Citrus Burst Syndet Shampoo Bar

Grapefruit and lemon myrtle is citrus taken seriously. This sulphate-free shampoo bar from Heavenly Bubbles pairs the familiar sharpness of cold-pressed grapefruit peel oil with lemon myrtle essential oil from the Australian rainforest: more intensely lemony than lemon itself, with a clean, almost eucalyptus edge that makes the combination feel genuinely alive. In an aluminium tin with a shea butter formulation that leaves hair soft without a separate conditioner, it is the most invigorating bar in the range and a particularly good choice for an early morning wash.

Key Facts

• Scent: grapefruit and lemon myrtle essential oils
• Key conditioning ingredients: shea butter, cetyl alcohol
• Sulphate-free syndet formulation
• Handmade in the UK by Heavenly Bubbles
• Supplied in an aluminium tin
• Vegan

The Scent

Grapefruit essential oil (Citrus paradisi) is cold-pressed from the outer peel of the fruit. It is bright, slightly bitter, and considerably more complex than other citrus oils: where lemon is sharp and lemon-sweet, grapefruit has a tartness and a faint floral undertone that makes it more interesting as a fragrance ingredient. It is also one of the more uplifting citrus oils in terms of its effect on mood, which is why it appears regularly in morning products and energising blends.

Lemon myrtle essential oil (Backhousia citriodora) is steam-distilled from the leaves of a rainforest tree native to subtropical Queensland, Australia. It is one of the highest naturally occurring sources of citral available, giving it a lemon scent that is sharper and more concentrated than lemon peel oil itself, with a clean, slightly herbal quality that distinguishes it from other citrus ingredients. It has documented antimicrobial properties and is used in hair care both for its scent and its clarifying effect on the scalp. For anyone who wants their shampoo to smell powerfully and genuinely of citrus, lemon myrtle is the ingredient that delivers it most effectively.

Together the two oils produce a scent that is bold, clean, and unambiguously fresh: the kind of thing that makes a shower feel like it has actually done something. Ten naturally occurring compounds from the essential oils are listed as required by UK cosmetics regulations: citral, citronellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, eugenol, farnesol, and isoeugenol. Those with a known sensitivity to any of these should choose an unscented bar instead.

The Formulation

The base is the same sulphate-free formulation used across the Heavenly Bubbles shampoo bar range. Sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) is the primary cleansing agent: mild, coconut-derived, and considerably gentler than sulphate-based surfactants. Shea butter provides deep conditioning, cetyl alcohol adds smoothness and combability, and cocamidopropyl betaine boosts lather and reduces any potential for irritation. The result is a bar that cleans thoroughly, conditions without heaviness, and leaves most hair types soft and manageable after a single wash.

Who This Bar is For

The grapefruit and lemon myrtle combination makes this the most energising bar in the Heavenly Bubbles range, and the most straightforwardly suited to oily or fine hair where a clarifying, uplifting wash is what the scalp needs. The lemon myrtle's antimicrobial properties add a functional dimension to the fragrance choice rather than merely decorating it. It is also the bar most likely to suit those who found the tangerine bar appealing but want something with more intensity and edge.

The sulphate-free SCI base means it is gentle enough for daily use on any hair type, and the shea butter conditioning ensures the lengths and ends are not left dry despite the clarifying scent profile.

How to Use

Wet hair thoroughly. Run the bar directly along the hair from roots to mid-lengths, or lather between the palms first and apply as you would liquid shampoo. Work into the scalp with fingertips. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Store the bar in its tin between uses, leaving the lid slightly ajar to allow airflow and prevent the bar sitting in residual moisture. A bar used daily will typically last four to six weeks depending on hair length and thickness.

Additional Product Details

• Full ingredients (INCI): Sodium cocoyl isethionate, Cocamidopropyl betaine, Cetyl alcohol, Butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, Glyceryl stearate SE, Citrus paradisi (grapefruit) peel oil, Backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle) leaf oil, Citral*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Benzyl benzoate*, Benzyl salicylate*, Eugenol*, Farnesol*, Isoeugenol*  *occurs naturally in essential oils
• Handmade in the UK by Heavenly Bubbles
• Supplied in a reusable aluminium tin
• Vegan