The Shampoo Bar Thread

**ljkforu** · December 3rd, 2008, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by shampoobarGirl

Where do you all buy citric acid? I looked in Whole Foods last week but couldn't find any.

I just reviewed a new shampoo bar that I think you all would enjoy. It's really awesome!

http://stonl.inspirehandmade.org/?p=14

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Karen, lab rat in the Great Shampoo Bar Experiment: http://stonl.inspirehandmade.org/

Henna for Hair sells citric acid. The Indian store I was at yesterday had a big bag for 1.99 under the name sour salt.

**morguebabe** · December 3rd, 2008, 09:22 AM

You can also get Sour Salt at Jewish food stores.

**shampoobarGirl** · December 3rd, 2008, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by morguebabe

You can also get Sour Salt at Jewish food stores.

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'll have to look around and see if I can find some.

------------------------------------------------
Karen, lab rat in the Great Shampoo Bar Experiment: http://stonl.inspirehandmade.org/

**ljkforu** · December 4th, 2008, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by morguebabe

You can also get Sour Salt at Jewish food stores.

I use Vitamin C Crystal from the Vitamin Stores. I'm a little allergic to citric acid in like Koolaid so I went with the Vit C. I grew up using ACV and it is fine but it does smell for a while. Over all I like the Vit C the best. Boy does it lock down the cuticles of the hair.

**shampoobarGirl** · December 4th, 2008, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by ljkforu

I use Vitamin C Crystal from the Vitamin Stores. I'm a little allergic to citric acid in like Koolaid so I went with the Vit C. I grew up using ACV and it is fine but it does smell for a while. Over all I like the Vit C the best. Boy does it lock down the cuticles of the hair.

I saw vit C at Whole Foods when I was searching for the citric acid and wondered about using it. How much do you use per rinsing?

------------------------------------------------
Karen, lab rat in the Great Shampoo Bar Experiment: http://stonl.inspirehandmade.org/

**ljkforu** · December 4th, 2008, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by shampoobarGirl

I saw vit C at Whole Foods when I was searching for the citric acid and wondered about using it. How much do you use per rinsing?

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Karen, lab rat in the Great Shampoo Bar Experiment: http://stonl.inspirehandmade.org/

I take a 20 oz coke bottle and fill it with cool water and approximately 1/8 of crystals. It has been working great for me, and has gotten rid of the acne on my back. I am allergic to everything so I couldn't believe that I have actually gotten away with using the same product since August, plus yeah! no odor.

**SeaPhoenix** · December 10th, 2008, 05:06 PM

Re-posted from my blog entry - thought some folks might be interested in the differences noted between the CV bars and the Serpentine bars so far:

Ok.. so I got my order of a couple of Serpentine bars in... It took a while to get here - I might not have ordered had I known the outcome of the employment issue lol...
But - here's my thoughts so far.
I ordered 3 - bridezilla (which is supposed to smell like cake), forbidden fruit (a green bar which is supposed to smell like fresh crisp chilled apples and pears), and system shock (coffee, cloves, chocolate).
Bridezilla didn't smell like cake - more like some kind of stale candy - and not a very yummy smell at that... forbidden fruit is actually sticky and soft, and smells like an old watermelon/apple jolly rancher. I don't know if its supposed to be soft and sticky - or if maybe the bar hadn't cured... I'm a little afraid to try using it. System shock actually smells how its described - so I gave it a shot. It glided and sudsed up beautifully... I lathered twice and rinsed with a vinegar/water rinse. I decided not to use conditioner. Even before the vinegar rinse, it felt less "tacky" than the CV bars did. After, it felt like it had been conditioned, but without that weird texture CV bars have in my hair after a CV rinse - this wasn't stiff at all in places.. just smooth smooth smooth.
I rinsed out the vinegar rinse with cool water, got out, and towel dried. My hair combed through with no tangles ... I didn't feel I needed the camellia oil, but a smoothed an itty bitty drop between my palms and ran that through my hair, just in case. I'm definitely curious to see how my hair is when it dries. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in texture from the Serpentine bars. It's a shame their System shock is a limited edition, because I'd probably reorder this bar on a regular basis. I think so far it's my favorite - but I'll know for sure once my hair is dry... I'm still not sure I want to try the other two because of the smell and stickiness... but I will probably when the system shock is all gone. Might also take another gander at the bar descriptions.. see if I can find one that looks similar in description to system shock...

Oh - and I also shed less. I'm wondering if maybe my scalp just doesn't like the conditioner.. especially the V05 stuff..?

**healingsolitude** · December 11th, 2008, 12:54 AM

The system shock sounds like it would be so nice! Unfortunately, I wouldn't dare try any Serpentine bars on my oily scalp since I've read where that is a very bad idea due to how moisturizing those bars are. I'm glad it works so well for you! Perhaps your hair and scalp need extra moisture? Or is there a different ingredient in the system shock bar that is not shared with the ones you tried from CV? Your hair just might prefer the different base oils that the Serpentine bars use. This could also be why you shed less with those bars. Your hair could have been reacting to something in the CV bars that made you shed more. Perhaps the ingredients in the Serpentine bars make your hair much happier. I've noticed I shed less when I am using something that my hair loves.

If you think the one bar is not cured, you could always just place it in a high place where nothing can get it for a few weeks. That is what CV recommends for the bars ordered before the cure date has arrived. It might just be that the bar is meant to be that way if it is still like that after a few weeks.

**SeaPhoenix** · December 11th, 2008, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by healingsolitude

The system shock sounds like it would be so nice! Unfortunately, I wouldn't dare try any Serpentine bars on my oily scalp since I've read where that is a very bad idea due to how moisturizing those bars are. I'm glad it works so well for you! Perhaps your hair and scalp need extra moisture? Or is there a different ingredient in the system shock bar that is not shared with the ones you tried from CV? Your hair just might prefer the different base oils that the Serpentine bars use. This could also be why you shed less with those bars. Your hair could have been reacting to something in the CV bars that made you shed more. Perhaps the ingredients in the Serpentine bars make your hair much happier. I've noticed I shed less when I am using something that my hair loves.

If you think the one bar is not cured, you could always just place it in a high place where nothing can get it for a few weeks. That is what CV recommends for the bars ordered before the cure date has arrived. It might just be that the bar is meant to be that way if it is still like that after a few weeks.

I had originally thought it was the conditioner - both types of bars have similar ingredients - but I decided to test out your theory today - and washed with the Serpentine bar, followed by a vinegar rinse, and then put the conditioner on over that. Let it sit for a minute or two, then rinsed out. My hair still didn't shed as much, in the shower and out of the shower. I didn't even need to use the camellia oil today either. Hair is smooth and silky, and tangle free! I was outside in strong wind today, and upon getting in the car, was able to comb through my wind messed hair easily, with no tangles.
So wow.. yay - apparently my scalp and hair likes Serpentine bars more than CV bars. :-)

**healingsolitude** · December 11th, 2008, 08:38 PM

It is always nice when you can run your fingers thru your wind blown hair with no problem. It sounds like your hair is happy and healthy to me!

I had the same issue with CV bars. I found some bars from a local vendor that also have similar ingredients to the CV bars. My hair shed much less when I used those bars instead of the CV ones. Granted, I still would lose less hair with the CV bars when compared to the detergent shampoo I had used before making the switch, but it was still a fairly good amount of hair when comparing the two different bar brands. I'm wondering if it might have something to do with how much of each ingredient is put into the base formula? The other brand I used was more moisturizing, like how the Serpentine bars are supposed to be. Perhaps the CV bars have a little less of a certain ingredient or the other two use a little more of that ingredient. It could be anything causing the varied reaction, though.