My shampoo bars are behaving badly, help?

[Mannaz]

Something really weird is happening with my hair and I haven't been able to track down what is causing it.

My routine is washing with a shampoo bar (it's a finnish brand) followed by ACV rinse, and a cold final rinse. This has worked fine until recently. The hair down to my earlopes comes off clean soft and shiny, but everything below that is all clumpy and greasy looking, also these parts take an eternity to dry.

I've tried leaving the ACV in, not dumping the legth in the ACV rinse and just pouring it over the hair, rubbing the shampoo bar only to the roots, rubbing it all the down the length, all sorts of variations in my routine but the result is always the same!

I've also been careful not to oil or put any leave-ins in my hair so they wouldn't effect the result. It's just so weird that the top half comes off so good even though I did a castor oiling in the scalp before washing, and the bottom part is just stringy and waxy and awful...

I do clarify occasionally and will do this again tomorrow and see if it helps.

Has thid happened to anyone else? Any ideas what could be causing this and how to get rid of it? I really don't want to quit using my bars :(

[Mannaz]

*bump*

Anyone?

[Angel_099]

I use shampoo bars too and find that I need to clarify every so often. It sounds like that is what you need. Maybe you could even dillute your ACV mixture a little more too. In the beginning I was using waaayyy more than I use now and my hair felt greasy and weighed down because of it. My mixture now is 1 tblsp to 4 cups of water. Hope that helps! :)

Also...I was just wondering how long your shampoo bar routine has been working for you? If you are new to poo bars your hair could still be in a transition period. You might also consider trying a couple other brands to see how they compare. I only use Sweet Creek Herbs (Etsy) bars now since for me they work best and give me consistant good results.

[Ann Marie]

*bump*

Anyone?

This happened to me when I first started to use them...
My hair felt wonderful when I rinsed...but when I dried....I was a waxy clump from the ears down...

My theory is that the hair is a bit more porus further down...and "grabs" the shampoo and it sticks.

I use shampoo bars on my skin and love it....bit there is a bit of a ring on the bath tub...so i am thinking this is what was sticking to my hair.

I was told that the very nature of soap that makes it solid....that is what makes it stick to your hair...it re-solidifies as it dries......

I use a non sulphate shampoo(liquid) and my hair is healthy...
I also have very hard water here....so I clarify with a chelating shampoo once a week....this removes mineral deposits

Hope this helps....

[MychelleC]

Soap-based shampoo bars have a high ph, which leads to serious build up, especially if you have hard water. The alkaline ph causes the cuticle to lift up, trapping minerals, oil and styling product inside. That's why you follow with the ACV, so the acid will cut through that alkaline build up. Personally I have never been able to use a soap shampoo bar for more than a few weeks before my hair turns to yuck, no matter how many times I used the acid and clarified. I prefer a syndet bar (shampoo-based shampoo bar) and skip the whole ACV (detest the smell), build-up, clarify rigamarole. The hair below your ears is older and more damaged, therefore more porous and experiencing substantially more build up. If you are committed to the soap bar then you will need to use a clarifying shampoo regularly, and maybe try following every wash and rinse with a spritz of diluted ACV. Or you can just use a gentle detergent-based shampoo or bar, whichever makes your hair happier.

[kittensoupnrice]

I use shampoo bars and have had something similar happen on occasion.

This usually happens to me when I have been using a more moisture-laden bar for longer periods of time without switching to a more cleansing bar. My theory is that the superfatted oils start to build up on the hairs, and additional shampooing with the same bar only compounds the issue. Unfortunately, the last time it happened to me, I didn't combat the problem soon enough so I had to use a non-shampoo bar method to remove the build up.

It sounds in your case that you might have to try a clarifying wash to remove the build up. I've found that doing one or two washes with CO (non-coney preferably) works pretty well in removing the waxy/oily buildup. Since the conditioner is a kind of moisturizer, it helps dissolve the built up oils out of your hair gently, and lets you go immediately back to using shampoo bars again.

In the future, if you start noticing any signs of greasiness or clumpiness, I'd recommend immediately switching to a different shampoo bar, preferably one from a different soap artisan. Drier, less moisturizing, bars of soap seem to help prevent this from happening.

[Mannaz]

Thanks for the answers :flower:

Angel 099 My ACV rinse is pretty mild too, about two tablespoons in 0,5 litres, and I did try even a weaker one, but it didn't have any kind of effect, for better or for worse.

I've been using shampoo bars for about seven months, and the problems began only about a month ago, so it's not transition. I have three bars that I've rotated in my routine, and they all give me pretty much the same result..

Ann Marie You're right about hair being more porous down the length, maybe it's not a good idea to rub the bar to the length after all...

I will clarify tomorrow and see if it helps :) How often do you recommend doing the clarifying wash?

[Mannaz]

I use shampoo bars and have had something similar happen on occasion.

This usually happens to me when I have been using a more moisture-laden bar for longer periods of time without switching to a more cleansing bar. My theory is that the superfatted oils start to build up on the hairs, and additional shampooing with the same bar only compounds the issue. Unfortunately, the last time it happened to me, I didn't combat the problem soon enough so I had to use a non-shampoo bar method to remove the build up.

It sounds in your case that you might have to try a clarifying wash to remove the build up. I've found that doing one or two washes with CO (non-coney preferably) works pretty well in removing the waxy/oily buildup. Since the conditioner is a kind of moisturizer, it helps dissolve the built up oils out of your hair gently, and lets you go immediately back to using shampoo bars again.

In the future, if you start noticing any signs of greasiness or clumpiness, I'd recommend immediately switching to a different shampoo bar, preferably one from a different soap artisan. Drier, less moisturizing, bars of soap seem to help prevent this from happening.

I never thought a CO wash would get rid of rid of the build up, it makes perfect sense though!

The shampoo bar market is kind of small here in Finland, and I don't want to order stuff from abroad. Right now I'm using a Tea tree bar and a Beer&Egg bar. An ayervedic lemongrass soap that a friend brought from Thailand worked very well, maybe I'll switch back to that for a while.

[spidermom]

Soap is notorious for not rinsing clean; that's why detergent shampoos have been so popular. I use a very mild one and dilute it; my hair is awesome.