What is a Concentrate?
We provide naturally derived and regeneratively sourced active ingredients in the form of powders or blocks, ready for you to make into your favorite liquid shampoo, conditioner, handwash, bodywash or hand and body lotion.
How? Just by adding water 💧
We provide naturally derived and sustainably sourced active ingredients in a compostable cardboard box, and you add the water to make products like shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and surface cleaner.
One Concentrate saves 700ml of water and one plastic bottle from manufacture and disposal into landfill. So if you don't like bars, but still want to #giveupthebottle, you can!
Does this mean your old range of blocks is discontinued?
Yes, but we promise it’s for a good reason.
When we first launched our personal care Concentrates that you could easily make with water at home, it was a test to see what the feedback would be.
What we've learnt over the years is that you had a thing or two to say about just how easy they were to make.
So, we donned our lab coats, thinking caps, and got to work creating a new and improved version of our Concentrates that have replaced our original Concentrate blocks.
What happened to your household concentrates range?
These have been discontinued because we couldn't compete price-wise with the various competitors now on the market (due to our strict ethical and regenerative practices).
Are the shampoo and conditioner concentrates safe for curly hair?
Our shampoo and conditioner concentrates can definitely be used by anyone who has curly hair!
However, if you follow the Curly Girl Method (CGM) and are looking for CGM approved products, these are not ‘approved’ as they contain sulfates.
If you’re after a range specially formulated for those with curly, coily or wavy hair and don’t mind solid shampoo and conditioner bars, take a look at our Curly Duo.
How to make a concentrate?
You can make concentrates at home in three easy steps: buy our concentrates, and add water, and pop the liquid mix into a bottle you already own. Easy peasy.
Can I add more water?
Nope, sorry! If you add more water, you’ll be messing with the pH and inviting mould into the mix. Our concentrates are shelf stable as when you add a lot of water to something, you invite microbial growth!
Worried about the preservative? Don't be. We use a mix of ECOCERT-approved preservatives (such as benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, potassium sorbate, gluconolactone, sodium benzoate, and calcium gluconate) that are perfectly safe for use and approved around the world (our products comply with the toughest safety standards in the world - the EU.)
The combination of preservatives used varies between products in our Concentrates range to ensure that each product is protected by the most suitable, safe, and effective combination of defense against microbes.
Can I dilute my existing Ethique bars?
Also no, I'm sorry. Most of our solid bars are preservative free and will turn into a mouldy, smelly bottle of goo within a week or two of being mixed with water. Use bars as bars and Concentrates as Concentrates.
What if they are too thick?
This is a little deceptive. Some of these products, such as the shampoo, body and handwash can be harder to pour into bottles if left to cool too long as they thicken up quick. However, when you exert force on them (by squeezing the bottle, pushing down a pump), they thin out into a lovely usable texture. So, pouring them can be a bit tricky, but using them is perfect.
Can I add other ingredients to them?
This one is a yes! Kind of. We have unscented variations for those of you who are sensitive to scents, or who want to take the chemistry up a notch and create your own variations.
If you want to add essential oils or fragrances, firstly, ensure they are rated to be safely used externally (candle fragrances, for example, are not acceptable as they are not necessarily rated for topical use.) Also take care to read the safety limits and recommended usage quantities provided by the fragrance supplier and use as directed.
With one full concentrate, you can use up to 3.5g (approximately 3.5ml) of scenting agent. Any higher can start to cause irritation with some oils, so do proceed with caution.
If you want to add in some of your favourite ingredients, this is where the ‘maybe’ comes in.
If you want to add an oil like coconut or jojoba, following the above guidelines and sticking to 3.5-5g is fine. Any higher can start to cause irritation with some oils, so do proceed with caution.
However, if you want to add something water based, or sugary, such as honey or an extract, step away from the bottle! Adding these sorts of ingredients will potentially cause the preservative to fail. If you are adamant about what you want, make your concentrate as normal, then add a small amount (enough for a week) into a separate bottle. You can add your extras into that bottle and discard any leftovers after a week.
Please stick to our guidelines — you do not want to use a product that is contaminated with microorganisms. It can be very dangerous on rare occasions.
How to responsibly dispose of your Ethique concentrate packaging?
All our packaging - the boxes and even the tamper seal stickers are plastic-free and home-compostable. So, once you’re done making your liquid magic, simply pop the tamper seal and box into the compost, garden or plant pot to break down and support new growth.
You can also recycle the cardboard boxes – just make sure they are as clean as possible.
What is better value, a bar or a concentrate?
Depends on the user really. If you are looking at them purely from a numbers perspective, the bars are better value. One shampoo bar, for example, is equivalent to three plastic bottles of liquid shampoo (1.1L). A concentrate makes up 350ml. However, some people struggle with storing their bars, so may find they don't last as long as they would like. Some people don't like bars because they find them harder to use, and some people don't like using bars because of accessibility and usability issues. So, it depends on you and your personal requirements.
Which is better for the environment?
Great question, and it looks to be the bars again. To use a shampoo bar as the example, they not only rid the world of three bottles, they also save 2.7L of water. A concentrate saves one bottle and 700ml of water. The carbon footprint for bars is again lower because you get more from the product. However, if you won't use bars, a concentrate is MUCH better than buying the bottled stuff every time.
The Ethique Guarantee
Have any questions regarding our new Concentrates? Reach out to our team of Miracle Workers at hello@ethique.com or send us a message on social. They can help you out 💚
