Sweet Creek Herbs - Romance Conditioning Bath soap

This post will be about the Romance Conditioning Bath soap from Sweet Creek Herbs. Initially when I ordered a sample of 5 soaps from Sweet Creek Herbs, I received a sample of their Walk in the Woods conditioning bath soap. I was pretty impressed with this soap being effective and conditioning, so I ordered a few other samples of other bath soaps from them. The name of the soap made me order it. And I tried it pretty soon after I received it.

This soap is described as: 

Romance is made to reflect this designer scent fragrance. The supplier describes this fragrance oil as "a beautiful feminine blend of jasmine and rose with melon, musk and blond woods."

This soap contains these ingredients:

coconut oil, sodium hydroxide solution, organic sunflower oil, castor oil, sustainable palm oil, avocado oil, lip safe mica, fragrance oil, shea butter

This soap is pink in color, and has a fragrant smell. It is a sample size of 16-17 grams and lasts a few washes, like 6 washes at least. This is advertised as a vegan, luxurious and conditioning bath soap. This soap contains lip safe mica, for someone looking for a 100% natural soap, this may be something to consider.

This soap lathers and is conditioning as it claims. I do not need to use a moisturizer during the warm and non-winter months. It does stand up to its name this way. But...but, I do not like the fragrance at all! There is something about this scent, may be the musk or something else in the scent, which I totally hated. I used up the sample, thank God it was just a sample! The scent does not linger strongly on my skin, which is an added bonus in this case. 

Though this soap is brilliant on all other counts, I will not be buying this soap only because of the smell. 

Sweet Creek Herbs - Eucalyptus Mints Vegan Shampoo bar

I batch publish my posts, hence proved! Today I shall also speak of my impression of Sweet Creek Herbs' Eucalyptus Mints Vegan Shampoo bar. This is the second shampoo bar I have tried of Sweet Creek Herbs. A couple of months ago, when the lady who runs this shop offered a deal to ship for free, I ordered a lot of samples. I know, I go crazy when I see a discount or coupon. I am the kind of customer all these deals are made for! So essentially I have a lot of samples to get through, a point I made in my previous post too.

The ingredients for this soap are:

coconut oil, sunflower oil, babassu oil, sodium hydroxide in H2O, hemp seed oil, jojoba, eucalyptus tea, avocado oil, natural oil of eucalyptus, natural oil of spearmint

This soap does not smell like eucalyptus or mint. It smells pleasant, that's all. It is a sliver about 16-17 grams in weight, white to off-white in color. Also to note is that this is a vegan soap. This soap is suitable for Oily to Normal hair types. I used a little jojoba oil on my hair everytime I used it on my hair.

I would like to think that I am through with the transition phase. Because consistently when I wash, I no longer feel like stripped clean feel or gummy or waxy. It does not feel like a commercial-shampoo clean either. Just that the shampoo bar lather has been through all my hair and feels clean. I use a decent amount of ACV rinse and that does the job.

Back to this soap : it lathers well, not a very rich lather but a light quickly-formed lather that can be used for cleaning. And I am really surprised at how quickly I can wash with this shampoo bar. I have used it thrice so far and every time the ritual of washing my hair gets done really quick! But as I mentioned previously, this is a mild soap too. So my hair still has some oil on it after it dries.

The thing I do not like about this soap is that it seems to not clean my scalp well. That is after I am done with washing, in a day's time, I can see some deposits on my comb every time I brush my hair. My scalp does not itch terribly when I use this soap, because of what it leaves behind, but does not feel very clean either. It has been a consistent pattern every time I used this bar. I do not know if the shampoo bars have brought my scalp to a condition where sebum production is in overdrive or that this bar is not as effective as the others I have used.

In essence, I do not like the fact that my scalp does not feel very clean. I will not be investing in this soap any longer.

Sweet Creek Herbs - Lavender Rose Vegan Herbal Shampoo Soap

I realize now that my stash of shampoo bars is vast, embarrassingly vast actually. Thankfully, some of the samples are really small, like the ones from Sweet Creek Herbals. But, do not let the size of these samples fool you, they do last longer than you would expect them to. So, this stash is not likely to deplete that quick, you see! I should remember not to order more unless my stash is almost done.

The first shampoo bar that I review from Sweet Creek Herbals is the Lavender in Roses Vegan Herbal Shampoo. This sample size is small, less than 20 grams. Its a sliver shaped sample, much like the size of samples from Beauty and the Bees. 

The ingredients in this soap are:

coconut oil, castor oil, organic virgin olive oil, sodium hydroxide in distilled water, jojoba, lavender tea, aloe butter, oils of geranium rose and lavender

The smell - the soaps smells of roses. Not a very strong smell but moderate and pleasant, if  you like the smell of roses. This soap is advertised as suitable for all hair types. And it is vegan, for anyone who is particular about using only vegan types of soaps. 

This soap lathers quick and very well. It does not have that rich lather than Chagrin Valley's soaps produce but a quick, very usable lather. And the sample lasts quite well. For my long hair, I could use it for 3-4 washes every time. And these soaps wash off easier than Chagrin Valley soaps do. This soap is fairly moisturizing, my hair does not look very dry after using this soap and is neat that way.

Onto other things, I think in general Sweet Creek Herbs shampoo bars are quite mild. If I were oil massage my hair before using a shampoo bar, I can be certain that a Chagrin Valley bar would wash off all the oil I used on my hair where as SCH (Sweet Creek Herbs) and BatB(Beauty and the Bees) shampoo bars would clean my hair but not get rid of all the oil. I tried this multiple times, so I can declare this now. This is just the different formulations by different vendors I would say. So I make it a point to use shampoo bars according to how I have oil-treated or not oil-treated my hair. 

Overall, this is an okayish soap I would say. I was not blown away by this exactly, neither did it upset me terribly. SCH products seem to be pretty decent and I may buy this soap sometime later. It does not figure on the top of my list as yet though.

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve - Fig & Plum Natural Complexion Soap

I also ordered for some facial soaps or complexion bars as they call it at Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve. The first one I tried was Fig and Plum Natural Complexion Soap. I have been suffering from eczema in certain spots on my skin during the colder months and it has been quite a struggle dealing with it. It would subside for a while and then start up again. It could have been stress or the  chemical-filled shampoos I was using before venturing onto Natural soaps or some other reason. I read some reviews that sugar and fruits do help with eczema like condition. 

The website describes this soap as:

The moisturizing figs in this natural soap are excellent skin hydrators, natural humectants and help tighten skin. The seeds and natural fig enzymes provide natural exfoliation. Plums, full of natural sugar and vitamins, hydrate dull complexions and soothe stressed or sensitive skin. Dark brown sugar, rich in molasses, and cocoa butter moisturize and nourish skin. A touch of sweet orange essential oil helps balance skin oil production and tighten pores.

And the ingredients are listed as:

Organic Sunflower Oil; Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Organic Cocoa Butter; Water; Organic Prune Juice; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Canola Oil; Organic Castor Oil; Organic Figs; Organic Plums; Organic Agave; Organic Dark Brown Sugar; Organic Orange Essential Oil; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract 

As for the soap, it clearly contains seeds of figs and they do provide good amount of exfoliation. It is a very light brown colored soap with dark brown fig seeds. The soap has no distinct smell as such. On to the results, the soap lathers well, cleans very well without stripping my face of moisture and helps with the eczema! It is an all-round winner for me! The sugar and fig seeds play their role very well and provide gentle exfoliation to my skin. However, this bar of soap may not be this magical thing which does not allow white heads to form on my face, but leaves it feeling supple and well-hydrated. I loved using a sample of this soap and may order the bigger bar the next time.

For anyone who may be suffering from eczema or sensitive skin, you should try a sample of this bar to see how it works for you. I am no doctor here, mind you, just someone who would like to suggest to a fellow-sufferer!

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve - Dead Sea Spa soap

Among my orders from Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve, I ordered some samples of body and face soaps too. I have been using some of these soaps too for some time. One of the first soaps I used is Chagrin Valley Dead Sea Spa soap. Actually, my husband volunteered to try this first. This is a review from both of our experiences:

The website describes this soap as: 

Mineral rich Dead Sea Mud stimulates blood circulation, rejuvenates skin, and deep cleans to remove impurities. The fine, natural grain of the mud softly, yet effectively, sloughs off dead skin cells and leaves the skin looking fresh and radiant. Use our natural Dead Sea Spa soap to experience a mini-spa treatment for dull, tired skin, with every bath or shower.

And the ingredients are:

Organic Coconut Oil; Sunflower Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Olive Oil; Water; Virgin Shea Butter; Dead Sea Mineral Mud; Sodium Hydroxide; Organic Canola Oil; Castor Oil; Dead Sea Clay; Sea Kelp; Essential Oils of Lime, Litsea Cubeba, Lavender, Rosemary, Orange, Eucalyptus; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract

The idea of dead spa mineral mud was super appealing! The idea that I may experience a spa-like feeling during every shower was what drew me to this soap. I have used multani mitti in the past for facials masks and always liked the way my skin felt afterwards. I expected Dead Sea mud to have a similar effect. 

Anyways as for the description of the soap, it is a grey colored soap, rather slate colored. It has an herbal scent with some citrus scent and another scent, must be the Litsea Cubeba which may be helpful with acne prone skin and oily skin conditions. It is quite distinctive in the soap. My husband tried it first and didn't like it much. So I decided to use it up.

It lathers well, like all Chagrin Valley soaps. Quite a hardy soap I must say. Cleanses a little too well. I was always left with more-on-the-dry-side skin after using this soap. And I tried it during the summer months. I had to use a moisturizer to  avoid feeling tight skin. It could be the mud that is a little too cleansing in this soap. This could be used every now and then may be, like a clarifying soap bar. That is how I used it up after realizing that it dries up my skin. But if I need a clarifying action on my skin, I shall use the gram flour at home rather than buy any soap, honestly.

Verdict is, no, I shall not buy this bar again. It is not a bad product or bad in quality. Just that I see no purpose for it.

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve - Lemon Lavender Soap

Apart from the shampoo bars, I have also been buying body soaps/soap bars for my face. I shall also make some notes about these bars now.

First up, is Chagrin Valley's Lemon Lavender soap for body. I love lavender. I also love citrus stuff. So I wanted to see how these two would perform together on skin.

The website describes this soap to be:

Soothing cocoa butter moisturizes and softens skin. The lovely color of this natural soap comes from emollient rich alkanet root oil. The delicate blend of calming lavender and zesty lemon essential oils will refresh and relax your senses while it tones, cleanses and purifies skin.

And the ingredients are:

Alkanet Root infused Olive Oil; Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Sunflower Oil; Water; Unrefined Cocoa Butter; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Canola Oil; Castor Oil; Essential Oils of Lavender, Lemon, Litsea Cubeba; Organic Lavender; Organic Lemon Peel; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract

The color is a beautiful violet color with the lemon oil being slightly stronger to the nose than lavender. The color is certainly very attractive, or I may be partial to this family of color :) But the mix of these essential oils is not something I like a great deal. This soap lathers beautifully and cleanses well. A little too well, I would say. More like a cleansing soap than a moisturizing one for me. Though my face has combination skin, my body skin is relatively dry. With a normal body wash, I would need to use a body moisturizer. With this soap, I could avoid the moisturizer for a day. But if I were using this soap regularly, I would need to use the moisturizer every 3 days or so during the warmer months. In colder months, I would have to use one every 2 days at least may be. If I were in the warmer states, I certainly would use this soap on a regular basis. 

So my verdict is, it is good on someone with less than dry skin for regular use. It cleanses well, Chagrin valley's body soaps long a last time on me. Even the samples last about 3 weeks with daily showers. But I think I found some other better body soaps for me from Chagrin Valley.

Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve - Ayurvedic Herb Natural Shampoo bar

Today, I shall review the Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve - Ayurvedic Herb Natural Shampoo Bar. This sample bar was in my first order at Chagrin Valley. I was truly excited as soon as I heard, or rather, read the word Ayurvedic! As previously mentioned, I used soapnuts, shikai, hibiscus flowers and other such natural products on my hair for years. And the idea of getting all the goodness of these natural products in one bar seemed like the best thing possible. 

I ordered for this bar once I saw the website. This was the first bar I tried of Chagrin Valley's. Oh, before I jump to the end of this review, here is the description of this shampoo bar on the website:

A rich oil infusion of Ayurvedic hair care herbs creates a nourishing all natural shampoo. Shikakai, increases bounciness and silkiness. Bhringraj, considered the "king of herbs" for hair growth, helps strengthen the hair shaft. Amla promotes stronger, healthier new growth. Hibiscus flowers help in the treatment of dandruff and hair loss. Aritha cleans hair without drying and helps create a fabulous lather.

The list of ingredients is given as:

Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Infused With Organic Herbs (Bhringraj, Shikakai, Hibiscus, Amla, Tulsi, Fenugreek, Jasmine, Yashtimadhu, Neem); Organic Avocado Oil; Organic Jojoba Oil; Organic Soapnuts (Aritha); Water; Organic Mango Butter; Organic Babassu Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Castor Oil; Organic Neem Oil; Organic Canola Oil; Organic Coconut Milk; Organic Aloe Vera; Organic Essential Oils Of Tulsi, Cypress, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Lemon, Basil, Black Pepper; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract

First things first, the list of ingredients is ah-mazing! No doubt about that. The organic herbs, castor oil, neem oil, tulsi, olive oil, it is truly the list of tried and tested products for hair. So, why does it sound like the results were not as impressive? you may ask. 

As mentioned previously, this was the first bar I tried. I was very very excited as soon as I received it. As with the other bars, this bar has no distinct smell. The first time I tried this bar, it was when I was still in the transition period (or so I think). It felt like this bar always caused some build up on my scalp. No matter how much ACV mixture I used. I tried this bar mixing it with other bars too. That is, if I found the build-up getting worse, I would some other bar to clear it up and then try this bar again - in the following washes over the week or so. I did this multiple times.

One thing to this bar's credit, it lasts long. It lasted at least 6 washes on my long hair. There were instances when I used more of this bar to scrub away the build-up too. 

But nothing, NOTHING worked. The build-up only got worse. In between washes, I would find some build-up on my comb too. Yikes! I have not been able to isolate the cause of this build-up though. My scalp looked flaky, but I was still able to get the comb through my hair, unlike with the Extra Beer and Honey bar when I found it difficult to comb hair through.

Also with this bar, my hair did not look shiny after I washed it. It looked dull, not lifeless but the hair strands did not have any of the shine I usually notice after I wash my hair.

Long story short, I did not like this bar. I may order another sample of this after I am done with all my samples, only because I cannot believe that something Ayurvedic failed so miserably on me *sigh*! But for now, I  think I have given this bar its fair share of attempts and it still failed to impress me.

Beauty and the Bees Tasmania - Lemon and Chamomile shampoo bar

So today, I shall give my review of Beauty and the Bees Tasmania - Lemon and Chamomile shampoo bar. 

This bar is meant for blonde/silver hair. But since I had it in my sample box and do not know anyone currently who has blonde hair, I decided to try it on myself. 

From the website, the following is the list of ingredients:

Mountain spring water, chamomile infusion, olive oil, coconut oil,soy wax,castor oil, Leatherwood beeswax and honey, seaweed extract,essential oils (Lemon)

And the description is this:

Everyone – especially blondes and silver hair,perfect for people with dandruff, eczema or dry scalp too. Users tell us that their hair is subtly enriched and brightened by the chamomile infusion and natural lemon oil.

This bar smells pleasant. It is light yellow in color, a beautiful lovely color :) It lathers very quick and very well too. Like the other Beauty and the Bees bars. But for me, that is where the good things about this bar end. 

It lathers well in my hair too. The first time I washed my hair with this bar, my hair and scalp felt washed and cleaned. After my hair dried, I usually use a couple of drops of argan oil at the ends. But that day, my hair looked super oily that day. Even after drying, even the next day. I did not wash my hair the next day since I was too tired to do it. Went greasy haired for a couple of days and used the same bar the following time. My hair felt cleaned and not as oily but looked limp :( It was like all shampoo bar transition was condensed into my usage of one bar over a week. And I used so much of them hoping to get rid of the greasy feeling that the sample bar lasted me 2.5 washes. 

It could be that I should not have used a bar meant for gray/blonde hair. It is so strange that a shampoo bar has left me with greasy hair. A first for me since Dr Bronner's I must say. Many others do have really good things to say about this bar. But for me, this bar does not work. Will not repurchase anytime soon hopefully!

Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve - Rosemary Lavender shampoo bar

This review is for Chagrin Valley's Rosemary Lavender Shampoo bar. In my search for shampoo bars for dry hair and curly/wavy hair to tackle dryness and frizz, I came across this shampoo bar. For a while now, about 3 years, I have been using rosemary and lavender essential oils mixed in olive/castor and almond oil for hair massages and they seem to make my hair more manageable. 

The website describes this soap so:

Hair loving essential oils along with jojoba and mango butter give hair a nourishing treat. Mango butter penetrates to re-moisturize, revive and repair damaged cells. This all natural shampoo bar is formulated with aloe vera and deep cleansing and stimulating essential oils that nourish the hair shaft, encourage strong, healthy hair and increase manageability and shine. 

And the ingredients have been listed as:

Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Sunflower Oil infused with Organic Botanicals (Rosemary, Lavender); Organic Babassu Oil; Organic Castor Oil; Water; Organic Aloe Vera; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Jojoba Oil; Organic Canola Oil; Organic Mango Butter; Organic Essential Oils of Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract

This bar smells pleasant. I love the smell of lavender and rosemary too, but lavender more! :) I have tried most of the ingredients listed above - coconut oil (hey, I am from India!), castor oil (from India, castor oil is used on babies too), aloe vera (seriously, helps with frizz) and most of the other ingredients. And this bar works! Trust me. I loved the way it left my hair after drying. Not only was my hair soft and clean, it had beautiful curls at the ends. Like children's lovely curls. That is the way I choose to describe them. And I kept touching my hair so often just to feel those curls! :) Just could not get over the feel. I so wanted to click a snap of them and send over to my mom - next time I use this bar, should remember to do that. My husband used this bar too and has decided to order a full sized bar of this.

Other things about the bar, it does not lather as much as Cafe Moreno. But it cleans well and quick too. So that's not exactly a negative. It does not melt away that quickly either. And did I mention that it left my hair feeling soft :)

To sum up, wonderful bar! Do try if you are testing Chagrin valley and have dry hair. And we ordered full-sized bar of this variety. This bar works!

Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve - Cafe Moreno Shampoo bar

So after testing this bar a couple of times, I am ready to offer my opinion of Chagrin Valley's Cafe Moreno Shampoo bar. I ordered a sample of this in one of my previous orders. So many users seem to love this bar and how it leaves their hair feeling soft and lovely! So I was tempted to try it out, and did!

As described by many others, it may be made of coffee and perfect for brunettes, but it smells strongly of cloves. Not that I mind the smell, I am not a coffee lover myself, I just wanted to note that about this shampoo bar :) The shampoo is dark brown in color, as would be expected of  a soap containing coffee. And this bar is made of all organic ingredients. 

The ingredients stated on the website are:

Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Clove Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Organic Babassu Oil; Organic Virgin Shea Butter; Organic Fair Trade Coffee; Organic Avocado Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Castor Oil; Organic Canola Oil; Organic Essential Oils of Clove, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Lavender; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract

And this bar is described as:

Brunettes have been pouring fresh brewed coffee on their hair for centuries to help transform flat brown tones to into shiny, rich color and maybe even do away with some of those pesky gray strands. Made with cloves, to enhance warm tones and fresh brewed coffee, which enriches brown hues and adds luster to dry hair. Nourishing oils and butters create a natural shampoo that moisturizes and softens dry, dull, damaged hair to help improve luster and manageability.

Something that is apparent, but I would hate to admit is, *taking a deep breath*, I do have quite a few gray hairs. I henna them once in two months and wear them proudly  even if the roots are showing. Not that I was looking for a miracle in this sample bar, but I wanted to see if it would make any difference in the four times I used it. Speak of hoping for a miracle and optimism overload!

Onto my take on this bar, I loved the smell. It lathers super quick, much quicker than the other Chagrin valley bars I have used so far. And it washed my hair very quick and left my hair shinier than the previous Chagrin valley bars. My hair feels lighter and nicer, I must admit. The smell of the soap does not linger in my hair though. Hair fall was normal and I did not have the issue of my scalp getting oily quick. Somewhere else, it was mentioned that long term coffee use on scalp reduces chances of baldness too and clove oil encourages hair growth in balding spots too apparently! Yay for all these! And wonderful idea to put together a soap like this with ingredients that complement each other.

The thing I did not like about this soap, its pretty soft and melts much quicker than many other bars. So I am not certain to its longevity when I buy a full sized bar. The sample size did last me 4+ washes plus a couple of washes by my husband (he did not like the fact that this bar decreases in size so quick). That is my biggest issue with the bar. Apart from that, I would love to use this bar again in the future. May be not right away, but the next time I want to order from Chagrin valley. So I would call this bar, it works!

Chagrin Valley Babassu Marshmallow shampoo bar

This review is for the Babassu Marshmallow bar from Chagrin Valley. 

The list of ingredients is:

Ingredients: Organic Babassu Oil; Organic Sunflower Oil; Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Avocado Oil; Organic Jojoba Oil; Organic Mango Butter;  Water; Organic Shea Butter; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Marsh Mallow Root; Organic Castor Oil; Organic Walnut Oil; Organic Aloe; Organic Essential Oils of Ylang Ylang, Lemon, Ginger; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract 

And this product is defined as:


A natural shampoo bar made with nourishing babassu oil, a great hair care oil for thick, coarse or kinky hair. Babassu oil moisturizes and restores hair strength and elasticity, for shiny, healthy-looking hair. Marsh mallow root softens, soothes and hydrates the hair and scalp, providing relief from scalp irritation. A natural moisturizer, marsh mallow helps detangle hair for increased manageablilty.


The smell and such details: Out of the packet, it smells herbal. Nothing more distinct, just herbal. All of the samples smelled the same to me actually. But when I warmed it up in the shower, I could smell the rich coconut oil in the soap. And the other distinct smell, ginger! I love ginger, I use it regularly in my cooking, my tea. So I loved the smell of ginger in the shower. Ginger apparently promotes hair growth in balding areas. I cannot attest to that with my trial but I loved the smell. By my fourth wash from this bar, the smell of ginger was no longer that strong, but just a hint of it was left. It lathers rich, not as quickly as the Beauty and the bees bars do. The lather is good and cleans fairly well.

As for did I like this bar, not as much as I wanted to. I was looking for well moisturized hair but my hair didn't exactly feel so. I used quite some ACV mixture too to balance the pH. Somehow, after using this bar, the first day, my hair feels pretty smooth but by the second, it begins to feel dry already. I may have to try with a lot more of the acv rinse in my hair to see if that helps, but that has been my observation. Or should I be using much lesser ACV in the mixture? Back at square one looks like! My hair does not look frizzy exactly, but feels dry. Not that well conditioned feel any longer. By the fourth day, it feels quite dry. Like I need some oil on my hair to make it soft. Not the feeling I was hoping and looking for. So, I will not be using this bar again. Onto another bar then!

Beauty and the Bees Tasmania - Rosemary & Mint Shampoo bar

So, today I shall write about my experience with Beauty and the Bees - Rosemary & Mint shampoo bar . I bought this sample box a couple of months ago when I decided to start with my shampoo bar experiment. I wasted more than a sample in figuring out how to use a shampoo bar on my hair, the ACV mixture balance and other such details.

One thing I could say in general about the samples from Beauty and the Bees is that they make my hair look shiny, very shiny like I used gooseberry or fenugreek on my hair. I tried the Moroccan Mud shampoo bar initially and I was yet to nail down the way to use it. So the second bar I decided to try was Rosemary & Mint.

I like this bar, really like it. It made my hair shiny, as with the Moroccan Mud bar. Also, I noticed less hair fallout, less itching, hair did not feel dry, was soft and manageable and over all I was pretty happy with it.
This bars lathers very quickly and a lot too. Hair felt pretty clean after using this bar. and I got about 3 washes out of a sample bar of about 20g for my long hair. I use the soap on the lengths of my hair too because I oil it a little before shampooing. It gets the light oil out too. So yay! an overall winner for me!

I always thought mint was more for oily hair and may dry out my usually dry hair all the more. But I was pleasantly surprised to find it working fairly well for my hair type. I did try it out without any oil on my hair too. So the verdict stands!

About my hair routine, when I read that I should use less ACV, I translated it to being using a little of the mixture. Boy was that a mistake! It made my hair seem matted, quite poofy (I liked the volume, I admit) and I could not exactly get my hands through my hair. I decided to muster courage and pour a lot more of the mixture one day and my hair seemed a lot more straighter and manageable. That is when I corrected my interpretation and have been using about a third of a cup of 1:4 ACV mixture. So far, so good. I lather the shampoo bar typically in my palms and use the later on my hair and scalp. This seems to work better than rubbing the shampoo bar directly on my hair.

Up next, Chagrin Valley Babassu Marshmallow shampoo bar.

Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve - Extra Honey Beer Shampoo Bar

My first product review...actually Mr T's experience. I am still noting it here.

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered the Extra Honey Beer Shampoo bar from Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve among other samples. I ordered this for dry hair, my kind of hair, to help infuse it with some moisture. The ingredients sounded great:

Organic Coconut Oil; Organic Jojoba Oil; Organic Avocado Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Water; Organic Castor Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Beer; Organic Cocoa Butter; Organic Canola Oil; Organic Honey; Organic Mango Butter; Organic Rosemary Oil Extract

And the product is defined as:

A moisturizing natural shampoo made with nutrient rich honey that nourishes and revitalizes hair. A natural humectant and emollient, honey is a great moisturizer and conditioner that imparts a lustrous shine to dull, dry hair. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties help soothe scalp irritations and may help thinning hair. The vitamin B complex and natural sugars in beer add body and shine to hair.

As mentioned earlier, Mr T's been experiencing some flaking for a while actually. More than an year now. His hair is medium brown with a slight wave. He likes to keep it short, low maintenance he says.

He had been using Dr Bronner's peppermint liquid shampoo and I suspected that it may not be the best product for his hair. So I suggested that he try this bar. He being a beer lover was quite enthusiastic. No, he did not expect it to smell like beer :) Just the idea of a shampoo bar being made of beer was quite interesting. 

The shampoo bar smells herbal. Actually to me, all the samples I had ordered smell herbal. No distinct smell otherwise. I have read that some of them have a more distinct smell once warmed up in the shower. I am yet to notice that. I shall the next time I use it.

He has been using it for a couple of weeks now. And would you believe it! His flakes have disappeared! Magic! His hair looks shiny, not as flat any more. We see some volume in it and the disappearance of those flakes has made him a happy customer :) So yay to that! He has decided to use it until the sample bar is mostly done and is more than likely to reorder the full size bar for regular use.

I am yet to try this bar. I actually did try it once but I had not washed out the previous day's shampoo out right, so I decided to wash my hair two days in a row. My dry hair was not very happy. It did not tangle or go crazy but I could feel the dryness. It could be because I washed my hair two days in a row. So, I shall give it another try and then give my verdict. But for now, we have one happy user of this amazing bar.

The first adventure - Dr Bronners

Three years ago, my husband and I decided to give shampoo bars a shot. My husband, Mr. T, went online, looked around and suggested Dr Bronners liquid soap. That it is all natural, no SLS, oil based soap looked like a very good starting point.

So the first time, I do my typical thing. I oil my dry hair, quite heavily, let it soak in before I shampoo my hair. I was genuinely surprised to see it so runny but lather quite well. I use it twice in one shower, that's how I usually shampoo and rinse it off well. It felt like all the oil had not washed away, but decided to let it dry before I gave the verdict. Well, after my hair did air dry, it looked like a greasy mess! Like I had not washed my hair at all! Like all the oil I had massaged it somehow managed to stay in my hair and with water on top of it, looked gross! :(

I was disappointed, honestly. Being a soapnuts gal for a long time, it was not my first oil-still-in-my-hair-after-washing moment. So, I decide to wash another time with the same Dr Bronners liquid soap, we used the peppermint back then. It was summer of 2011. Warm days called for peppermint, we thought. Anyways, the second time around was no better. It was still oily. Not just the scalp but along the strands all the way down my back. Arghh! I just did not like it. The worst thing was, every time I ran my hands along my hair, I felt more than a couple of strands coming out. And that did not stop all day along. Stressful!

Mr T, after seeing me so upset and hearing to my complaints, found this link: http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=256 and we promptly ordered the rinse and the leave in conditioner. I persisted on with the liquid shampoo in the meanwhile. Looking like a greasy head at work :( Not my favorite moment.

Once we received the rinse, I tried it. Followed the instructions to the T. When I ran it along my hair and used my fingers to work it in, I pulled out quite a few strands! It helped with the greasy head situation a little but not a great deal. The leave in conditioner felt good for a second but very quickly looked greasy. I had to tweak the amounts and let my hair get used to it, I thought. And kept at it for another couple of weeks. I could not handle the dirty scalp for long. So I went back to my Giovanni tea tree shampoo and felt happier than ever! Some people opined that the shampoo bars were better than the liquid shampoo but I could not muster the courage to go through it all again. And decided to stick with semi-SLS and almost-no-SLS shampoos. Same old story, first couple of washes, find it great! Then it either would dry out my hair like crazy or weight it down by day 2. And the search continued without much practical application.

Looking back, I may have quit while my hair was yet to adjust to the new routine and turn into that movie star like tresses. But I freaked out, no other reason. I was struggling with hair loss and crazier looking hair freaked me out. That's all.

After much thought, time and browsing the net, I came across various blogs that discussed what would happen when switching to a more natural hair care routine. Some links: http://www.overthrowmartha.com/2014/03/shampoo-bars-are-they-better.html, a product website http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/idascorner/shampoo-hair/success-with-shampoo-bars/my-hair-is-having-trouble-adjusting-to-the-shampoo-bars and many others google would come up with. So I decided to take the advice and give it a more earnest shot.

And oh, Mr T stuck with Dr Bronners and discovers more uses for the liquid every now and then. But he has had a persistent flaky scalp. After much prodding, he has agreed to try some other products.

The diary begins here

So, as the title suggests, this blog is about the trials I conduct and failures I encounter along the way to finding the perfect hair cleaning method for me. I worry about my hair. More than an average person does, I guess. I do quite some research, not that I put most of it into practice. I usually go back to what my mom suggests, using more easily available at home items to be used on my hair.

I decided to chronicle my journey, I am yet to find the HG method. These chronicles are likely to help me in deciding what has worked for me or helped me with a particular problem at any stage or why a product did not work for me. So I do not repeat the same mistake twice! And for anyone out there, who is interested, I hope it is an interesting read at least and maybe informative too! :) I would like to find a method or a product that cleanses the scalp well without over drying my dry hair and helps in retaining some moisture without causing excessive hair fall. Ah, one could always wish, can't one?

A little background about my hair,  being an Indian, I have typical very dark brown to black hair, fairly thick and unfortunately dry. I have some grays too now. I have had it long all my life, from waist length to almost knee length at one point.  But I have not been greatly successful at battling frizz, dryness and flyaways. I used to use soapnuts and shikai on my hair. For at least 20 years straight since that is what my mom would use at home. Shampoo was a strict no-no. That it contained SLS which dries out hair, causes hair loss or in fact causes gray hair :) So soapnuts it was! I would oil my hair most of the time with coconut oil, at times herb-infused coconut oil. Braid it all the time, leave it down my back. Use hair masks at times may be - henna or fenugreek seed paste. It worked for a long time. Then it stopped. I moved to a place where soapnuts is a rare commodity, almost non-existent. And honestly, soaking soapnuts and using them to wash my hair was never a quick task. It takes time and effort unlike shampoo. So I started using shampoos. And never found one that I was happy with. Most would work the first couple of times and then I would go back to being unhappy. Tried generic brands, non-SLS brands, organic brands, expensive ones, inexpensive ones, medicinal ones... but am back at square one. Three years after I tried shampoo bar/liquid soap without much success, I have decided to give shampoo bars and alternate methods another shot. And decided to note down my observations.

My haircare routine currently includes oiling my hair and washing it every 5 to 7 days. It tends to look terrible by day 5. If I can drag it to day 7, I would do that else wash on day 5. I usually braid my hair or just use a hair claw. Ponytails tend to tug at my scalp so I try avoiding those usually. But otherwise I use a few drops of argan oil or jojoba to smooth out flyaways or give my hair a little moisture.

Quite a few blogs online mention about these alternate methods. Quite a few brands out there sell products to suit various needs and hair conditions. Much choice! I have my raw materials on hand, I mean, some samples from a couple of these brands. So my posts will be initially about these brands.