To give up on natural shampoo bar after 10 days despite plastic free aim

[Mashedpotatobutty]

I’ve been using a natural shampoo bar for 10 days and my hair just feels disgusting. It looks clean at the roots but feels so incredibly coated I’ve had it in a bun for 10 days. I’m back at work tomorrow and thinking I need to switch to a normal shampoo to look presentable and be able to wear it down.

But if you’ve used a shampoo bar and got through this stage please feel free to share and persuade me otherwise.

I’m just coming out the other side! It’s taken a while and it’s not quite there but so much better than it has been.

If you google it there are lots of ideas as it’s very common.

If it doesn’t improve then one local shop to me does refillable containers of shampoo which would still be plastic free.

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but i literally read a post about this yesterday as am looking to try some solid shampoo out - there's info about the transition to solid shampoo lower down the page and what you're experiencing sounds pretty normal www.friendlysoap.co.uk/product/lavender-geranium-shampoo-bar/?fbclid=IwAR3lmoRqvsr90nJK79nBMFB-NAQIjsCqIxJjwKoozFhFdiLQspTKhy-2UUY

Op I haven't tried them however I swim a lot and washing my hair after every swim I seen to gave a build up if shampoo. It feels similar to what you describe.

I'm wondering if you are washing it too often or using much? I'm very interested in the outcome as I would love to switch over myself.

Please excuse my typos

It took a good few weeks for my hair to get used to it but it’s fine now.

They rubbish. I used a lush one (my one and only time into lush due to the smell). The expensive bar disappears and fails to do the job. Never do it again. Yanbu.

My dd,with short hair uses a leave in conditioner as this seem to make her hair less waxey.Si we are down one plastic bottle only.

I really like the Lush shampoo bars! Maybe it depends on you hair type?

Have you tried shampoo cubes. Eve of st Agnes are a good brand. I find most shampoo bars and natural products to be a bit crusty lentils for my liking but I love these cubes. There are like compressed powder you lather in your hand. Regardless of the type of bar or soap It takes a week or so for your hair to settle down but it will.

Me & the family tried to love them for the whole of last year (which does feel like it should be long enough to get through the transition...) Finally given up. Sorry!

What’s in it? Some of the bars are a v high % SLSs and parabens so despite being plastic free they are not good for the environment. Lush have one at the mo which is 90% SLSs!

I moved to bottles but high % natural and no SLSs and parabens and took my hair 2-3 weeeks to adapt. You need to rinse more and possibly wash less often. Now I’m used to it I can easily go 3 days w perfectly clean looking and feeling hair.

You could try rinsing with vinegar.

Tried all of them over the years. They're as good at cleaning your hair as natural deodorants are at stopping you stinking (ie not at all)

I've used the lush copperhead bar and it was fine straight away, was actually really nice on my hair

Give your hair an apple cider vinegar rinse once a week. That will solvency residue problems. I've been using shampoo bars for years and that's what I do.

I gave up on them too. Tried two different Lush ones, but went back to bottled shampoo eventually.

I might try an apple cider rinse tonight and see if it helps. My hair is so stiff it literally does not move but then to the touch it doesn’t feel stiff, it’s weird.

Hunky how long did it take you to get to the other side??

This one has no SLS as I react badly to that so have avoided for a year. I think it is that friendly soap one so that was a useful link thanks.

Oh and my natural deodorant is really good I think, I’ve had no pongy comments and my clothes don’t smell bad even after a run!

I started using lush shampoo bars last year, bit worried about feeling dirty initially as I’d heard it would take a while but I had no problems from the start. Absolutely amazing, clean, soft and shiny. I only wash my hair once a week so maybe you’re doing yours too often? The more you wash hair the more you strip it of natural oils I think

I think, like bottled shampoos, you just need to find the right one.

I wish there were more trial size bars though as it’s expensive to keep trying and finding ones that don’t work for you.

I used a friends one, it was the purple lush one, I really like it, it left my (long, fine) hair really glossy and lovely. However, their red one leaves my hair feeling weird. I don’t want to buy the lush ones, but I’m not sure which others to try.

At the moment I’m using an expensive bottled S&C, even though I have long hair and use it daily it lasts for ages, which still isn’t great, but it’s better than using mid range (Pantene/David Freida) which I go through quickly.

I tried a Burt's Bees one and it did exactly this. My hair just felt stiff. I'm back to Aldi shampoo now until a better alternative comes along. Might try the vinegar thing.

I went through this but two things help. The first is using 1 part apple cider rinse to two parts water and leaving in as a rinse for a couple of minutes and the second was lathering it up onto my hands rather than rubbing the bat over my head. My hair is fab now and I would never go back to shampoo.

I've been using the lush one for nearly a year now and love it. You need to use the bar on your scalp only and just let it rinse through the ends.
Conditioning bars take a wee bit longer to get used to and are the opposite. Just use in on the ends as they may leave the scalp a little greasy

I started at the start of the year and I think the last week or so has been better. I’m not convinced though- despite really wanting to!!

I tried this, using shampoo bars, apple cider vinegar rinse, and using cheap bottled water (hard water area), and I hated it, it was awful. Had the awful, stiff, waxy feeling.
I've just tried BeautyKubes and they are fantastic, I tried today, my hair feels clean and soft, I'm really happy!
I did use a tiny bit of natural world chia seed conditioner too (I have very porous hair) but my hair looks and feels amazing!

Ps. Zero waste, plastic free, cruelty free, crap free, vegan!

The effects of using the bar are pretty much the same as giving up washing your hair and waiting it out, apparently. It self regulates.

On that basis you may as well save water too and just not wash it.

It used to be something that people actually did, before the bicarbonate of soda thing started. Just not washing it at all. I knew someone that never washed their hair, and surprisingly it didn't smell.