Lamazuna was my fourth zero waste solid shampoo bar I tried. The first three completely dried my scalp so I was eager to find something better. I thought I would write a Lamazuna shampoo review for you today, so I can spare you a failed attempt or guide you to a better choice. The thing is, our scalps and hair are all very different and it’s hard to find a solid shampoo bar that really works well.
I’ve actually made my own shampoo for years. I used a mix of ayurvedic plant powders that I customized for my scalp and hair. After a couple of months, my scalp was never healthier and my occasional eczema flairs disappeared. It worked that well, that several months in, using my own zero waste shampoo, my partner asked me if I could make him something as well.
The problem is, we moved and I can’t get all the ingredients I want for a reasonable price anymore. I also don’t always have time to mix stuff up and it’s really not convenient for travel.
Lush is actually the most known around here now for solid bars of soap and shampoo, but I had an odd reaction years back, I was looking for a different solid shampoo.
here enters, Lamazuna solid shampoo. It’s actually the second best-known brand and they sell them in many organic food stores around here, so it was a natural choice. They are designed and made in France and fully committed to reducing waste in their own company as well. They even have their own garden for ingredients now.
I wasn’t payed or gifted the product.
This year, I had an odd period of greasy, oily scalp situation, so I got Lamazuna solid shampoo for oily hair.
Lamazuna shampoo bar claims
- vegan and zero waste shampoo
- the bar weighs about 55 grams and should last twice as long as a classic liquid shampoo bottle
- 100% of natural origin (the shampoo bar is of natural origin, not organic or organic certified)
- no harsh sulfates
- made in the south of France, close to Nice (I really like knowing where the products I use come from)
Box says it’s good for 1 year (12 months) after opening.
It comes in a recyclable paper box, though mine will not be accepted. They only accept 100% clean paper where I live, and my box has soap residue on it.
More info on their official page.
Ingredients of Lamazuna shampoo for oily hair with litsea cubeba:
Lamazuna shampoo bars are cruelty-free and vegan certified and made out of natural or organic ingredients and they are COSMOS certified.
I looked up all ingredients on EWG Skin Deep database, from an American non-profit Environmental Working Group. They mark based on research and reports from the USA, CA, JP, and EU. I take their data with a healty grain of salt and double (or triple) check with other sources, but they are a good starting point.
They estimate human and environmental risks, 0 is best (no threat), and 10 the highest.
*certified organic
| INGREDIENT | EWG SCORE |
| Sodium cocoyl isethionate | 1 |
| Moroccan lava clay | no data |
| Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil* | 1 |
| Stearic acid derived from olive oil | 1 |
| water | 1 |
| Decyl glucoside | 1 |
| Sodium Isethionate | 1 |
| Lauryl Glucoside | 1 |
| Litsea cubeba fruit oil* | 1 |
| Citral | 3 |
| Limonene* | 4-5 |
What EWG 55 didn’t pick up on, it that the ingredients citral and limonene are naturally present in Litsea cubeba oil. They are not separate entities (but have to be listed separately), so in fact, Litsea cubeba oil should also be marked 3-5. All essential oils are natural, but also very potent chemicals that can cause irritation, dermatitis, or provoke allergic reactions. For this reason, Lamazuna makes essential oil-free versions of their shampoo bars, recommended for kids, pregnant women, or allergy-prone individuals.
Note: I am not a doctor or a dermatologist. Use your common sense when assessing the risk and consult trained medical professionals.
Lamazuna shampoo review: ease of use
I was a bit perplexed by the shape of the Lamazuna shampoo bar at first. They are using the French canelé pastry mold which Wikipedia describes as: “striated cylinder up to five centimeters in height with a depression at the top.” Yep, that sounds right. It has nooks and crannies and it’s an irregular shape. I actually wonder if the shape would make it easier for kids to hold??
I really enjoy the scent, it’s citrusy fresh and not dominant, the scent comes from Litsea cubeba EO which is similar to lemongrass.
Does it lather well?
My partner had issues getting it to lather nicely and it wasn’t easy to spread all over at first, as he was trying to lather it in his hands first and then apply (like regular shampoos or lather rich soap bars). The shape and texture really lend themselves to being used directly on the scalp (also much easier to hold). After changing the application method and hold, the shampoo applies well. It does not lather as a commercial SLS shampoo would, but we find it quite good.
The lather takes a bit to get going, but it’s quite silky. The bar feels quite textured – because of all that clay.
How I use Lamazuma shampoo bar
I wet my hair thoroughly and gently rub the shampoo directly on my scalp. I move my hair out of the way, so I really mainly apply on the scalp. I then massage well in circular motions. It’s soap + agitation that loosens the gunk out of our scalp and hair. I let the shampoo spread down my hair, adding a bit more water if needed. If my hair feels like it needs more soap on the hair itself, I’ll gently apply the bar, in a downward motion. I never scrunch, rub harshly. If you rub too much, you can damage or break your hair. The shampoo is very hard and won’t just dissolve in your hands (or hair).
I repeat the process if I feel like I need it (most of the time, I just wash once).
Lamazuna shampoo for oily hair that I have is harder than many other soaps I’ve used. This means it doesn’t dissolve in water as fast – which makes it last longer but also not spread as smoothly.
Does Lamazuna solid shampoo bar really last twice as long as liquid shampoo?
I would say yes, and I think it goes even farther in our household. There’s two of us using it and we both have long hair. What might be different is that we have been washing our hair with more natural SLS-free shampoos for years and do not need to wash our hair every day.
I wash my hair about 1 per week on average and my partner goes even longer between washes, 10 days or so. The shampoo bar gets used daily as his beard wash though. We’ve had it for 2.5 months now and I would say we are probably about halfway through.
My guess is that there is a higher % of stearic acid in the shampoo bar and less water than other shampoo bars I’ve used. Stearic acid makes soap firmer and makes lather richer/velvety so it’s a good ingredient to look for when choosing soaps and shampoos.
Lamazuna shampoo review: RESULTS
LAMAZUNA BAR ON CURLY HAIR
My curls range from B1 to B3, depending on the products used. I actually love Lamazuna on my curly hair. They feel stronger and more set, without using any other products. Normally the curls flatten after wearing a ponytail or bun but not after using this shampoo. I still have a similar volume and curl pattern on day 3. Very much impressed.
My ends aren’t dried out either and the frizz is relatively under control.
LAMAZUNA SHAMPOO ON OILY HAIR
Now that my hair/scalp isn’t oily anymore. I am finding it even a bit too drying.
LAMAZUNA ON SENSITIVE SCALP
After continued use, this particular shampoo bar, the Lamazuna shampoo for oily hair with litsea cubeba, was too drying for my scalp, especially if I used it more often. I love the hardness and texture, but I’ll be trying their shampoo for normal hair next.
Recommended: The humble rhassoul clay hair wash
For this Lamazuna shampoo review, I also asked the opinion of my partner. He hair is complete opposite to mine, blond, thin and brittle (thanks to those Irish-Viking roots).
LAMAZUNA ON THIN BRITTLE HAIR
His hair would fall into normal to sometimes oily hair. He can’t confirm with absolute certainty that it’s the shampoo making his scalp a tad dry or it’s just external factors.
LAMAZUNA ON A BEARD
Without using any additional moisturizing for his beard, he says he’s quite happy and his beard looks and feels more moisturizing. He is still not the biggest fan of the shape, it is hard to apply and scrub in.
On the whole, we will not be re-buying this particular shampoo bar. I would say this one – for oily hair and the essential oil is a bit too active for both of us and I will try the Lamazuna shampoo bar for normal hair next. I really like the fact it lasts so long, that it’s really solid and it worked decently well, so I’m willing to give Lamazuna shampoos another go.
My partner would not re-buy it again, in his words: “I want to try something else. It’s not bad, so I might come back to it. I’m not dissatisfied, but I don’t love it enough.”
So there you have it, this is my Lamazuna shampoo review on the Lamazuna shampoo for oily hair with essential oil on my curly sensitive scalp and my partners brittle thin hair (plus on his not so brittle beard).
Do you know the brand? Have you tried it yet?
