This Kitsch review analyses the ingredients in its shampoo bars to see if they are both non-toxic and effective at cleaning hair.

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I was contacted a while ago by a woman who had slimy hair after using a Kitsch shampoo bar.

It was so bad that she couldn’t wash it out and ended up having to go back to plastic bottles.

This person had read my review about transitioning to shampoo bars and could see that Kitsch’s bar had the ingredients that result in great hair - so why wasn’t her hair clean?

Once I looked at the ingredients list, I could see the issue straight away.

I know Kitsch's non-toxic shampoo bars are super popular at the moment, but this is not going to be a normal review. Instead, I will tell you which bars to avoid, which are best, and how to spot the ingredients that could make your hair waxy.

COMING UP

1. The problem with Some Kitsch shampoo bars

After reading the ingredients list on the Kitsch packaging, I quickly discovered why this shampoo bar was causing slimy, greasy hair. The bar contained silicone.

Even though the most common ones are non-toxic substances (not all of them are), the bars I review and recommend, do not contain silicones.

What are silicones?

Silicones have long been used in liquid hair products because they coat the hair shaft, locking in moisture and reducing frizz.

The problem is that they build up on the hair and, over time, may damage it. You then need strong shampoos to wash it all out.

Usually, silicone is found in conditioner, but in this instant, it was the shampoo bar too.

Including silicone in the same bar as sulfate-free shampoo means it’s not getting washed out and continues to build up on the hair.

I recently noticed that Kitsch bars are advertised as being silicone-free so decided to take another look.

Are Kitsch bars silicone free?

Kitsch’s website says its products are free from silicone. This is not exactly true. Here’s what I think has happened.

Kitsch original nourishing bar contained Dimethicone, a silicone. The company’s product page no longer lists this ingredient, so I assume they have reformulated the shampoo but haven’t said anything about it.

While it is great that its shampoo bars have been improved, Kitsch sells its products through a large variety of stockists. A quick search for the Nourishing bar finds several companies that still stock the old bar.

If you use a shampoo bar containing silicone, it will likely build up on your hair and leave it greasy - forcing you to go back to liquid hair care in plastic bottles.

As you’re swapping to zero-waste products, I can only assume you want to reduce your plastic waste so this outcome would not be ideal.

Luckily for you, there is a way around this.

If you’d like to try Kitsch, keep reading! But if you’d prefer to go for a less confusing product, check out my list of 7 American shampoo bars without silicones.

Are Kitsch bars sulfate free?

Yes, Kitsch bars are sulfate-free. This is part of the problem with them previously having silicones in. It needs a strong enough surfactant to be able to wash the dimethicone out.

2. Which Kitsch shampoo bars to avoid

The Kitsch shampoo bar to avoid is the “Castor Oil Nourishing For Renewed Hair.” But only the old formula which has “dimethicone” at the end of the full list of ingredients and packaging like the image shown above.

If the ingredients list has silicones in it will look like this:

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone.

Here is a screenshot of the ingredients list from April 2023:

Yet, if you look at this same product on their website, you can see there is no longer dimethicone in the product.

This tells me that they have probably changed the formula to be silicone-free, but have got old stock circulating (especially internationally). As the packaging in the screenshot is current, it might also mean some stockists that haven’t updated the ingredients list.

I’m telling you this so you can make an informed choice and don’t end up like my friend with greasy, slimy hair.

Do Kitsch conditioner bars contain silicones?

A quick peek at the old Amazon page for Kitsch conditioner bars (with the old spotty packaging) tells me that yes, the old formula for Kitsch conditioners did contain multiple silicones (Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone).

2024 update: Kitsch have since removed the ingredients list from this Amazon page

Cyclomethicone comes with a product warning - it is classified as an endocrine disruptor and is toxic to reproduction.

However, the conditioner bars on Kitsch’s website has no longer got any silicones.

They have clearly reformulated all their products but there are still conditioner bars with the old formulations in circulation (like here) so stay away from any Kitsch conditioner bars that have the old spotty packaging if you want to avoid conditioner with silicones in too.

3. Where is it best to buy Kitsch shampoo bars

All the shampoo bars (and conditioner bars) on Kitsch’s website no longer contain any silicones on the ingredients lists, so it is fine to shop there.

Please be aware that shipping comes from Kitsch’s warehouse in the USA. If you are in a different country, your order will still be shipped from the USA. This isn’t clear so I thought I’d mention it.

4. About Kitsch

Kitsch is a woman-owned personal care brand based in the USA.

Its shampoo bars are vegan, cruelty-free (certified by leaping bunny) and made in the USA. They are free from soap and are pH balanced to properly clean your hair.

People using the new formulations are very pleased with the bars and rate them highly.

5. Are Kitsch’s ingredients non-toxic?

Yes, the new formula of Kitsch’s shampoo bars is non-toxic.

The most “natural” type of shampoo bars are made with soap, but many people find these do not clean your hair, especially in hard water areas where the minerals combine with soap and leave a scummy residue in your hair.

As an alternative, eco-friendly shampoo contains plant-based surfactants to remove dirt and grease from hair. These can be derived from coconut, rapeseed, or palm oil.

Many mainstream shampoos are not considered eco-friendly or ethical because they use petrochemical surfactants, which are derived from fossil fuels.

Here are the ingredients in Kitsch’s shampoo bars:

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (coconut surfactant)
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (coconut surfactant)
Vegetable Glycerin (moisturiser)
Hydrogenated Castor Oil (castor oil that’s been turned into a wax)
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (a derivative of guar gum - EWG)
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein (in 1 bar)
Natural Fragrance (from essential oils)
Biotin (purple toning bar)
Colourants vary by bars: Iron Oxide (red), Ultramarine, Chromium oxide green, Violet no.2 (purple toning bar)

Note: Kitsch Ultra Sensitive Bar has no added colourants or fragrances

6. Kitsch review

Review
Pros
Cons

Reviews for Kitsch bars are great. They average 4.5/5 stars, however, if you read the comments below, you’ll find they don’t agree with everyone’s hair but mainly those with medical issues.

If your hair is damaged or brittle, rubbing a shampoo bar on your head may make things worse.

If you are struggling with brittle hair or hair loss, I suggest seeing a specialist who can help because Kitsch does not contain ingredients that will repair your hair.

I would recommend finding the root cause of your hair problems.

Here is what other people are saying about Kitsch shampoo bars:

PROS

✅The bars have a light, pleasant scent

✅They usually leave hair feeling clean, fresh, and soft

✅Some people say it has made their hair feel thicker

✅Kitsch makes different bars for different hair needs

✅Some bars contain protein

CONS

The main complaint was a few people saying their hair was dry when they didn’t use a conditioner afterwards.
The other complaint was that they appear to be packaged in a plastic bag sometimes which defeats the point of them being a zero-waste product.
Some people find it hard to use because they don’t lather as much, this is a common feeling when first trying out a shampoo bar. Check out the shampoo bar section on my blog for more tips.
Some people weren’t a fan of the conditioner bar
Customer service was sometimes poor when ordering from Amazon and having an issue (I’d recommend buying directly from Kitsch to avoid this).

In conclusion, if you’re careful to avoid the old formula, Kitsch can be an effective shampoo bar to help you reduce the plastic waste in your bathroom.

I hope you found my Kitsch review useful. Have you tried shampoo bars yet? Let me know your experience in the comments below!