The Ivory Soap Experiment

[Bene]

I haven't written up a lab report since AP Bio, like a million years ago, so this is the best I can do. My format is crap, my apologies to the lab rats on this site




Since I am the guinea pig in this experiment, these are the factors that any observers have to take into account. I neither recommend nor encourage anyone else being so rash about their hair You experiment at your own risk.


- I have tailbone length, M/C, 2c/3a, ii hair of moderate porosity.

- I have some split ends, but no significant damage.

- My hair is damn near indestructible, so these little experiments don't end up in a tragic setback.

- I am generally a shampoo bar user. I have mastered the technique, I never have any waxiness or whatever other problems that shampoo bar haters will report.

- My brands are either Chagrin Valley or Apple Valley.

- I have soft water.

- Aside from the occasional whims that take me back to conventional shampoos, or the once in a while clarifying with baking soda, I am a shampoo bar user.

- I have my ACV rinse dilution routine down solid.


Tools/products used:

- 1 bar Ivory soap
- apple cider vinegar and container to dilute it in
- 1 large microfiber towel
- camellia oil
- 1 tangle teazer
- 1 double row, wooden pin comb
- 1 acrylic ketylo



The washing:

I did not find it any easier or harder to work the Ivory in, than I do with my normal shampoo bars. The lather itself felt slightly softer, not quite as sturdy as the lather that I get from shampoo bars, and the difference was only noticeable because I was looking for it. I didn't find any problems in building up a good lather.

I did find that it felt like it was cleaning right away. Normally, I will give a shampoo bar two wash/rinse cycles, but this felt like only one was necessary.

Took a tiny moment longer to rinse out, in comparison to shampoo bars.

In the shower, hair was squeaky clean, not unlike a clarifying wash with baking soda. But I didn't notice any knotting or tangling.

ACV rinse went as normal, nothing strange or unusual to report.



The drying:

Okay, this is where I'm noticing some difference. Hair went up into the towel as normal, but I'm finding that it's drying a bit faster. The level of dampness I get in 30 minutes, I've gotten there in 15 minutes. If I do this again, I'll have to remember to not leave my hair toweled for as long as I'm used to.




The oiling and detangling:

Went through my normal technique.

I noticed that my hair felt lighter than normal as soon as I took it down from the towel. It was still damp, only slightly, but it felt fluffy. A few drops of oil for my crown area, part the rest lengthwise, a few drops per side.

For the sake of this experiment, I detangled one side with a wide tooth comb, and the other side with the tangle teaser. The detangling went much easier than I'd expected. Slightly easier than what I put up with when using shampoo bars, actually. I don't feel any waxiness, or that the soap hasn't rinsed out properly. It feels very much like a clarifying wash. Squeaky clean.


The washing went easy, but faster than what I'm used to. It rinsed out well. It smells like Ivory soap, so nothing to report on that end Hair does feel lighter and smoother than normal, and it seemed to absorb my oil really well.





Hair is still up, I won't have anything to report until hair is fully dry. But right now, I find that good ol' Ivory Soap is neither better nor worse than shampoo bars. Only slightly different, as described above, but nothing worth getting scared or excited over.


For now, Ivory Soap seems okay. Perhaps, I'll use it as my clarifying wash, which is cool because I find the baking soda dilution a little cumbersome for my tastes. Still, it doesn't feel like my hair has been stripped, so it might be a serviceable cleaner. I'll have to see what happens when I use it in tandem with a conditioner.



Sidenote - Used it to wash all over. Something about using just one bar for everything, that I can find at my local store for really cheap does appeal to me. If I can pull this off, and switch over, my hair washing products (soap, ACV, baking soda) can be acquired at the supermarket. I still haven't found a good camellia oil substitute, so that will have to wait.

[Wildcat Diva]

Sounds like an curious experiment. I sometimes fear running out of my Chagrin Valley bars. Might be worthwhile to consider as a back up, especially considering that it's cheap enough and could also do the whole job of body cleansing.

I would be interested to see any long term results as well, Ms. Scientist.

[MeowScat]

I just went into the kitchen and added Ivory soap bar to the shopping list because of your post. Sometimes, there ain't nothin' like old school.

BTW, I liked how thorough you were with sharing your findings. Not vague at all, very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out.

[truepeacenik]

When I was poo bar only, I ran out a lot, as I was fond of samples.
My replacement, which was available easily in the local shops, was Chandrika, which is the bar I use for my body in cool weather. (dr B peppermint is a bit too refreshing when the bathroom is kept at 55F)
Like your results, it was neither better nor worse, just different, with one reservation: it has clay, so it was most like a clay CV bar.
The scent lingered for a few hours.
I was in a fairly hard water area, Denver Water supplied.

[Bene]

I just went into the kitchen and added Ivory soap bar to the shopping list because of your post. Sometimes, there ain't nothin' like old school.

BTW, I liked how thorough you were with sharing your findings. Not vague at all, very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out.

The cool part is, no money wasted. It's cheap. It IS a strong cleanser though, a little bit goes a long way. And if your hair hates it, I think a good moisture treatment could undo any of the problems. I don't know if people who have issues with dryness would like it very much.


I'd like to see what other reckless guinea pigs with different hair types and textures would report. I wonder if people with more fragile hair should try diluting it in a cup and then slather on a buttload of conditioner to make up for the heavy cleaning?




Wildcatdiva, I'll give it another 2 or 3 tries before I endorse it as a viable hair washing product. But so far, so good


Next time experiment this crash test dummy tries will definitely involve conditioner. I really do like the idea of having a standby shampoo.

[brave]

Is ivory one of the drugstore soaps that's actual soap, or one of the ones that's solid but SLS based?

[Wildcat Diva]

ok, I'm reckless. Well not really.
And I might be a guinea pig, or maybe a lemming in this case.

I just tried it. Used citric acid water to wash and rinse. Used my method which involves only the citric acid water and a dish pan and cup to rinse and mermaid wash the ends a bit.

Right now it's still wet, so I'll update this post later.

I wanted to do a catnip soak, but my catnip is not finished infusing, so I'll let this air dry and see what happens to report back before I do that.

ETA: I liked it okay. Hair feels clean, has volume, is soft. Ends a little dry and tangly, but I did not use any condish or leave in as I usually do, only the citric acid rinse. I will now continue on with a catnip soak, rinse, and Nightblooming's panacea as a leave in. Another successful wash day under my belt, I hope. No worse the wear for the experiment.

[EndlessSunshine]

I used to use Kirks castille soap bar on my hair and body. Quick and easy.

[spirals]

EndlessSunshine, do you do an acid rinse also? I am thinking of picking up some Kirk's.