Shampoo
Bars
We
answer some of your frequently asked questions
Will I have a transition period where my hair feels gross?
Some people do, some don’t. There is no difinitive answer to this question as everyone’s hair is different. Some people have fabulous results from day one, and for others it can take several weeks.
What can I do to help get through the transition stage?
There
are a few things that can help – firstly, make sure you lather up
well, use enough soap – get right down in there to the scalp, add
more water to help boost lather as you wash. Then, rinse REALLY
well, you’ll need to rinse more than you normally would with a
commercial liquid shampoo. If your hair allows you can use a comb or
brush during rinsing to separate the strands for better rinsing.
Sometimes
using a vinegar rinse can help, especially if you have harder water –
1 tablespoon of white (or apple cider) vinegar in 1 cup of warm water
– make it beforehand and pop at edge of your shower ….. rinse
shampoo out thoroughly, then close your eyes and dump the lot over
your head …. massage in gently and leave on for a minute or two ….
then rinse out. Your hair will not smell of vinegar once it is dry.
Try
to avoid using a conditioner of any kind during the transition phase,
even our conditioner bar – you need your hair to re-adjust to its
normal state.
Try and prolong the days between washes. When you use commercial shampoo and conditioner, you may have to wash your hair every two days or even more often – most people using a natural soap shampoo bar only need to wash their hair every 5-7 days.
When
you wash your hair too often your scalp is stripped of natural oils
which condition your hair and scalp, your scalp goes into overdrive
thinking it needs to produce more and more so your hair goes greasy …
it looks greasy so you wash it … it’s a vicious circle!
Which shampoo bar should I choose?
We
have two base formulas with three “flavours” in each
- Apple
cider vinegar base – Sensitive, Tea Tree, Henna
- Olive
oil base – Rosemary & Mint, Lemon, Vanilla
The
following are not hard and fast rules, but guidelines from feedback
we have received over the years. We suggest trying a bar from each
base to start with to see which your hair prefers.
Sensitive
skin/scalp, children under 5 – Sensitive
Dry, damaged hair – any bar – Henna bar is quite conditioning. You can use our Nourishing Hair Oil as a pre-wash treatment, or a drop or two on ends, or use conditioner bar to follow. Some people also like to add a few drops of hair oil to the lather when they are shampooing – if you add oil, make sure you rinse well. You may need to experiment a little.
Itchy,
flaky scalp – Rosemary & Mint (mint is anti-itch) or Tea
Tree
Oily
hair – any bar, but Lemon or Tea Tree seem popular. See
information above about stretching out time between washes. May
benefit from vinegar rinse.
Flyaway/curly/frizzy hair – any bar + conditioner and/or a few drops of hair oil to smooth down frizz or define curls.
Dull hair – a final rinse of 1T of apple cider (or white) vinegar in a cup of warm water can add shine.
Normal hair – lucky you! Any bar and once it’s working well, you may like to try the conditioner bar or vinegar rinse.
More Help …
Some people find that soap-based shampoo bars just don’t work for them. This can be due to your household water supply. Soap has a hard time working in hard water, so detergents will work best.
A
few people, whose transition phase drags on, give up a bit too soon …
try at least 8 weeks before giving up completely. It’s hard when
you feel your hair isn’t looking its best, we get it!
Once adjusted, your hair will feel a bit different than it used to, a little heavier and perhaps less “silky” this is because commercial shampoos contain chemicals like silicones to make your hair feel like this …it’s not a natural state for hair. The way your hair feels after transitioning becomes your new “normal” in no time.
Once your hair is used to using a bar, don’t be afraid to change bars and mix it up a bit.
You can always use our shampoo bars as body or hand wash, so there is nothing to lose in trying.
We’d love to hear your experiences or tips about Aoraki Naturals’ shampoo bars, feel free to comment below.
©
Aoraki Naturals, Nov 2019.