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View Full Version : Shampoo Bar Dilemma



Melein
March 31st, 2008, 02:31 PM
I'm posting this in a new thread rather than the main shampoo bar thread because I don't want to drag that too far off topic but could really use some advice.

I'm not getting along well with my bars, despite my efforts, and I have the feeling that my fine hair and hard water would be the reason why. I've tried different washing combinations, so much so that I think my hair is entirely overwashed, but I still end up with coated, brittle, detangling-resistant hair. Increasing my vinegar dilution past 1:5 or so just makes my hair crispier. :confused: I've tried using conditioner both before and after the shampoo, leaving the vinegar in and rinsing it out, everything I can think of, and it's just not working.

So - it would be sensible, you might think, to just accept that this is something that doesn't work for my hair. But - here's the positive side. For the first time ever that I can remember I don't have an itchy, flaky scalp, dandruff, or spots and bumps on my scalp. It's amazing. Commercial products did nothing for my scalp and I had come to the conclusion it was just like that and there was nothing I could do, but it's cleared up incredibly quickly.

My decision, then - put up with bad hair and increased levels of damage and hope that over time it'll adjust and get used to the new routine, or go back to S&C and likely get my scalp problems back. :/ Not great either way. I was thinking about maybe trying a showerhead water filter - has anyone tried these, and do they work? Or has anyone got any other ideas or similar experiences?

I'm sorry for the long, rambly thread, but I'd really appreciate any help or advice anyone could offer.

Calista
March 31st, 2008, 02:44 PM
Melein, Iīm so sorry you still havenīt found a solution to your shampoo bar problems. If your scalp likes the bar - thatīs great, and it seems you must be doing something right. If it helps any Iīll tell you that it took months and months for me to fully adjust to shampoo bars. I wish I could give you access to my old journal...

I want to encourage you to give yourself more time. Maybe try sticking to a routine that seems just about right. If you do something different every time you shampoo you wonīt find out what is right and what is wrong for your hair. For me the key to success was finding the right vinegar dilution. It was such a "woah!" moment when I poured the right kind of rinse over my head for the first time and my hair turned soft and silky instantly. I seem to remember we had a member who was *this* close to giving up on shampoo bars because of hard water, and she installed a shower filter with much success. I just canīt remember who it was.

Also, could you just remind me what your routine was before you started with shampoo bars? Could it be buildup from a cone conditioner?

But if you really feel that shampoo bars are not for you, please donīt feel bad! There are as many ways to wash as there are heads of hair. It doesnīt *have* to be shampoo bars.

Delilah
March 31st, 2008, 02:46 PM
Maybe you could try a different brand of shampoo bar, or a different type of the brand you are currently using?
Perhaps you could do a scalp wash with a shampoo bar and wash the rest of it with your other method?
What about a final rinse of 'soft' water, like water that has been passed through a water filter like a 'brita'?
Just suggestions, it seems like you'd really like these to work for you.

I am a huge shampoo bar fan and I definitely had to stick with it and try various types of bars and rinsing potions before I got it right.

Melein
March 31st, 2008, 02:56 PM
Thanks, Calista :) I suppose it is because I like the idea of the bars so much, I really want them to work for me. I probably need to be a little more patient!

I don't mind a long adjustment period so long as I don't think my hair is suffering for it - weird waxy hair is temporary, breakage and increased shedding less so, and even though I'm trying to be very gentle I'm getting that.

Before I switched to the bars I used commercial shampoo and conditioner - some with cones and some without as I got buildup very quickly and kept having to switch brands. My hair likes cone-free better though, and the conditioner I'm using at present doesn't have any. All my shampoos had SLS and I'm wondering now if that's what my scalp didn't like.

I think maybe I just need to take a little more time with it, see if I can order a filter online and maybe experiment with vinegar dilution a little more since that was what helped for you!


Calista I just want to thank you so much for your lovely encouraging reply - it helps a lot to get another perspective on things and I feel that bit more positive now :)

Delilah - sorry, crossposted with you there, but thank you too! I've tried the rinse with filtered water - that with a splash of ACV made my hair nice and shiny when I was using S&C, but doesn't seem to make much difference with the bars. I didn't, however, try a scalp wash, that might be a good idea!

Schnee
March 31st, 2008, 02:56 PM
I don't really use shampoo bars other when travelling, but I really found the Lush bar for hard water really nice. Last time I used it was in Beijing and it was great, but here at home it doesn't work that great. I guess it's because the water here isn't that hard. ;)

KatKeRo
March 31st, 2008, 02:58 PM
Are you sure you need a vinegar rinse. My fine hair doesn't support a vinegar rinse or citric acid rinse at all. My hair gets stringy and dry.
I use my bars without vinegar or conditioner.

Kupferzopf
March 31st, 2008, 03:06 PM
I wash only my scalp. The amount of soap the runs through the rest of the hair when you rinse the soap out is enough to clean it. Maybe you can try this. After washing I comb with my fingers and put some drops of oil in.