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Author
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chloeishere
Member
Registered: October 2007
Location: St. Louie, Louie
Posts: 854
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Review Date: Fri March 7, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $6.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Wide variety of choices, gentle but thorough cleansing, natural products, sulfate free, silicone free, minimal packaging
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Cons:
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Adjustment period, Necessity of acid washes unless you have soft water, only available online unless you live nearby.
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I have been using Chagrin Valley shampoo bars for about 7 months, and after an adjustment period of about a month, I have loved my hair for the majority of that time.
The gentler cleaning method leaves my hair feeling clean, but very healthy and happy, even right after I wash, before I've even applied conditioner. I get great shine, and extremely soft hair, with the Chagrin Valley bars. Some bars do not work well for me, though (see my list, below).
Generally, using shampoo bars is different for everybody, so the remainder of this review is based, and mostly discusses, my personal experiences.
The adjustment can be rough (but not all people have adjustment periods)-- first, your scalp has to adjust to producing less oil; before switching to shampoo bars, I was using shampoos containing sulfates, which are harsh detergents that strip your hair and scalp of natural oil. Because your hair and scalp are no longer getting stripped, your scalp needs to "learn" to produce less oil. In the end, gentler cleaning methods mean less oily hair, and generally less frequent washing is needed. However, the transition period can be a pain, since it takes a while for your scalp to stop producing lots of oil. Also, because the cleanser itself is more gentle, it takes more physical rubbing and lathering to get clean hair.
In my case, I initially did not want to use vinegar rinses; unfortunately vinegar rinses are not optional for me, as I live in a hard water area. Using some conditioner (which are generally slightly acidic) afterwards did help to reduce the "waxy" feeling I initially got. Eventually, I started using vinegar rinses, with great results. However, the scent of vinegar did not go away for me when my hair dried (the scent dissapears for most people), so I started using citric acid rinses, instead (about 1/2 teaspoon per 3 cups of tap water). Either of these options work really well for me, but the citric acid smells immeasurably better.
I have relatively fine (to medium) wavy hair, so my hair gets weighed down easily. My scalp was once oily, but is not any longer. My hair likes both protein and oil treatments.
The shampoo bar that works best for me is Chamomile & Citrus. Gentler cleaners for me are Nettle, Mud 'n' Clay, and Summer Sunshine (I prefer Chamomile & Citrus to Summer Sunshine). Extra Honey, Beer, and Egg works well (however, contains protein from the egg, so I don't use overly often).
Other bars that I have tried that did not work for me: Babassu & Marsh Mallow (too moisturizing), and "normal" honey, beer and egg (waxy, stiff hair). I have not tried any other formulations (I have a mild allergy to lavender oil), though I will continue to experiment in the future.
I continue to use a small amount of conditioner after using a citric acid rinse.
A big positive to this product, for me, is that it has a minimum of packaging-- and most of that packaging is biodegradable. The shampoo bars come in a small paper bag with a label (see attached images), that allows the soap to breath (and scents drawers quite nicely!); such minimal packaging also works out well for the environment.
Unfortunately, as I do not live near Chagrin Valley (where they sell their products at farmer's markets in the summer), I must order their products online. In my opinion, it is worth the minor inconvenience of ordering online, and they ship quickly, and provide wonderful customer service.
The bars are also an excellent value; I ordered 4 shampoo bars and a sample shampoo bar in early October of last year; as of March, I still have about 2.5 shampoo bars left, total.
I highly recommend Chagrin Valley shampoo bars (their soaps are also wonderful, but that is outside the scope of this review) for those who wish to switch to a more natural, gentle, and healthy hair routine!
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SweetPea88
Member
Registered: September 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 858
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Review Date: Sat July 5, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $6.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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natural ingredients, cone free, sulfate free, sample sizes, cost effective, wide variety, good customer service
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Cons:
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online only, may require adjustment period
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I absolutely love Chagrin Valley shampoo bars! The products have left my hair noticeably fuller, healthier, and full of shine. I love that these bars are a completely natural product which contain oils and herbs that are very beneficial to hair health. There is a wide variety of choices to select from and the website details full information on each of them, such as the ingredients and benefits of each bar. I have tried 6 different bars to date and this is a little description of them:
-Babassu & Marsh Mallow: great lather but extremely moisturzing
-Mud & Clay: good lather, added great volume, cleaned thoroughly without stripping hair, very strong smell
-Extra Honey Beer & Egg: nice smell, very nice lather, added good body and lightness to my hair, too moisturizing to use on a regular basis
-Nettle: one of my favorites, more of a cleansing bar, gives good volume and boosts my waves
-Summer Sunshine: another favorite, clean citrus smell, leaves hair feeling very soft and bouncy
-Cafe Moreno: another favorite, lovely strong clove smell (not at all like coffee!), creamy and smooth lather, moisturizing
For my routine I constantly switch between bars, lathering twice, and follow with an herbed vinegar rinse.
Please keep in mind that these bars vary greatly from person to person! I would recommend by ordering the bars you like in sample sizes and do not decide after one wash if you like it. Also, I recommend clarifying before you make the switch to these bars from commercial products with harsher ingredients. You will more than likely need to do a vinegar rinse (it is explained on the web site and on the thread here) and that also takes time to play with. I was lucky to not experience a transition period but do not be worried if you do not take to these bars right away! When you find the right routine they are absolutely wonderful and worth it!!
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mellie
I Heart Soapnuts!
Registered: September 2007
Location: Land of Porch Swings
Posts: 2445
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Review Date: Sun October 12, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: $2.40
| Rating: 4
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Pros:
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all natural product
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Cons:
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very strong smelling, didn't work for me
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This didn't work for me at all, it left my hair very greasy (even greasier than before I washed, alarmingly!). An acid rinse didn't help. Also, it took my hair forever to dry, and actually it never really did feel dry, just really greasy and heavy. To be fair, I do have hard water which is a high pH, and naturally greasy scalp/hair.
The scent was just way too strong. I got the Cafe Moreno bar. My DH immediately had a sneezing attack when I opened the package and I had to hide it in a cupboard for a week or so till the scent dissipated some. When I did use it, I found it difficult to lather up and rather time-consuming in the shower. The scent lingered on my hair ALL DAY and it was not a pleasant scent, it was a very strong mix of patchouli (I didn't realize it was in there or I wouldn't have gotten it!) and cloves. It left me hair feeling so terrible and smelly that I had to wash again with shampoo afterward. It took two days of shampooing to actually get rid of the smell. I actually threw the bar away because both DH and I couldn't take the smell.
However, I understand that this could work for some folks as it does seem to be well made.
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healingsolitude
Member
Registered: September 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 315
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Review Date: Mon October 27, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $6.50
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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natural ingredients, large bars, last long time, made hair thicker & healthier
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Cons:
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can leave build-up on comb, some of the scents can take some getting used to
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Sorry in advance for what is going to be a long review. My hair type? 1a, F, i/ii. I have stick straight, baby fine hair that is normal with an oily scalp.
Chamomile & Citrus - Leaves my hair soft and with the most shine. It is the most cleansing of the bars I've tried. Probably not good for dry hair unless you use a more moisturizing shampoo bar or soap as a conditioner afterward. I'm not sure if this one adds volume or if my hair has simply gained volume due to it being healthier after staying clear of commercial shampoo. I used this one one night and was amazed at a strand of my hair that had fallen onto my shirt. It truly looked like someone else's hair since it looked thicker and more smooth than I've ever seen any strands of my hair before. I actually had to compare two strands to be sure that was my hair. It reminds me of those pantene commercials I used to fall for because I wanted hair that looked that healthy when looking at just a strand. Anyway, back to the review. These bars are distracting. Oh, and I haven't noticed this bar leaving any scent behind on my hair, though I wish it did since it smells divine and exactly like the name. I also never use an ACV rinse with this bar anymore since my water is only moderately hard and I don't see a difference with or without when it comes to this bar. I follow this bar with a cold water rinse instead. You also shouldn't have a problem with suds when it comes to this bar. Sometimes I even worry that I wasted some of the shampoo by running it down my hair too much since it suds amazingly well.
Nettle - This one is just as cleansing on my hair as the Citrus & Chamomile. It doesn't give quite as much shine, but it does more than make up for that fact when it comes to volume. I haven't used this one in a while since I've been trying other bars. I'm really missing it since I didn't realize how much hair I had until I used this bar. I'll have to order this one in a full-size next time since I think it will end up being my favorite. I'm also loving how the scent remained in my hair when I used this bar. The scent is stronger than the Chamomile & Citrus one. It reminds me of those black jelly beans I ate as a child. The scent it leaves in my hair is much softer when compared to how it smells fresh out of the bag. I feel this one requires more effort to get the suds to work and it leaves my hair soft. This is another bar I use a cold water rinse with instead of a vinegar rinse.
Summer Sunshine - I used this bar for the first time without a vinegar rinse. Big mistake. I ended up with a terrible case of the waxies. I rewashed with the Chamomile and Citrus, which helped clear up most of it. My next wash involved a baking soda rinse, then I lathered this one up twice, rinsed, an ACV rinse, followed by a cold water rinse. The results were much better. I wasn't wowed by the volume since the Nettle gives me much more. The scent reminds me of the Nettle bar if it had a floral and citrus touch to it, which I actually prefer. I'm just not adjusting to this bar right now for whatever reason. I tried it without the vinegar rinse on the fourth and fifth wash to see if I could get as much volume as with the Nettle. Some volume did still appear, but my hair didn't feel nearly as clean as when I use the other two bars. It felt slightly oily around my scap area. I'm wondering if this is a bar I need to use the vinegar rinse with everytime or if my hair just doesn't react well to some ingredient in the bar since I'm not getting the results I was expecting from the description and reviews. I'm thinking it might have something to do with the coconut milk in this bar possibly weighing down my hair.
Cafe Moreno - I love this bar and the amazing softness it gives my hair! It is dark and smells very heavily of cloves. I wasn't too sure about the strong scent until I placed it in my bathroom for a few days. Now the scent has grown on me and I love it! My hair is soft and as shiny with this one as when I use the ACV rinse. Does it darken my hair? Yes, but only slightly. I did noticed that a week of using this had darkened my hair a small amount until after the second shampoo with a different bar. I don't find this bar either cleansing or moisturizing since it doesn't strip my hair or leave it feeling heavy or oily. It is a bar that I usually need to clarify more quickly with since it is not as cleansing as the C&C or Nettle bars that I usually use. The scent it left on my hair was barely noticeable to me, which is kind of disappointing since I love the scent now.
Lavender & Spice - I've only used this on once so far. It left my hair similar to how it was when I used the Summer Sunshine bar. I knew it also had coconut milk in it, so I prepared my scalp by doing a heavy baking soda rinse prior to lathering this bar twice and doing a final rinse with a lemon juice rinse. My hair felt as soft as it normally does with the other bars, but this time it was flat and dull looking like it was when I used the Summer Sunshine. I think the only reason I didn't have the oily feeling with this one was because I made sure my hair was squeaky clean with the baking soda and lemon juice rinses. The coconut milk ingredient just doesn't seem to work for my fine hair and oily scalp. I might try this one again in the winter to see how it does then.
Neem & Tea Tree - I couldn't bring myself to use this as a shampoo because I was worried about the scent lingering. It has a medicated smell to it that reminds me of a slightly toned down Bengay smell with a woodsy undertone. I'm trying it instead as a facial wash for my acne. If it doesn't work miracles, I think I'll just give up on this one. I have heard amazing things about this bar clearing up problem scalp, though. It would be worth at least a sample try if you have problem skin or scalp.
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