Shampoo bar

Spoonie_Turtle · 2 October 2019 at 9:59PM

Lush shampoo bars are basically concentrated versions of liquid shampoo, with SLS as the main detergent (which is the strongest detergent you can find in shampoos). Many people don't have a problem with SLS but many others do, and it's most likely the reason for any dry feeling after using them.

Proper shampoo bars (soap-based) can interact with hard water (most of the UK has hard or very hard water) to leave a kind of scum on your hair; often people counteract this with an acidic rinse. There is also usually a 'transition' period when your hair and scalp have to adjust to being washed differently, but for some people they never get past that stage and shampoo bars simply don't work for them.

I've never dared try them but there's a thread with hundreds of different people's experiences at https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=74
[CV in the first post = Chagrin Valley, a US company. The website is international.]

soolin · 2 October 2019 at 10:35PM

I've been using a Lush one for about a month now, these little bars last for ever! I am in a very hard water area but rinse my hair thoroughly and I have been pleased with the result. My hair is long and reasonably thick with a slight curl and I do still condition the ends with a liquid conditioner to make it easier to comb.

notclover · 3 October 2019 at 10:24AM

Like some of the replies here I sometimes use shampoo bars from Lush! I think it would really depend on your hair/scalp. Maybe ask a saleslady what type of shampoo bar will suit you best? As for storage I keep mine on a soap dish so it'll dry easily.

coffeehound · 3 October 2019 at 11:11AM

I'm a convert to (SLS-free) shampoo bars finding them much kinder to the scalp than standard shampoo. Well, saying that, having tried shampoo bars and standard soaps by

JR Liggett

Nanny's Silly Soap

Little Goat Soap Company

I came to the conclusion that as long as you are using good quality, 'chemical'- and SLS-free soap, they'll all work well as shampoo too.

Those are all good brands to buy from, and I still buy from them when opportunity arises. But more often now tend to buy Faith In Nature and Little Soap Company soap bars from Boots when they are on offer.

Also took advantage of the MSE special offer from gruum last month so will look forward to trying those (when they turn up!..)

A lot of soap bars contain argan oil or neem which I suspect is what causes the greasy feeling for some - the standard bar soaps mentioned above don't cause this.

The acid rinse mentioned also causes the scales on the hair to lie back down after the alkalie soap wash, thereby giving a nice smooth feeling to hair which means you might not feel the need for a conditioner as well.

I sometimes use a cider vinegar rinse for this (made in the same ratio with water as you would orange squash), which has a further benefit of being anti-fungal, which might help with some scalp conditions.

More usually, I just apply some glycerin to damp hair as a scalp moisturiser and hair wrangler.

.

kate83 · 3 October 2019 at 11:47AM

Loads of people struggle with these, especially in hard water areas. Ethique solid shampoo (kiwi one for me), available from Holland and Barrett work the best for me so far. I find they work best if you rub them in your wet hands to make a lather and use that on your hair, rather than wiping the block itself across your hair as they generally tell you to do.

If you fancy being a bit more experimental, 1tsp gram (chick pea flour) mixed with a bit of water to make a paste can work really well for some people. Nice to use a scented conditioner after this though.

Grumpysally · 4 October 2019 at 11:18AM

Oldfield_Parker wrote: »

I use Friendly soap shampoo bars and love them! I keep it in a wire basket with suctions in the shower. They have some tips on their website regards using the bars, it can take a bit of a while for your hair to get used to using them.

Thanks for this.
I bought a Friendly Soap a few months back, used it once and my hair felt horrible and I haven't dared give it another go. (I relgated it to dog shampoo).
I'll give it another try now, having read this. I can buy it from a shop that's literally down the road, and it's made by a fairly local company so I am keen to be able to use it.
:beer:

HampshireH · 5 October 2019 at 9:12PM

Found this thread really useful.

I popped into lush to get a shampoo bar before holiday. At £9 I walked back out again. We intended to use this between us instead of taking bottles.

Couldnt justify the price for hair to feel greasy though

Will look into the other companies listed above so Thank you

iammumtoone · 5 October 2019 at 9:20PM

I can only use the commercial ones that contain SLS, they do last longer than a bottle of shampoo but cost more as well.

I would really love to use the natural versions but the water is just too hard in my area.

If you live in a hard water area the natural versions will make a right mess of your hair, I had to use some heavy duty shampoo to get rid of the residue last time I tried one.

coffeehound · 27 October 2019 at 8:59PM

I just tried one of the grüum shampoo bars. Pleasant and light to use, nice scent, leaving the barnet and scalp feeling clean and conditioned. (I'm in a very soft water area.)

Lornaaileenirvine · 3 November 2019 at 5:06PM

I have purchased 3 shampoo bars which have not been received, i have been waiting since September, they have said bars have been posted
I have already received one item do delivery address is not a problem , gruum seems to have s problem refunding me

Shampoo bar

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