Long-awaited...well, probably not, but still! Chagrin Valley Shampoo and Soap Bar review part 1

Already everybody, so I've gotten through - or at least tried each product once - the first big batch of shampoo and soap bar samples that I purchased from Chagrin Valley Natural Soaps.  And so far I have been very impressed.  This will be the first installment of my reviews. 

PLEASE NOTE: 

I use Giovanni NutraFix Hair Reconstructor Conditioner with these bars due to the increase in tangling and unruliness of my hair.  I also use an acidic rinse...I've used both lemon juice and vinegar, and lemon juice has definitely been my favorite, since my hair will take all day to dry if down and two days to dry if up, which means my head smells like a frickin' salad if I use vinegar. Gross.  I will also use Wen cleansing conditioner once a week if I feel the need.  I will also add Soap bar reviews as I purchase them. 

Here is my routine, so you have an idea of how things go

• wet hair
• run shampoo bar through and try to lather it up as best as possible (I focus on the scalp) and massage
• rinse and repeat the previous step, only this time take more time to get a really good lather and massage
• take an empty 16oz bottle and pour a splash of lemon juice in it, dillute with water and pour all over rinsed hair 
• take the same empty bottle, squirt a dollop of Giovanni conditioner in it, dillute that with water and shake it really well to get it all mixed up.  Pour that over my hair without rinsing out the lemon water.  I'll let that sit while I shave and all that fun lady stuff. 
• My hair is the last thing I'll rinse.  I'll rinse right after I wash my face in lukewarm water and then I'll douse it in cold water.  (There is a lot of stipulation as to whether or not this will make your hair shinier, but for my hair PERSONALLY I have found that it helps with the little wiry hairs I get around my crown, so I do it, but many people don't and don't notice a difference.)
• I'm done! I gently wring out the extra water, put a town around my head and let it dry.  I'll comb it out later with a wide tooth comb and then throughout the day I'll de-tangle it with a boxwood comb or with my wooden paddle brush.

SHAMPOO BARS: 

Butter Bar Conditioner Bar: Since this is the first bar that I've used, I'm not sure I'll be able to give a completely accurate assessment because I'm unsure as to what shampoo bars normally feel like.  To start, if this bar is not paired with an acidic rinse I found that I cannot comb through my hair and it feels incredibly waxy, but it is a good cleaning bar if it suds up properly (if not, you look like an oil slick...a waxy oil slick if that's possible.)  This bar does not last long; I'm on my second week of using the full size bar and it is almost already gone. 3.5/5 stars.

Neem Tea Tree oil Bar: As far as aroma goes this bar is incredibly potent so I never used it on my hair because I didn't want the smell to linger.  However, as a body and face bar I LOVE it.  Also, I have really bad eczema and when I use this bar it goes away within a week or so.  This will definitely be a bar I'm going to try and keep on hand for the dry skin purposes.  Also, this bar lasts longer and the samples lather really well.  4/5 stars.

Carrot Milk and Honey Bar: Honestly, I didn't use this one of my hair more than twice; I used it as a body bar more than anything.  I didn't notice anything bad other than it was slightly drying, but at the time I was trying to use the bars without conditioner.  I might try this one again with conditioner to see how it goes.  3.75/5 stars.

Nettle Bar: WOW!  This sample bar offers great lather and even though my hair is up, it smells good, and the hair on my scalp feels really soft and clean.  I did notice a lot of hair shed, which seems to be the norm with the shampoo bars; I haven't decided if I'm okay with that or not yet, but I definitely noticed more shed with the nettle bar.   I can't decide if this is an okay face and body bar yet; my face was a little red after using it and it didn't leave enough on my legs to make the razor go really smooth.  Most likely I will pair this with a soap bar when needing to shave. The only bad thing about this bar is it seems to make my hair so soft feeling and "downy" that it tangles more easily.  5/5 stars.


*UPDATE* Okay, so I tried the bar again and there is definitely something about nettle that makes my face red and splotchy; I don't think it's an allergic reaction so much as a mild irritation.

Rosemary Lavender Bar: Lovely, lovely bar.  Minimal shed, great lather, was mild and smells so good.  My hair feels really soft right now, but not as prone to tangling as with the Nettle.  There's not a lot I can say about this bar other than I was impressed and really liked it.  I didn't experience any "waxies", which was nice; my hair was really squeaky clean after using it, and it responded very well to the lemon juice and conditioner.  I didn't use it as a body bar, however, I've noticed that hair bars go quickly and I don't want to waste it on my body when I can use another bar.  5/5 stars.

Ayurvedic Bar: I bought this bar because of the insane amount of ingredients specific towards preventing hair loss and for promoting healthy hair.  This bar is very peppery and though I had a hard time getting a lather the first time through my hair, the second lather was great.  This bar has not necessarily changed my hair as far as looks, but it feels thicker and more hearty, maybe slightly more coarse...which considering I'm having a problem with hair loss right now, is definitely a perk.  I plan on keeping this bar as a once in a while treatment.  I have a feeling it's going to last a while as well.  The only thing that I can't tell if I like or not is the lingering peppery smell in my hair; it's not unpleasant by any means, but definitely different from the milder, more herby smelling bars like the rosemary lavender. 4.5/5 stars.

Mud and Clay bar: I really wanted to like this bar because it smelled really good; a slight citrusy smell and it seemed to lather fairly well and while I loved it as a body bar; it made my hair fall out like crazy, which I'm already really frustrated about because I've been going through a really crappy shed stage anyway and it was harder to comb my hair out after my shower than normal.  It did, however, make my hair very soft when it finally dried, but there was still more hair shed than I was comfortable with, so I will use it as a body bar, but not a hair bar.  3.5/5 Stars


*Update* I decided to try this bar again because I'm running low on soap bars and the postal service is being REALLY slow in getting me my new order or bars, and I have to say that I was actually okay with the bar this time around.  I still really like the lather that this bar offers and I didn't get as much in the way of hair shed as I did last time.  I think I'm finally at a point where my hair is used to it....about bloody time as it took *counts fingers* two and a half months? Yikes.  But considering that my previous hair regime last me about three years I would expect it to definitely need time to adjust.

Babassu and Marshmallow Bar: I'll admit I didn't use this one on my hair.  As soon as I smelled it I was reminded of the Conditioner bar, which gave me icky waxies and I just didn't have the heart to deal with that.  (My wisdom teeth have been removed, so I've pretty much ceased normal life until the pain stops, and arguing with waxy hair while an Irish Clogging team practiced in my mouth just didn't sound like fun.)  I am, however, using this as a soap bar and am very happy with the results of that.  So I will rate this a soap bar.  5/5 Stars.


*EDIT* Okay, so after using the Babassu and Marshmallow bar my skin started FREAKING out and braeking out in teeny, tiny little hives and my husband started breaking out too...so methinks I have an allergy to whatever is in this bar.  So unfortunately I need to rate this as a 0/5 stars for me personally, but I'm sure other people will have luck with it.

SOAP BARS: 

Cucumber Yogurt Bar: I haven't been too impressed with this bar, but not because of anything it's lacking.  It cleans fine, and moisturizes fine, I just don't care for the scent, which is a slightly sour sweet smell.  This bar does, however, last for fricking ever, which bumps up its star points big time.  3.75/5 Stars.

Oatmeal, Goat Milk Honey Bar: I like this bar a lot, it's a really mild smell and has slight exfoliating properties which means I don't have to use my wash rag as much.  I'm thinking that the benefits of this bar will prove itself long run when it starts to help my eczema.  It does not last long unfortunately. 4/5

Well, that's what I have for now; as I purchase more, I'll post more.  

--
~*Elizabeth*~
Living for the One who died for me

Guess what? Guess what?

Exciting news! I got rid of the staticky hair! Woot!!

Okay, I will admit that I did break down and I bought "Giovanni"'s hair treatment for critically damaged hair.  And to start off with, no I don't have damaged hair, I actually have very healthy hair, but I'm just taking about a tablespoon in an empty shampoo bottle and filling the rest with water and running that over my head.  So far, today I haven't had the tangling problem or the static problem which is such a relief, because it was driving me up the wall.

To be honest, I'm rethinking the whole shampoo bar thing.  I used to use Giovanni a long time ago and really liked, but I just didn't like paying the price for it, especially the conditioner.  I'm hoping that once I get through this bar, right now I'm using the "Butter Bar Conditioner" I'm can try Chagrin Valley's "Mud and Clay" bar, because I've heard great things about it and I'm looking for a bar that I can use as my body and shampoo bar that will last longer.  So far I don't think I'm going to get more than three weeks out of the Butter Bar because it's make with so many soft oils that it just melts out of your hand.  I love it, but I can't pay that much money on a regular basis. I might also just email the Chagrin Valley company up and ask them which bar lasts the longest based off the ingredients and we'll go with that.

I want to keep trying the shampoo bars because I know when I use a standard liquid shampoo I have to use up so much conditioner it's ridiculous.  So we'll see; I'll definitely keep you updated.  Thus far, I'm very pleased with the semi-routine I seem to have going for myself, hopefully I'll continue to fine-tune it as I go.  I also think I'm going to drop the Aloe Vera Gel (I wanted to run it through my hair after the vinegar rinse), but I just don't see it doing anything and the Giovanni conditioner already has the aloe in it along with some other great oils. I could just feel my hair going from staticky and dry to nice and soft.  And, no cones in this conditioner which is another BIG plus.

Okay, well I'm not on my home computer; I'm borrowing my mum's, so I will get off for now and keep you updated and I figure stuff out; thanks for reading and I hope  you're doing well :)

While I have a moment - Hair care routine

Hello all,

Something that is an obsession for me is hair care - I really enjoy finding new ways to maintain my locks without the use of chemicals, heating, and unfriendly hair-styling techniques.

A little bit of background: I have fairly easy-going hair that's almost to my waist (Which isn't saying much because I have the shortest torso on the planet), it's not prone to tangles or to split ends, is insanely thick and has just about every hair thickness you can think, from really fine to really course.  My old routine was:

Monday: condition ends in shower, rinse with cold water
Tuesday: condition ends in shower, rinse with cold water
Wednesday: condition ends in shower, rinse with cold water, oil down my hair with coconut oil at night and sleep
Thursday: Wash with shampoo twice, condition, rinse with cold water
Friday: condition ends in shower, rinse with cold water
Saturday: condition ends in shower, rinse with cold water, oil down my hair with coconut oil at night and sleep
Sunday: Wash with shampoo twice, condition, rinse with cold water


So yeah...pretty set schedule, everyone in a while I would throw an egg and honey protein treatment in their or add apple cider vinegar and honey water to my hair and let it soak and then rinse, and my hair has been really happy with this.

EXCEPT: I go through a lot of conditioner, and even though I use the cheap stuff - Suave almond and Shea butter shampoo and conditioner - it still adds up after a while.  Also, I hennaed my hair for the first time ever about a month ago - HOLY CRAP IT WAS SO RED! - and it seems to have made my hair more prone to not needing as much conditioner.  After the shower I always used Organix Anti-breakage serum and it worked wonderfully, until after the henna.  I noticed that my hair was more oily and didn't need the serum or the conditioner near as often.

All of this happened the same time I began to deal with a horrible eczema breakout; which I've dealt with in the past, but this time was different; nothing was helping and it was just getting worse.  (I've since learned it was because my el-cheapo lotion had SLS in it and I was soaking that into my skin -eek!)

So that, and the hair acting differently I decided to try something else.  I've been a faithful follower of Long Hair Community and learned about Chagrin Valley Natural Soap.  I figured that instead of going back to the doctor's the get another nasty cream to fix the eczema I was going to make the swap from liquid soaps to solids.

I'm still transitioning right now and getting used to the shampoo for my hair, and because of the hard water I definitely need an acid rinse afterwards, and I've also been putting a tiny amount of aloe vera gel on my ends while shaving and then I rinse it out.  It's interesting, because I'm not used to my hair feeling squeaky, but then again I do run so much conditioner through it, that I've probably been coating my natural hair for so long that I'm just used to it feeling artificial - oh! and a side note: my hair is starting to get way more wavy now that I'm using the natural soap, another interesting side effect of heavy conditioning must have been weighing down my hair.

Other than that it's far so good with the skin side of things - eczema is almost completely gone too!

I'll try to do a video and review all the soaps I've tried so far and I will definitely let you know when I find a good wash and condition routine; the soaps are really gentle so I can use them everyday and plan to, but I'm just concerned about over doing it with the acid rinse; I'm using white vinegar, and so far no bad side effects, but I'm thinking washing every other day and just using the aloe vera in between will be a good balance.  We'll see.

Okay, that's all for now, but I will post more interesting things including pictures soon!