The Shampoo Bar Thread

**healingsolitude** · October 10th, 2008, 11:02 AM

The no poo method doesn't seem to work for everybody. Baking soda alone seems too harsh for some. Maybe you need a little something extra that can help to moisturize your hair and scalp. It is good that the soap you reached for worked so well for you! Your hair must have been very relieved to get that moisture.

As for no-pooing, I never got the chance to try it for an entire month. I started using it a week before I got my CV bars in the mail. It had been working extremely well for me using the baking soda and vinegar, but I couldn't resist trying out the CV bars the moment I got them. If the CV bars failed me for whatever reason at some point, then I think I would go back to no-pooing instead of going back to regular shampoo. I think I might be due for another baking soda clarifying wash, though. The bar I used for a week was more moisturizing then what I'm used to with the others I use.

Are you waiting to order a shampoo bar until it is available in the shopping cart?

**naturechild** · October 10th, 2008, 11:49 AM

I just received notice about the new poo bar at SLO:

Anyway - I made a shampoo for you yesterday: Rosewood and palmarosa blend, no castor oil, but added marshmallow root powder. Did some reading up on that herb and found a thread of ladies with afros and curly hair who use marshmallow root powder in a rinse! So, thought this might be a key to success of that charcoal soap for you. Wouldn't hurt to add it to shampoos and it might help make a difference. Anyway, it will be ready to try in a couple of weeks - I will just send you a sample when ready. AFter that, we can go into full production and you can pass the word with other folks that have trouble with waxy buildup.
Karen

Very excited!!!

**Desdemona** · October 10th, 2008, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by healingsolitude

I have no idea what the pH is for here. I guess it would be easy to find out by calling the water company, but I always worry about getting stuck on the phone with someone who wants to talk me into something that will cost money.

So now I just rely on the hardness levels to see the varying results. It seems to make a big difference from the number of people with hard water who have had issues with the bars. And I like that I can check my water hardness level without having to talk to someone over the phone for the above reason and also because I don't like talking on the phone.

That was my point, you don't need to know the pH, just the hardness level. So you are cool!

**littlemiss** · October 10th, 2008, 02:22 PM

The water here is soft water if that helps??
healingsolitude Iv been using some from a local person here in Australia at present Im using a lemon and chamile and its great!!

**Desdemona** · October 10th, 2008, 02:32 PM

Soft water is the best. People with hard water have a lot of problems using soap based shampoos and usually give up.

**ljkforu** · October 10th, 2008, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by littlemiss

The water here is soft water if that helps??
healingsolitude Iv been using some from a local person here in Australia at present Im using a lemon and chamile and its great!!

Yes, it really does help. It explains why people in Oregon (US) and Australia can both get away with any bar they want.

**serabelle** · October 11th, 2008, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by healingsolitude

Are you waiting to order a shampoo bar until it is available in the shopping cart?

Well, I went ahead and ordered one from Serpentine Hair - but I'm definitely interested in trying the ones from CV too. Right now they're on vacation, and it seems like most of the poo bars that I'd be interested in aren't going to be available until November. I'm thinking about trying the Extra Honey, Beer and Egg - and also the Carrot Milk and Honey - those sound divine!

In the meantime, I'm going to keep using that Honey and Oatmeal bar I have, it seemed to work *really* well. With bs/acv I was noticing that my hair was greasy the very next day, with this soap bar - my hair has tons of body and isn't greasy at all!

**ljkforu** · October 11th, 2008, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Desdemona

Soft water is the best. People with hard water have a lot of problems using soap based shampoos and usually give up.

I wonder if adding a little borax is the solution. What do you think?

**Desdemona** · October 11th, 2008, 11:42 PM

I actually tried borax, it was very harsh. I ended up coming up with miracle water, in which I use Vitamin C to neutralize chlorine/chloramine and citric acid to chelate the minerals out of hard water. It works very well for me but it is still a pain in the neck, not as nice as being able to just stick your head under the shower. But it works, it's cheap and it's portable!

**rhosyn_du** · October 12th, 2008, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by naturechild

I just received notice about the new poo bar at SLO:

Anyway - I made a shampoo for you yesterday: Rosewood and palmarosa blend, no castor oil, but added marshmallow root powder. Did some reading up on that herb and found a thread of ladies with afros and curly hair who use marshmallow root powder in a rinse! So, thought this might be a key to success of that charcoal soap for you. Wouldn't hurt to add it to shampoos and it might help make a difference. Anyway, it will be ready to try in a couple of weeks - I will just send you a sample when ready. AFter that, we can go into full production and you can pass the word with other folks that have trouble with waxy buildup.
Karen

Very excited!!!

Oh dear. I have six or seven 'poo bar samples in my hall closet just waiting for me to try them out, but I think I'm going to have to try this one, as well. My hair loves both marshmallow and rosewood oil.

You know, I really ought to stop checking this thread so often if I want to get a handle on my inner product-junkie.