Soap bar VS Shampoo bar

[legendya]

I've seen alot of LHC members mention that they use shampoo bars to wash their hair. How is it different from a pure soap bar (the non-detergent kind)? If it has better properties for hair, could you just melt down a soap bar and add hair-friendly herbs/oils? Can a pure soap bar (like Trader Joes Oat and Honey Soap) be used as an alternative to a shampoo bar?

[rock007junkie]

Regular soap bars leave your hair coated and don't have as many oils in them as a shampoo bar so it may leave your hair quite dry. Also, a shampoo bar does not (at least most don't) contain SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) which is an ingredient that many avoid because it can make your hair somewhat dry.

If you are interested in shampoo bars let me know. I can recommend you some that are quite awesome.

[northernsky]

If you melted down a bar of plain castile soap and added some essential oils and superfatted it with some extra jojoba oil or something it would probably work alright. I've tried the liquid Dr. Bronner's castile soap with added coconut milk and olive oil before (the recipe is all over Pinterest... lol), and it left my hair pretty soft but I definitely needed to use a vinegar or lemon rinse afterward because of residue. Most shower soaps are made with tallow instead of vegetable oils, though. I would imagine they would leave even more residue, but that's just a guess.

The shampoo bars I use, made by Green Kimono on Etsy, are a pure soap bar made with all natural ingredients. I would HIGHLY recommend them.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GreenKimono

[capnjackfan]

From my experience, regular soap bars just dry my air out, but maybe if you added oils it would help to prevent that.

[kurlywurlygurl]

Well, there is not much of a difference but that's like saying is it okay to just add stuff to dish soap to wash my hair? Okay well that's kind of pushing it but, you see what I mean? I guess it would not be all bad if it was like a Trader Joe's bar because their usually pretty gentle, but why risk it? Shampoo bars are fun to use, and like me your into making your own :stirpot:. However, just to stay on the safe side and because you haven't actually tried one maybe you should give the real thing a shot first? I would highly reccomend Chagrin Valley shampoo bars I have a bunch of sample pieces ( I mean the samples last forever). Personally I have only used them once just because I am a nopooer :)
But I would reccomend you follow them up with an ACV rinse.:whistle:.

[KrissyKitty]

I just ordered some lush shampoo bars yesterday and am really excited for them to get here. I got the godiva bars, and a hair treatment with henna and jasmine. A bit of a splurge, but I can't wait. I hope the bars work well- I've never used shampoo bars before either.

[redsonjared]

I just ordered some lush shampoo bars yesterday and am really excited for them to get here. I got the godiva bars, and a hair treatment with henna and jasmine. A bit of a splurge, but I can't wait. I hope the bars work well- I've never used shampoo bars before either.

Lush do some great products - you may want to check the ingredients of the shampoo bars if you are wanting to avoid sulphates as the UK ones all seem to have them in. Their R&B hair moisturiser is fabulous - has lots of jasmine and lasts forever

[spirals]

I've been using palm or coconut oil bar soaps for months. I do a citric acid rinse after, and conditioner. I am no longer shedding gobs of hair when I wash. The soap does double duty. It smells good. My curls are spirally. What's not to like?

[legendya]

The trader joes soap has chelating agents in it, so wouldn't it rinse better?

[spirals]

I want to add that I have switched to Dr. Bronner's liquid, which is easier to work in and lather. I really like it. My hair is actually shinier now. I still do acid rinse and conditioner and leave-in. I am considering taking rinse-out conditioner out of my routine.

[legendya]

I want to add that I have switched to Dr. Bronner's liquid, which is easier to work in and lather. I really like it. My hair is actually shinier now. I still do acid rinse and conditioner and leave-in. I am considering taking rinse-out conditioner out of my routine. spirals, How do you use the liquid? Diluted or undiluted?