Shampoo Bar Advice

The most common e-mail we receive from new shampoo users with hair adjustment troubles goes like this..."I just love the idea of using an all-natural shampoo, but my hair feels funny!" Although we have many customers who have no adjustment problems at all, weird or gummy feeling hair is not an uncommon issue, even after several weeks of use. Your hair can feel coated, brittle, dry or oily.

You may also experience a residue on your brush when combing. Adjustment periods can range from a few days to a few weeks, most adjust within the first week. We have had a few whose hair simply does not like shampoo bars.

Unfortunately, there is no single common thread in those with adjustment issues. From experience it is also sometimes more difficult to use the natural shampoo bars in a hard water area. When you first begin, your hair or scalp may become oily or dry or even switch between the two extremes. You may have increased tangles or frizz and the hair shafts may feel weird or waxy.

As commercial detergent shampoos strip away the natural protective oils, your scalp produces more oil to compensate. Your scalp then becomes conditioned to this vicious cycle of excess oil production. We can help you to adjust as quickly as possible as we have collected many tricks and tips over the years. When using the bars, one thing that is very important is to LATHER WELL!

Our shampoo bars are super fatted and thus contain extra oils and butters to nourish your hair. If you rub the shampoo bars on your hair, you are coating your hair with super fatted soap. If you do not lather up really well, you will have areas that remain coated with the soap oils, which will make it look and feel gummy or coated.

The most common spot, especially for people with long hair, is at the nape of the neck. You need to work the shampoo into your hair with water and lather up so that the dirt and extra oils not needed by your hair can be washed away. The weird hair feeling happens most often when the soap residue does not completely rinsed out of your hair. So, lather up and then be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse!!! Again, if you have long hair, pay special attention to the middle back of the hair so that you rinse all of the soap out of your hair.

Most of the time your hair simply needs to adjust as you switch from one type of shampoo to another. But here are our tricks for easy adjustment

 

• Don’t put the bar directly on your hair. Foam up on a sponge and wash with only the foam. It can be very helpful in making the hair less tacky until the adjustment takes place.
• Rinse for longer than you normally do and use exfoliating gloves to massage hair and scalp carefully.
• Use an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse after every wash.
• Every now and then use a Baking Soda Rinse to clarify your hair and scalp.
• Don’t give up your hair will eventually adjust.
• If you live in a hard water area the suggestions below can help

Mix 5 to 10 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)  With 500ml of warm water in a jug or other container. Experiment to find a dilution that works best for your hair type. For dry hair you will need less ACV and  for oily hair you need more. Pour over you washed hair. Massage in and let sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse with more water. You may not need a conditioner after this treatment.

Mix ½ to 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda with a small cup of warm water. Pour over your hair and wash. Rinse thoroughly. This should not be used more than once every 4 weeks as it can dry your hair out if used too often, but it will remove build up leaving your hair squeaky clean.