I gave up liquid shampoo and conditioner a year ago and my hair has never been healthier. Here’s why I’ll never go back.

They are gentle on my hair, without parabens or preservatives.

Admittedly, I didn’t really know what this meant until I started using the bars. Avoiding chemicals was never a priority for me, and I always bought the cheapest hair washing products I could find at target, chemicals be damned.

But since I first bought the bars last year, I’ve learned more about parabens: man-made chemicals They are often found in cosmetics, and they have changed my perspective on what I look for in my hair products.

While the US Food and Drug Administration has no information on the effects of parabens on healthsome cosmetic brands choose not to use them as a precaution.

Earthling Co. products, for example, claim to be free of parabens and preservatives, and according to their websiteThey do not have harsh stripping ingredients which makes them ideal for my colored hair.

According to the brand, the bars are made with ingredients like coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, and cocoa kernel butter.