Comparing the pros and con of soap ages.

Some users wonder why soaps from different batches lather more easily. Many times this can be attributed to the soap’s age, not particularly their formulas.

We recommend this to beginners so they can avoid long-term soap residue damage. If you are already getting perfect washing results, then you just need to wash as-needed! We recommend once daily or at least once weekly, as long as you are getting great washing results!

An improper wash results in “soap residue” and feels like the adjustment period. Soap residue is damaging if left on your hair. Soap residue is due to not washing correctly. This is solved when you APPLY MORE and LATHER MORE in the affected areas according to the directions.

Adjustment symptoms should last no longer than 10 WASHES, if at all. A proper washing helps clean up all the gunk that has been caked on from years of the chemical shampoos. A good wash also prevents the dreaded damaging soap residue.

Remember that you should be getting a perfect cleanse by the 10th wash. DO NOT let your hair suffer longer with soap residue! Soap residue leads to breakage, dryness, loss, and other hair damage. Reach out to us for help by calling (812) 414-9735 if you are still having issues. Please share how much lather you are getting – does it look like the picture below?

DO NOT use another shampoo cleanser, or you will completely defeat the purpose of using our shampoo soap bars. You will also prolong the adjustment period indefinitely. Correct your technique and the issues with soap residue will go away within 1-2 washes… Remember that convenient foaming agents actually damage your hair and scalp in the long run. These chemical strip your hair of vital nutrients and structure. (You are looking at other solutions to the store-bought poos for a reason!)

If you are wanting to use up all of your old products before making the switch, then do that first. But once you make the switch you will feel the difference significantly with better hair health. Please do NOT alternate between other washing products! So many people regret switching back and forth, prolonging their issues.

This feels totally different than the chemical shampoos you have used all your life, because it is! A good hair wash with a shampoo soap bar will feel very different than with chemical shampoos. The end results are better!

After a good wash, your wet hair will feel “squeaky clean” and almost unmanageable and tangled. This is why we recommend our conditioner bars to help manage wet hair!

BUT when dry, your hair turns out very silky soft, smooth, lightweight, and manageable!

Washing your hair correctly for a few washes with our basic shampoo will fix most “adjustment” symptoms.

DO NOT extend your adjustment period by skipping daily washes. This leads to weeks of frustration dealing with adjustment symptoms. You can avoid this by washing 1-2 times per day until the adjustment symptoms disappear. If you’re not getting great results after the 10th wash please contact us or troubleshoot below! Re-reading the directions can also help.

Any extra preparation tips below are totally optional for those who are especially concerned.

• Keep your hair as natural as possible: The prior products, treatments, and exposures on your hair have an effect. Carefully research each ingredient of the products you use on your hair. Contact us if you have any questions about this. We also have a line of compatible and restorative hair care and styling products to choose from HERE.
• Baking soda water pre-rinse: This is not for everyone as it can damage some hair types. With a quart of warm water, add a pinch of baking soda and stir until dissolved. Apply this to your hair for a pre-wash rinse.
• Apple cider vinegar water after-wash rinse: This is not for everyone as it can damage some hair types. Mix ½ to 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 8 oz of warm water. Rinse your hair with this solution after any shampoo wash.
• Clay hair masks between washes: This is not for everyone as it can damage some hair types. Mix water with clay into a paste (bentonite, kaolin, or rhassoul clay are good choices). Apply this paste to your hair and scalp, allow it to sit for a few minutes, and then rinse out. We also offer our own masks, which can be used for hair as well. All of our shampoo soap bars contain kaolin clay, which helps with adjustment and hair/scalp health as well.
• Still having issues? Try a different shampoo soap bars! Switching up shampoo soaps formulas help to “shock” your hair into submission – this often actually works. We recommend finishing one soap bar completely before switching. Everyone tends to dislike their first shampoo bar due to the adjustment experience. But if they come back to their first bar after the adjustment, it will treat their hair just fine!

Long hair is the most difficult type to use real shampoo soap. This is because the tedious application and lathering must be done evenly, abundantly, and quickly. Try not to tangle your hair during the soap application and vigorous lather when you gather your hair together. Try to apply the soap, lather, and rinse all your hair within 5 minutes. The longer you wait between steps or the longer you take, your chances of a successful wash is reduced. This is another important reason why long hair is the most difficult to wash with real, natural soap.

Long hair types will need to use more soap to achieve a good wash since they have more hair.

Gather all your long hair together on the top of your head directly after applying generous amounts of the soap. Then lather really, really well in all areas for a few minutes (remember our general directions above). Rinse well after you turn all the soap applied into thick, stable, fluffy lather. This abundant lather should resemble the texture of shaving cream.

Conditioner is an absolute necessity for long hair types, especially near the ends where the hair is older. Use our conditioner before and/or after your wash on the ends where your hair is drier and more fragile. Read out our conditioner directions here. Our hair oil is also a great weekly pre-wash treatment for dryness and split ends.

Thoroughly wet your hair before applying the soap directly to your hair. Make sure to apply enough soap everywhere throughout the hair and lather very well in all areas.

You will probably need to part your hair in multiple places to apply the soap throughout all your hair. Be very thorough in the application and lathering (remember our general directions above).

Thick hair types will need to use more soap to get a good wash since they have more hair.

Curly hair types absolutely LOVE our shampoos and conditioners because their hair is usually very picky and prone to breakage! Our products are CGM (curly girl method) friendly and don’t weaken the proteins in the hair like chemical foaming agents.

Instead, our products nourish and strengthen the hair’s disulfide bonds. Disulfide bonds are the protein bonds in your hair shaft that give it a curly structure. This actually causes some “flat” hair types to show some natural wave or curl never before seen! Our natural products also reduce frizz and dullness.

Use our conditioner bars after washing for extra curl definition or if hair is dry and prone to breakage. You can even use our conditioner bars as a partial leave-in product. Our hair oil is also a great weekly pre-wash treatment to give curls more bounce, shine, and definition!

More helpful curly hair styling products:

• Leave-In De-Tangling and Thermal Spray
• Hair Gel
• Hair Mousse

DRY HAIR

Use our conditioner before and/or after your wash where your hair is dry and prone to breakage. You can even use our conditioner as a partial leave-in product in the very dry places.

Dry hair types will need to avoid our more clarifying shampoos. Our more moisturizing shampoos would be great to try after mastering our basic formula first.

Our hair oil is a great weekly pre-wash treatment for dry hair. Also consider our leave-in de-tangling spray for very dry, frizzy, or unmanageable hair.

DRY SCALP

Use our conditioner before and/or after your wash where your scalp is dry/itchy. Rinse it out after letting it sit for a few minutes so your roots aren’t weighed down.

Dry scalp types will need to avoid our more clarifying shampoos. Our more moisturizing shampoos would be great to try after mastering our basic formula first.

Our hair oil is also a great weekly pre-wash treatment for a dry and irritated scalp.

Oily hair types will need to wash their hair every day or every other day for best results. Adjust this number as-needed. They can also usually go without conditioner or use less than other hair types. They will need to avoid our more moisturizing shampoos.

Using our natural DRY SHAMPOOS between washes can really help extend the time between washes and reduce the oily look.

Wet your hair completely, soaking until everything is dripping. Then apply the shampoo soap by gliding the widest, flattest side of the bar on your hair. Brush the bar on your hair in the direction of growth (roots to tips).

Don’t apply your soap bar while underwater or while active water is washing through your hair. You don’t want to defeat the application and lathering process.

We recommend applying the bar directly to your hair for the quickest and most thorough application. Don’t just lather in your hands to use that, you must apply the soap directly to the head for application.

Drag the soap bar in the direction of hair growth from roots to tips. Start around the face to tips, from the base of your neck to tips. Part hair in back of head to apply between the thickest parts. Apply to the mid-lengths for longer hair until you start to get a lathery feel all throughout your hair. Focus especially on the hard-to-reach areas or where you’ve had problems with soap residue before.

Thicker or longer hair types will need to divide their hair into sections and work longer to achieve this. But you must try to work fast. Try to do everything within 3-5 minutes. This includes application to lather to rinse. It is much easier to lather right after application and you will build a better lather the faster you work. Remember that natural soap is entirely different from detergents/surfactants. You need to have conscious effort to wash with real soap shampoo.

Unless your hair is very short, do not rub the bar in circular motions across the hair. This is to decrease tangles.

When to stop?

You will need to learn this through experience. It is more of a feeling than a set number of strokes. A good indicator is when your hair feels like it starts to lather just by applying. Don’t count swipes, go by the feel of lather building during the application. The number of swipes needed will vary with each wash depending on any number of factors. These factors include how soiled your hair is, water quality, your environment, etc.

Lather your hair thoroughly right after you are done applying the soap bar well enough and in the correct way. GET AN EXCELLENT LATHER!

You’re halfway there! Your arms can get tired at this point with this new exercise. Time to build those muscles!

Timing is crucial for lathering well. When a good lather isn’t achieved, you will get the dreaded and damaging soap residue. Soap residue can feel sticky, waxy, heavy, greasy, wet, oily, or like lint. Let’s avoid that!

Massage the lather vigorously all over your scalp and hair – especially the mid-sections and back-sections. Gather the hair together on top of your head and lather like you mean business! Massage until a big fluffy lather is achieved all throughout your hair and scalp. Your goal should be to build up enough lather the size of a grapefruit. FLAT lather will NOT give good results! What is FLAT lather? Flat lather is watery, has no body, isn’t thick or stable, and is easily washed away.

Are you are having trouble creating the mounds of big fluffy lather like shown in the picture above? Try adding a few dashes of water and/or applying more soap in those areas!

Make sure you are turning ALL the soap you have applied onto your hair into a lather. DON’T apply lather created from one area to wash a different area. ALL the areas of hair that need washed will need soap applied there. Then, ALL the soap applied must be lathered well into those areas! If you are experiencing issues some areas, make sure you are actively lathering and applying enough soap in those areas.

There are 2 important factors for a good wash that beginners must learn. These factors are FAST TIMING, an ABUNDANT LATHER, and finding the right BALANCE of water and soap application.

There is no set number or definition of water/soap ratio – it is all about the feel. The more fluffy and thick the lather, the better! You should have a mountain of lather all throughout your hair that you can gather in your hands. If you don’t, try applying more soap and/or more water.

Rinse your hair right after you are finished lathering. You will know when to do this from experience after you reach your peak lather.

Timing is also crucial during this step – you do not want soap residue left in your hair!

Do not wait too long to rinse your hair after you have attained that glorious lather. Rinse it out at its fluffiest peak!

This will assure that all of the soap residue has been fully lathered. If all of the soap residue has been fully lathered, it will rinse out quickly and completely. If not, you will have the dreaded and damaging soap residue!

We recommend to wash twice per day only until you get good results. This takes most users no more than 10 washes on average. We recommend washing both morning and night preferably. This is to quicken the adjustment period so you won’t deal with unhappy hair for longer than necessary. Staying in the adjustment period too long can also cause hair damage from soap residue left in.

The adjustment period is real for over half of first time users, that’s why our directions are so detailed. If you are not getting good results after your 10th wash, please CONTACT US right away.

If you aren’t experiencing any of those symptoms and your hair is happy – wash your hair as needed! Ideal results can be from one wash per day or every other day, or at least once a week. We recommend washing once per day or every other day for the best and fastest hair transformation results. And don’t forget your conditioner bar if your hair does best with one!

We recommend washing once per day or every other day for the best and fastest hair transformation results. And don’t forget your conditioner bar if your hair does best with that! Ideal results can be one wash per day or every other day, or at least once a week. Find what fits your hair the best as you go! Remember that in different seasons, locations, and environments the ideal number of hair washes can change. Adjust your frequency according to your hair’s changing needs!

Unlike industrial shampoos, washing technique and time between washes VARIES WIDELY between people who use natural products. This is because more natural products bring us closer to expressing our natural biology. A method that works for some people doesn’t work for others. Does your hair feel like it needs washed more/less often or in more/less places? Wash it according to your own specific needs at that time…

Some like to wash once per day, others like to wash once per week. Some like to apply conditioner BEFORE the wash for a less heavy feel. Some like to apply conditioner AFTER the wash for more conditioning. Some like to LEAVE-IN a little of the conditioner instead of rinsing it all out for heavier conditioning and styling. You decide what’s best for YOUR hair in all its different stages and needs! This is the beauty of natural hair care – you can tailor it to your ever-changing needs.

We recommend trying a conditioner bar after mastering the shampoo washing technique.

We recommend using conditioners as needed and where needed before and/or after washing.

Any hair wash will raise the hair shafts in order for a thorough cleanse. Our conditioners are a great after-treatment to help smooth the shafts back down for better styling and manageability.

Some users won’t need to apply nearly as much conditioner as they are accustomed to. A few users may not need any conditioner at all after a while of using our shampoo soaps. Yet another reason Why You Should Use Our Shampoo Soap Bars.

Dry Shampoos

Leave-In Detangling & Thermal Spray

Hair Mousse

Hair Gel

Styling Spray

Texturizing Salt Spray

Hair Growth Serum

Hair & Beard Oil

This is called soap residue and it is fixed with a good washing technique. APPLY MORE soap & LATHER MORE quickly, thoroughly, and with the right water-to-soap ratios. Focus especially in the areas you are experiencing soap residue symptoms! Re-read the detailed directions on this page to improve your technique. If you don’t know how else to improve your technique or what you are doing wrong, CONTACT US! Do this soon so you can avoid more damage to your hair.

Make sure you are turning ALL the soap you have applied onto your hair into a lather. DON’T apply lather created from one area to cleanse a different area. ALL soap applied must be applied and lathered well in those areas! If you are experiencing issues in your mid-sections and ends, then make sure you are actively lathering in those areas.

Soap residue is due to not applying and lathering enough soap in a prompt fashion. Or not with the right water amount. Keep washing often to get your technique right. Read the directions above (yes, read it again). Remember that your lather must be fantastically abundant, fluffy, and stable everywhere on every single wash… or else you will get the dreaded soap residue.

Look at the pictures of the lather on this page for reference. Adjust your washing technique by applying more and lathering more to get that lather shown. Take some time and effort to perfect your technique. Practice is usually needed for attaining good results!

PLEASE DON’T let soap residue stay in your hair for very long. If you do, it can cause breakage, damage, and excess shedding. Wash up to 2 times per day (morning and evening, or twice in a row) until you get good results. It usually takes new users no more than 10 washes to get it right. Follow the directions closely and carefully to increase your chances of quick success. CONTACT US right away if all else fails after 10 washes!

Try rinsing with cold water at the end of your wash. Make sure you are washing correctly according to our directions on this page. This includes rinsing well with no soap residue left afterwards. It can take your hair and scalp a couple of weeks to adjust to real soap shampoo bars. This is part of the short adjustment period away from chemical detergent shampoos.

Are you still experiencing issues after 2 weeks of good washes? This means no soap residue, heaviness, waxiness, greasy, or straw-like feelings. Then, check out our SCALP HEALTH SHAMPOOS and MOISTURIZING SHAMPOOS. Also consider our CONDITIONERS and HAIR OIL as scalp treatments to balance your scalp and hair’s microbiome.

We have never seen true hair loss due to using our shampoo soaps correctly, just the opposite in fact! Our shampoo soaps promote more hair growth compared to the chemical poos. BUT that doesn’t mean you stop losing ANY hair. If you see some extra hair loss after washing, you are working out those already dead hairs. This cleans your follicles up for wonderful new hair growth. Due to the more vigorous washing needed with natural soaps, it can SEEM like you are losing more hair. But you’re actually not losing more hair, you are just seeing more of your dead hair fall out at once.

If you are not achieving a good wash, soap residue can actually create hair breakage or loss. Soap residue damage is from long-term washing technique neglect. This is an issue with washing technique and NOT due to the shampoo soap bar itself.

Another consideration is the fact that a good washing technique with shampoo soap bars requires a more vigorous massage-type lather. This actually stimulates hair growth and nutrient circulation to the scalp!

Along with a more vigorous lather comes more loosening of hair from the follicles that would drop soon anyway. Did you know that most humans lose an average of up to 100 hairs per day?

The best way to test this theory is to take a photo where you think hair loss is occurring. After using our shampoo soap bars consistently and exclusively for another month, take another look. Take another picture with the same lighting and angle to compare to the two photos. We think you will be pleasantly surprised! See our Testimonials

Does your hair stylist persist in using non-beneficial products on YOUR body? We recommend to first explain the benefits of using our products and what they have done for you. Offer to wash your hair right before a cut or style. Even better, bring in the products for them to use and try on you – show them how it’s done! If they want to switch over to carrying our hair products, they can contact us for wholesale opportunities!

Remember that it is YOUR body and only YOU have the power to decide what goes on it!

If you don’t have a choice, please wait at least one month of using our products exclusively before your appointment. A once-per-month chemical application can result in adjustment symptoms again for a couple washes afterward. It’s best to learn how our products work and see some benefits before having to start the adjustment period again.

Our shampoo soap bars can extend the life of permanent dyes. This is because permanent dyes are infused with the hair shaft instead of sitting on top of it. This is in comparison to detergent shampoos – also extending the life of other permanent hair treatments. Since our natural shampoo soap bars do not strip and weaken the hair like detergents do. Instead, our natural shampoo soaps gently cleanse while nourishing and strengthening the hair! Due to the faster growth often reported when using our shampoo soaps, you’ll need to color the roots more often. One of the many reasons Why You Should Use Shampoo Soap Bars.

Semi-permanent hair dyes are not recommended! This is due to the vigorous washing needed to achieve enough lather with shampoo soap bars. The extra massaging during the wash will rub off the surface-based hair dyes faster than with detergent shampoos. We ask those with semi-permanent coloring to weigh the benefits of healthier hair to their semi-permanent colors. Please consider high-quality permanent hair dyes if you must dye your hair.

We ask you to refrain from first-time use of our shampoo soaps for 7 days after any chemical treatments. This is so you don’t associate any of the damage with our products. If you acknowledge and understand that our natural soap products can’t cause damage when used correctly, then go ahead. It’s sad when a brand-new customer associates our shampoo soaps with damage from a recent chemical treatment. It’s awful to think our natural and nourishing shampoos caused damage, when it was actually the chemical treatment. Something to keep in mind – remember that over-bleaching and other harsh chemical hair treatments can damage hair permanently. There is no going back… time to regrow that hair!

After using our shampoo soaps, your hair can develop a more natural body and texture, which detergent shampoos prevented. Your hair can also hold styles (like curls) much easier for longer periods of time. This can take a while to start to see the difference, but it is a common report among new users! Some of the many reasons Why You Should Use Shampoo Soap Bars.

Store all soap bars in a dry, room-temperature spot. Keep out of direct sunlight, water, and humidity until you are ready to use it again. Also keep away from children or pets that can try to eat the bars.

Try rotating our wooden soap dishes or a well-draining shower caddy. We also have great travel cases!

After successful hair washing with our products, many don’t need to use styling products before, or maybe not as much!

If you still want to use styling products after achieving a good wash, you can. But the more product you add to your hair, the more your hair will need to be washed out. If your washing technique isn’t fully developed, this will make it more difficult on you. Until you have perfected your technique, it’s wise to skip the aftercare hair products until you get good washing results!

Eliminating or reducing the need for styling products is common when our customers achieve a good wash. Prior shampoos and conditioners often caused more problems than they solved!

See our more natural and nourishing hair products that are fully compatible below (click them for links).

Leave-In Your Conditioner Bars for Styling!

Dry Shampoos
Leave-In Detangling & Thermal Spray
Hair Mousse
Hair Gel
Styling Spray
Texturizing Salt Spray
Hair Growth Serum
Hair & Beard Oil

You can use a natural dry shampoo (usually in powder form) between washes – like our organic dry shampoos here. We have had customers use chemical dry shampoos between washes, but we don’t recommend them for the best results.

Please be aware that any use of applied heat or strong chemical treatments can cause irreversible, long-term hair damage. Other factors include: diet, exercise, stress, environmental exposures, and lifestyle choices.

You can use our shampoo soap bars with any clean water. This includes tap water, soft water, or hard water. We have found that any of these can be used to cleanse with our shampoo soaps. BUT, your washing technique needs to be in tip-top shape to avoid soap residue when using hard water. You will also need to use more soap to achieve similar results.

Hard water is untreated tap water with a build up of minerals and metals from water pipes and processing plants. Hard water leaves mineral deposits on your hair and skin. These deposits clog your follicles and pores while greatly diminishing the reach of your hard-earned products! Hard water is not ideal for your hair, your skin, or your health. Our shampoo soaps will still work with this type of water. But we do suggest purchasing a shower head filter and water softener to create soft water.

We and other customers have used our shampoo soaps in the hardest of waters. This is easy once the washing process is mastered. But it does help the washing process and your hair health to have a water softener/filter.
For areas with hard water you need to apply and lather more than with soft water. But our shampoo soap bars will still work if you have mastered your washing technique.

Water softeners and filters are a healthy addition not only for your hair washing, but your body washing as well. Remember that your skin and scalp absorb what you wash and rinse with! The cleaner and softer the water, the healthier, easier, and more effective your washing experience will be with any products!

A 3 oz soap bar is comparable to a 12 oz concentrated bottle of liquid shampoo. A 3 oz soap bar can last anywhere between 8 to 30 shampoos. This depends on your washing technique, hair length, and hair thickness.

For instance; a thin, mid-shoulder length hair type can have a 3 oz bar last 12 to 15 shampoos. This can be 2-4 weeks depending on if they wash every day or every other day.

Of course an extra wash will be needed for those extra sweaty or dirty days. Just like everyone is different and unique, more or less often washes can be best for them. Some customers like to wash every day, and others only wash their hair once a week. It’s totally up to what your individual hair needs are! We do recommend washing every day or every other day for the best results!

You will use up your first two soap bars a lot faster than after you adjust. This is due to the adjustment period for most beginners. Not properly washing (not applying and lathering enough) causes soap residue in certain places. We recommend washing both morning and evening until you have no adjustment symptoms. If you don’t have any adjustment symptoms, that’s great! Then wash only as-needed (once per day, once per week, or any pattern between)! We recommend washing every day or every other day for the best and fastest results.

It can take 8 to 30 hair washes to go through 1 full size (3 ounce) shampoo soap. This depends on hair length and thickness (NOT using it on your body). An experienced user can make 1 bar last anywhere between 1 to 4 weeks of hair washes.

Hair length, thickness, texture, and level of grime to cleanse will affect this number. It helps to store your soap properly in a dry area with good air flow (see storage tab above).

SOAP AGE COMPARISONS

An older soap bar that has cured for at least a year will be harder, lather easier, and last longer. Usually, a 2 year old soap is the best age to use it for the longest duration. But the scent and other nutritional benefits fade significantly as soap ages. We have soap bars available to sell once it has cured for 4 weeks. Younger soaps are softer, more difficult to lather, and are used up faster. But the nutritional benefits are higher and the scent is stronger. You can buy fresh soap bars as they are made for the strong smells and higher nutrient content. Conversely, you can stock up on soaps well in advance to enjoy the aged process. This is up to each individual! We calculate our Best Used By dates 3 years from the manufacture date. We share the Best Used By dates on each soap listing so you know the soap’s age when you order!

We have a best by date on every product listing and on the price tag of the products themselves.
We recommend using our soaps within 1 year of buying, or within 6 months of first use. The scent can fade over time. Although not recommended, our soaps are often still good to use even after 3 years.

Rusty orange spots on soap bars are the oils/fats going rancid. Old soap should be discarded or composted when these dreaded age spots develop. This issue can occur with really old soaps.

SOAP AGE COMPARISONS