Shampoo bars...how long for your hair to adjust?

[Schoeny]

I started using a shampoo bar for the first time this week. I'm also spraying my hair with diluted apple cider vinegar at the end, and then rinsing that out too.

Whilst my hair looks kind of OK, it feels like it still has a coating of soap all over it.

Even when it's newly washed & dried, it feels a bit icky to the touch.And my hair holds its position, if you know what I mean - usually when freshly washed it would be very smooth & silky, but it just isn't like that at all.

The best way I can think to describe it is that it feels like its not been washed for a few days, even though I've literally just washed & dried it.

Is this normal for shampoo bars - is it something you just have to accept? Or will my hair feel "normal" again after a while?

Do I maybe need to try a different shampoo bar, or a stronger ACV rinse? Help!

That's why I had to stop using them. I tried a few different ones and persevered for weeks to see if my hair was adjusting to it but they all made my hair feel as you describe. I really wanted them to work too.

Maybe try a different shampoo bar?

I've tried quite a few, currently using this one:

www.oneworldshop.co.uk/friendly-shampoo-bar-lavender-tea-tree

and hair feels nice. It's also palm oil free, which not all shampoo bars are. It's quite small but the bar is quite hard so it's lasting well. It comes in another scent, which is waiting in the cupboard to be tried next.

I am having the same issue, so I decided to do a gradual move... I still had a bit of my old shampoo. I always do two washes, one to tacke most of muck out, second to mnke it nicer.
So I did: first one with the shampoo bar, and then the second wash with a tiny bit of my old shampoo left.
I have a bar of conditioner too, and i am alternating, one wash I use the old plastic old bottle one and another day the new bar one.
The last couple of times my hair has been nice.
I will persevere this way a bit longer, i am thinking if i never manage the full move, at least using half the plastic is a way forward.

They're horrible. I gave up with mine. My hair is long thick and coloured. The shampoo and conditioner bars wrecked it and made it dry and split. It was rather like washing my hair with a bar of soap (but not as much lather!)

Mixed opinions! I really want it to work too!

We're in quite a hard water area, I wonder it that doesn't help.

KingLouie, I'm actually using the friendly soap, lavender and geranium, at the moment. It does smell lovely, at least when I'm using it - I don't think the smell stays on my hair.

Maybe I need to persevere for a bit longer, but might need to accept that it might not be right for me/my hair.

It does seem to have helped clear up a little irritated flaky dry patch of skin on my hairline already, though, that I'd had for ages and not even able to get rid of, so it's not all bad news.

Oh following with interest! I started using mine on NYD it said 10 washes to adjust but I caved and used proper shampoo last week because it felt weird. Back on it since Saturday so nearly a week and it feels coated and thick (I have v v thick hair anyway). I'm going to keep going for a while but I'm really disappointed

I bought a super expensive lush shampoo bar and it did that to my hair. So gross. I binned it! Sorry

Sls free shampoo doesn't wash out silicone from conditioner or other hair products, causing a buildup which can feel like that. Is the shampoo bar Sls free?

If so, try washing with a shampoo containing Sodium Laureth Sulphate first. Then you don't have to use it again as long as you don't use anything else containing silicone (any ingredients ending in "one").

I have thick brown hair, naturally curly and not dyed etc. I use the lush honey I've washed my hair shampoo and sugar daddy conditioner. I also use their hair custard. I've been using them for over a year and I do not get product build up. I find my hair feels best if I lather the shampoo bar on my scalp so that I get small tight bubbles that feel like they're lifting the hair. I do that as an intense wash once a week then just do quick washes in the week. I also rub the conditioner on and leave it in for a few minutes. I find both leave my hair much lighter feeling than liquid products. I go about 4 months between hair cuts and don't really suffer from split ends. I have a bad chunk of hair at the back that gets dried out. But this I remedy with hair custard when wet but only on the ends. It's too heavy for scalp. I also find my hair is heavy and meh if I leave it to dry naturally so blow drying, even roughly, is essential for the hair to feel light at the roots.

I think it's a lot about finding the right bar for you.

Interested in replies.
I bought the Lush purple one, and it was awful. I really couldn't get a comb through afterwards. My hair also dried looking flat and greasy and unwashed.
I don't want to use a hairdryer on it either. I usually let it dry naturally.
I really wanted the bar to replace plastic bottles, but I can't until someone makes a better one.

Sounds like we've been lucky. Used both the Friendly Soap ones and had no problems. I find it very foamy and easy to rinse off but I'm missing a bar conditioner.

I've used the Friendly Soap one and it was ok but not great. Now using one from Baaath time made of goats milk and my hair is so much better.

www.itsbaaathtime.co.uk/

I am using the same bar OP. It took my hair about two weeks to adjust fully, but I am in a soft water area. I have mixed feelings about it, my hair is nice and shiny but not as soft as I had hoped. Might try a different shampoo bar and see.

I am using the Amica Shea shampoo bar. My scalp feels much nicer and I don't have the coating problem. I do live in a very soft water area though

It's interesting to hear that other people haven't got on with shampoo bars - most of the reviews/articles are universally glowing about how much better they left people's hair.

It sounds as though I might have to try a few different bars. I guess I can always use the ones that don't work out as a regular soap instead...

I will stick with the current bar for the next week or so, then try another one if no improvement. I'm off to google goat's milk shampoo bars now!

Oh no, I've literally just bought shampoo and conditioner bars today from Lush! I saw a thread the other day saying they were really good so obviously being a sheep I went out and got them.

I'll give them a go this weekend and report back...

www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/
These are US based- but they ship to the UK. I used them when l lived there!
There will be a period of adjustment- so keep up with the apple 🍏 cider rinse!

I have just finished a bar of the Friendly shampoo and have started the next, washing every 2 or 3 days (I can't think how long I've been doing it but definitely couple of months). I do ACV rinse every 2 or 3 weeks. To start with I had the same problem but it seems to have gone now so I would suggest persevering.

I also had the problem a poster had above where it got worse when I had to use "normal" shampoo but I think that was still early days.

I agree it’s the lack of SLS. I have fine, greasy hair so need sulphates to clean it. I don’t use silicones as they weigh my hair down.

Lush Jumping Juniper is really cleansing - fine for my hair but might be too drying for you to use every day. You could try something like that once a week/fortnight as a deep clean.

What is all this about hair adjusting. It's dead keratin. It doesn't adjust.

I couldn't get on with SLS free, so the Lush bar is a compromise. I do think being in a hard water area makes the bars less effective.

I have tried a few differant ones and they all left a horrible coating on my hair. Left it really limp and heavy feeling.

I dont use products on my hair snd practise the curly girl metjod so deffo wasnt product build up or anything.

Now I compremise with refillable bottles of shampoo from the refill shop.

We're in quite a hard water area, I wonder it that doesn't help.

I think that might be the problem. My non SLS shampoos don't work as well since moving to a hard water area. I love when I go away as I feel my hair feels so much nicer after washing!

I’ve started using Lush Montalbano and it’s been great, I honestly can’t tell the difference from liquid shampoo. My hair is very straight and fairly unforgiving so I’m picky about hair stuff and I have no complaints. I’m using conditioner though, sometimes a Lush bar, sometimes a Superdrug liquid one I’m usuing up.

Sollyfromsurrey it's your scalp adjusting really. It has to rebalance the amount of oil it produces in the absence of chemical based shampoos.