We Put Our Bars to the Test — Here's What We Discovered!

Independent laboratory testing, real customer feedback and an exciting step forward for Janni Bars.

At Janni Bars, we've always believed that choosing more sustainable haircare shouldn't mean compromising on performance.

In fact, we've always believed quite the opposite.

Our goal has never been to simply replace plastic bottles with shampoo bars. It's been to create genuinely great haircare that people choose because they love how their hair looks and feels.

And now, after years of developing and refining our formulations, we've taken an exciting new step.

We've put our Softening Shampoo and Conditioner Bars through independent laboratory and consumer testing — and we're absolutely delighted to share what we discovered!

So, What Did the Testing Show?

Let's start with the results, because there are some we're particularly excited about!

In an independent four-week consumer study, participants used our Softening Shampoo and Conditioner Bars as part of their regular haircare routine.

Of the 22 people who completed the final questionnaire:

• 95% would recommend our Softening Shampoo and Conditioner Bars.

• 86% noticed an improvement in the condition of their hair.

• 73% noticed increased shine.

• 73% found their hair easier to manage or style.

• 59% rated our shampoo bar better or muc better than their usual shampoo.

• 55% rated our conditioner bar better or muc better than their usual conditioner.

That last part is particularly meaningful to us.

For years, shampoo bars have sometimes been seen as something you choose primarily for environmental reasons, perhaps accepting a little compromise along the way.

But more than half of the respondents rated each of our Softening bars better than the products they were already using.

And that is exactly the kind of feedback we've been working towards.

The Science of Shine — What Happened in the Laboratory?

Alongside the consumer study, our products underwent separate laboratory testing using specialist equipment designed to measure hair gloss.

Researchers tested different hair samples, including natural blonde and strongly bleached hair, measuring gloss before and after repeated use of our Softening Shampoo and Conditioner Bars.

After just three shampoo-and-conditioner treatment sessions, increased hair gloss was measured across all three lighter-coloured hair samples tested.

One of the most interesting findings came from a natural light-blonde hair sample that started with a particularly low gloss reading. Following treatment, its measured gloss increased markedly.

This is an exciting observation because it shows how noticeable the difference in measured gloss can be when the starting level is very low.

The laboratory findings also raise an interesting question for future research: could the starting condition and gloss of someone's hair influence how much improvement they experience?

It's something we'd love to explore further as we continue developing our products.

For us, the exciting part is that shine wasn't simply something people reported noticing. Increased gloss was also measured independently in the laboratory.

Why Did We Decide to Invest in Independent Testing?

The beauty industry is full of promises.

Softer hair. Shinier hair. Healthier-looking hair. Salon-quality results.

But we believe those promises should mean something.

When we started Janni Bars in 2018, we wanted to create haircare that could stand confidently alongside conventional bottled products.

Not just because our bars use less packaging, but because they're genuinely enjoyable and effective to use.

Independent testing gives us the opportunity to step outside our own workshop and see how our products perform under laboratory conditions and in people's everyday routines.

It also means we're not simply asking customers to take our word for it.

We're gathering evidence, listening to feedback and using what we learn to become better.

And that is something we're incredibly proud of.

Because Haircare Isn't One-Size-Fits-All

One of the things that makes Janni Bars different is our approach to developing products for individual hair needs.

We now have nine specialised shampoo ranges, created with different hair types, concerns and preferences in mind.

Because someone with fine hair doesn't necessarily want the same thing as someone with dry, damaged or colour-treated hair.

And choosing a shampoo bar shouldn't mean giving up the ability to choose products that suit you.

Our Softening range was the first to undergo this programme of independent testing, and the results relate specifically to those products.

But the research is part of a much bigger ambition for Janni Bars: to continue developing specialised solid haircare that puts performance first.

Testing Isn't Just About Proving What Works

Something else that's really important to us is what we can learn from the feedback.

Not every comment was about shine or softness.

Some participants highlighted practical challenges around applying conditioner, knowing how much to use and storing their bars.

And that's valuable information.

Because creating great products isn't just about what's inside the bar. It's also about making sure people have a great experience using it.

We're already thinking about how we can make our instructions clearer, provide more helpful demonstrations and make switching to solid haircare even easier.

That's one of the reasons we're exploring more video guides and practical haircare advice for our customers.

Independent testing isn't the end of product development.

It's part of how we get better.

Performance First. Sustainability Alongside It.

We've always been passionate about reducing unnecessary plastic packaging, and winning the Sustainability category at the 2026 Irish Made Awards was an incredibly proud moment for us.

But sustainability has never been our only ambition.

We want to make products that people come back to because they genuinely love them.

Because the most successful alternative to bottled haircare isn't simply one that uses less plastic.

It's one that people actually want to keep using.

We're not asking customers to compromise for the environment. We're working to make sure they don't have to.

That statement really sums up what Janni Bars is all about.

And This Is Only the Beginning

This research represents an exciting milestone for our small Irish business.

We've learned a great deal, we're proud of the encouraging results, and we're looking forward to using that knowledge as we continue developing our products.

We want independent research, customer feedback and ongoing formulation development to become an increasingly important part of how Janni Bars grows.

There's always more to learn, more to improve and more we can do.

And we think that's exciting.

Thank you for supporting Janni Bars and being part of this journey. We couldn't keep growing, learning and improving without you.

Here's to great hair, exciting discoveries and a future with fewer plastic bottles.

Go Solid. Stay Glossy.

With love,

Janni x

About the research

Independent research completed in October 2026 evaluated Janni Bars Softening Shampoo and Conditioner Bars through laboratory hair-tress testing and a separate four-week human volunteer study.

Consumer perception findings are based on questionnaires from participants using both products together. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Laboratory testing measured gloss on four hair-tress types across three shampoo-and-conditioner treatment sessions. Increased average gloss after conditioning was observed on the three lighter-coloured samples tested.

In the separate human study, average percentage changes in instrumentally measured gloss were positive at each weekly assessment, but these differences were not statistically significant.

Findings are specific to the tested products and study conditions.