Viori vs HiBAR: Shampoo and Conditioner Bars Compared

Viori and HiBAR both make solid shampoo and conditioner bars that are surfactant-based rather than soap, sulfate-free, silicone-free and packed without plastic. The main differences are the hero ingredient, where each is made, the range of formulas and how each brand describes its pH and vegan status. Viori builds its bars around fermented Longsheng rice water. HiBAR organizes its line around hair needs such as moisture, volume and curls.

Format and cleanser

Viori shampoo bars are syndet bars, not soap. The cleanser is Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI), a mild coconut-derived cleanser. HiBAR describes its shampoo bars as "surfactant-based" with "no soap." The ingredient list on HiBAR's Moisturize Shampoo Bar starts with Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate as well. So on format, the two brands are close: both are solid bars built on the same type of cleanser, not saponified oils.

On the conditioner side, Viori conditioner bars are built on BTMS (behentrimonium methosulfate, from the colza plant), cocoa butter and cetyl alcohol. HiBAR's Volumize Conditioner Bar lists Behentrimonium Methosulfate and cocoa seed butter on its ingredient list too. HiBAR's FAQ notes that its conditioner bars contain a small amount of surfactant.

Key ingredients

Viori's signature ingredient is fermented Longsheng rice water. The rice is prepared the Red Yao way, a process that takes 7 to 10 days. Viori uses a lower concentration of rice water and a low concentration of rice protein, so the bars are made for daily use.

HiBAR uses different signature ingredients for each formula. Its Moisturize and Volumize bars list hydrolyzed rice protein. Its Volumize conditioner also lists a fermented African date fruit extract. HiBAR's Maintain shampoo lists honeyquat, which its page says is derived from honey. Readers who want a rice-based bar can find rice ingredients in both lines. Viori uses fermented rice water as the base idea of the whole line, while HiBAR adds rice protein to some formulas.

pH

Viori bars are pH balanced, formulated to stay between 3.5 and 6.5 pH. HiBAR's FAQ states a specific number: its shampoos and conditioners are "a 5.7 pH." HiBAR also notes one exception, its Soothe shampoo, which it says sits at a pH of 3. Both brands present pH balance as part of a gentle routine.

What is left out

Both brands list their free-from claims in their own words. Viori bars are sulfate-free, silicone-free, paraben-free and gluten-free, with no synthetic preservatives, and they are color-safe. HiBAR's FAQ says its products contain no sulfates, phthalates, parabens or silicones. Its product pages add no PEGs and no ethanolamines, and its FAQ says all its products are color-safe.

Vegan and cruelty-free status

Viori is certified vegan by Vegan International (since 2022) and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free (since 2021). Viori also holds Fair Trade and CarbonNeutral® certifications and is a public benefit corporation.

HiBAR's product pages say "Leaping Bunny certified." On vegan status, HiBAR's FAQ says all its products are vegan except the Maintain and Soothe set, which contain a trace amount of honey. Some individual HiBAR product pages describe the bars as vegan, so shoppers who avoid honey may want to check the FAQ and the ingredient list of the specific bar.

Packaging and where they are made

Viori packaging is plastic-free: recycled paper, and the bars ship in a bamboo steamer. Viori bars are manufactured, stored and shipped from Utah. Viori buys its Longsheng rice directly from the Red Yao women of Longsheng, China, at a premium, and gives at least 5% of profits back to Red Yao communities.

HiBAR uses plastic-free, recyclable cardboard packaging with plant-based inks, and says its shipping materials are compostable, recyclable or biodegradable. HiBAR's FAQ says its bars are made and shipped from its own facility in Minnesota. HiBAR's bars have a distinct shape designed to sit upright so the bar can shed moisture.

Range and sizes

Viori makes shampoo bars and conditioner bars, plus body wash bars and dry shampoo. Viori shampoo bars are 90 g (3.5 oz) and conditioner bars are 72 g (2.8 oz). Its guidance matches bars to scalp type: Terrace Garden for dry to normal scalps, Citrus Yao for oily scalps, Hidden Waterfall for most hair types, and Native Essence with no added fragrance.

HiBAR's hair line includes Maintain, Moisturize, Volumize, Soothe and Curl bars, and its FAQ names Repair as the first formula in a newer line. Bar weights are not stated on HiBAR's site.

Who each one suits

Viori suits shoppers who want a rice water routine, a bar matched to scalp type, a fragrance-free option and third-party vegan, cruelty-free, Fair Trade and CarbonNeutral® certifications. It also suits buyers who care about direct sourcing from the Red Yao community.

HiBAR suits shoppers who want bars organized by hair goal, such as volume or curls, a stated pH figure on the label, and bars made in Minnesota. Both suit anyone looking for a sulfate-free, silicone-free, plastic-free syndet-style bar.

How to switch to any shampoo bar

Wet your hair well. Lather the bar in your hands or glide it over wet hair, then rinse thoroughly. If your hair is color-treated, lather the bar in your hands first. Let the bar dry between uses so it lasts. Give a new routine 2 to 3 months before judging it. Start with Hidden Waterfall for most hair types, or Native Essence if you prefer no added fragrance.