My name is Neoma and I am a shampoo bar addict. And, good addict that I am, I am suffering some serious withdrawal pangs from not being able to access the monster CV bar thread.

With that in mind, I am taking the liberty of starting a new shampoo bar thread. I deliberately entitled it this, rather than the CV Bar Thread or some variation thereof, so folks would feel free to talk about the shampoo bar of their choice.

For the uninitiated, a shampoo bar is soap based. There are two major makers that many LHC'ers use: Chagrin Valley (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm)(CV) and Prairieland Herbs (http://prairielandherbs.com/hair.htm) (PLH). There are many other fine soap makers who make good shampoo bars, of course. My favorite is C.O.P.A. soaps (http://copasoaps.com/).

Both the CV and PLH sites offer a good overview of what a shampoo bar is, how it works, issues that you're likely to experience with using a shampoo bar, vinegar rinses, etc. There's also an excellent article on the CV site by Claudia, one of our members: How to Enjoy a Shampoo Bar (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/enjoyshamp.htm).

The original CV bar thread was hundreds of entries long. Heck, I think that it was hundreds of pages long! It included questions and answers about shampoo bar usage and shampoo bar reviews.

I'm going to close this post as the intro to what I hope will become a long, strong, information-packed thread.

I thought that I'd kick this off by telling you a little about my experience with shampoo bars.

I first tried shampoo bars a couple of years ago, enabled by the above-referenced monster CV bar thread. My hair loved them the first day or so, then I ended up with a bad case of "the waxies." I tried them off and on for a few months, then threw in the towel.

A few months after I gave up on CV bars, a dear LHC friend and I had a mini-meet, and she gave me a bar of PLH. Long story short, my hair loved PLH shampoo bars, I didn't get the waxies, and a love affair with shampoo bars was born.

Just for the record, I have since gone back primarily to CV bars. I still order PLH bars from time to time. And I buy C.O.P.A. bars whenever I run across them at local street fairs.

Why do I love shampoo bars? Mainly because they give my baby fine hair body unlike any other haircare routine that I've followed. When I use shampoo bars, I can make big, fat updos that don't slip apart. The texture is indefinable.

I do have an issue with the hair on my crown sometimes when I use shampoo bars. But I'm beginning to think that has more to do with "thinning spot" at the front of my head and with changes in hair texture due to hormones than with shampoo bars.

I have a number of routines that I follow when I use shampoo bars. I'll post on them at length in another entry. But my old standby is:


Wet my hair thoroughly
Glide the shampoo bar over my head and the length of my hair
Massage well
Rinse well
Repeat steps 1 - 4
Pour a weak herbed white vinegar with essential oils rinse over my head (I usually don't rinse this out)That's it for now. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

I use shampoo bars too! In fact, if you look under the "Reviews" tab, you'll see a nice little spot to review Chagrin Valley shampoo bars, if you so desire! :cough cough: I started that review, so I'd like to have a few more people on it. I'm afraid I missed something!

Anyway, I've been using CV lately, I recently tried Extra Honey, Beer and Egg, which I got like 4 months ago, and never tried. It works okay, no bad results, but I'm afraid to over-protein myself, so I'm spacing it out with my old favorite Chamomile and Citrus.
I haven't tried Prairieland Herb yet... keep intending to, but never do. I've never heard of C.O.P.A. before-- are ALL their bars appropriate for using on hair?
I did recently place an order with Serpentine Hair. (http://www.serpentinehair.com/products.html) Someone recommended them on TBB (Gemma?), and before I knew it, I had placed an order! I'm a sucker for a snazzy site, and they had the ingredients listed (though not the size). They haven't arrived yet, but I'll be sure to do a review as soon as I've tried them a few times.

My routine (with CV bars):
lather up reall well-- I generally only put the bar onto the areas near my scalp, lather up really well, then move the lather down my length.
Rinse thoroughly
Use citric acid rinse (1.5 teaspoons CA and 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid in 1.75 liters-- I don't use the whole bottle every time, obviously!)
Rinse again
Apply conditioner (right now, Trader Joe's nourish spa, mixed with a dab of VO5 pomegranate grapeseed conditioner)
Leave it a few minutes, then rinse with cold water.

I use Manor Hall Deep Conditioner as a leave-in.

Gives great hair, and yes, I've generally found my hair has more texture and body with shampoo bars!

It seems that I am addicted as well. I have a bundle of Chagrin Valley bars. As well as a couple of bars of the shampoo bar from Corrynne's Natural Soap (http://www.soaps.net.au/).

I haven't tried them yet but I am looking forward to trying the shampoo bar that Moon Haven (http://www.moonhaven.com.au/hair.htm) offers as well.

I like the Chagrin Valley bars and will continue to buy them but I like to alternate with Australian shampoo bars as well, so I can support companies that are closer to me.

I'm pretty new to shampoo bars. Another LHCer [Chromis] let me buy some of her CV sample bars off her, and I love them! I've since bought more samples, waiting for a few of the full bars to be orderable.

Yummy, and so good to my hair!! I'm an instant convert. :D

I'm pretty new to shampoo bars. Another LHCer [Chromis] let me buy some of her CV sample bars off her, and I love them! I've since bought more samples, waiting for a few of the full bars to be orderable.

Yummy, and so good to my hair!! I'm an instant convert. :D

Hey, I know you!

I *love* the CV bars. So far my favourites are the nettle, cafe moreno, and marshmallow bars. I just put in order for some more and I'll post up some reveiws when I'm more awake :-)

I use just the shampoo brs, lathering two or three times depending on how my hair is feeling, and follow up with either an ACV or citric acid rinse. For those of you put off by the ACV smell, I humbly suggest trying the organic stuff "with the mother", it smells a *lot* better!

I just finished washing my hair with a shampoo bar! It's the Lush Regenerate bar, and I use it only from time to time because it contains SLS. While I normally use gentler cleaning agents, from time to time a SLS wash is necessary, otherwise my hair is sticky.

The Regenerate contains henna and I like it on my hair. The smell is a bit spicey/henna/weird, but not unpleasant. It washes out with ease and foams enough for my taste.

I tried the Lush Godiva but didn't like the heavy jasmine smell. Although the results were pleasant enough. Again, loads of SLS and thus fit only for once-a-month use.

I read that Lush started producing shampoo bars without SLS but I dind't try any other yet.

It was easy to get used to a shampoo bar. I feel I have good control over the amount I use - I soap my hands first and then smooth it over my scalp. I always dilute my shampoo anyway.

We have very hard water here so I didn't try other hair soaps.

I started to use Prairieland Herbs shampoo bars during our stay at TBB.It took me about a week to get over that initial reaction because I was so used to using commerical shampoo.I run the soap bar 10 times(yes I count lol)down to the nape of my neck,gently scrub and lift up my ends and gently scrub them as well.When my head is covered with the white foam,I rinse and repeat the whole process.Now,I use just plain jane ACV as my rinse and I do not let it stay in there.I let it sit for about 3 minutes while I do some other shower duties and I rinse out the vinegar.I want to try herbed vinegar as soon as I go raid my mom's herb garden.I might be the very few if not the only one that conditions after I do the ACV.I make sure I use a noncone,try my hardest to use Burts Bees or something on that line of natural.I'm getting to that point when I don't have to have the ACV just condition after the last poo rinse.I just might continue the vinegar though,it adds softness and volume.

Like I said,it was hard to begin with but now I can not imagine going back.I did cave in the last time I washed by using Sauve Vanilla Floral and doing my oldie CWC.My hair simply wasn't the same,and I don't think I'll make that mistake again.

I really like Serpentine Hair bars (http://www.serpentinehair.com). :)

I've tried Prairieland Herbs, CV, Lush, and Oyin bars, all of which were very nice but tended to make my hair a little dull after a few months. I also got a little tired with the same herbal scents. The Serpentine bars have more varied scents, and constant use only makes my hair increasingly happy.

I was going without conditioner the first months of using these bars because they're so conditioning, but my dry scalp has made me go back to conditioner for the time being.

I started with 'poo bars because they're the easiest way to avoid parabens, SLS, and cones.

ilovemycop: you aren't the only one to condition after using a shampoo bar. I do, too! Several years ago when I used them, I didn't use conditioner and I never liked how my hair felt.

I'm not a frequent shampoo bar user, but my husband loves the bars that I buy for him from LUSH. I know that all of them are SLS based (except the new sulfate free 'Squeeky Green' one), but honestly, I find them to be quite moisturizing. When I do use one of my LUSH bars, I usually reach for Karma b/c it smells so good, but it also feels quite moisturizing. I usually never have any tangles with it.

I love the fact that there is no packaging... environmentally friendly and that the bars are fun to use. Actually I would like to use my LUSH bars more often but I only wash my hair on days that I swim and for that I use a chelating shampoo.

I started using CV poo bars in October.
I was looking at Lush's vegan products, but the in-store customer service was just hideous. They'll not get my money, ever.

I really like the ease of use on the bars. I have a shipment of full size, but I was used to the samples, so i quartered them all.

I have had some waxies issues, I have hard water and I'm still tweaking the perfect acid rinse.
Despite this, I prefer the texture of my hair with poo bars over my Nature's Gate poo, or any of the liquids I had in rotation.


I have a PH bar sample on the way from a trade.


When I first read about poo bars on the aforementioned mega thread, I had serious concerns.
I'd used liquid castile soap to form dreads.
I wasn't wanting dreads at the time (It is always an option in my mind).
But reading lots of comments of softer hair made me drop Ida a line.
glad I did.

Neoma: thanks for starting this thread -- I have missed the huge CV bar thread here.

I have been experimenting with CV bars since late January. I wash 1-2X per week, so experimenting with various bars and techniques takes a while. ;) Here is the routine that I have found to work for my hair:

1) The night before I wash, I do an SMT and leave it in overnight. I use Giovanni Smooth As Silk or Nutrafix, plus aloe and extra honey.

2) In my morning shower, I rinse out my hair, then rub the shampoo bar over my hair, working up a lather especially along the crown and nape of my neck, and a bit along the length. Rinse well. Lather up again, rinse well. I usually do a third time, but only on my roots. Rinse well.

3) I then apply AO Honeysuckle Rose conditioner all over my hair, even a bit on my roots. Previously, I would never use conditioner on my roots, since I have fine, oily-prone hair, but this seems to help keep my roots from looking greasy after using the poo bar. I leave the conditioner on as I continue my shower.

4) At the end of my shower, I rinse out the the conditioner, followed by a citric acid rinse. I use about 1/4 teaspoon in 2-1/2 cups of water. I dip the ends first, then pour the rest over my hair. This makes my hair very silky.

CV bars that I have tried, and liked, in order of preference:
Nettle (my hair really loves this one)
Summer Sunshine
Herb Garden
Extra Honey Beer & Egg

Bars that didn't work for me (left my hair greasy looking):
Neem
Babassu & Marshmallow
Mud & Clay

I am eagerly awaiting a shipment of some of the CV bars that I have not tried yet. I love what the bars do for my hair, and it is fun to try new things! :D

I've never heard of C.O.P.A. before-- are ALL their bars appropriate for using on hair?Their Cocoa bar contains castor oil, and is therefore more "shampoo bar appropriate" than the others. The lady who makes C.O.P.A. soaps says that she uses all of her soaps as shampoo bars, but she has very short hair, so what works for her probably wouldn't work for some of us.

The Cocoa bar includes cocoa butter and smells like lemongrass and some other herbs. I really like the fragrance. Also, this bar lathers like no other shampoo bar that I've tried -- tons of tiny, fluffy bubbles.

I have a piece of the C.O.P.A. Triple Mint soap, which contains no castor oil, but is very minty and fresh smelling. I will try it as a shampoo and report back at some point.

Neoma: thanks for starting this thread -- I have missed the huge CV bar thread here.
You're welcome, Katja. I'm glad that so many people have replied to this thread. It makes me feel more at home, LHC-wise.

I love shampoo bars as well. I did these as a new experience and I currently use soap lady of oregan shampoo bars.They are reasonable at 4$ for 5oz and they have no sulfates and are all natural. I was going to try CV bars , but they have SLS in them. My first time my hair felt waxy and still does till this day. I found it is from my hard water; so I use a white vinager rinse everytime. My hair smells great for days and they give my hair body.

I was going to try CV bars , but they have SLS in them..Lora, CV bars do not contain SLS. They are soap-based -- lye soap. :flower:

I did recently place an order with Serpentine Hair. (http://www.serpentinehair.com/products.html) Someone recommended them on TBB (Gemma?), and before I knew it, I had placed an order! I'm a sucker for a snazzy site, and they had the ingredients listed (though not the size). They haven't arrived yet, but I'll be sure to do a review as soon as I've tried them a few times.chloeishere and Gemma, you are both enablers! :silly: I had never heard of Serpentine Hair. I bookmarked the site. The Kahlua sounds divine. Do you know if she uses EO's or perfume?

Any time that I tried shampoo bars in the past, they didn't work well for me. I started helping my soap-making friend test some of her products, as my hair is completely opposite to hers...and I get free samples. She finally washed my hair for me (heaven) explaining the proper way to use a shampoo bar.

You are absolutely right, Neoma, the texture of my hair after using bars is amazing. My updo's don't slip as much, but they stay silky!!

Any time that I tried shampoo bars in the past, they didn't work well for me. I started helping my soap-making friend test some of her products, as my hair is completely opposite to hers...and I get free samples. She finally washed my hair for me (heaven) explaining the proper way to use a shampoo bar.

You are absolutely right, Neoma, the texture of my hair after using bars is amazing. My updo's don't slip as much, but they stay silky!!
Oh, cricket, one of the only things that I miss about going to a salon is having someone else wash my hair! I used to go to a Japanese salon. They would give you a scalp massage that was better than...well, you know... :D

I started using CV bars several months ago and have tried all of their shampoo bars except carrot milk and honey, olive babassu, and lavender spice.

I fell in love with the Mud and Clay bar. The color of it is rich and attractive, the smell is refreshing and citrusy, it lathers well, and it gives my hair great curl, volume and softness. Also, I can go around four days without washing my hair again. It's a great bar, but lately I've been using Nature's Gate Jojoba conditioner on my ends, and the two products work well together.

I tried them after browsing their site for awhile, and I was overwhelmed with curiosity, drawn in by the reasonable prices, and I love supporting small companies.

I plan on staying away from commercial shampoos forever.


I tried their soap bars on my face but so far they have all been too drying if I use them regularly. My body likes them though.

I recently got into using CV bars and absolutely love how they make my hair look and feel! However, I haven't used them in about a month because of lack of time and convenience. I decided to give them another go today (with CV Extra Honey Beer & Egg) and it's wonderful! Really worth it and better than ANYTHING else I have tried!

Another CV addict here! :waving: I´ve been using CV bars exclusively since September 2006. My routine is pretty much like Neoma´s: Lather, massage, rinse, repeat, repeat, vinegar rinse, done.

By the way, does anyone know how I can submit my shampoo bar article to the articles´ section? It seems I don´t have permission to post there, so should I send it to a mod or what?

I'm a PLHbar user.
I don't use VCbars because often there is sheabutter in the bars and I'm allergic to shea.
I use Naomes method only I do it once. Once is enough for me. From time to time I do a citricacid rinse as a last rinse.

Lora, CV bars do not contain SLS. They are soap-based -- lye soap. :flower:


Ohhh dur im thinking of the Lush shampoo bars..lmao

Ohhh dur im thinking of the Lush shampoo bars..lmaoNP, lora. I thought that you might be confusing them with Lush, but I wasn't sure. :flower:

The Lush bars look amazing and smell wonderful, but I had to walk out after reading the ingredients. Its too bad that synthetic products and flashy packaging seem to do so well for the masses. In a perfect world, I'd be able to walk into a mall and buy a wonderful shampoo bar with no nasty ingredients.

Ah well. I can dream.

The Lush bars look amazing and smell wonderful, but I had to walk out after reading the ingredients. Its too bad that synthetic products and flashy packaging seem to do so well for the masses. In a perfect world, I'd be able to walk into a mall and buy a wonderful shampoo bar with no nasty ingredients.

Ah well. I can dream.I have a bar of Lush Karma Komber in the bathroom, and I have used it a couple of times. It truly is just a solid SLS shampoo. The reason I bought it is that is smells divine. I pick it up and sniff it from time to time, but I may end up using it as body soap -- I don't think I want to use it on my hair.

chloeishere and Gemma, you are both enablers! :silly: I had never heard of Serpentine Hair. I bookmarked the site. The Kahlua sounds divine. Do you know if she uses EO's or perfume?

from the descriptions on the site, I think she's using both.
She mentions in the FAQ that some natural ingredients oxidize.

from the descriptions on the site, I think she's using both.
She mentions in the FAQ that some natural ingredients oxidize.Thank you, truepeacenik. :flower:

NP, lora. I thought that you might be confusing them with Lush, but I wasn't sure. :flower:

I went and ordered two of the CV bars. The summer sunshine and the clay one. Everything else was out of stock. I'm looking forward to trying them :D

I love LUSH. Ultimate Shine is my favorite. I have Squeaky Green currently (no SLS or ALS), it's pretty good but I don't care for the scent too much. I want to try Trichomania next

I went and ordered two of the CV bars. The summer sunshine and the clay one. Everything else was out of stock. I'm looking forward to trying them
__________________Summer Sunshine is one of my all-time favorites, both for the way it works, and for the fragrance, which is delightful.

I haven't tried the clay one.

I think that Summer Sunshine, Carrot, Milk & Honey and Cafe Moreno are my favs. I also love the Lemon Lavender soap, which leaves my hair feeling almost as if I've used cones -- soft and silky. I can't use it exclusively, because it does tend to build up and weigh my hair down.

Darn, now I want to order some Lemon Lavender soap...

last week i tried a soap bar as a shampoo bar (as i had no way of getting one), i rinsed the soap very well then i did the white vinegar rinse (a strong one) and after a minute i rinsed again...well...my hair that inically looked smooth (when wet) started to dry and looked really greasy and my ends were all wierd and dry. Is it possible that i have done something wrong? Or is it possible that bars arent for all hair type?

i use CV bars which are wonderful for my hair and helped me with my scalp problems, and my hair seem to love them as well.
accidentally i bought on sale a shampoo bar from this company
http://www.themysticmasala.com/
and although the smell is quite strong i must say it is a quite good shampoo as well. thought somebody might want to try!

cheers.

I really like the Cafe Moreno shampoo bar. While LHC was down, I realized that lathering twice is SO MUCH BETTER than lathering just once. Lathering the first time, I noticed that everything felt kind of sticky and not quite clean. When lathering up the second time, everything feels a lot more silky and so on, and my hair feels better at the end--a lot softer.

I have also learned that I do actually have to use a light conditioner and/or coconut oil after using shampoo bars; my hair gets a little sticky and crunchy otherwise.

[snip]

Oops, double post!

last week i tried a soap bar as a shampoo bar (as i had no way of getting one), i rinsed the soap very well then i did the white vinegar rinse (a strong one) and after a minute i rinsed again...well...my hair that inically looked smooth (when wet) started to dry and looked really greasy and my ends were all wierd and dry. Is it possible that i have done something wrong? Or is it possible that bars arent for all hair type?brok3nwings, did you use a regular, commercial soap, like Dial or something? Or did you use lye soap such as those made by CV? Commerical soaps aren't in the same category at all, so, if that's what you used, then I wouldn't consider this a valid experiment.

Neoma, it isnt a commercial soap, it is a soap that i bought about 2 years ago in Spain and they are tradicionally made (and look like it) and i remember that the people who was selling explaided to me all about each one (i cant remember) but i trully believe that the soap was really made tradicionally, so maybe it is because it is a soap bar and not a shampoo bar? Or can it be because your hair takes a while to ajust? ... Or is it possible that my particular hair doesnt really like it? I dont want to take conclusions right now i just wanted some other experiences besides the ones that went great since the beginning...but i am a bit jealous for the description that you all make! eheh :)

Neoma, it isnt a commercial soap, it is a soap that i bought about 2 years ago in Spain and they are tradicionally made (and look like it) and i remember that the people who was selling explaided to me all about each one (i cant remember) but i trully believe that the soap was really made tradicionally, so maybe it is because it is a soap bar and not a shampoo bar? Or can it be because your hair takes a while to ajust? ... Or is it possible that my particular hair doesnt really like it? I dont want to take conclusions right now i just wanted some other experiences besides the ones that went great since the beginning...but i am a bit jealous for the description that you all make! eheh :)

If it was a cold process soap, it may have been made more super-fatted than most shampoo bars. Shampoo bars should be super-fatted no more than 3-5%, or else it can cause build-up or make your hair feel greasy. Some CP soaps are made with much more super fatting, which is great for skin, but not so good for clean hair. I can't say for sure though, as I don't know anything about that particular soap. I've never had any luck using a normal CP soap bar as a shampoo bar, but maybe I'm different.

It also could be that the vinegar rinse was TOO strong-- sometimes, if it's too strong, your hair will also end up greasy looking. :o It's a delicate balance to figure out what will work really well for you.

If you are really interested in shampoo bars, you could order some samples from CV, or wait around for a while and watch the swap board like a hawk to see if you could snap up some samples for cheaper shipping...
Good luck!

chloeishere thank you for your answer. Probably that is the cause of the problem... ;) Actually when i was washing my hair with the shampoo bar it felt really really moisturizing so it can be from the extra oil...and i dont think my hair needs it as a frequent cleaning method. I will try to get some samples...i just dont know how. Anyway, i am going to Boston and New York two weeks from now...any of you know if its easy to buy good quality shampoo bars at any stores around there? I am expecting to buy products that i cant find here in Portugal

chloeishere thank you for your answer. Probably that is the cause of the problem... ;) Actually when i was washing my hair with the shampoo bar it felt really really moisturizing so it can be from the extra oil...and i dont think my hair needs it as a frequent cleaning method. I will try to get some samples...i just dont know how. Anyway, i am going to Boston and New York two weeks from now...any of you know if its easy to buy good quality shampoo bars at any stores around there? I am expecting to buy products that i cant find here in PortugalSpain is famous for making Castile soap (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap). I'm not sure how that is different from shampoo bars. I suspect that chloeishere is right, and whatever you used may have been super-fatted.

I live in NY, and I don't know of any place where you can buy shampoo bars locally. I do buy C.O.P.A. soaps at street fairs, which happen in the summer, and at Christamas in Union Square. I don't know Boston very well, so I couldn't tell you about that.

I've been using shampoo bars on and off for over a year. Last few month is 90% shampoo bars for washing. I love them. I've tried mostly CV bars, a PLH bar, JR Liggett bar, a couple from Ebay and one from local soap shop. My favorite are CV bars and the one from local soap shop. I don't think I'll buy the other ones again.

My routine is simple. In the shower I rub the bar all over my hair, separating some to let it reach the scalp, then massage and lather up. I don't usually do length unless it's been oiled. Rinse and repeat twice (three lathering all together). Then I use a homemade herbal ACV rinse (formula varies). I let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse off. My hair is clean and very shiny. I wash every three days. I have medium, slightly thick hair with oily scalp.

ETA My husband lather up twice, use herbal rinse, then a conditioner. He washes his hair every other day. He has fine thin hair with normal scalp.

Has anyone noticed a slight lightening of hair color while using shampoo bars (I use CV)? I wonder if the bars or the ACV rinses may cause this. I am not positive, but it seems that my hair appears to look a tad lighter, although it may be due to the season change (or I'm going crazy :p).

Oh! And what effect (if any) would the Cafe Moreno bar have on black hair?

I absolutely love CV shampoo bars. My favorites are Olive and Babassu and Cafe Moreno.

I generally lather twice, the second time I get a good thick lather and clip it up with a plastic claw while I go to work with my body bar of choice, Neem and Tea Tree.

After I rinse, I have a conditioner/vinegar rinse I use. Basically what I did is put one ounce of Infusium 23 (my favorite conditioner) in a 16-oz bottle and fill the rest with vinegar. When it's time to rinse I dump about an ounce of that mix into another empty 16-oz bottle and fill it to the top with water. When I rinse with this my hair suddenly goes from icky stripped-with-soap feeling to lovely moist and slippy.

When I occasionally do not use this rinse my hair still feels strange and tangly until it dries (I cannot comb it!) but once dry is fine. However due to the fact that I can't even fingercomb it, it often dries in a funny shape or clumpy looking as my hair is very straight.

I plan to try and reduce the amount of conditioner I use in the rinse. If I use vinegar only I have very little slip. I think 1/16 of an ounce of a cone-containing conditioner is not much to worry about, especially on superfine snap-prone hair like mine.

I like the fact that the shampoo bar doesn't make me break out, but I'm not very happy with my hair when it's down, the ends get kinda tangly. It's fine when it's up though. I do use a acv rinse with some tea to cut down on the smell and I lightly oil with evoo while it's still wet.

I have tried a few CV bars (Xtra honey beer and egg, and marshmallow and babassu) and I get the "waxies". Im still trying to transition, but I dont like having to use S&C 2-3 times a week. It doesnt seem to matter how well I rinse or if I use a vinegar rinse. Maybe I should condition after? Just cant figure it out :/

I like the CV bars; my hair doesn't agree when they're used exclusively so I alternate use with other products. I've had best results with lather applied directly to scalp, twice. Cool water rinses.

Whoa Neoma - you may get your thread jones fixed with so many responses! :p

Has anyone noticed a slight lightening of hair color while using shampoo bars (I use CV)? I wonder if the bars or the ACV rinses may cause this. I am not positive, but it seems that my hair appears to look a tad lighter, although it may be due to the season change (or I'm going crazy :p).

Oh! And what effect (if any) would the Cafe Moreno bar have on black hair?SweetPea, my hair is dark brown with some natural reddish highlights. I have not noticed any lightening, though I certainly am not saying that it isn't possible. Are you using a shampoo bar that contains chamomile, by any chance?

I do, however, think that my hair looks darker when I use the Cafe Moreno. I don't know what effect it would have on black hair.


Whoa Neoma - you may get your thread jones fixed with so
many responses! :pHey, Wikky Grrl, I think my shampoo bar thread jones has been satisfied! Yay! So many posts! :D

Neoma, it isnt a commercial soap, it is a soap that i bought about 2 years ago in Spain and they are tradicionally made (and look like it) and i remember that the people who was selling explaided to me all about each one (i cant remember) but i trully believe that the soap was really made tradicionally, so maybe it is because it is a soap bar and not a shampoo bar? Or can it be because your hair takes a while to ajust? ... Or is it possible that my particular hair doesnt really like it? I dont want to take conclusions right now i just wanted some other experiences besides the ones that went great since the beginning...but i am a bit jealous for the description that you all make! eheh :)


you poor thing you are having one heck of a time with these poo bars aren't you. I remember you were having probs on TBB as well. And yes the fact its not a poo bar is prob the problem. I think the skin tends to need more moisture then hair so there is just much more of it in a regular soap bar.

I have been using an olive oil soap from get a guru dot com, with great results. As a curly, my hair is so tempermental, just this soap and a 1/ 10 vinegar rinse is great for my scalp and hair (both dry ) Shine and body! i found my ticket, not "scalping" this one! And it smells good for a week + !
-alligator

ETA Sweetpea - I believe it is the sheen of the hair that makes it appear lighter, it reflects more sun, not only during the winter season, but more so, because your hair is not so much lightened by the sun.. I am having a hard time explaining this. .... Try again.. Your hair is not getting so much damage from the sun, therefore Not lightening, which causes the follicle to lay smoother, I.E. appear lighter on the crown and new growth, alas not the ends. I hope that makes sense, at least on my head it does!

lora410 eheh i know i know... :P i am at the LHC since January this year so it is a very little time, i still have plenty of time to try a lot of things and to see what´s the best for my hair. It is a bit confusing for beginers..you have the oiling, looking for no cones (to see if you like it or not...), you have CO (i also tried it and i also dont know lol), you have those who doesnt wash...you have shampoo bars, you have rinses...you have ...oh! :) There is only one thing i know for sure...im really happy that im growing my hair! Ah! And also...i am completly in love with the honeysuck conditioner from Aubrey Organics!
lora410 you are really a very pleasent? person

I'd like to start off by saying you are all a bunch of enablers.

I bought a few (four or five) CV poo bar samples a couple months ago. Love them. Have been using them exclusively but have not yet tried them all.

And what did I do yesterday? I bought MORE samples. Samples of their soaps as well this time as someone recommended me trying them on the hair as they're superfatted and my hair and skin are superdry. But yes, I have another six or seven CV samples on the way. Some poo, some soap, etc.

Curse you all. I'm not supposed to be spending any money.

Oh, Neem and Tea Tree on the scalp only and only once. Marshmallow and Babbasu and/or Herb Garden on scalp and a bit on the length for at least one lather. I'm trying out this lather 2-3 times thing. Oh, then an ACV rinse, then conditioner. Occasionally a second ACV rinse with focus on the scalp at the end. Though my current condish (Cure Care though I'm not sure of it after looking up the ingredients on that blasted environmental welfare group website) has citric acid as the last ingredient... Hrm...

Goodness I'm long winded when I'm tired.

SweetPea, my hair is dark brown with some natural reddish highlights. I have not noticed any lightening, though I certainly am not saying that it isn't possible. Are you using a shampoo bar that contains chamomile, by any chance?

I do, however, think that my hair looks darker when I use the Cafe Moreno. I don't know what effect it would have on black hair.

Thanks for your help Neoma. I've been alternating between CV Extra Honey Beer & Egg and Nettle, which do not have chamomile. I am wondering, could it be the honey? I am still not positive that my hair is actually getting lighter though. I think I will try Cafe Moreno, just to see how it goes.

Sweetpea - I believe it is the sheen of the hair that makes it appear lighter, it reflects more sun, not only during the winter season, but more so, because your hair is not so much lightened by the sun.. I am having a hard time explaining this. .... Try again.. Your hair is not getting so much damage from the sun, therefore Not lightening, which causes the follicle to lay smoother, I.E. appear lighter on the crown and new growth, alas not the ends. I hope that makes sense, at least on my head it does!Thanks for the response as well alligatorbaby! I think I understand what you are saying. So it could just appear to be lighter because of the way it is reflecting light?

I'd like to start off by saying you are all a bunch of enablers.

I bought a few (four or five) CV poo bar samples a couple months ago. Love them. Have been using them exclusively but have not yet tried them all.

And what did I do yesterday? I bought MORE samples. Samples of their soaps as well this time as someone recommended me trying them on the hair as they're superfatted and my hair and skin are superdry. But yes, I have another six or seven CV samples on the way. Some poo, some soap, etc.

Curse you all. I'm not supposed to be spending any money.

Smokie, I live to enable. Since I joined LHC and people I don't even know started making me spend $$$ that I don't have on things that I don't technically need, I feel compelled to pass it on. :D

Thanks for your help Neoma. I've been alternating between CV Extra Honey Beer & Egg and Nettle, which do not have chamomile. I am wondering, could it be the honey? I am still not positive that my hair is actually getting lighter though. I think I will try Cafe Moreno, just to see how it goes.
You're very welcome, SweetPea. I have heard people say that honey lightens hair. I haven't had that experience, though. Let us know how you like the Cafe Moreno.:)

Does anybody like CV's nettle shampoo bar? I don't think I'm imagining it but every time I use that one, I lose about 50% more hair in the shower than usual. :( How is that possible? I've tried just about every kind of CV bar and no other made me shed any more. I've used the nettle bar at least 5 times now and I always shed more than usual. I know I'm not allergic to nettle. I drink nettle tea and use nettle in my herbal hair rinse.

I ordered my first 'poo bars (and soap) from CV over the weekend, and I've been looking outside for the mailman ever since I hit the "Submit Payment" button. Hurry! I'm so excited, I'm going nuts. I've been CO for nine months, and while I love the condition my hair is in, I still feel like I need a little more cleansing. Hopefully the bars will help me achieve hair nirvana.

Does anybody like CV's nettle shampoo bar? I don't think I'm imagining it but every time I use that one, I lose about 50% more hair in the shower than usual. :( How is that possible? I've tried just about every kind of CV bar and no other made me shed any more. I've used the nettle bar at least 5 times now and I always shed more than usual. I know I'm not allergic to nettle. I drink nettle tea and use nettle in my herbal hair rinse.

I haven't experienced this with nettle at all, but I have a theory, maybe?
This is based on personal experience, so bear with me.

I've tried a lot of different things with shampoo bars. Most are based on board recommendations, honestly. I've washed one time, three times, scalp only, scalp and length, vinegar rinse, weak vinegar rinse, mixing EO's with my vinegar rinse, etc. etc.

I've learned that I only need to lather once, unless I've done a protein/ egg treatment recently, then it's 2 to 3 times. If I wash more than once, under normal circumstances (even after a heavy oiling left overnight), my hair feels stiff and dried out, which is not what I'm looking for.

I recently tried reducing the amount of lather I get per wash. This is kind of weird, because at first I needed to find out how to rub my bar to get max lather, so it would wash well! Now that I know how to work the bar on my hair, I'm trying to use the minimum amount of soaping up to get clean hair.

At first I thought it was a coincidence, but when I use a smaller amount of lather, I lose a LOT less hair. I'm talking 1/4 to 1/3 of my "normal" shed in the shower-- maybe less. This could just be my scalp, but it's definitely happening. And this is using the same products-- CV Chamomile & Citrus, my normal CA rinse, and Trader Joe's nourish spa conditioner.

So my thought is, maybe your nettle bar requires more "soap" to lather up properly (nettle does this for me, but I know some people consider it to be cleansing, I consider it moisturizing), and the extra lathering is causing the hair loss?

I know it's a pretty weird theory-- I haven't noticed anyone else mentioning a correlation like this, and it might just be me... but I thought I'd mention it. Since you are sure it's not allergies.
Maybe someone else has a better theory?
Good luck, I hope you figure it out (and tell us!)!

At first I thought it was a coincidence, but when I use a smaller amount of lather, I lose a LOT less hair. I'm talking 1/4 to 1/3 of my "normal" shed in the shower-- maybe less. This could just be my scalp, but it's definitely happening. And this is using the same products-- CV Chamomile & Citrus, my normal CA rinse, and Trader Joe's nourish spa conditioner.

chloeishere, that is an interesting theory. I have to say, as much as I like using CV poo bars, I am experiencing noticeably increased shedding, which has worried me a lot. I will try lathering less/fewer times to see if that makes a difference for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience and your hypothesis.

My pleasure! I hope it helps your shedding, too!
Plus, that would mean I'm not imagining this...

chloeishere, that is an interesting theory. I have to say, as much as I like using CV poo bars, I am experiencing noticeably increased shedding, which has worried me a lot. I will try lathering less/fewer times to see if that makes a difference for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience and your hypothesis.

Katja - a lot of people notice an increase in shedding when using poo bars. This is - and I believe that too - attributed that a poo bar needs more "scrubbing" of the hair than regular shampoo. Most people, and me too, however notice less shedding in between washes.

My personal experience is also that the more I use bars, the less I shed. In the beginning I had to clean out my tub sieve mid-wash because it was clogged. Now, it works just fine.

lora410 eheh i know i know... :P i am at the LHC since January this year so it is a very little time, i still have plenty of time to try a lot of things and to see what´s the best for my hair. It is a bit confusing for beginers..you have the oiling, looking for no cones (to see if you like it or not...), you have CO (i also tried it and i also dont know lol), you have those who doesnt wash...you have shampoo bars, you have rinses...you have ...oh! :) There is only one thing i know for sure...im really happy that im growing my hair! Ah! And also...i am completly in love with the honeysuck conditioner from Aubrey Organics!
lora410 you are really a very pleasent? person


Am i pleasant? not most of the time :lol: ok so my dbf says. Yeah i experimented liek crazy when i joined LHC and it took me a few months to know my hair hates cones, loves sweet almond oil and likes shampoo bars.:flowers:

I decided to go on and purchase some CV shampoo bars today as well.

I got one each of: Mud and Clay, Olive Babassu, Summer Sunshine as well as Lavender and Spice.

Will let you know how they each work on my hair.

Deb

Katja - a lot of people notice an increase in shedding when using poo bars. This is - and I believe that too - attributed that a poo bar needs more "scrubbing" of the hair than regular shampoo. Most people, and me too, however notice less shedding in between washes.

My personal experience is also that the more I use bars, the less I shed. In the beginning I had to clean out my tub sieve mid-wash because it was clogged. Now, it works just fine.

I'm actually not talking about "scrubbing" less, I just use less "lather/ soap rubbing", if that makes sense. Well, I know it doesn't, but it's been working for me! Maybe it has something to do with the lower pH on the scalp? Eh, I don't know.
It is true that generally, I shed less now than I did in the beginning, but it was several months before the shedding went from "high" to "average".
I don't know if only lathering once has really decreased my shower shedding, that's really just a personal hair thing. My hair isn't happy feeling if I lather several times, so I don't.

I also got my Serpentine Hair order today. (Link (http://www.serpentinehair.com/)) I haven't used any of the bars yet, but I posted an order review in my blog, here's the link (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=912)-- for that specific entry. I don't want to include a long long thing like that in this thread, so if you are interested, you can check it out over there.

I'll try to get to trying them out soon, I promise! I can't decide which scent, though...

I ordered my first 'poo bars (and soap) from CV over the weekend, and I've been looking outside for the mailman ever since I hit the "Submit Payment" button. Hurry! I'm so excited, I'm going nuts. I've been CO for nine months, and while I love the condition my hair is in, I still feel like I need a little more cleansing. Hopefully the bars will help me achieve hair nirvana.Ahhhh, JennQ, welcome to the mad, mad world of CV bar addiction. I know that feeling well: Click the Submit Payment button and wonder why the heck your order hasn't arrived yet!:rolleyes:

I hope that you do achieve hair nirvana.

Does anybody like CV's nettle shampoo bar? I don't think I'm imagining it but every time I use that one, I lose about 50% more hair in the shower than usual. :( How is that possible? I've tried just about every kind of CV bar and no other made me shed any more. I've used the nettle bar at least 5 times now and I always shed more than usual. I know I'm not allergic to nettle. I drink nettle tea and use nettle in my herbal hair rinse.

I adore the nettle bar! Sometimes things that work well in other forms might just not jive with own skin or hair though. For instance, I love yogurt and kefir, but the bars I have tried with yogurt leaving my skin very dry and tight. My face loves mud and clay masks, but the rather popular Mud and Clay shampoo bar leaves my hair waxy and lifeless.

Oh yes, I am loving CV bars too. I fear that I am allergic to the Babassu and Marshmallow shampoo bar, but other than that one, all the bars I have tried I have liked with varying degrees of enthusiasm. So far I have tried:

Nettle shampoo
Extra Honey Beer & Egg shampoo
Rosemary & Mint shampoo
Eggnog & spice soap
Orange Creamsicle soap
Honey Butter soap
Cucumber & Lime Yogurt soap

And I absolutely love Ida and Sam at CV. I paid with cash paypal and got a free sample from them - and not only that, it was a sample of a shampoo bar that Sam had recommended to me and that I couldn't buy at the time. I was SO IMPRESSED. And now I'm totally a loyal customer!

I have tried one shampoo bar - Burt's Bees. I did not like it at all. I have baby fine hair and it felt like it left a film on my hair. It did not feel clean at all and looked dull. I use regular shampoo by Burt's Bees and follow with a half water half vinegar rinse. My hair LOVES vinegar rinses. I'll check out the links in this thread, because I would love to try a bar shampoo again; just not the BB one.

in reading labels for shampoo bars, i note they are almost entirely composed of oils. is it really necessary to do oil treatments before washing one's hair?

movie zombie

I'm waiting for my first CV bars as well. I did priority shipping so they better get their bar butts here soon!!! I probably wont open one until i'm finished with my rose bar from the soap lady though, but I dunno..lol

I've been using my own shampoo bars for four months now. I don't have to put oil on my hair at all anymore! Even just a drop or two on the ends is too much after washing. I am now doing SMT's after clarifying once a month to special treat my hair.

I also noticed a big shedding increase a couple weeks after starting poo bars. The shedding has slowed, but I find that I shed more after washing and less in between washes. The wonderful bennefits the poo bars give my hair far outweigh a little extra shedding. (I went from CO to poo bars, which CO users notice much less shedding on that routine). I had always shed more when using shampoo, baking soda, and herbal washing.

Poo bars have been the only thing that will give my hair nice body, shine, and silkiness with out making it frizzy and tangly! The main reason why I'd oil my hair so much after washing on other routines was to stave off the frizz and terrible tangling! I'm really happy that now I can have my hair full bodied and still get the comb through it pretty easily. I was skeptical when people talked about CV bars and such said that they didn't need to condition afterward. My hair and scalp are dry. The first time I tried a poo bar was just out of sheer laziness. I make them for DH because he likes using them on his hair and body. I wanted to take a quick shower and not have to leave CO on my hair for over a half hour. I went into this thinking I was going to be torturing my hair for this one washing cycle. NOPE, the results were wonderful and all I'd done was the normal one lather of poo and an ACV rinse!

I learned the hard way about the whole superfatting thing! My first bars for DH were 5% because he has oily hair. I figured more moisturizing would be good for my dry hair. I superfatted a few test batches at 10%. My superfatted wheat germ poo bar worked wonderful for a couple weeks, but then I ended up with a terrible buildup! These bars aren't waisted though because my four year old DD's hair loves them. Hers is curly and just drinks up anything I use on it! My older DD (13) loves the bars I make for DH. She doesn't even use the ACV rinse either, but her hair just looks amazing.

Poo bars have helped me to reach my goal of washing less! For almost two years now, I have been trying to slowly train my scalp for washing only once a week. I had only been able to go four days between washings until now. I do a full washing once a week and the front half of my scalp midweek. I have never seen my length so soft and shiny!

Also, I used to be plagued by scalp itchies! All the other routines I tried always left me with an irritated scalp and I'd itch like crazy in between washings. Last year, I had to make a mix of water and oil to wet my scalp and massage every morning just to help keep the dryness and itchies at bay. Now I have no flakes and hardly any itchies at all.

The bar I've been using now is a very simple recipe of coconut(25%), olive(50%), and castor(25%) oil with and eo blend of lavender, rosemary, and sage.

My routine:
I wet my hair and squeeze out excess water.
I wet the poo bar in my hand and glide it over my scalp from forehead to nape, being sure that I don't miss anywhere on my scalp. I also never rub it going against the cuticle.
I lather up gently. I don't scrub or use my nails as that always causes more hairloss. I just simple do a massage with the suds and then work it down my length.
I rinse and then use an ACV rinse.
I end the washing with a cool leave in of distilled water and a few drops of eo's.

I never lather up twice. I'd like to try it sometime, but the water heater we have in this house is the smallest one I've ever seen--especially for a four bedroom house! In fact, when wanting to take a hot bath, I have to fill the average sized tub half way (the water goes cold by then), wait for a half hour, and then fill it the rest of the way with more hot water. So, by the time I've washed my body and done all that to my hair, even turning the water off to conserve at key points, I'm usually finishing up with cold water! Renting sucks, or I'd replace that with a huge hot water heater!

So, needless to say, I have become a poo bar addict! I have designed twenty poo bar recipes to try out. I can't wait to get soaping! The suspence during the six week cure is gunna drive me insane!

in reading labels for shampoo bars, i note they are almost entirely composed of oils. is it really necessary to do oil treatments before washing one's hair?

movie zombie

I wouldn't say it's 'necessary' but it really depends on your hair type, and what you're aiming for. :)

The Serpentine Hair bars are oils + fragrance, that's it, but I still oil my hair the night before a wash on occasion because it really helps keep my hair in good condition, and I've also noticed that it keeps split-ends at bay for longer.

My hair loves oil, though.

Anyone else still habe scalp junk after a poo wash? also my hair seems drier the first day after the wash and then it softens up. My cv bars will be here today so maybe I wont wait until my other bar is used uo before trying a new one.

I just placed an order from CV! It's my first order of their full size bars. I got Nettle, Cafe Moreno, and Summer Sunshine. I'm so excited to try out the Cafe Moreno and Summer Sunshine! I won't be getting them until after spring break (prob. the 22/23rd) since I had them sent to my school mailbox, but I'll definitely fill everyone in!

I just placed an order from CV! It's my first order of their full size bars. I got Nettle, Cafe Moreno, and Summer Sunshine. I'm so excited to try out the Cafe Moreno and Summer Sunshine! I won't be getting them until after spring break (prob. the 22/23rd) since I had them sent to my school mailbox, but I'll definitely fill everyone in!


I'm so envious!! i know they had cafe moreno and stuff curing, but most of the stuff was out last week :-(

I'm so envious!! i know they had cafe moreno and stuff curing, but most of the stuff was out last week :-(


Aww, sorry Lora! Yeah, the Cafe Moreno and Nettle just became available. I won't be able to use it until the 20th still.

Good glory, I love the multi-quote feature!:D

I have tried one shampoo bar - Burt's Bees. I did not like it at all. I have baby fine hair and it felt like it left a film on my hair. It did not feel clean at all and looked dull. I use regular shampoo by Burt's Bees and follow with a half water half vinegar rinse. My hair LOVES vinegar rinses. I'll check out the links in this thread, because I would love to try a bar shampoo again; just not the BB one.
BrianaFineHair, I have not heard good things about the Burt's Bees shampoo bar. Not one positive review. I'm glad that you're willing to try another brand, such as CV or PLH.

in reading labels for shampoo bars, i note they are almost entirely composed of oils. is it really necessary to do oil treatments before washing one's hair?

movie zombiemovie zombie, I have heard differing opinions about this. Ida from CV says they're not necessary. I have baby fine hair, and it loves oils. I don't do as many heavy oilings when I use shampoo bars. But I frequently (almost every day) apply a small glob (how's that for a precise measurement?) of aloe gel mixed with a few drops of Moonchaser's Sweet Success Oil and leave it on overnight. (I shampoo every morning.) I also frequently use the same mixture with even less oil (3 drops) on the length and smooth the residue on the crown before I bun it for the day.

I'm waiting for my first CV bars as well. I did priority shipping so they better get their bar butts here soon!!! I probably wont open one until i'm finished with my rose bar from the soap lady though, but I dunno..lolWoot! Another CV bar junkie is born!

I just placed an order from CV! It's my first order of their full size bars. I got Nettle, Cafe Moreno, and Summer Sunshine. I'm so excited to try out the Cafe Moreno and Summer Sunshine! I won't be getting them until after spring break (prob. the 22/23rd) since I had them sent to my school mailbox, but I'll definitely fill everyone in!SweetPea, waiting is the hardest part. I think you'll love your CV bars. The latter two are probably my favorite "flavors."

how long does it usually take to get an order in from CV ?? I ordered from them on the 12th yesterday and shipping says deliver via standard priority mail options priority.

Question: I am going to Montana for 10 days come the 25th this month and the climate is like a northern desert...(I lived there). Which of my CVSB do you think I should take considering that I have bleached, box colored and henna'd hair ??

I ordered: Mud and Clay; Olive Babassu; Summer Sunshine; Lavender and Spice

TIA,

Deb in UpState NY:cheese:

how long does it usually take to get an order in from CV ?? I ordered from them on the 12th yesterday and shipping says deliver via standard priority mail options priority.

Question: I am going to Montana for 10 days come the 25th this month and the climate is like a northern desert...(I lived there). Which of my CVSB do you think I should take considering that I have bleached, box colored and henna'd hair ??

I ordered: Mud and Clay; Olive Babassu; Summer Sunshine; Lavender and Spice

TIA,

Deb in UpState NY:cheese:Deb, I'm not sure how long they will take to get to you. I like in NY, and I usually get them in a few days; I'm always pleasantly surprised how fast they get here. OK, not totally happy, since they don't immediately appear in my apartment -- poof!:magic:-- when I order them. But surprised nonetheless.

I suspect that Olive Babassu would be a good first choice for you to try.

Neoma-You're just loving the multi-quote option! ;)

Yes, the bars will be a nice incentive for me to get back on campus once spring break ends! I WANT THEM NOW!

Neoma-You're just loving the multi-quote option! ;)

Yes, the bars will be a nice incentive for me to get back on campus once spring break ends! I WANT THEM NOW!
Yep, SweetPea, multi-quote rocks.

I have a nice supply of CV bars, but I'm seriously considering ordering some more -- and/or some PLH, which I'm out of.

I'm telling you...it's an addiction. But to paraphrase Amy Winehouse (sp?), I don't wanna go to rehab -- no, no, no.

I wonder how this will end...

"Hello my name is Maria and I am a CV bar addict."

I use a shikakai shampoo bar and it is amazing. I will never use traditional shampoo again

This morning, I shampooed twice with a Cafe Moreno CV bar. I did not follow with a vinegar rinse. My hair looked and felt great, but, interestingly, bunning was more difficult than usual. I tried to make a wrapped bun and secure it with a stick, something that I can do with ease when I follow my shampoo bar/vinegar rinse routine, and it just fell apart. My hair wasn't exactly slippery, like when I use conventional shampoo and conditioner, but it definitely didn't have as when I follow my usual routine.

So there I have it... I need to use a vinegar rinse. Not to get shine, or to detangle, but to get body. Who knew?

I'm waiting for my hair to dry after my second wash with Serpentine Hair bars (both times forbidden fruit)-- hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to post a short review. My first wash came out with good results that were also not-so-good, so I decided to give it another wash. It is a bit different from CV bars, so I'm still getting the hang of things.

I'm waiting for my hair to dry after my second wash with Serpentine Hair bars (both times forbidden fruit)-- hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to post a short review. My first wash came out with good results that were also not-so-good, so I decided to give it another wash. It is a bit different from CV bars, so I'm still getting the hang of things.chloeishere, I am curious to hear the details. Enquiring minds want to know!

Another 'poo bar fan here. :D

I use CV castile and calendula soap bars since I'm allergic to coconut/palm oils and always do a diluted ACV rinse. I'm now able to go without conditioner (unheard of before!) and my hair isn't horridly greasy by evening (I still have to wash every morning though :().

I think I want to try poo bars too now. They seem nice. I just hope they make my hair smell pretty. I love when my hair is not only soft, but smells great too.

I learned the hard way about the whole superfatting thing! My first bars for DH were 5% because he has oily hair. I figured more moisturizing would be good for my dry hair. I superfatted a few test batches at 10%. My superfatted wheat germ poo bar worked wonderful for a couple weeks, but then I ended up with a terrible buildup! These bars aren't waisted though because my four year old DD's hair loves them. Hers is curly and just drinks up anything I use on it! My older DD (13) loves the bars I make for DH. She doesn't even use the ACV rinse either, but her hair just looks amazing.
Hi SarieQ,
I also make my own soaps and want to try making a poo bar. I thought in a poo bar you use less superfat. Now I read your experience I might up the superfat %. I'll make a small batch so I'm not stuck with too many soap if it doesn't work.

I recently made my first liquid soap. :joy:I haven't tried it on my hair yet, but will certainly do so. I somehow thought I couldn't use it as shampoo because of the 6% superfat. :rolleyes:

Hi SarieQ,
I also make my own soaps and want to try making a poo bar. I thought in a poo bar you use less superfat. Now I read your experience I might up the superfat %. I'll make a small batch so I'm not stuck with too many soap if it doesn't work.

I recently made my first liquid soap. :joy:I haven't tried it on my hair yet, but will certainly do so. I somehow thought I couldn't use it as shampoo because of the 6% superfat. :rolleyes:

To what percentage are you planning to superfat your poo bar sample batch? Will you be adding things in the way of herbs and nummysmellythings? I'm curious and have a superdry scalp to match my superdry hair. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is if it proves to be too much moisture for you, I might be interested in buying the leftovers off you. ;)

I'm waiting for my hair to dry after my second wash with Serpentine Hair bars (both times forbidden fruit)-- hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to post a short review. My first wash came out with good results that were also not-so-good, so I decided to give it another wash. It is a bit different from CV bars, so I'm still getting the hang of things.

I absolutely adore these bars but I noticed on the BPAL forums that quite a few people didn't get along with them. I suspect my hair loves them so much because my hair just soaks up oil and doesn't get weighed down by it.

I am very interested to hear your thoughts!

To what percentage are you planning to superfat your poo bar sample batch? Will you be adding things in the way of herbs and nummysmellythings? I'm curious and have a superdry scalp to match my superdry hair. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is if it proves to be too much moisture for you, I might be interested in buying the leftovers off you. ;)
I will keep that in mind Smokie. ;)

First I'll try my liquid soap since that is ready to use. After that I will decide what suferfat percentage I will try in my next testing batch. And maybe I will make the same recipe in poo bar and liquid to see what the difference will be. That will be a fun experiment. :smile:

I use CV and Lush bars.

Love:

CV Rosemary, Lavendar, Aloe
Lush Squeaky Green

Not So Love:

CV Lavendar Spice
CV Olive Babassu

The Routine:


wet hair
run bar from hairline to length
lather
scalp scrub
rinse
repeat
condition ends
ACV rinse

chloeishere, I am curious to hear the details. Enquiring minds want to know!

Sorry for the delay till today; I was going over to my boyfriend's house and knew I wouldn't feel like updating as soon as my hair was dry.

I absolutely adore these bars but I noticed on the BPAL forums that quite a few people didn't get along with them. I suspect my hair loves them so much because my hair just soaks up oil and doesn't get weighed down by it.

I am very interested to hear your thoughts!

I can believe that!

Oh, here's an ingredients list (this is for the Forbidden Fruit bar):
Sunflower oil, coconut oil, castor oil, sodium hydroxide, jojoba oil, canola oil, fragrance, chromium hydroxide green.

My first thought is that Sunflower oil must be very heavy and moisturizing, because this is hands-down, the absolutely most moisturizing bar I've ever tried.

The first time I used it, I had done a medium oiling with coconut oil and avocado oil. So my hair was pretty decently oily. I tried the "nylon poof" method of lathering and applying, which didn't produce enough foam for me, so I also lathered a bit in my hands, and on my scalp. I stuck to one wash (even though I wasn't sure if my hair was really clean, did a dilute CA rinse, and put on conditioner and my normal leave in (respectively, Trader Joe's nourish spa, and Manor Hall deep conditioner).

My hair felt really, really good, soft, hydrated, silky, and moisturized all the way down, even the ends. But look-wise? Not so hot. It was really piecey and looked somewhat dirty to me, even after I combed. I have some waves that don't always come out, and they were going crazy. I liked that part!

I wasn't sure if my hair felt so good from the oiling or the shampoo bar, or whether the shampoo bar just wasn't strong enough to get out the oil, so I decided to wash again the next evening.

This time I went in with nothing on my hair (no treatments that is, just my normal leave-in from the day before), and I washed again, trying with a different nylon poof (which worked better, but still didn't produce enough lather for me), and then lathering a bit on my hair and hands.
After the first wash, I washed again, just doing my scalp region. I had forgotten to make a CA rinse, so I skipped that and put on my conditioner again, then did my normal leave-in.
Hair is better this time, but still a bit heavy/ piecey feeling. It's also still remarkably soft and shiny. Both times I've washed with these bars, my shed has been very minimal.

We're having a sunny day today, so I took a picture of my hair, today (cleaner) vs. yesterday (piecier). These are both right after I've combed:
Today:http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k152/chloeishere/IMG_3027c.jpg
Yesterday:http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k152/chloeishere/IMG_2975c.jpg

All in all, I'm going to alter my routine to incorporate these bars-- right now, I'm planning on trying to wash more briskly, and try not using conditioner. I've never used a shampoo bar without conditioner, but I think this bar is just that moisturizing. I may have to stop, or minimize, my leave-in as well. I'm going to continue to do the citric acid rinse, as that helps get my hair a bit cleaner, IMO.
If I still find it too moisturizing, I'll probably try washing with a CV bar and then using this on the length instead of a conditioner. I REALLY like the way this bar makes my hair feel!
The Serpentine Hair bars are heavier and more moisturizing than I'm used to, but I think once I figure out an appropriate routine, my hair will be really happy!

Miscellaneous things I've noticed:
I don't get NEARLY as much lather with this bar (unless I use a poof, which I've never tried with a CV bar) as I do with a CV bar, or most cold processed soaps.
The scent lingers in my hair faintly (I can smell it when I take my hair down from a bun) which I LOVE!
The bar seems to melt rather fast. It gets some bead of water on it in the shower, even though I keep it out of the stream except when I'm wetting it, and the bar gets REALLY goopy, kind of a green, soapy layer on top. Don't touch it until it's dried completely!
When I cut it in half (which I did after the first shampoo), it was pretty moist and sticky on the inside. Maybe the bars could stand a bit more curing, which would improve the lather? However, I'm not sure, as I'd already gotten the bar wet once, it could be from that.

Please let me know if you have any more questions! Oh, the nylon poof thing is from the Serpentine Hair website, in the faqs. Here's the link (http://www.serpentinehair.com/faq.html), if you want to read up on it. It worked for Gemma, so I wanted to try it out, too.

I'll update again when I figure out a good routine for these bars, and let you know how we're getting on.
Sorry this is so long!

Does anybody NOT use the shampoo bar on their length--at least, not all the time? I used mine on the length today for the first time, because I accidentally used too much oil (I very rarely use oil anyway). But it seems like most people use it all through their hair.

Thank you for the review of the Serpentine bars, chloeishere!

Your hair is really a pretty color, especially in the sun.

When I cut it in half (which I did after the first shampoo), it was pretty moist and sticky on the inside. Maybe the bars could stand a bit more curing, which would improve the lather? However, I'm not sure, as I'd already gotten the bar wet once, it could be from that.It's funny that you should say this today...

When I got home from work, I pulled a Carrot Milk & Honey bar out from my secret hiding place and cut off a slice so I can start using it tomorrow. It is darker in the middle, and it reminds me a little of a loaf of bread that's cooked on the outside, but a little raw in the middle. I remember thinking that it wasn't quite cured when I first used it several months ago. But now...?

This is the first time that I've ever had this happen with any shampoo bar. I'm sure that it will work just fine, but I'm curious as to why it doesn't look like it ever completely cured?

Thank you Neoma, you are too kind.

I'm not sure why, myself. I'm thinking about the glycerin content... Or maybe some of the added ingredients?
I bet you could drop Ida a note and ask her, I've heard they are very nice (though I've never needed to contact them about an issue), maybe she knows why the bars haven't always cured after about 5-6 months (overall time) of curing.

I've cut open a few of the CV bars and found a bit of dampness (and a darker color) myself, but not to nearly the extent of this bar. And, to be fair, the bar was only freshly finished curing, I think it was Chamomile and Citrus. The "moist" center area touched another CP soap bar that I had in the same container, and left a line of green stuff on it. And it did feel sticky, when I touched it...

Thank you Neoma, you are too kind.

I'm not sure why, myself. I'm thinking about the glycerin content... Or maybe some of the added ingredients?
I bet you could drop Ida a note and ask her, I've heard they are very nice (though I've never needed to contact them about an issue), maybe she knows why the bars haven't always cured after about 5-6 months (overall time) of curing.

I've cut open a few of the CV bars and found a bit of dampness (and a darker color) myself, but not to nearly the extent of this bar. And, to be fair, the bar was only freshly finished curing, I think it was Chamomile and Citrus. The "moist" center area touched another CP soap bar that I had in the same container, and left a line of green stuff on it. And it did feel sticky, when I touched it...You're welcome. :flower:

I'm sure you're right -- Ida would be glad to tell me. If it happens with another batch, I'll ask her.

I am in need of a little retail therapy, and I'm really sitting on my hands, trying not to place an order for more shampoo bars. I am in the mood to revisit PLH again -- I really love their Aloe Fresh (light fresh, green fragrance) and the Rosemary Nettle (very herby, smells divine).

Speaking of PLH, they don't make the shampoo bars on their site. You can also buy them directly from Karla (http://www.iasoaps.com/shampoo_bars.htm), the soap maker. I've never bought them directly from her, but I did exchange a couple of pleasant emails with her.

Whoo-hoo, they're here! :happydance: For those wondering about shipping time, I ordered mine last weekend, they shipped out on Tuesday, and I got them (in California) today. I think I would have gotten them yesterday, but the tracking info says USPS "missent" them at one point, which delayed them.
I'm off to the shower right now (can't wait until tonight!), and I will let you know the results when my hair dries (which will take a couple of days).

Whoo-hoo, they're here! :happydance: For those wondering about shipping time, I ordered mine last weekend, they shipped out on Tuesday, and I got them (in California) today. I think I would have gotten them yesterday, but the tracking info says USPS "missent" them at one point, which delayed them.
I'm off to the shower right now (can't wait until tonight!), and I will let you know the results when my hair dries (which will take a couple of days).I'm glad you got your order, Jenn!.

OMG, your hair takes two days to dry?

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.

I have done my first shampoo bar was today after trialling WO for 2 months. I used PLH Hempchouli. Not sure what I am doing with my washing routine as yet, the WO didn't quite work out and for today I decided to do a shampoo bar wash. :)

I tried the Mud & Clay bar again last night and it was wonderful! My hair was very full and wavy after drying.

This bar was actually the first CV bar I ever tried and for awhile I thought I was allergic to it. During the first use, my face became very red and extremely irritated. I now have learned that when using the CV bars, never to touch my face! I still find this particular bar a little stronger (scent esp.) than the others I have tried, but it is wonderful for my hair. I am working on writing some short reviews of the bars I've tried so far.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE cv bars! I just recently got a new shipment and ordered a bunch of samples, but my usual ones I use are: Lavender Rosemary, Summer Sunshine and Mud and Clay. I'm also trying their facial soap bars as well and love them so far.

My hair is baby fine and fairly thin, but with shampoo bars my hair has so much body and always looks great.

Enabled again!

I'm looking forward to a bar of CV Cafe Moreno (and another bar that sounded interesting, plus some samples) and I've ordered three bars of the Serpentine Medusa variety - might as well get a bunch of bars to make the shipping costs to Europe worth it (hey, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.) I mean, a shampoo bar scenting of sandalwood, frankincence and myrrh? No way I can resist that :D
:disco::disco::disco:

Oh, the nylon poof thing is from the Serpentine Hair website, in the faqs. Here's the link (http://www.serpentinehair.com/faq.html), if you want to read up on it. It worked for Gemma, so I wanted to try it out, too.


I have to confess that I've abandoned using the nylon poof with these now. ^^;; I get a much better, richer lather if I just swipe the bars over my wet head a few times, and then use my fingertips to massage it into a lather.

I have done my first shampoo bar was today after trialling WO for 2 months. I used PLH Hempchouli. Not sure what I am doing with my washing routine as yet, the WO didn't quite work out and for today I decided to do a shampoo bar wash. :)

Let me know how you like the Hempchouli--I have it, but haven't used it yet. It's been sitting around my room, and I'm starting to get VERY tired of the smell! :p

Neoma: It only takes that long to dry because I can't stand to have it down! After an hour or two I usually pop it into a bun, because it gets in my way and I can't do anything. I left it down all evening yesterday, so it's mostly dry now... But it's back in a bun (can't make coffee with it down!). Sometimes it takes three or four days. Hopefully I'll get it dry today and take some pictures.

What I did: I used the lavender-rosemary 'poo bar everywhere once, then used the honey-butter soup on the length. Finished up with an ACV rinse. No conditioner, because I wanted to see what the effects of just bars were.

First impressions: Maybe it's because I'm used to CO, but my hair seemed really dry after washing it. I was going to leave it as it was, but once the ends started drying (faster than usual, I think) they seemed very stiff and dry, so I put on a bit of coconut oil, which helped. It still seems dry to me, and a bit frizzy.

Conclusions: Next time I might just use a soap bar, and I'll definitely condition. This was the first time in my life that I've washed my hair without conditioning. My only concern is that the lovely, slippery texture my roots (new growth) have had since I started COing will go away if I start using 'poo again. My goal is to grow that new growth out to classic (five years, maybe).

Any thoughts/hints/tips/suggestions?

Let me know how you like the Hempchouli--I have it, but haven't used it yet. It's been sitting around my room, and I'm starting to get VERY tired of the smell! :pA dear LHC friend gave me a bar of PLH Hempchoui, and that's what started my love affair with shampoo bars. I had used shampoo bars before, with limited success. My hair loved the Hempchoui -- my nose, not so much. So I ordered a bunch of other fragrances from PLH, and my hair was happy. I eventually switched to CV, mainly because of the wide range of "flavors" Ida offers, and because I love her customer service, which is excellent.

Neoma: It only takes that long to dry because I can't stand to have it down! After an hour or two I usually pop it into a bun, because it gets in my way and I can't do anything. I left it down all evening yesterday, so it's mostly dry now... But it's back in a bun (can't make coffee with it down!). Sometimes it takes three or four days. Hopefully I'll get it dry today and take some pictures.

What I did: I used the lavender-rosemary 'poo bar everywhere once, then used the honey-butter soup on the length. Finished up with an ACV rinse. No conditioner, because I wanted to see what the effects of just bars were.

First impressions: Maybe it's because I'm used to CO, but my hair seemed really dry after washing it. I was going to leave it as it was, but once the ends started drying (faster than usual, I think) they seemed very stiff and dry, so I put on a bit of coconut oil, which helped. It still seems dry to me, and a bit frizzy.

Conclusions: Next time I might just use a soap bar, and I'll definitely condition. This was the first time in my life that I've washed my hair without conditioning. My only concern is that the lovely, slippery texture my roots (new growth) have had since I started COing will go away if I start using 'poo again. My goal is to grow that new growth out to classic (five years, maybe).

Any thoughts/hints/tips/suggestions?

Oh, yes, JennQ! We want pics!

My immediate thought regarding your first experience is that hair that has been cleansed with a shampoo bar feels totally different when it's wet than when it's dry. So, even though your hair may feel dried out now, it might feel better later.

Also, you've gotten used to CO'ing, which leaves one's hair very slippery and soft. It may simply be the contrast between the methods that you're experiencing.

Then again, perhaps your length is a bit dry. Lots of people apply a bit of oil to the length. I frequently apply a small dollop of aloe gel mixed with three drops of Moonchaser's SS Oil.

Please report back (with pics!) when your hair is dry.

I'm gonna wash my hair tomorrow with summer sunshine.I usually make an acv rinse with some honey in it so it doesn't smell to bad.How many times do you lather up?

I'm gonna wash my hair tomorrow with summer sunshine.I usually make an acv rinse with some honey in it so it doesn't smell to bad.How many times do you lather up?Yum, I love Summer Sunshine! I usually lather up twice. Three times if I did a heavy oiling.

Thank you so much for your quick answer,Neoma:).I just love the smell from the bar even if I haven't used it yet.:cheese:

Thank you so much for your quick answer,Neoma:).I just love the smell from the bar even if I haven't used it yet.:cheese:You're quite welcome, Carina. Please keep us posted on your results.

I have to confess that I've abandoned using the nylon poof with these now. ^^;; I get a much better, richer lather if I just swipe the bars over my wet head a few times, and then use my fingertips to massage it into a lather.

Ooooh, really? I might give up on the nylon poof idea then; I've always preferred lathering on my head with CV bars, too. It's much, much faster, and I think it cleans better. I just can't seem to get my scalp as soapy as I want with the nylon poof; but I couldn't do it when lathering my CV bars with my hands, either.

Enabled again!

I'm looking forward to a bar of CV Cafe Moreno (and another bar that sounded interesting, plus some samples) and I've ordered three bars of the Serpentine Medusa variety - might as well get a bunch of bars to make the shipping costs to Europe worth it (hey, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.) I mean, a shampoo bar scenting of sandalwood, frankincence and myrrh? No way I can resist that :D
:disco::disco::disco:

Sorry to help enable (unless you don't mind too much!). I'll definitely try to help if you have any questions, if I can figure out my routine myself. I should have paid more attention to the first entry here where Gemma talked about how she didn't use conditioner with the Serpentine bars at first. It's just that a lot of people don't use conditioner with CV bars, but I definitely need to, so I figured it would be the same thing.
I thought about getting Medusa too, but I'm sensitive to strong scents (I get really bad headaches if I wear hardly any perfume anymore). I know I like sandalwood, but honestly have no idea what francincense and myrrh smell like... I figured it would be kind of incense-like, and most incense also gives me a headache. But I'd love to hear what you think of it!

I'm going to wash again tonight... scalp hair is definitely feeling oily, and I have to work early tomorrow, so I'm showering the night before.

Luna, my European starling, http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/nyneoma/MyBabies001-1-1.jpgis happily deconstructing my wrapped bun. No matter... I'll just make another one. I can't keep my hands off my hair today.

This morning, I shampooed twice with a Carrot Milk & Honey CV bar. This is one of my all-time favs, but I haven't used it in months. I followed with a mild herbed WV/EO rinse.

I gently detangled with my fingers as my hair dried; I had no major tangles.

My hair is super shiny and silky. It almost looks like what I call "Pantene hair," but it's not as slippery, so I'm able to make lasting updos.

I must have taken my hair down a dozen times so I could practice updos. Truth be told, I just wanted to play with my hair.

I think that I may have rediscovered my Holy Grail shampoo bar.:disco: if my hair lookes and feels this good consistently, shampoo after shampoo, I will be a happy camper.

This morning, I shampooed twice with a Carrot Milk & Honey CV bar. This is one of my all-time favs, but I haven't used it in months. I followed with a mild herbed WV/EO rinse.

I think that I may have rediscovered my Holy Grail shampoo bar. if my hair lookes and feels this good consistently, shampoo after shampoo, I will be a happy camper.

Neoma, that sounds wonderful! I can't wait until the new batch of Carrot Milk & Honey bars have cured long enough for purchase -- I've had my eye on it for a while.

I just received my latest shipment of CV bars on Wednesday. In addition to getting full size bars of samples I liked, I also got bars of Chamomile & Citrus, Rosemary Lavendar Aloe, and some new samples.

I tried the Chamomile & Citrus bar, and I love it. :D My hair turned out very soft and fluffy (surprising adjective for my straight, fine hair), and my hair even showed a little wave. I think it helped that I took chloeishere's suggestion and cut back a bit on the lathering.

I won't say that this is my holy grail bar until I try my other new bars, but it will be hard to top this one.

I love chamomile and citrus too-- I also ADORE the way it smells, which is always nice.
Glad the suggestion was helpful for you! Even though this is a gentle method, I do feel like my hair is nicer if I don't "overwash" it.

Hello everyone!

I used CV bars for quite a while: nettle, chamomile/citrus, and summer sunshine, I think. This last time I bought a bar of soap at the grocery store instead (I read the ingredients! It was just coconut soap.) and it works fine. I lather down to my shoulders because I'm lazy and my hair isn't really dirty below that, and then I rinse, apply ACV, and rinse. I like soap because it's non-itchy and seems better environmentally.

I have this Suave strawberry-scented conditioner that I've tried using sometimes, and I don't know if it is just a really non-functional conditioner or if for some reason it doesn't get along with soap, because when I've used it, it makes my hair kind of sticky and waxy, really unpleasant. This is not something you would expect of conditioner! It doesn't even have cones in it, I don't know what the deal is.

Hello everyone!

I have this Suave strawberry-scented conditioner that I've tried using sometimes, and I don't know if it is just a really non-functional conditioner or if for some reason it doesn't get along with soap, because when I've used it, it makes my hair kind of sticky and waxy, really unpleasant. This is not something you would expect of conditioner! It doesn't even have cones in it, I don't know what the deal is.scherzo, I have used conditioner after shampoo bars, with and without a vinegar rinse, and they work just fine for me. But lots of people have reported that conditioning after using a shampoo bar makes their hair sticky and waxy. I don't know why that would be; perhaps we have a scientist among us who could tell us.

Calling all scientist...

Sorry to help enable (unless you don't mind too much!). I'll definitely try to help if you have any questions, if I can figure out my routine myself. I should have paid more attention to the first entry here where Gemma talked about how she didn't use conditioner with the Serpentine bars at first. It's just that a lot of people don't use conditioner with CV bars, but I definitely need to, so I figured it would be the same thing.
I thought about getting Medusa too, but I'm sensitive to strong scents (I get really bad headaches if I wear hardly any perfume anymore). I know I like sandalwood, but honestly have no idea what francincense and myrrh smell like... I figured it would be kind of incense-like, and most incense also gives me a headache. But I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Thank you Chloe :) I'll definitely let you know what I think about the scent intensity, but I have to warn you - I like it when a scent stays in my hair and I suspect the scent needs to be somewhat intense for that.

I've used CV bars before, but my main problem is I'm too curious to actually stay with one of them (or any other shampoo) for long which means I usually end up with at least three bars lying next to my bathtub and because a lot of the bars don't have a distinct look I'm confused about which one is which after a while.

The Cafe Moreno one looks like I would recognize it even after a few weeks *grin*

I also have to use conditioner, mainly to untangle my hair or I'll end up with a tangled mess the morning after washing.

Let me know how you like the Hempchouli--I have it, but haven't used it yet. It's been sitting around my room, and I'm starting to get VERY tired of the smell! :p
I actually really like the smell . :) It's a nice bar that lathers like a charm [ actually all the PLH's lather up a storm] and works well. :smile:

I just love the summer sunshinebar.I did lather up twice and followed up with acv/honey rinse.My hair just said thank you thank you:).But I managed to get to much oil when I was supposed to do a light oiling:o.So light suddenly became heavy:p.But my ends doesn't complain so I'll co it out tomorrow I think.:rolleyes:.

i use CV bars which are wonderful for my hair and helped me with my scalp problems, and my hair seem to love them as well.
accidentally i bought on sale a shampoo bar from this company
http://www.themysticmasala.com/
and although the smell is quite strong i must say it is a quite good shampoo as well. thought somebody might want to try!

cheers.

ENABLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

I'm so bookmarking that....

Just tried the CV Scarborough Faire soap bar as shampoo. Is it just me, or does anyone else's hair seem to just DRINK the soap before you can make a lather? I swear, I have a better shot at lather if I rub the bar on my head (following the direction of growth so's not to ruffle my poor battered cuticles), so I did. And by the time I felt like I had enough on me to make a lather, I still couldn't. It felt almost like I hadn't had the soap near my head yet. So I rubbed some more and managed a meager lather. My hair felt much less "sticky/squeaky" with this bar even after the first lather. Definitely easier to fingercomb.

Then I used Nature's Gate (I think) Henna Conditioner and some Cure Care. Let that sit clipped up under a showercap while I washed my body with the SF soap. Holy cow did I get some crazy lather when I rubbed that bar on my shower puff. Not thick enough to have made it to my scalp, but still. I swear my hair eats CV bars.

It was at this point I realized I'd forgotten my ACV rinse, so I rinsed the conditioner out thoroughly and made with the ACV rinse. Let that sit a minute (rubbed into my scalp a bit). Then conditioned AGAIN with the NG Henna condish.

Hair's still drying but it feels and smells quite nice. I don't have time to wash like this every day, but I think I'll call it my WWCACVC (Wash, Wash, Condition, Apple Cider Vinegar, Condition). :silly:

Now that the family stuff is done, it's time to put a bit more oil on my ends and get to sleep.

This hair... It drinks anything close to liquid that comes near it....

I just love the summer sunshinebar.I did lather up twice and followed up with acv/honey rinse.My hair just said thank you thank you:).But I managed to get to much oil when I was supposed to do a light oiling:o.So light suddenly became heavy:p.But my ends doesn't complain so I'll co it out tomorrow I think.:rolleyes:.I'm glad that your hair enjoyed Summer Sunshine so much, Carina!

Anyone notice the ACV rinse not working as well after awhile or is it just me?

Im so frusterated with poo bars. I cant seem to get away from that waxy feeling, and I cant go more than 3 days max between washings. I only ordered 2 bars to start with, the marshmallow and babassu and the extra honey beer and egg, and I have the same problem with both of them. So I ordered some more samples (havent gotten here yet) and Im hoping theres at least one in there that will work for me.
I used the marshmallow and babassu on DD4 last night with an ACV rinse and then a light oiling with sweet almond oil and her hair is beautiful this morning. Im so jealous sometimes :/

My CV bars order came in today that I ordered a week ago :) I can't wait to use them tomorrow...
I'll report back how it goes:taz:

Deb in UpState NY:D

Im so frusterated with poo bars. I cant seem to get away from that waxy feeling, and I cant go more than 3 days max between washings. I only ordered 2 bars to start with, the marshmallow and babassu and the extra honey beer and egg, and I have the same problem with both of them. So I ordered some more samples (havent gotten here yet) and Im hoping theres at least one in there that will work for me.
I used the marshmallow and babassu on DD4 last night with an ACV rinse and then a light oiling with sweet almond oil and her hair is beautiful this morning. Im so jealous sometimes :/

Ohio Sky - you might just have picked just the wrong ones to start out with. I know that the marshmallow and babassu is VERY moisturising, and the honey beer and egg is used by most LHCers as a protein treatment, not as a regular shampoo.

I am still transitioning, too - I can go for a week without washing if I use regular shampoo, but only 5 days with a CV bar (and the last day is really icky). I have slightly better results with the rosemary mint and the chamomile citrus.

If I were you, I wouldn't give up on the bars just yet :)

All of you are horrible enablers! I just order a couple of samples from CV yesterday because of this thread.

Ohio Sky, I agree with Miss Murphy. The Olive Babassu bar is extremely moisturizing. In fact, I have stopped using it because I was having gunk problems on my scalp. I don't like the honey beer & egg at all. It made my hair unhappy.

My favourite is the Summer Sunshine. DH uses that one as an all-over hair & body bar.

Lora410, I don't use ACV anymore. It worked well in the beginning, but I find that a white vinegar & citric acid rinse are amazing for me. I put 1 tbsp of vinegar and 1/2 tsp of powdered citric acid (I buy True Lemon from the spice aisle at the grocery store) in a pitcher of warm filtered water and dip my length in it, then pour it over my head. The vinegar smell goes away faster too.

I just ordered my first CV bar. Im so excited, I cant wait for it to get here. I ordered the Rosemary Lavander Aloe bar. I wanted to get the summer one, but all sold out. i think this one will work good. I will write back when I get my hands on it lol.

I'm not the only one who loves my cv bars in my family anymore:mad:.Yesterday when I was going to take a shower I got a big shocker.My ss bar was half as big as when I left it.My dear son,11 years old, is crazy about them now:taz:.He wants to order more.Does your bars get used by another familymember?*still in chock*

truepeacenik - i have no idea how to enable people. they never do what i want them to anyways... :o but enjoy the link...

I love the idea of shampoo bars. When I had dreadlocks I used the Burt Bee's one but didn't have any luck with it. I found some goat milk shampoos at Whole Foods which were wonderful for my dreads.

However I have not had any luck with them in non-dreaded hair. I would love to give them another go though, as it just seems much easier to take a bar of soap with me than carrying shampoos, if I travel or am camping.

I'm going to be going through this post thoroughly for advice and.. enabling.

I am using homemade shampoo right now which is working better than anything I've tried before and I'm afraid to mess with a good thing. I love soap though!! Love Love Love soap. I want my hair to love soap as much as I do. *Sigh*

Sweetkandi, that´s a very nice bar you picked there. Good choice! :cheer: I´m sure you´ll like it.

Carina, my BF uses shampoo bars as well (he´s growing out his hair). I even got him one just for himself.

My favourites are Cafe Moreno, Summer Sunshine and Chamomile and Citrus. The ones that didn't work were Mud&Clay and Carrot Milk&Honey (this one leaves my hair very coated and waxy). But I have los to try yet :)

I CWC and don't apply the soap on my length anymore. I only do my scalp while my length is covered by conditioner and the rinse both at the same time.

BTW, this site http://www.themysticmasala.com/index.html looks great!

Great, but expensive, don´t you guys think? I think I get better value out of Ida´s bars.

I'm thinking about trying Prairieland Herbs shampoo bars. My hair is a bit oily so it doesn't need any of those super moisturizing stuff. Can anyone recommend some of their bars? :)

Great, but expensive, don´t you guys think? I think I get better value out of Ida´s bars.

I have to admit that that was my first thought when I checked it.
I would love a shampoo bar with henna. Maybe Ida would accept a suggestion :)

Okey, you have convinced me...

I just ordered samples of CV, Chamomille/Lemon and the Cucumber/Youghurt.

I did a go of CV bars for a dutch/ belgian forum called Raponsje. I have already started trying some of my samples mud and clay, babbasu marshmellow, olive babbasu but since I am a person who does not want much work I washed only once and did not use acv rinse or conditioner. The mud clay felt reasonable but cause soapflocks in my hair. the babbasu marshmellon and olive babbasu did leave my hair dry. I now went 'crazy' and used a non shampoo bar (shea rose clay) since Ida tell the contain more fatts (somewhere on her site) and an acv. My hair is not dry (usually takes more then 24 hours) but I never had so much waves (will put a pic in my album soon).. the hair also feels soft (only seems to take longer to dry then usual??)

I'm so relieved!

I started suffering from a seriously itchy scalp around January, and recently stopped using my usual products (hair oils, Serpentine Hair shampoo bars, etc), and instead just used a tea tree oil shampoo (SLS and cone-free, still) and Goth Rosary conditioner.

Once the itching settled down, I switched back onto my hair oils, introducing them one at a time to see if they'd been the culprit, and, finally, my Serpentine Hair bars.

I am very pleased to say that the awful itching has not returned. *phew* I'm so glad because I just love my shampoo bars. They're the best I've ever tried.

I scanned this thread, which is great, I think. Sorry to say I'm at work and cannot read its entirety right now. But, as a previous poo bar user with poor long-term results, I'm curious -
How many of you posters and would be posters are STILL using shampoo bars after 6 months? After 12? If not, why? What made you ultimately decide to stop?

For me, a lover of all things natural & the concept of poo bars, it was the lack of movement that finally curbed me. I used poo bars for about 6 months, perhaps a little longer. Loved everything but the fact that my hairs seemed to lose thier individuality, they no longer moved separately. It was like they clung to eachother and moved on one large mass.
For me, that defeats the purpose of everyday hair wear. I like my hair to move freely. BUT- I agree with another poster. Poo bars make for great updos, they hold and are thick!

I have to admit that that was my first thought when I checked it.
I would love a shampoo bar with henna. Maybe Ida would accept a suggestion :)

Almudena, I think Ida once mentioned experimenting on a henna or cassia bar. I´m not sure how far she has come, though. I might ask her next time I order.

Does anybody NOT use the shampoo bar on their length--at least, not all the time? I used mine on the length today for the first time, because I accidentally used too much oil (I very rarely use oil anyway). But it seems like most people use it all through their hair.

Sorry, I didn't see your post until today.

I only use the CV bars on my scalp. I make a low bun, and cover it with a shower cap. I wash my scalp by bending forward and using a handheld showerhead.

Alys, I've been using them for about a year, and have no desire to switch washing methods. My scalp isn't happy with any other method.

BlndeInDisguise, I don't use much lather on the length of my hair. I just let what is