Share Your Shampoo Bar Technique

Posted on September 20, 2018

Share Your "How To Use A Natural Shampoo Bar" Techniques

Natural Organic Shampoo Bar Lavender Rosemary With the increasing concerns for healthy hair and a healthy environment, our natural shampoo bar sales have soared. As a result, we have been inundated with questions about how to successfully use a shampoo bar.

For some people, there is no adjustment period. For most people, there is a small adjustment period. For others, the adjustment period can become an arduous task.

The problem is that there are so many variables that can affect the way in which a shampoo bar will work for each individual that it is often difficult to pinpoint the proper solution.

As you read the tips for adjusting to natural shampoo bars and the other shampoo bar information on our website (I will include links below) you will learn that your hair, your water, the products you use or used on your hair, the specific shampoo bar and even your hair washing technique can affect the adjustment period.

But I feel like I have failed my customers when I cannot provide the perfect answer for their problem.

Last week as I was replying to a someone whose hair was not cooperating, I was explaining a natural shampoo bar technique shared with me by another customer. All of a sudden I had an "aha" moment--the realization that I was not using my most valuable resource, you, our customers.

As a veteran teacher, the one piece of advice I would share with new teachers was to always take the time to listen and learn from your students! I forgot to use my own advice in my business.

So, I am asking for your help--to help others.

If you are successfully using and enjoying our natural shampoo bars please share your experiences with our Chagrin Valley community in the comments box at the end of this blog!

What is your hair type (length, color, processed)?
Do you have hard water or soft water?
Did you have an adjustment period? If yes, please provide a brief description.
What techniques did you use to find success with our bars? Please share what you did (even if it seems unconventional).
How long did it take you to find the right bar and enjoy using it regularly?
Which bars have been the most successful?
What tips can you give someone who is just beginning their journey with natural shampoo bars?

Example Stories

Ida's Story: Before turning grey, I had medium-long, blondish, color-processed hair. From the very beginning, my shampoo bars worked beautifully. Then all of a sudden my hair began to feel different, and not in a good way. It turned out that our water softener had broken. We decided not to replace it.

After that, it took about 3 weeks for my hair to adjust to the hard water.

During that time I used a vinegar spritz and periodically added a dollop of old-fashioned conditioner. After a few weeks I no longer needed the conditioner and after a month or so I only needed a vinegar rinse about once every few weeks.

Natural Organic Herbal Shampoo Bar I also developed my own hair washing technique that keeps my scalp and hair clean without that funky feeling on my hair length.

My favorite shampoo bars, which have changed as my hair has "aged," are Coconut Milk, Summer Sunshine, and Rosemary Lavender. My dry grey hair also loves many of our soap bars.

Stephanie's Story: Last year or so I had a customer whose hair had the hardest time adjusting. She had shoulder-length thick brown hair which she washed every other day. She could not get rid of the build-up even with a vinegar or a baking soda rinse. She was absolutely determined to make shampoo bars work and when she succeeded she shared her story with me. Her technique seemed extremely counterintuitive, but it worked for her.

She continued with her regular washing schedule but began by washing her hair 3 different times with her old shampoo until she said it felt “normal.” She then started on a regimen of alternating our shampoo bars with her regular shampoo. She began by using a natural shampoo bar for 2 washings, then one with her bottled shampoo. Then she did 4 shampoo bar washings and one with the bottled shampoo. She kept increasing the shampoo bar washings while decreasing the bottled shampoo. She said that it took almost two months but she was finally able to throw the bottled shampoo away. She has now been using our shampoo bars for over a year.

Consumer Knowledge: Understanding Shampoo Bar Differences

We have received a few emails from customers who have tried other shampoo bars with better success. Please be sure to read the ingredients.

These companies often use synthetic detergents or surfactants, like Sodium Coco Sulfate in their shampoo bars. Beware of shampoo bars that claim to be "soap-free." Soap is a natural surfactant. If there is no soap, there must be some synthetic ingredient acting as a surfactant to create lather and cleanse hair.

You will notice that they go out of their way to state that these ingredients are "derived" from natural ingredients--like coconut oil. I am not here to debate whether or not these ingredients are considered "safe," but they are NOT natural ingredients.

These "syndets," synthetic detergent bars, are simply a solid form of a detergent shampoo.

Basically, you are using a bottled shampoo without the added water or the bottle. So, if your hair is used to bottled detergent shampoo, you may have no adjustment period to detergent shampoo bars because they clean with similar detergent ingredients.

The important question is: Why do you want to switch from bottle shampoo to a shampoo bar?

If your goal is to help create as little packaging waste as possible and to decrease the number of plastic bottles thrown into our landfills, then purchasing any plastic-free shampoo bar brand will help accomplish this important environmental goal.

But if you are also looking for a NATURAL alternative to bottled shampoo, then your choice is a natural shampoo bar made without synthetic sulfate detergents.