conditioning part goes-It is absolutely undeniable that this bar has some incredible conditioning agents and humectants included- especially when you consider how well this cleans the hair without leaving it stripped. I do however feel that most people will probably need to use a subsequent conditioning product afterwards- whether it be a regular conditioner or a leave-in product, like a spray. Anyone with long or thick hair that is prone to tangles will probably have issues if they rely on the bar alone. I DO think this is a fantastic product for anyone with any hair type though- conditioner or not. If your hair is on the thinner side or if you have super short hair, then this will probably be perfect for you. I also think this would be a holy grail for a man who can’t be bothered to use a conditioner or thinks it’s too ‘feminine’.Finally, I would like to mention that neither my daughter or I use this bar daily. That is ‘normal’ for us though because we rotate through several different products, as our hair gets used to using the same one every day. We use this bar at least 2x-3x a week though with no negative effects. I actually think it’s somewhat of a lotto win having found a product that is as powerful as an amazing clarifying product, but gentle enough to use on the daily (if you want). This isn’t just a ‘good’ shampoo bar- it’s one of the AMAZING ones! While I wish I could find more about the brand in general (they have little to no presence online or social media), I still consider this a major WIN!

Amazing Scent and Long-Lasting Clean
Love the scent! Leaves my hair soft, manageable, and clean for longer than regular shampoo.