Switching to natural soap from commercial shampoo/conditioner is a fantastic choice for you and the health of your hair. Just be prepared for the transition period!
The first time I used natural soap in my hair I didn’t work the soap in well enough, leaving half of it washed and the other half still greasy. I washed it again the next day, making sure to get lots of lather scrubbed through my hair and into my scalp. It’s always good to take a moment to give yourself a bit of a scalp massage anyway – it helps improve circulation while both stimulating & relaxing you, and it helps improve hair growth.
I had to wash my hair again two days later – which for me was quite soon. Commercial shampoo strips your hair of all the good, natural oils completely – leaving your hair overly dry and lifeless. Often you have to use conditioner after in order to add some moisture back, but that often leaves it flat and lacklustre. Natural soap washes out excess oil and cleans your hair, while gently moisturizing it at the same time. Often you can find a soap that is balanced for your type of hair that leaves you not needing any kind of conditioner.
*It is a good idea to do a moisturizing hair-mask (which can be as simple as plain coconut oil) every once in a while before washing it as normal as needed.
Essentially, you will need to clean your hair more often at first while your hair and scalp get used to not being completely and utterly stripped anymore. Stick with it, and within a few weeks your hair will be transformed.
I have never been able to manage long hair; it’s always misbehaved, lying flat, curving strangely, looking terrible with the slightest amount of wind. I can’t be bothered to style my hair – I wash it, brush it, and let it dry naturally, and I used to always have to put it up or even keep it cut short for the least bother. Hair should not have to be styled for hours with a multitude of products to look nice – and now, with natural soap, mine is there. It has bounce, life, and shine!
I have never been so excited about my hair – how lovely it looks, so easily. For about twenty years of my life I thought that long hair just wasn’t for me. Discovering how natural soap massively improved the health of my hair has been amazing. Not to mention how soft my skin has become – even on my shins throughout the dry winter months when they used to become dry and flaky.
Soap, whether for your body, your face, or your hair, should nourish and improve – and it does so the best with nothing but natural ingredients.
-Image featured is Herbal Coconut Shampoo Bar, with jojoba oil and organic coconut milk.