The Shampoo Bar Thread

[rowan fire]

Okay, I'm hoping someone will have advice for me. I searched the thread and didn't really come up with much...

It's wash number 2 of camomile and citrus CV bar, and my hair is nice and soft and full of body....and floaty and staticing there's no tomorrow.

First time I did a vinegar rinse, second time ACV (still vinegar I know but shhh!) Detangling has been a bit more effort than usual but I know I'm well within the adjustment period, not to mention figuring out the shampooing technique, so I'm not worrying too much yet, and would ignore the static too if I didn't spend all day at work rubbing up against synthetic fabric. It was a static nightmare before, but now it is quite possibly a static hell

I'll try to wear my hair up, especially for the next few days, but it's slippy and evil so I have a hard time bunning successfully on a daily basis (and I can't braid my way out of a paper sack) any shortcut ideas? Maybe a few drops of jojoba oil to the rinse? Switch to a different bar?

I'm by no means an expert. I've only done about 15 washes with shampoo bars, but I'd like to try to help.

Firstly, what had you been using before you started using the bars? (As in were you using products with silicones?) If so, you might want to do a clarifying wash or two. I did that (I used baking soda) while waiting for my bars to arrive and I honestly had no "adjustment period".

Also, did you get samples or just that one bar? Due to the different ingredients in the bars, you may have better results with another. Some posters have found a bar to be too cleansing or too moisturizing. Some have gone back later and found that a bar which didn't work at one time is now their fav.

As to the technique, well... HERE is one written by a member of the board. I do mine differently. I wet my hair and part it down the middle all the way to the nape of my neck. (Think pig tails.) I wet my hands really well and take a piece of the bar, which I've cut into smaller, more manageable piece, and rub it until there is a bunch of lather. I then run each hand over an area of my hair and gently rub the lather in. I think more water produces a better lather, so make sure to really wet your hands after each time. I make sure to get lather along my center part from front all the way to the nape and all along the hairline from ear to ear (which is wear I get oily 1st). Then I section big areas on each side of the center part to make sure the later gets to my scalp all over. I apply a little lather to the lengths, or if I've built up a nice later on the top, I'll just squeeze some down. I guess it depends on how long your hair is and if you want to wash your length. Then, I rinse, rinse, rinse...and rinse some more, gently lifting sections to make sure all the soap is out. It's very important to rinse well.

I do sometimes LIGHTLY stroke the bar along my hair. When I've done that more heavily in the beginning, I felt my hair was getting way too much of the soap and didn't rinse well (I have moderately hard water).

I use SCH bars, and I've never felt the need to later twice. I've never had a time that my hair wasn't squeaky clean after the 1st lather. I don't know how CV bars work. You may need 2 lathers.

For acid rinse, I use lime juice. I tried ACV but I always ended up having greasy looking hair to some extent. I cut back and cut back, but eventually the dilution wasn't even working to detangle. I think ACV and I just don't get along. The lime juice is a little more expensive than I'd like and I *think* it might be a little drying, so next time I got to the store, I'm going to pick up plain white vinegar and give it a try. If that doesn't work, then I'm going to try powdered citric acid.

I did read through every page and it seems different posters had better personal results with different rinses. There was one I remember did really well with powdered ascorbic acid (Vit C). Perhaps you might need to try a few to find the right one for you, and ofc with each there is that "sweet spot" for the dilution.

I do wish the whole rinse thing was more exact, I would make it soooo much more simple. I believe it comes down to the rise being a huge part of how your hair turns out in the end. On the advice of some previous posters, I have begun to add a shot of silicone-free conditioner to my bottle of rise. It's definitely helped it become more manageable and helped with the static. I sometimes rub a drop or two of oil through my wet hair, which seems to help with the static too as well and making it feel/look nicer. Too much and it's an oily mess though.

I don't know what type of tools you have, but to further help with static if you don't already have, you might want to consider getting a horn, bone, or wooden comb. It's claimed a 100% boar bristle brush doesn't cause static, but I call BS on that one. I have a 100% brush and the static is creates is huge, especially now in this weather. I still use it though to help distribute my head's natural oil.

Now with that all said and a little box full of bars, I'm giving up on them lol My husband is freaking out about how much time and water I've bee using in the shower since I started using the bars. I've tried to turn it off while lathering, but it gets cold lol. I miss the simplicity of pouring some stuff into my hand, reaching up and getting an instant lather that washes out nicely without having to stress about the right rinse.

I still want to use a soap-based wash. I came across THIS THREAD on the board and read every page. People are in love with her stuff. If you don't like the idea of fragrance oils not being natural, she has unscented. I just emailed her last night to ask a question, and I'll be ordering ASAP.

I hope you get the bars to work out for you. There is definitely a learning curve to figure out what's best for your hair. Just remember they might not be for everyone and you have different options. It's ok not to like them and try something else.

Best Wishes

[crazy_margaret]

Okay, I'm hoping someone will have advice for me. I searched the thread and didn't really come up with much...

It's wash number 2 of camomile and citrus CV bar, and my hair is nice and soft and full of body....and floaty and staticing there's no tomorrow.

First time I did a vinegar rinse, second time ACV (still vinegar I know but shhh!) Detangling has been a bit more effort than usual but I know I'm well within the adjustment period, not to mention figuring out the shampooing technique, so I'm not worrying too much yet, and would ignore the static too if I didn't spend all day at work rubbing up against synthetic fabric. It was a static nightmare before, but now it is quite possibly a static hell

I'll try to wear my hair up, especially for the next few days, but it's slippy and evil so I have a hard time bunning successfully on a daily basis (and I can't braid my way out of a paper sack) any shortcut ideas? Maybe a few drops of jojoba oil to the rinse? Switch to a different bar?

I dont know what to tell you about the static issue as I am struggling too! I have been using poo bars for 2 years and never had a problem.. Suddenly last week my hair started getting so staticy I could probably charge my cell phone! Oils dont seem to be working so I have just been slathering with panacea and keeping it bunned. Do you perhaps live in the pacific northwest? maybe its just a weather thing?

[Rybe]

Thanks for your responses! And yes, I do live in the north west. The Willamette valley to be specific so I'm sure the weather's not helping, and my place of work REALLY, REALLLY is not helping, but it's kinda something I just have figure out how to deal with. I suppose it could be an unfortunate coincidence with the weather, but I've lived in Oregon my whole life and don't generally have problems unless I go somewhere that's really dry (coughCaliforniacough) I'm very thoroughly adapted to living here I swear my sinuses shrivel up and start fountain blood every time I go on vacation...but back to the hair...

I "clarified" before I started on the 'poo bars, and by clarified I mean used a double SLS cone free shampoo I had laying around and a really simple all natural conditioner (that I'm really not a big fan of...but the others I had around had cones)

For application, I've been using the bar+head approach, but am going to try the lathering hands instead. I just didn't think I would get enough doing the hand method since my hair's so thick. I have a hard time cleaning to my scalp with liquid shampoo! I'll have to see how it goes.

I got several samples, not just one bar, but I'm taking them one at a time. At this point I'm not sure if the static issue is the nature of THAT bar or a nature of all 'poo bars for me. It doesn't seem like 2 washes is enough time to tell. I generally hate combs (for some reason they're way harder on my hair than brushes I've seen a few other straight hairs around here like me though) but I did invest in a wood one, and will give it a try if my hair is in static-attack mode again in the morning. I'll save the oiling until a non work day though, just in case it all goes horribly wrong I've never used it as a leave-in before.

And if all else fails I'll switch to my next sample and see if that fixes it! Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to let you know how it goes!

[crazy_margaret]

Thanks for your responses! And yes, I do live in the north west. The Willamette valley to be specific so I'm sure the weather's not helping, and my place of work REALLY, REALLLY is not helping, but it's kinda something I just have figure out how to deal with. I suppose it could be an unfortunate coincidence with the weather, but I've lived in Oregon my whole life and don't generally have problems unless I go somewhere that's really dry (coughCaliforniacough) I'm very thoroughly adapted to living here I swear my sinuses shrivel up and start fountain blood every time I go on vacation...but back to the hair...

I "clarified" before I started on the 'poo bars, and by clarified I mean used a double SLS cone free shampoo I had laying around and a really simple all natural conditioner (that I'm really not a big fan of...but the others I had around had cones)

For application, I've been using the bar+head approach, but am going to try the lathering hands instead. I just didn't think I would get enough doing the hand method since my hair's so thick. I have a hard time cleaning to my scalp with liquid shampoo! I'll have to see how it goes.

I got several samples, not just one bar, but I'm taking them one at a time. At this point I'm not sure if the static issue is the nature of THAT bar or a nature of all 'poo bars for me. It doesn't seem like 2 washes is enough time to tell. I generally hate combs (for some reason they're way harder on my hair than brushes I've seen a few other straight hairs around here like me though) but I did invest in a wood one, and will give it a try if my hair is in static-attack mode again in the morning. I'll save the oiling until a non work day though, just in case it all goes horribly wrong I've never used it as a leave-in before.

And if all else fails I'll switch to my next sample and see if that fixes it! Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to let you know how it goes!

hmmm Williamette valley.... could just be the weather then! I have live here for about 18 years and never had this happen before. The rain this weekend has helped alot with the static though... or maybe its all the coney products I started slathering on in hopes of controlling the static I tried rotating through all of my bars and that had no effect at all on the static.... but maybe you will have better luck with it Where did you get your wooden comb from? I have been wanting one forever but am nervous to order one and have it not be smooth enough!

[Rybe]

Where did you get your wooden comb from? I have been wanting one forever but am nervous to order one and have it not be smooth enough!

I got mine from Sally's Beauty...and yes, it wasn't smooth enough. So I sat down, watched TV, and took fine grain sand paper between the teeth. It was tedious, but it's much better now! Still not a huge fan of it though...combs and I just don't get along. But it'll be helpful for oilings and such.

Also a static update, I'm sure the change in weather has helped, but I think also doing the hands + head method helped. I think I was getting a wee bit of residue before, despite rinsing and rinsing and rinsing... Only had my hair completely fly away once after my switch, and it went back to normal once the source of the charge was removed, as it should! And my scalp seems to have adjusted! Not greasy early anymore! Woo!

Still not loving the detangling. But I have other samples to try.

[Blond On Blond]

So I've come to realize I miss my poo bars... even though I do not miss washing my hair with them at all, I have VERY hard water and even after using an acidic rinse my hair would be coated and tangled, so I use distilled water for soap poo. With great results I must say

Anyway, I had a few partially used bars left from the old days, but today at Whole Foods a new (at least to me) poo bar caught my eye. It's a 100% natural shampoo soap bar made by Sunleaf Naturals, I got the Orange Ginger one. This is a great poo! I'll still probably use Indian herbs for the most part, but this bar smells and works so nicely I'll throw in couple of uses every now and then.

[KiwiBum]

So I've come to realize I miss my poo bars... even though I do not miss washing my hair with them at all, I have VERY hard water and even after using an acidic rinse my hair would be coated and tangled, so I use distilled water for soap poo. With great results I must say

Anyway, I had a few partially used bars left from the old days, but today at Whole Foods a new (at least to me) poo bar caught my eye. It's a 100% natural shampoo soap bar made by Sunleaf Naturals, I got the Orange Ginger one. This is a great poo! I'll still probably use Indian herbs for the most part, but this bar smells and works so nicely I'll throw in couple of uses every now and then.

Ooooh I've used Sunleaf Naturals poo bars before! They sell them at my local organic market and they smell nice. They're spicy enough that the scent lingers in my hair most of the day. My fave was the Cinnamon Cypress one. My sister likes Orange Ginger the best ^_^

[julliams]

Hopefully I'm not asking a question that gets asked a million times but, my last experience with a beer shampoo bar was that I really liked it, but it disappeared in my shower after only two uses. I kept it in a plastic ziplock bag and basically it just disintegrated and became sludge.

What is the secret to keeping a bar long enough for it to be economical? I'm guessing drying it out and keeping it in a tin??? Would that get rusty though? Thanks

[krissykins]

I normally wait for them to dry out completely before I store them away. I have a wooden soap dish I got from a swap that I leave the soap on to dry. Then after that, I wrap them in some old tissue paper I have laying around and put them on my hair care shelf.

[Chromis]

I have mine on a wooden slatted soap dish that lives on the edge of the bathtub outside the shower curtain. My bars last for months.