FAQs

DO YOU SHIP OVERSEAS?

We ship direct to New Zealand and Australia. For inquiries about shipping to other locations please contact us hello@sphaera.co.nz or see our stockist page for a store near you.

 

WHY IS A SOLID-STATE SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER BAR BETTER FOR MY HAIR? 

These innovative new hair care products offer the quality and results of a professional salon range in a modern, sustainable form. Each bar provides a gentle, luxurious cleansing and conditioning experience whilst respecting the delicate microbiome of the hair and scalp.

Effective natural plant actives such as Hibiscus flower, Quinoa protein and Green tea extract enhance the range, each providing their own unique benefits to hair and scalp health.

These clean, biodegradable and long-lasting products are free from soap, palm oil, sulphates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, artificial colours and fragrances and come in plastic free, home compostable packaging.

 

ARE THE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BARS SULPHATE AND SILICONE FREE? 

All our hair care bars are formulated without soap, palm, sulphates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, synthetic fragrances and colourants. Our formulations are pH balanced, biodegradable and made with the best of green chemistry and nature using renewable plant-based resources.

 

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE BARS COMPARED TO REGULAR BOTTLED PRODUCTS?

The haircare collection has been formulated using the most effective, sophisticated, cutting edge and importantly clean natural ingredients currently available. The formulas are exactly what you would expect in a professional hair care range, presented  in a concentrated bar form.  We have developed this range to meet the need for salon-quality hair care bars, designed and produced without compromise and offered with 100% biodegradable packaging and minimal impact to the environment. 

 

WHAT ARE THE SHIPPING COSTS?

Shipping is free within New Zealand for all orders over $50. New Zealand orders under $50 have a standard shipping rate of $5. 

Australian orders over $100NZD have free shipping. Orders under $100NZD have a standard flat rate of $14 NZD per order. Please supply a physical shipping address (as delivery to a P.O Box is not possible) and a contact phone number. Customs charges and import duties are the responsibility of the purchaser, please contact your local customs office for more detail regarding your country. 

If you live outside of these areas please still feel free to get in touch and we will always do our best to arrange special shipping to you if we can. 

 

HOW DO I CARE FOR THE BARS IN MY SHOWER SPACE? 

Keep your bars dry and away from moisture between uses as much as possible. If you are able, store your bar outside of the shower and bring it in to wash hair, removing it again and allowing it to drain and dry away from water droplets between use. A dish with good drainage or a dry surface to rest on is recommended also. 

 

HOW LONG WILL MY SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BAR LAST COMPARED TO A BOTTLED EQUIVALENT? 

The concentrated, gentle and long-lasting formulations of the collection offer great value with each shampoo bar being equivalent to around three 250ml bottles of liquid shampoo and the conditioner bars to around four to five 250ml bottles of liquid conditioner. Stored and cared for well, the bars will last many months. 

 

WHAT IS THE RIGHT SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER BAR FOR MY HAIR TYPE? 

Select your shampoo bar to suit the health and needs of your scalp and the roots of your hair and how often you like/need to wash your hair. Shampoo is generally only necessary on the hair close to the scalp or to remove product.

Select your conditioner bar to suit the condition and needs of the lengths and ends of your hair. Conditioner is generally only recommended for the lengths of the hair further from the scalp.

See individual product pages for detailed descriptions of each bar for different hair types.

E.g for someone with long, wavy hair who gets an oily scalp and needs to wash every second day a good choice would be the BALANCE + VOLUME shampoo bar (to balance sebum production on the scalp)  and the NOURISH + RESTORE conditioner bar (to nourish and protect the longer lengths of the hair strands).

 

WHAT IS THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR USING A SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER BAR?

General shampoo technique: Shampoo is designed to cleanse the scalp and hair close to it and does not need to be applied over the whole length of your hair. This will receive enough cleansing as the shampoo is rinsed through. Thoroughly wet your hair with warm water and glide the wet shampoo bar several times from the hair line to the nap of the neck. You can pick your hair up and apply some more underneath as needed. Put the bar down and use a little more water in your hand to build lather as you gently work the shampoo into your scalp with your finger tips. Giving your scalp a gentle massage as you do this is a great way to ease tension in the scalp and  ensure healthy blood flow to the hair follicles for strong future growth.

Rinse well with more warm water, treating your hair gently whilst it is wet.

General Conditioner technique: Conditioner is designed to help seal the cuticles of the hair strands, protecting the hair from moisture loss and damage and giving manageability and shine. After your shampoo is rinsed well, glide your wet conditioner bar several times over the lengths of your hair strands then use your fingers to comb through, gently squeezing the conditioner onto the hair until your hair feels very smooth, slippery and tangle free. Gently squeezing assists the conditioner adsorb to the hair strands. Leave the conditioner 1 to 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water. For a deeper conditioning treatment leave the conditioner on for 15 to 30 minutes before rinsing. Treat your hair very gently as it is more vulnerable to damage whilst wet.

Using a conditioner bar feels a bit different than a liquid conditioner, it can feel at first like there is not enough product on your hair. When your hair feels slippery, smooth and completely detangled it means that the concentrated conditioner from the bar has adsorbed to and coated the hair strands successfully. Traditionally a large amount of liquid conditioner is washed down the drain and wasted as the hair is already coated. Conditioner bars prevent this problem.

 

ARE THE HAIRCARE BARS SUITABLE FOR THE CURLY GIRL METHOD? 

Yes, all the bars in the hair care range are suitable for using with the Curly Girl Method.

If you like to use a sulphate and silicone free shampoo then select the shampoo bar to best suit your hair type. The bars are concentrated so you only need to apply a small amount to the scalp/roots of the hair, massage gently and rinse well prior to conditioning.

If you are looking for a co-wash solution all our conditioner bars are suitable, select the one that best suits your hair type. Glide the wet bar several times over your wet curls and then use your fingers to comb through, gently squeezing the conditioner onto the hair until your hair feels very smooth, slippery and tangle free. Rinse out to the level that suits your curl type best.

All our hair care bars are formulated without soap, palm, sulphates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, synthetic fragrances and colourants. 

 

WHAT IS THE SCENT OF THE BARS LIKE? 

Custom botanical scents composed of therapeutic essential oils infuse the bars with a fresh, uplifting blend of bright citrus, balanced and grounded by warm, woody undertones.

 

IS YOUR SHIPPING AND PACKING MATERIAL BIODEGRADABLE?  

Yes, our product packaging is minimal and made from paper and can be added to the compost or recycled after use. 

Your order is protected during transit with recycled tissue paper and packed in an unbleached cardboard box. If extra care is required we use bubble wrap which is being given a second trip somewhere after having come to us via another supplier (and we encourage you to save and reuse this is you are able to) 

 

ARE THE PRODUCTS CRUELTY FREE?  Yes, our products are cruelty free and vegan.

 

DO YOUR PRODUCTS CONTAIN PALM OIL OR ANIMAL PRODUCTS?  

No, our products contains no palm oil, palm oil derivatives or animal products and are suitable for vegans.

 

HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY SOAP OR HAIR CARE BARS? 

Allowing your bars to drain and dry between uses will greatly extend the life of the products. Use a soap dish that can store the products away from the water stream of the shower. See our Accessories section here  for some great options.

 

IS YOUR PACKAGING HOME COMPOSTABLE OR RECYCLABLE? 

Yes, our packaging card stock is compostable or recyclable and is printed with soy based ink. To dispose, tear the packaging into smaller pieces for home composting or leave whole for recycling.

                                    

 

SOAP BAR COLLECTION

WHICH SOAP BAR SHOULD I CHOOSE FOR MY SKIN? 

Each of our bars is composed for a unique purpose.

For gentle exfoliation of hands and body and general handwashing- Citrus and Poppy Seed or Wild Kelp, Sea Salt and Pumice.

For gentle cleansing of face and body (sensitive skin) - Kukui and White Clay

For deeper cleansing of face and body (all skin types) - Kawakawa and Activated Charcoal

For gentle cleansing of hands and body (all skin types especially mature skin) - Pomegranate Seed Oil and Pink Clay

For general cleansing of hands and body (all skin types) - Sweet Almond and French Clay

We are happy to help with any more specific questions about use and skin types. Please feel free to get in touch anytime. 

ARE THE BARS NATURAL? 

Our soap bars are cold processed, handmade and composed of natural plant oils, butters and milks. We use natural clays and botanical extracts for colour and essential oils for scent.

Soap is created by reacting natural oils with sodium hydroxide in a process called saponification. The sodium hydroxide is used completely in the reaction and there is none left in the finished soap.

Our products are free from parabens, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, mineral oil, synthetic dyes and fragrances.

You can find more information on our ingredients here 

WHICH IS THE BEST SOAP BAR FOR SENSITIVE SKIN? 

Our Kukui and White Kaolin Clay bar has been specially formulated for sensitive skin types and is suitable for cleansing the face and body. If you have very sensitive skin you only need a small amount of soap to cleanse and then rinse well with warm water.