A note about Shampoo Soaps

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We have been overwhelmed recently with the popularity of our shampoo soaps and we thank all of you who have given them a try. However, I am aware that not everyone is happy with them. I offer the following as information for anyone wanting to try our shampoo soaps so that you can decide whether you think they are for you.

1. Shampoo soaps do not suit everyone. All of us are different and so are our scalps and the hair that grows through them! Shampoo soaps may not suit your hair or your scalp, or it might just be our shampoo soaps that aren't doing it for you. Don't give up — try another supplier and see if theirs are any better.
    
2. Give the shampoo soap time — try it several times before you chuck it in the bin in disgust. Your hair and scalp may need time to settle down and behave under your new regime.
    
3. Be aware that shampoo soaps are NOT shampoos as you probably understand the term. All liquid shampoos are a form of water-based detergent. Yes, they are mild and have been formulated to wash hair, not cars, but they are not the same as shampoo soaps. You are very used to how your hair feels after it has been washed with your favourite shampoo, whether it is a super-expensive named brand or something less expensive from a supermarket. Washing your hair with a shampoo soap will not feel like that!

Shampoo soaps are soaps, they are made in exactly the same way as our body soaps but their formulation is slightly different so that they have more conditioning oils and butters in them and more castor oil for a close, dense lather. But they have some disadvantages. They are alkaline, not pH neutral, and this may affect your hair in ways you don't like.

Some people say alkaline soaps will lift the scales along each shaft of hair and make it look dull and lifeless. This may be your experience but it has not been mine. I have used our shampoo soaps almost exclusively for as long as we have been making them (nearly 20 years) and my hair is soft and shiny. But my hair is also short, fine, ruler-straight and completely untreated with anything. I literally wash and go and have done all my life. I don't even bother with a conditioner. Your hair will not be like mine so your hair may not like shampoo soaps. I can only ask that you give them a real try, and try other soap-makers' shampoo soaps, before you go back to shampoo in a bottle.

The final point is to say that if you are in a hard water area (like dear old Norfolk where I am), the minerals in the water can react with the soap, and leave a deposit on your hair which I know some people say makes their hair feel 'unclean'. If you find this is a problem, you can rinse your hair after washing with a mild acidic rinse of a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice diluted in a jug-full of water. Just tip this over your head and rinse and this should combat the 'waxy' effect.

Please persevere — I would not be so keen on our shampoo soaps if I thought they didn't work. I love them and use them all the time. Yes, I would say that, wouldn't I? But anyone who knows me knows that actually, I wouldn't. I'm a Yorkshire lass and I call a spade a spade. If they didn't work, I wouldn't waste my time making them.

— Sara

Back to... Shampoo Soaps    Frequently asked questions