Shampoo Bars

On the advice of my barber, I've recently started to experiment with shampoo bars (from here) as opposed to liquid shampoo due to excessively dry and somewhat itch scalp problems. The dry itchiness is a new problem for me and I figured I was just over washing my hair (I shampoo daily, sometimes 2x if I work out that day). My barber went on about the "evils" of SLES and other chemicals, etc. Now, I'm not one for the organic / chemical free bit, in fact, usually quite the opposite. But, I figured what can I lose? If nothing else, I end up with some new shower soap.

After ordering up a bunch of sample sizes from the site above and two weeks of use (of the nettle soap so far), I can already say that my scalp is much more moisturized and no longer itchy. My hair (worn in a crew cut) is much softer and more manageable. My hair conditioner use has been cut in half and might drop off further.

The only draw back so far is that ! that stuff stings when you get it in your eye. But, talk about convenience! The bar format should be great for travel, etc.


Anyone else have a similar experience? Any other brands I should try? I've heard of Lush, but frankly, I get nauseous every time I get within 100 ft of their store due to the stenches that just pour out of the place.

I use Lush Karma shampoo bar, love the smell and its great on what little hair I have left and no itchy flaky scalp Like you say the one problem is getting into the store past the multiple scents that assail you, my method? send my partner in for me

ClubmanRob said:

Ogallala! The Lemongrass and Bay Rum shampoo/bath bars are the cat's pajamas.

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Oooh, yeah. I forgot about those.

guess I've never heard of a shampoo bar...great, something else to look into

I have been using the JR Liggett one for damaged hair. I am kinda meh about it right now after about 2 weeks use.

I've been using a J.R. Liggett shampoo bar for about two months solid (its almost gone), and I love it! The scent is nothing to speak of (not bad, just not there), but the bar gets the job done!

I have tried Ogallala shampoo bars in the past, and while they also get the job done, one bar only lasted me 2-3 weeks...for the price, I'd like at least 1.5 months.

I use the Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft shampoo bars and have for quite some time now. I haven't looked back to liquid shampoo since. I see you're using the Nettle; I like the Mud & Clay.

Shane said:

I use the Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft shampoo bars and have for quite some time now. I haven't looked back to liquid shampoo since. I see you're using the Nettle; I like the Mud & Clay.

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Have you tried shaving with the Mud & Clay? Judging by the ingredients, it sounds like you could.

I tried the Cafe' Moreno today... seems to work well, but I didn't realize it contains pachouli. I can't stand pachouli.

RichGem said:

Have you tried shaving with the Mud & Clay? Judging by the ingredients, it sounds like you could.

I tried the Cafe' Moreno today... seems to work well, but I didn't realize it contains pachouli. I can't stand pachouli.

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I haven't tried shaving with it, though I think if the owner of the shop made shaving bars, they'd be outstanding.

RichGem said:

The dry itchiness is a new problem for me and I figured I was just over washing my hair (I shampoo daily, sometimes 2x if I work out that day). My barber went on about the "evils" of SLES and other chemicals, etc. Now, I'm not one for the organic / chemical free bit, in fact, usually quite the opposite.

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there's no need to wash your hair daily (especially not twice a day). it might actually be counter productive, since constantly stripping moisture and natural oils from your hair and scalp will make your hair oilier.

Hey Rich. I have used two brands of shampoo bars and got great results from both. One was from a lady on a soapers forum and the other was from a mall store that sold soaps and lotions of the all natural type. Can't remember the name of either but I vastly prefer them to any shampoo I have used. The home crafted one had a lot of oils in it including avocado. I loved it. The other was mostly coconut oil and lathered like a dream but was a tad more drying than the crafter's soap. It was sold by the pound. Sixteen dollars per pound. Yeah, that is expensive but considering that coconut based soaps are not nearly as dense as others, it is a BIG chunk of soap. I actually bought a four ounce block of it and cut it into smaller pieces to keep from over using it. Since I cannot wash my hair every day, it lasted me a long time. I intend to find more of these because I really don't care for many of the shampoos. I would suggest going over to forums like the-whisk and contacting one of those ladies there. They know their work.

Regards, Todd

ChrisS86 said:

there's no need to wash your hair daily (especially not twice a day). it might actually be counter productive, since constantly stripping moisture and natural oils from your hair and scalp will make your hair oilier.

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Yeah. It's a habit/hold over from my pre-crew cut days where I needed to wash daily for managability.

Phog Allen said:

Hey Rich. I have used two brands of shampoo bars and got great results from both. One was from a lady on a soapers forum and the other was from a mall store that sold soaps and lotions of the all natural type. Can't remember the name of either but I vastly prefer them to any shampoo I have used. The home crafted one had a lot of oils in it including avocado. I loved it. The other was mostly coconut oil and lathered like a dream but was a tad more drying than the crafter's soap. It was sold by the pound. Sixteen dollars per pound. Yeah, that is expensive but considering that coconut based soaps are not nearly as dense as others, it is a BIG chunk of soap. I actually bought a four ounce block of it and cut it into smaller pieces to keep from over using it. Since I cannot wash my hair every day, it lasted me a long time. I intend to find more of these because I really don't care for many of the shampoos. I would suggest going over to forums like the-whisk and contacting one of those ladies there. They know their work.

Regards, Todd

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Thanks, I'll give them a shot too.

sol92258 said:

guess I've never heard of a shampoo bar...great, something else to look into

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+1. Sigh.


I checked out the site you linked, and it looks like it might be some nice stuff.

anybody else?

I hate to be a party pooper, but if all shampoo bars are similar to the ones sold from the site posted in the OP, using them doesn't sound like a very good idea. The following quote is from the site. Since alkali damages hair and helps scum to form, this isn't exactly good news:

All soaps (and shampoo bars) have a pH-value of about 8-10 and therefore are alkaline.

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You can find plenty of info using Google on the negatives of using an alkaline shampoo. Here's one hit I found:

Why could an alkaline based shampoo damage hair?

From the information above we can see that a good shampoo is slightly acidic with a pH between 4.5 to 5.5 which is mild to the skin and hair.

An alkaline based shampoo can dry out the hair and cause it to become stiff and brittle. The manufacturer utilizes this effect by claiming the shampoo adds volume and body to thinning hair. This is actually a misconception.

A shampoo with the proper pH balance smooths the surface of the hair and makes it lie down. An alkaline based shampoo can rough up the surface of the hair making it appear stiffer. Some alkaline based shampoos can even remove some color from the hair.

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http://ezinearticles.com/?Shampoo-For-Thinning-Hair---Which-Ones-To-Avoid&id=533311

So why use one? Back to information from the site in the OP:

For me the main pro is that a bar shampoo can be made with fewer and more natural ingredients than liquid shampoo. For instance, a solid shampoo doesn't need to contain preservatives. It's also practical, a shampoo bar can double as hand, face, and body soap, you can do your laundry with it and maybe even the dishes. Alright, that's carrying it a bit far, but if you are a hiker and camper like me you'll see the advantage.

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Who cares if there are fewer ingredients? What's the importance of "natural"? Unless there are good reasons that the ingredients in shampoo are harming us, this reason is irrelevant. Practical and a hiker and camper can see the advantage? Well, it seems the person writing the above admits to the problem with using an alkali for hair and offers this solution:

There are different opinions on the nature of the acidic rinse as a round-off to the shampoo bar. The acidic rinse serves as a neutralizing agent to the alkaline soap, making it easier for your skin to regain its natural acid mantle. It also smoothes the hair shaft, thus making your hair shinier. And it helps to remove any soap residue and mineral deposits from hard water. Some people never use an acidic rinse; some use it only sometimes. Some swear by apple cider vinegar (ACV) or citric acid.

I use plain white vinegar after every wash, in a dilution of 1 in 10 (100ml vinegar and 900ml water). The harder your water is the stronger your rinse will have to be. It may take you a while to find a dilution that works for you, so don't be afraid to play around. Some people claim vinegar rinses to be drying for the hair. I have never experienced this, but you might want to keep it in mind if you have dry hair anyway. Oh, and by the way: The vinegar smell disappears as your hair dries, so you won't walk around smelling like salad dressing!

OK, so I take a jug with 100ml white vinegar into the shower with me and fill it up from the tap. First I dunk my length in it and swish it around some; then I slowly pour the rinse over my head, making sure every area gets a fair share. I let it sit for a minute and kind of “pat” it through my hair, then I do a fairly quick final rinse, and I'm done.

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That doesn't sound very practical to me. It sounds more like a lot of trouble someone would go through to wash their hair with soap and not one good reason has been mentioned for doing so. I'm betting it's, "Hey, I'm making money making soap, maybe I can make a tweak or two and claim it's shampoo in a bar and make even more".

Gotta love the Troubleshooting section:

“My hair feels coated, waxy and generally weird.” This is an indication of buildup. Did you use a soap bar on your hair? This may be the culprit. Or try to increase the strength of your vinegar rinse.

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Oh, your hair feels "coated, waxy and generally weird"? You must have used a shampoo bar. That'll do it to you. Ready to place your next order?

“I shed a ton when washing with a shampoo bar.” That was what I experienced at first, and it really scared me. I believe you often shed more when you first start on a new routine; also remember that with shampoo bars you need to massage a lot, and the hairs you shed that way were bound to go anyway. In my experience I do shed slightly more during my showers, but significantly less in between.

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Yes, shedding a ton is normal. It's okay, it's only because it's a new routine. You won't notice this so much when you have less hairs on your head.

My Dad uses the family business's bath soap as shampoo, but Mom doesn't. It doesn't bother Dad -- and he has most of his hair left, unlike me. His hair looks fine, but they haven't really tried the soap as a shampoo bar in even a test market.

You've still got a bar, right Rich? Try it and see if it makes your scalp itch. After all, Winter is coming and you won't be able to tell if your scalp is itchy because of the dry, cold weather or the products you use to clean your head.

soapbox said:

My Dad uses the family business's bath soap as shampoo, but Mom doesn't. It doesn't bother Dad -- and he has most of his hair left, unlike me. His hair looks fine, but they haven't really tried the soap as a shampoo bar in even a test market.

You've still got a bar, right Rich? Try it and see if it makes your scalp itch. After all, Winter is coming and you won't be able to tell if your scalp is itchy because of the dry, cold weather or the products you use to clean your head.

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yep, have 1 bar left along with a collection of growing BSAD (bath soap AD) along with 2 or 3 sample shampoo bars left from CV (above). My hair has been much softer and healthy seeming since using them. No scalp problems either. My main reason in trying them, aside from my barber's recommendation were the herbal ingredients said to be good for the scalp and hairgrowth (nettle, rosemary, and a couple others). I'm lucky to still have all my hair, but figure it can't hurt to keep things on track and maybe prevent/reverse some slight thinning on top.

I haven't personally tried a shampoo bar but after reading this thread; it's on my shopping list. Thanks alot guys! The differance between using real 'soap' in the shower as opposed to a detergent bar such as Ivory or Dial is night and day. I would expect the same positive results with a shampoo bar.
Sue

After reading this thread last night I lathered my head with a bar of Yardely oatmeal almond soap. Worked fine! Might ditch shampoo altogether.

Just placed my order for samples.